The Cleveland Orchestra Mandel Opera Festival

A FESTIVAL OF CONCERTS, CONVERSATIONS & IDEAS

MAY 15–26, 2024

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A FESTIVAL OF CONCERTS, CONVERSATIONS & IDEAS

FROM THE

CLEVELAND

ORCHESTRA

PRESIDENT & CEO

THE POWER OF THE ARTS

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, MUSICIANS, STAFF, AND VOLUNTEERS of The Cleveland Orchestra, it brings me great pleasure to welcome you to Severance Music Center for the second edition of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival: Power.

This year’s festival and theme are inspired by and built around four fully staged productions of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, arguably the most famous opera ever written. Music Director Franz Welser-Möst’s selection of this iconic work as our festival’s centerpiece is a testament to both its artistic merits and enduring relevance. The Magic Flute is not just a tale of adventure and romance; it is a profound exploration of the power of music, the human spirit, and the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. And although the context and circumstances of that struggle might have morphed and evolved in the 233 years since the work premiered, the opera’s ideals of enlightenment, virtue, and harmony remain as universal as ever.

Over the course of 10 events crafted hand in hand with nine of our wonderful festival partners, we invite you to join us on a journey of intellectual curiosity and musical discovery. From the captivating photography of Chuck Stewart and incisive insights of Terrance McKnight to the potent words of Kai Bird and creative mind of Terence Blanchard, each event promises to enrich and complement our understanding of the many power structures embedded in our world today.

When we launched this festival last year, thanks in large part to the generous support of the Mandel Foundation, we set out to create open and inclusive spaces for artistic expression, meaningful conversations, and authentic community connections. We continue to stay true to that same set of ideals as we work towards cementing the Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival as an integral part of Cleveland’s artistic and cultural landscape.

We are grateful that you have chosen to join us today as we experience, together, the power of the arts to inspire, enlighten, and unite us.

Named for founding benefactor John L. Severance, The Cleveland Orchestra’s iconic home since 1931 became Severance Music Center in 2021, a reflection of its expanded role as a musical and artistic gathering place for the entire Cleveland community.

André Gremillet President & CEO The Cleveland Orchestra

FROM THE JACK , JOSEPH AND MORTON MANDEL FOUNDATION

THE POWER OF THE HUMANITIES

WELCOME TO THE SECOND ANNUAL Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival. Building on last year’s dynamic American Dream festival, this year’s theme is an invitation to contemplate and explore the concept of Power. In our everyday lives, we may recognize power as the market influence of a business titan or the legislative authority of a political leader, but our human experience of power extends far beyond such accomplishments.

Historically, the humanities have been a part of conventional education since the Classical period, personified in the Nine Muses. J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of history’s greatest scientific minds, continually engaged with the arts by learning Sanskrit and reading the ancient Vedic literatures of Hinduism firsthand.

Today, the humanities remain vital to the human experience. Our human existence extends beyond our technical accomplishments, and the arts play a crucial role in reminding us of just that.

In Mozart’s The Magic Flute, we see how the divine Three Ladies offer Tamino a flute — a symbol of music and the arts — instead of a sword to overcome the powers of darkness. In reading the Bhagavad Gita, Oppenheimer found words to express his overwhelming emotions upon witnessing the first detonation of an atomic bomb: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

Through the Power of art, music, and storytelling, the humanities remind us to soften the uncompromising pursuit of achievement with the empathy and compassion necessary to connect with our fellow human beings.

It is against this backdrop that the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation proudly supports the second annual Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival. We would like to thank and congratulate André Gremillet, Franz Welser-Möst, Elena Dubinets, and The Cleveland Orchestra musicians and staff who made this festival possible. We would also like to invite our community to experience the festival’s performances, exhibitions, and presentations in the hope our minds and spirits will be renewed once again.

Dr. Jehuda Reinharz

President & CEO

Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation

Stephen H. Hoffman

Chairman

Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation

American artist William Michael Harnett’s 1885 still-life painting displays several literary and musical objects that would befit a traditional humanities education. Harnett’s flute can be seen alongside a copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy, a prayer book, and sheet music for Verdi’s opera La traviata

by Elena Dubinets Festival Curator

THE MAGIC FLUTE UNLEASHING THE POWER OF NATURE, REASON & WISDOM

Filtered through the lens of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, the Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival explores power dynamics through a broad array of events

SINCE THE MOMENT OPERA HOUSES reopened after the pandemic, The Magic Flute has consistently reappeared in performances around the world. Its universal appeal is easily explained by the fabulous music that Mozart created in the last year of his short life — the music that scintillates with wit, touches with expressions of love, and excites with irresistible melodies. While there is something for everyone in this opera, it would be hard to pinpoint a single message that it carries. Over the years, The Magic Flute has been attributed political meaning, recognized as an embodiment of Enlightenment ideas and Masonic allegories, and much more. And while this opera cannot be reduced to one general claim, we all see something very familiar and germane in its representation of the intricacy of human nature.

The 2024 Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival’s theme of Power comes from Mozart’s and his librettist Emanuel Schikaneder’s idea to place the macrocosm of The Magic Flute within the Masonic temples of Nature, Reason, and Wisdom, thus reflecting upon the power of our planet, order, and humanity. By situating Mozart’s musical vision both in contemporaneous and current contexts, we explore different power structures embedded in the world, including the forces of love that transcend human fear and hatred, the Enlightenment doctrines of political liberalism and religious tolerance, and the prevalence of knowledge over ignorance.

In 1863, Austrian artist Moritz von Schwind painted a series of frescoes for the then-new Vienna Opera House. One was an image of The Magic Flute’s Queen of the Night, a dramatic representation that combines elements of Romanticism, neoclassicism, and Schwind’s interest in fairy tales.

The most familiar interpretation of The Magic Flute’s plot refers to the conterminous exploration of binary supernatural powers and archetypes — darkness and light, evil and good — and to a journey from one to the other. But the opera also embodies Mozart’s belief in explicitly human powers: love and music. The composer skillfully and playfully juxtaposed all these powers by employing the main aesthetic principle of Freemasonry to which he belonged: eclecticism.

In The Magic Flute, Mozart used an incredible stylistic range, unusual even for him — from the “seraglio” (abduction) narrative in which Tamino is on a mission to rescue Pamina from captivity, to his adventures following the trials and tribulations of the Masonic initiation into the ancient Egyptian temple of Wisdom, to the quasifairy tale about the bird catcher Papageno, who might be the most down-to earth character in this opera, with his many insecurities and apprehensions.

Mozart also implemented a broad spectrum of musical influences within the freefor-all genre of singspiel, from liturgical traditions to opera seria to dazzling vocal pyrotechnics, all in the composer’s native German language, and all in the space of one evening. He was exploring a path from the socially and scientifically rationalized

Prussian architect and painter Karl Friedrich Schinkel created these designs for an 1816 Berlin production of The Magic Flute. The stately Egyptian motifs of Sarastro’s temple (above) contrast with the fury of the fire and water trial underneath. Meanwhile, the Queen of the Night oversees her starry realm (right) in one of the most famous images in the opera’s production history.

[Mozart] was exploring a path from the socially and scientifically rationalized Enlightenment — with its confidence in the power of wisdom and reason and its ideals of tolerance and forgiveness — to new ideas, including those resurrecting people’s sometimes-forgotten passions …

Enlightenment — with its confidence in the power of wisdom and reason and its ideals of tolerance and forgiveness — to new ideas, including those resurrecting people’s sometimes-forgotten passions (love and desire) and their rebellious and chaotic nature (ignorance and naïveté but also anger and viciousness). The opera was completed and premiered right before the composer’s death — and shortly before the French Revolution turned bloody and France declared war against his native country. At the time of the premiere, Louis XVI and his family were already under arrest and France had a Republican constitution. Mozart’s fairy-tale opera was of this moment.

The behaviors and relationships explored in the opera are certainly far removed from today’s cultural norms, and our understanding of them should not be driven by the anachronistic tendencies to explain and accommodate every turn of the plot from today’s ethical and societal standpoint. But while The Magic Flute is not about our time and certainly not about us, the way how we now see the opera’s contradictions is informed by our own current views, and we often find ourselves reflected in the opera’s entanglements and power plays.

A phenomenon rooted in the human condition, power is one of the most essential paradigms of social and interpersonal relations constructed in the quest for recognition and control. But it is also a scientific notion explaining physical force or strength, a mathematical concept, a measure of effectiveness, and much more. Throughout our festival, we observe and discuss multiple facets and manifestations of power. To do so, we present a range of events inspired by Mozart’s opera and centered around our community.

[Oppenheimer],

the famous — and powerful — scientist and director of the Manhattan Project who guided the creation of the plutonium bomb dropped on Hiroshima, realized early on that the power he was determined to deliver could destroy humankind.

The festival’s keynote speaker is Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer and journalist Kai Bird, who co-authored American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, on which the blockbuster Oscar-winning movie Oppenheimer was based. His protagonist, the famous — and powerful — scientist and director of the Manhattan Project who guided the creation of the plutonium bomb dropped on Hiroshima, realized early on that the power he was determined to deliver could destroy humankind. While designing the atomic weapon, Oppenheimer didn’t hesitate to exert his personal power on his colleagues who might have understood the danger of their product before him, and on the entire Indigenous population of New Mexico where he decided to build the secret laboratory for testing the bomb, forcing people to give up their land and, often, ruining their health and lives. Later, after Hiroshima, by protesting against the improper applications of the atomic bomb and opposing the development of the hydrogen bomb, Oppenheimer lost his political influence and, effectively, his career as a nuclear physicist. His conflicted personality, the magnificence of his mind, and the horror of his ambition were captured in John Adams’s Doctor Atomic — yet another opera dedicated to power

As head of the Manhattan Project, J. Robert Oppenheimer (seen here at a 1949 hearing of the joint Congressional Atomic Committee) grappled with the moral weight of developing the atomic bomb, which could bring about the end of World War II but also lead to devastation on a potentially cataclysmic scale.

play — a fragment from which is performed as part of Kai Bird’s presentation alongside Pablo de Sarasate’s Fantasy on The Magic Flute, which introduces multiple themes from Mozart’s opera.

We also consider different types of power in other festival programs. Franz Welser-Möst leads The Cleveland Orchestra in two concerts featuring Mozart’s “Gran Partita,” written about 10 years before The Magic Flute but already anticipating some of its elements. It is paired with the Prelude and Liebestod from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, perhaps the most powerful love music ever written, and Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto — which harnesses the power of expressing grief, affection, and healing through music — featuring Leila Josefowicz

United in Song!, a musical celebration performed by Cleveland-based choruses, demonstrates the power of choral utterance and voice. Pianist Conrad Tao explores the concept of power and influence in a recital juxtaposing compositions by the famous Russian émigré composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and works by his no-lessfamous American contemporaries from the realm of popular music. Composer and trumpet player Terence Blanchard (below), an eight-time Grammy Award winner and one of the most powerful jazz musicians alive, performs his recent album Absence,

[The festival explores] different power structures embedded in the world, including the forces of love that transcend human fear and hatred, the Enlightenment doctrines of political liberalism and religious tolerance, and the prevalence of knowledge over ignorance.

a celebration of his mentor, jazz icon Wayne Shorter. Jazz is also the focus of The Magic Lens: A Photographic Journey by Chuck Stewart, an exhibition showcasing one of the most imaginative photographers of the 20th century, curated by Toussaint Miller and presented in the Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer of Severance Music Center. Sixteen images of famous jazz musicians — including Thelonius Monk, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, and others —illuminate the power of rhythm, presence, and passion. Across the street, at The Cleveland Museum of Art, another exhibition, Africa & Byzantium, explores the connections between the great civilizations of ancient Egypt and the Byzantine Empire reflected in such Freemasonry-driven representations of the pharaonic legacies, as the aria “O Isis und Osiris” and other numbers in The Magic Flute. This extensive international loan exhibition — the first of its kind on this subject — includes nearly 160 artworks from African, European, and North American collections.

An evening presented in partnership with Assembly for the Arts and The City Club of Cleveland is dedicated to discussing power dynamics in today’s world of classical music. As part of this event, and coupled with musical elements, radio host, commentator, and writer Terrance McKnight shares his insights about musical, historical, and societal contexts that contributed to the creation of The Magic Flute and to performances in the present era.

Each of the four performances of the opera is preceded by different preview talks introducing important aspects of the opera. Musicologist Bonnie Gordon gives a general introduction on the first night; Nikolaus Habjan, the stage director of our production, talks about his creative process; Kristen Windmuller-Luna, the curator of the Africa & Byzantium exhibition at The Cleveland Museum of Art, shares her observations about Mozart, Freemasonry, and Egypt; and musicologist Jessica Waldoff addresses gender dynamics in the opera. Both performances of Mozart’s “Gran Partita” program are introduced by Michael Strasser.

Finally, The Magic Flute for Kids, a special adaptation by author and illustrator Chris Raschka, is presented twice for our youngest audience members, and many of them will surely have their first, powerful live music experience at these concerts.

Terence Blanchard (left) started learning trumpet at age 5 and has since garnered eight Grammy Awards for his prowess as a player and composer. He celebrates his mentor Wayne Shorter on May 21 at Severance Music Center.

The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2024 Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival is supported by a historic grant from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation.

The Cleveland Orchestra also thanks the following donors for their support of the 2024 Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival:

Jan R. Lewis

Mrs. Jayne M. Zborowsky

Ms. Cathy Lincoln

Mr. David and Dr. Carolyn Lincoln

Dr. Michael Frank and Patricia A.* Snyder

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Gillespie

Dr. Roland S. Philip and Dr. Linda M. Sandhaus

In loving memory of Michael Shames

Mel Berger and Jane Haylor

David and Julie Borsani

Mr. Calvin Griffith

Mr. and Mrs. Forrest A. Norman III

Ms. Linda L. Wilmot

Robert and Linda Jenkins

Dr. Dale and Susan Cowan

PARTNER INSTITUTIONS

The Cleveland Orchestra and the Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival are proud to partner with the following organizations:

Assembly for the Arts

ASSEMBLYCLE.ORG

Chautauqua Institution

CHQ.ORG

Chuck Stewart Photography

CHUCKSTEWART

PHOTOGRAPHY.COM

The City Club of Cleveland CITYCLUB.ORG

The Cleveland Museum of Art CLEVELANDART.ORG

Cleveland Public Library

CPL.ORG

Cuyahoga Community College

TRI-C.EDU

Tri-C JazzFest

TRI-C.EDU/JAZZFEST

Ideastream Public Media

IDEASTREAM.ORG

WQXR

WQXR.ORG

Ohio Poetry Out Loud State Champion Hiba Loukssi of Xenia High School (Greene County) reciting a poem at the 2023 state finals. She competed at the national finals in Washington, D.C. Image credit: Terry Gilliam

Ohio Poetry Out Loud State Champion Hiba Loukssi of Xenia High School (Greene County) reciting

Gilliam

CALENDAR

APRIL 11 – MAY 26

The Magic Lens: A Photographic Journey by Chuck Stewart

Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer at Severance Music Center

This special exhibition invites visitors to explore Mozart’s masterpiece in a new evocative light — through Chuck Stewart’s camera lens.

SEE PAGE 19

APRIL 14 – JULY 21

Africa & Byzantium

The Cleveland Museum of Art Africa & Byzantium ponders the complex artistic relationships between northern and eastern African Christian kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire from the 4th century and beyond.

SEE PAGE 23

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15

7  PM

An Evening with Kai Bird

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

Kai Bird, co-author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning biography American Prometheus, presents the keynote event on the festival’s theme of Power.

SEE PAGE 25

FRIDAY, MAY 17

7:30  PM

Conrad Tao in Recital: Power and Influence

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center

Pianist Conrad Tao presents a fascinating dialogue between Rachmaninoff’s native and adoptive countries, reflecting on the duality of tradition and innovation.

SEE PAGE 59

THURSDAY, MAY 16 |  7  PM

SATURDAY, MAY 18 |  7  PM

FRIDAY, MAY 24 |  7  PM

SUNDAY, MAY 26 |  3  PM

Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

Franz Welser-Möst leads The Cleveland Orchestra and an acclaimed cast in a dazzling staged production by director Nikolaus Habjan.

SEE PAGE 33

SATURDAY, MAY 18

10  AM & 12  PM

The Magic Flute for Kids

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center

An enchanting one-hour performance for children 7 and older presented by best-selling author/ illustrator Chris Raschka, featuring Cleveland Orchestra musicians.

SEE PAGE 61

SUNDAY, MAY 19 4 PM

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center

A mix of conversation and music with Terrance McKnight and friends.

SEE PAGE 63

TUESDAY, MAY 21  7  PM

Terence Blanchard & Friends: A Celebration of Wayne Shorter

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

Terence Blanchard leads an evening of music celebrating his mentor, jazz icon Wayne Shorter.

SEE PAGE 65

SATURDAY, MAY 25  2  PM

United in Song! A Community Choral Celebration

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

An afternoon of joyous vocal performances representing the rich diversity of the Greater Cleveland choral community.

SEE PAGE 75

THURSDAY, MAY 23 | 7:30 PM

SATURDAY, MAY 25 | 8 PM

Mozart’s Gran Partita

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

Music by Mozart, Wagner, and Berg comprise this festival concert, led by Franz Welser-Möst and featuring violinist Leila Josefowicz.

SEE PAGE 67

THE JACK, JOSEPH AND MORTON

OPEN DURING SEVERANCE MUSIC CENTER EVENTS

Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer at Severance Music Center

Join us for Community Open Houses on: SATURDAY, MAY 18  | 10:30 AM  – 1:30 PM SATURDAY, MAY 25  | 12  – 3 PM

by Toussaint Miller Exhibition Curator

THE MAGIC LENS A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY BY CHUCK STEWART

Exploring the power of rhythm, presence, and passion through the works of a legendary American photographer

AT THE ONSET OF THE CIVIL WAR , the abolitionist and scholar Frederick Douglass delivered a lecture on the importance of photography for justice. He argued that while combat might end geographic partition, American advancement and racial reconciliation require the use of pictures. As the most photographed American of the 19th century, it is no surprise that Douglass was well aware of the power of an image to not only influence, but altogether alter our view of the world. He knew that photography had the unique and sincere ability to depict what the eye may not see but is nonetheless present. He understood that this visual art form is so cogent because it holds the potential to both honor human life and denigrate it.

Though these meditations were shared in 1861 — 114 years before the invention of the first digital camera — the dichotomy Douglass highlighted could not be any more relevant. Why is it that images of Black repose and play are so hard to come by while those depicting Black trauma and struggle seem unduly pervasive? Why aren’t Black educators depicted as frequently in books and films as Black drug addicts or slaves? Why does the contemporary American zeitgeist have such a limited view of what Black life should look like? As a young Black man attending Harvard University, where the lecture halls are buttressed by ornate portraiture of “the Greats” (few of whom are non-white, and even fewer are of African descent), I wrestle with these questions often. It has become clear to me that the reason the answers are so fleeting is because Black reality has been pigeonholed to exist at the intersection of duality; to live in the tension between bondage and freedom, between equality and a regime upholding racial hierarchy.

With more than 800,000 images in his archive, Chuck Stewart (1927 – 2017) was one of the most prolific American photographers of the 20th century.

[The] exhibition is a testament to how the transformative power of photography can reshape narratives, reclaim agency, and celebrate the multifaceted richness and resilience of the Black experience

The Magic Lens seeks to uncloak the paradoxical relationship between how Blackness is predominantly portrayed and how it ought to be portrayed. Through the celebration of Chuck Stewart, one of the most prolific American photographers of the 20th century, this exhibition establishes a new canon of Black imagery in an artistic vernacular that seldom makes space for the Black artist. It exemplifies the way in which art can be used as a means of honoring and empowering through three guiding tenets: the power of rhythm, the power of presence, and the power of passion.

The first of the three, the power of rhythm, is apropos not only because of the many jazz musicians that make up this exhibition, but also because of the fine line they balanced between being both in and out of phase with the status quo as entertainers. Gil Scott-Heron, creator of The Revolution Will Not Be Televised and avid Civil Rights activist, embodied this message to the fullest. Images of luminaries including Alice Coltrane (right) and Mary Lou Williams display the power that lies in one’s presence. These artists made space at tables that were never meant to seat them, forcefully claiming each “unalienable right” and realizing the previously unthinkable potential of American democracy by simply existing. The power of

A proponent of the “free jazz” movement, Eric Dolphy (above) was a dizzyingly virtuosic improviser who popularized the bass clarinet as a solo jazz instrument.

Harpist and composer Alice Coltrane (right) distinguished herself from the hard bebop of her husband, John, with an eclectic style known as “spiritual jazz.”

passion, the final exhibition tenet, is exemplified through portraits of Eric Dolphy (left), Dinah Washington, and Arvell Shaw. These creatives were steeped in the rich traditions of their crafts. They likewise understood that the beauty of Black creativity lies in its ingenuity; each iteration of an idea offers a newness that pops off the page or jumps from a rhythm that has been recycled through collective imagination. The passion necessary to cultivate this gift, to pioneer a resolutely distinct and individual voice, required an assumption of power that was wholly and boldly self-proclaimed.

Through the work of Chuck Stewart and the artistic legacies it encapsulates, The Magic Lens exhibition is a testament to how the transformative power of photography can reshape narratives, reclaim agency, and celebrate the multifaceted richness and resilience of the Black experience.

Scan QR code for more information about the exhibition and for a curated playlist inspired by the works.

Exhibition presented in partnership with Chuck Stewart Photography.

Artist Representative: Kim Stewart (Chuck Stewart Estate)

OPEN TUESDAY– SUNDAY  | 10  AM  – 5  PM

The Cleveland Museum of Art

AFRICA & BYZANTIUM

The Cleveland Museum of Art 11150 East Boulevard

003 Special Exhibition Hall

The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Hall

CLEVELANDART.ORG

Three centuries after ancient Egypt’s pharaohs ended their rule, new African rulers built empires in the continent’s north and east. The Byzantine Empire also participated in these artistic and cultural networks as it expanded into northern Africa. Together, these great civilizations created unique art reflecting their heritages while also building a shared visual culture across regions linked by the Mediterranean and Red seas, and the Nile River.

In The Magic Flute, Mozart also looked to the African past to write a new opera that reflected his present. Ancient Egypt fascinated both Mozart and the Freemason fraternal organization he belonged to. Like Nubian and later Egyptian artists whose creations interpreted pharaonic legacies, Mozart’s opera considers these histories in pieces like the aria “O Isis und Osiris.”

Africa & Byzantium ponders the complex artistic relationships between northern and eastern African Christian kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire from the 4th century and beyond. The exhibition includes nearly 160 artworks lent by African, European, and North American collections.

Curated by Kristen Windmuller-Luna, PhD, who will also give an Opera Preview on May 24 at Severance Music Center.

This ambitious exhibition explores Byzantine art and culture in north and east Africa from the 4th century and beyond. Several of the nearly 200 objects on view include (l-r): Man’s Crown (c. 400 – 500s), Funerary Portrait of a Young Girl (c. 25 – 37), and Icon of the Virgin and Child (c. 500s).

WEDNESDAY | 7  PM

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION AN EVENING WITH KAI BIRD

Keynote moderated by Michael E. Hill, president of Chautauqua Institution. The evening kicks off with a festival panel featuring Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, Cleveland Orchestra President & CEO André Gremillet, and Festival Curator Elena Dubinets

Cleveland Orchestra Associate Concertmaster Jung-Min Amy Lee and pianist Christina Dahl perform Sarasate’s Fantasy on The Magic Flute. Bass-baritone Dashon Burton and pianist Miloš Repický present “Batter my heart” from John Adams’s Doctor Atomic. A book signing with Kai Bird immediately follows the event.

If you were a scientist, [Oppenheimer] said, “you believe that it is good to find out how the world works ... that it is good to turn over to mankind at large the greatest possible power to control the world and to deal with it according to its lights and values.”

— KAI BIRD & MARTIN J. SHERWIN , excerpt from American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

Keynote speaker Kai Bird is a Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer, journalist, and co-author of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, on which the Academy Award–winning film Oppenheimer was based. He is the executive director and distinguished lecturer of the Leon Levy Center for Biography at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. Bird’s most recent books include The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter and The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames, which was a New York Times bestseller. He chronicled his childhood in the Middle East in his memoir, Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming

of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis. Bird is the author of biographies of John J. McCloy, McGeorge Bundy, and William Bundy. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2006 for American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (co-authored with Martin J. Sherwin). His work includes critical writings on the Vietnam War, Hiroshima, nuclear weapons, the Cold War, the ArabIsraeli conflict, and the CIA.

Bird won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Duff Cooper Prize for History and is the recipient of numerous fellowships. He is an elected member of the prestigious Society of American Historians.

In 1955, the US military conducted 14 nuclear tests, known as “Operation Teapot,” in the Nevada desert. The Military Effects Test (MET) explosion yielded 22 kilotonnes of energy.

This event is livestreamed and available for on-demand viewing on adella.live (the digital home of The Cleveland Orchestra) and assembly.chq.org (the digital home of Chautauqua Institution). Presented in partnership with Chautauqua Institution and Ideastream Public Media.

MOZART THE HUMANIST

MOZART THE HUMANIST

The Magic Flute is one of Mozart’s finest creations, holding profound humanistic themes within its fanciful tale of good and evil

The Magic Flute is one of Mozart’s finest creations, holding profound humanistic themes within its fanciful tale of good and evil

by Franz Welser-Möst Music Director, The Cleveland Orchestra

Franz Welser-Möst Music Director, The Cleveland Orchestra

IN PLANNING THE SECOND Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival,

IN PLANNING THE SECOND Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival,

The Magic Flute was the natural choice for our centerpiece production. It is simply the greatest opera about humanity ever written. I find it remarkable that today, more than 230 years after it premiered, we can still see ourselves mirrored in Mozart’s finely rendered characters; they share our ambitions, our frailties, our capacity to love, and our desire to be loved. He never resorts to caricature — no one is purely evil, but no one is purely good either — and he never passes judgment on them. ▶ ▶ ▶

The Magic Flute was the natural choice for our centerpiece production. It is simply the greatest opera about humanity ever written. I find it remarkable that today, more than 230 years after it premiered, we can still see ourselves mirrored in Mozart’s finely rendered characters; they share our ambitions, our frailties, our capacity to love, and our desire to be loved. He never resorts to caricature — no one is purely evil, but no one is purely good either — and he never passes judgment on them. ▶ ▶ ▶ by

Born in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart came of age as Enlightenment ideals swept across Europe, ushering in a new focus on the human condition and the pursuit of knowledge. Blind faith in institutions such as the church and aristocracy was questioned. Meanwhile, secular groups such as the Freemasons, an order initially established by laborers who were laying the stones of the grand cathedrals, gained popularity through championing tenets such as brotherly love and reason. By 1740, philosophical movements across German-speaking Europe, England, and France began to put aside their devotion to God and religion in order to place the human being at the center of society. During this same decade, the first Masonic lodge in Vienna was established.

Both Mozart and librettist Emanuel Schikaneder were Freemasons and sympathetic to the ideals of the Enlightenment well before they began collaborating on The Magic Flute in 1791. Unlike Mozart’s previous operas, produced for aristocratic courts, this would be a popular work for a German-speaking public.

previous page: The Queen of the Night appears underneath a massive, billowing canopy in an 1818 stage rendering by Simon Quaglio.

This 1789 painting by Ignaz Unterberger (above) shows an initiation ceremony at a Masonic lodge, possibly the Crowned Hope Lodge in Vienna. Some historians believe that Mozart is depicted at the extreme right of the painting, sitting next to The Magic Flute’s future librettist Emanuel Schikaneder

The opera opens simply with three solemn chords building to an E-flat-major triad, a progression that recurs at significant points throughout. With its three flats, E-flat major came to symbolize “liberty, equality, and brotherhood” — the tripartite motto of the French Revolution, which had been simmering for two years, as well as the pillars of Freemasonry. (You might ask why not use the key of A major with its three sharps, but the sharp’s cross-like symbol was too closely associated with Christianity.)

Across his short life, Mozart frequently used E-flat major for works that were connected to Freemasonry, and to convey a dignified, almost exalted, status. The Serenade No. 10, “Gran Partita,” which we also present during this festival and which shares a similar spirit with The Magic Flute, modulates to this key at many points across its seven movements. Notably, Beethoven would follow this convention several years later when he chose to write his Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” in E-flat major.

Upon this E-flat-major foundation, Mozart transports us to a world that is propelled by the actions of men and women. Here, principles of wisdom, reason, nature, and — above all, love — reign. Mozart and Schikaneder ingeniously blended influences from popular theater, court opera, and Masonic ideals. The comic bird catcher Papageno, performed by Schikaneder in the premiere performances, was plucked from popular Austrian theater traditions; the influence of opera seria passed

Mozart transports us to a world that is propelled by the actions of men and women. Here, principles of wisdom, reason, nature, and — above all, love — reign. Mozart and Schikaneder ingeniously blended influences from popular theater, court opera, and Masonic ideals.

down from the Baroque era can be heard in the music of the Queen of the Night and the Three Ladies; and the high priest Sarastro largely embodies the philosophy of the Freemasons. Yet, each of these characters is more complex than a mere symbolic figure, and that is accomplished through both Mozart’s magnificent score and in each character’s capacity to love.

In all his operas, Mozart demonstrates a profound love for humankind, and The Magic Flute in particular shows that all varieties of love have a place in our world. There is Papageno’s simple, earthly love: he says that all he needs is food, drink, and a woman. The love between Prince Tamino and Pamina, which drives the plot, is more profound and contains an almost spiritual element to it. In Sarastro, we see a love for the sublime, one that is focused on the Freemasonic pursuit of wisdom and reason. Even the Queen of the Night, the most villainous character of the opera, is redeemed in a way by her motherly love for Pamina.

As Tamino and Papageno begin their quest, they are not armed with conventional weapons but instead with musical instruments that can tame beasts or charm humans. [A]s Pamina and Tamino approach the final trial of fire and water together, she urges him to play his flute to protect them. In the end, the power of music exceeds everything else.

In fact, rather than juxtapose opposing forces of light and dark, wisdom and ignorance, or Sarastro’s Temple of the Sun and the Queen of the Night’s realm, Mozart and Schikaneder seem to find a balance between them. For instance, the magic flute itself, which protects the lovers Tamino and Pamina, comes from the Queen of the Night’s realm. Meanwhile, the character Monostatos, according to Schikaneder’s original text, is meant to be the shadow of Sarastro. Within darkness there is light and vice versa.

So why build the 2024 Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival around the theme of Power? Because within The Magic Flute the elements of wisdom, love, and Mozart’s exquisite music are all capable of effecting change. We see the power of knowledge triumph over ignorance, redemption through our devotion to one another, and, lastly, the unique ability of music to move us deeply. This transcendent quality of music is portrayed both metaphorically in the beauty of Mozart’s score and literally in the opera’s plot. As Tamino and Papageno begin their quest, they are not armed with conventional weapons but instead with musical instruments that can tame beasts or charm humans. In the final scene, as Pamina and Tamino approach the final trial of fire and water together, she urges him to play his flute to protect them. In the end, the power of music exceeds everything else.

As musicians, we’re drawn to the romantic notion that a magic flute and charmed bells can fight for good — that music alone can provide salvation. In reality, the power of art works much more subtly. And yet, there is something miraculous in how an opera can reach across more than two centuries to still touch us. What Mozart achieves so successfully is allowing us to see the world through his eyes, filled with childlike wonder and free of cynicism or judgment. He allows us to dream of a better world.

Tamino and Pamina weather the trial of water in this imaginative fountain designed by Otto Schönthal for Vienna’s Mozartplatz (Mozart Square). At the fountain’s dedication ceremony in 1905, a choir sang, appropriately enough, a selection from The Magic Flute.

MAY 16 , 18 , 24 & 26

THURSDAY, MAY 16 |  7 PM

SATURDAY, MAY 18 |  7 PM

FRIDAY, MAY 24 |  7 PM

SUNDAY, MAY 26 |  3 PM

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

THE MAGIC FLUTE

(DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, K. 620)

AN OPERA IN TWO ACTS

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart COMPOSER

Emanuel Schikaneder LIBRETTIST

The Cleveland Orchestra

Franz Welser-Möst CONDUCTOR

Nikolaus Habjan DIRECTOR

Heike Vollmer, set designer

Denise Heschl, costume designer

Paul Grilj, lighting designer

Manuela Linshalm, puppeteer

Bruno Belil Espinos, puppeteer

Angelo Konzett, puppeteer

Joanna Cullinen, assistant director

Mana Samadzadeh, assistant director

Brynn Baudier, production stage manager

Alex Wolfthal, assistant stage manager

Jacqueline Kaminski, supertitle cuer

Ruth DeSarno, supertitle operator

SuperTitle System courtesy of DIGITAL TECH SERVICES, LLC

“You can see how this opera is becoming more and more popular,” Mozart wrote in a letter to his wife, Constanze, in October 1791. Almost 233 years later, that sentiment still holds true, as The Magic Flute has gone on to inspire generations of artists and listeners.

Join us for Opera Previews by:

Bonnie Gordon (Thursday)

Nikolaus Habjan (Saturday)

Kristen Windmuller-Luna (Friday)

Jessica Waldoff (Sunday)

Severance Music Center, one hour prior to each performance

CAST

Julian Prégardien, Tamino

Ludwig Mittelhammer, Papageno

Christina Landshamer, Pamina

Kathryn Lewek, Queen of the Night

Tareq Nazmi, Sarastro

Alexandria Shiner, First Lady

Jennifer Feinstein, Second Lady

Daryl Freedman, Third Lady

Rodell Rosel, Monastatos

Dashon Burton, Speaker of the Temple

Owen McCausland, First Armored Man and Second Priest

Kidon Choi, Second Armored Man and First Priest

Ashley Emerson, Papagena

Stephanie Speck & Sophia Young (u/s), First Spirit

Maren Scott & Addison Borders (u/s), Second Spirit

Jade Gladue & Joseph Robert Pokrywka (u/s), Third Spirit

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus u/s = understudy

This performance is approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes long, including one 20-minute intermission.

The Cleveland Orchestra’s production of The Magic Flute is generously sponsored by Jan R. Lewis.

The Magic Flute’s puppets are generously sponsored by Ms. Cathy Lincoln.

General support for the Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival is generously provided by Mr. David and Dr. Carolyn Lincoln, in memory of Emma Lincoln.

The Magic Flute’s director Nikolaus Habjan is generously sponsored by Michael Frank and Patricia A.* Snyder.

Christina Landshamer (Pamina) is generously sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Gillespie.

Kathryn Lewek (Queen of the Night) is generously sponsored by Dr. Roland S. Philip and Dr. Linda M. Sandhaus.

Saturday evening’s performance is dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Dennis W. LaBarre in recognition of their generous support of music.

*deceased

SYNOPSIS

THE MAGIC FLUTE

ACT I: A distant land | 70 MINUTES

INTERMISSION  | 20 MINUTES

ACT II: Sarastro’s temple | 85 MINUTES

ACT I

In a dark forest, far away …

As he flees from a monstrous serpent, Tamino is rescued at the last second by Three Ladies who serve the Queen of the Night. When he regains consciousness, the first person Tamino sees is Papageno, so Tamino believes him to be his rescuer.

Papageno, a bird catcher in search of love, does nothing to dispel the misunderstanding. The Three Ladies punish Papageno for this lie by rendering him mute. They show Tamino a picture of Pamina, the Queen’s daughter. Tamino instantly falls in love with Pamina.

The Queen of the Night now appears. She tells Tamino about her daughter’s kidnapping at the hands of the evil sorcerer Sarastro. Tamino eagerly agrees to her command that he rescue Pamina. The Three Ladies give Papageno back his voice and instruct him to accompany Tamino. As a protection against danger, they give Tamino a magic flute, while Papageno receives magic bells, and Three Spirits will show Tamino and Papageno the way to Sarastro.

Pamina is tormented by Sarastro’s slave Monostatos, but she is saved when Papageno wanders in, having become separated from Tamino. Both Papageno and Monostatos are frightened by the other’s strange appearance. Left alone with Pamina, Papageno announces that her rescuer Tamino will soon arrive. Papageno admits that his own search for love has sadly proved fruitless so far, and Pamina comforts him.

The Three Spirits lead Tamino to the gates of Sarastro’s domain. He learns that the Queen is really the evil one, and the good Sarastro was merely trying to get Pamina away from her mother’s dark influence. Overjoyed to learn that Pamina is still alive, Tamino plays on his magic flute, enchanting nature with his music. Papageno and Pamina try to flee, but they are caught by Monostatos and his helpers. Papageno’s magic bells soon put their pursuers out of action. Sarastro and his retinue then enter upon the scene. Monostatos leads in Tamino; Sarastro punishes Monostatos for tormenting Pamina. The long awaited encounter between Tamino and Pamina is all too brief; Sarastro orders that they must now face a series of trials.

ACT II

ACT II

The trial of silence

The trial of silence

Tamino and Papageno must practice being silent. When the Three Ladies appear and attempt to persuade them to abandon their quest, the trial becomes truly difficult. Tamino remains silent and resolute, while Papageno immediately begins to chatter.

Tamino and Papageno must practice being silent. When the Three Ladies appear and attempt to persuade them to abandon their quest, the trial becomes truly difficult. Tamino remains silent and resolute, while Papageno immediately begins to chatter.

Meanwhile, Monostatos again tries to get close to the sleeping Pamina. The Queen of the Night appears and orders her daughter to kill Sarastro. Pamina remains behind, despairing. Sarastro seeks to console Pamina by forswearing any thoughts of revenge.

Meanwhile, Monostatos again tries to get close to the sleeping Pamina. The Queen of the Night appears and orders her daughter to kill Sarastro. Pamina remains behind, despairing. Sarastro seeks to console Pamina by forswearing any thoughts of revenge.

The trial of temptation

The trial of temptation

Tamino and Papageno must resist any temptation: no conversation, no women, no food!

Tamino and Papageno must resist any temptation: no conversation, no women, no food!

As well as the magic flute and magic bells, the Three Spirits also bring Tamino and Papageno food, which Tamino once again steadfastly resists. Even the arrival of Pamina fails to draw a single word from Tamino’s lips, which she interprets as a rejection. She laments the cooling of Tamino’s love for her.

As well as the magic flute and magic bells, the Three Spirits also bring Tamino and Papageno food, which Tamino once again steadfastly resists. Even the arrival of Pamina fails to draw a single word from Tamino’s lips, which she interprets as a rejection. She laments the cooling of Tamino’s love for her.

Before the last trial, Pamina and Tamino are brought together one last time to say farewell to one another. Papageno is not permitted to take part in any further trials. He now wishes only for a glass of wine — and he dreams of his great love.

Before the last trial, Pamina and Tamino are brought together one last time to say farewell to one another. Papageno is not permitted to take part in any further trials. He now wishes only for a glass of wine — and he dreams of his great love.

For her part, Pamina believes that she has lost Tamino forever. In her despair, she seeks to end her own life, but is prevented from doing so by the Three Spirits, who assure her that Tamino still loves her. Gladdened and relieved, Pamina accepts their invitation to see Tamino again. Reunited at last, Tamino and Pamina undergo the final trial together.

For her part, Pamina believes that she has lost Tamino forever. In her despair, she seeks to end her own life, but is prevented from doing so by the Three Spirits, who assure her that Tamino still loves her. Gladdened and relieved, Pamina accepts their invitation to see Tamino again. Reunited at last, Tamino and Pamina undergo the final trial together.

The trial of fire and water

The trial of fire and water

The music of the magic flute and their love for one another allow Tamino and Pamina to conquer their own fear and overcome the dangers of fire and water. Papageno is still unsuccessful in his search for the perfect mate. Despairing, he now also seeks to end his life, but is prevented from doing so by the Three Spirits. Papageno finds the beautiful Papagena and, together with her, dreams of being blessed with many children.

The music of the magic flute and their love for one another allow Tamino and Pamina to conquer their own and overcome the dangers of fire and water. Papageno is still unsuccessful in his search for the perfect mate. Despairing, he now also seeks to end his life, but is prevented from doing so by the Three Spirits. Papageno finds the beautiful Papagena and, together with her, dreams of being blessed with many children.

Meanwhile …

Meanwhile …

… the Queen of the Night, the Three Ladies, and the turncoat Monostatos arm themselves for an attack against Sarastro and his retinue. However, their attack is repelled.

… the Queen of the Night, the Three Ladies, and the turncoat Monostatos arm themselves for an attack against Sarastro and his retinue. However, their attack is repelled.

Tamino and Pamina have reached the end of their trials, and can finally be together.

Tamino and Pamina have reached the end of their trials, and can finally be together.

by Jessica Waldoff

NIGHT & DAY STRONG WOMEN & WISE MEN IN THE MAGIC FLUTE

Through their differing expressions of power, Pamina and the Queen of the Night challenged the gendered assumptions of Mozart’s

day

WITH ITS FOREGROUNDING OF SARASTRO’S TEMPLES and his order of male priests, The Magic Flute is arguably Mozart’s most patriarchal opera. Its plot centers on the threat the Queen of the Night poses to the established male order and, by implication, to the welfare of humanity. “That woman,” Sarastro explains, “hopes to beguile the people through deception and superstition, and to destroy our strong temple. But she shall not. Tamino, the worthy youth himself, shall fortify it with us.” This moment occurs in the “Solemn Scene” (as Mozart called it), during which the brotherhood discusses Tamino’s initiation and his union with Pamina as part of a larger plan to save the temple from the danger posed by the Queen. Even when these lines are cut (as they often are), the underlying conflict is too obvious to miss. The opera sets the rule of men against the ambitions of a woman. The realms of light and dark stand opposed in the opera in a conflict that is clearly gendered. On stages today, this aspect of Mozart’s beloved opera can seem problematic.

In recent decades much attention has focused on the misogynistic comments of the priests. The Speaker instructs Tamino at the temple gates: “Then it is a woman who has beguiled you? A woman does little, talks much.” The lesson continues during the first trial: “Beware of feminine wiles: this is the first duty of the Brotherhood! Many wise men have let themselves be taken in … death and despair were their reward.” These comments and others like them can be disturbing for modern operagoers, but they are not gratuitous. They have a role to play in the unfolding drama. The priests focus on the Queen and the threat she poses, but they frame their comments in a general way as if to suggest that in order for Tamino and Papageno to mistrust the Queen, they (and the audience) must mistrust all women. Before we judge Schikaneder and Mozart too harshly, it is important to note that the opera as a whole

Czech soprano Emmy Destinn (1878 – 1930) appears as an Egyptianstylized Pamina for an early-20th century production of The Magic Flute. Celebrated for large dramatic performances, Destinn also originated the role of Minnie in Puccini’s La fanciulla del West, the centerpiece of 2023’s Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival.

does not make the same mistake as the priests. On the contrary, it complicates their patriarchal assumptions by providing in Pamina and the Queen two compelling exemplars of gender and power.

A careful symmetry develops Pamina — the princess in this fairytale — as Tamino’s equal in temperament and character. She first appears in the form of a portrait (and Tamino falls in love with her image), but from the moment she appears on stage in person, she explodes any passive stereotype of the damsel in distress. She is a sentimental heroine, a figure cherished in Mozart’s day for her feeling heart, virtue, and courage. Like Tamino, she is put through trials. She is abducted and placed in situations that put her virtue at risk; abandoned by her mother and (as she believes) by her beloved Tamino; and led by events to the depths of despair. But she emerges as a seeker of enlightenment, the author of her own destiny. She chooses to meet fear with “truth” as Sarastro approaches in the Act I finale; she chooses Tamino at the same moment that he chooses her; she chooses to undergo the trial of fire and water

[F]rom the moment she appears on stage in person, [Pamina] explodes any passive stereotype of the damsel in distress. She is a sentimental heroine, a figure cherished in Mozart’s day for her feeling heart, virtue, and courage.

American singers William Lewis (left) and Leontyne Price (right) portrayed Tamino and Pamina in NBC Opera Theatre’s televised production of The Magic Flute in 1956. The year prior, Price sang the title role in the NBC production of Puccini’s Tosca, becoming the first Black woman to appear in a leading role in a televised opera production.

MUSICAL OPPOSITES IN THE MAGIC FLUTE

NOBILITY

TAMINO | PAMINA

modern, sensitive arias

SUPERSTITION

QUEEN OF THE NIGHT coloratura (opera seria)

TRUTH SARASTRO spiritual, reverential songs

COMMON FOLK

PAPAGENO | PAPAGENA folk songs

MONOSTATOS

“exotic” music

In The Magic Flute, Mozart and Schikaneder built a world of colorful characters that are not just dramatic opposites, but musical ones as well. For instance, Tamino and Paminia — both characters of noble birth — sing delicate arias in a musical style contemporary to Mozart’s time. On the opposite end, “common folk” such as Papageno, Papagena, and Monostatos counterbalance this with simpler and folk-inflected melodies. The Black slave Monostatos is further characterized by Turkish-inspired music that reflects his “exotic” heritage, an aurally striking, yet problematic reference by today’s standards.

Meanwhile, Sarastro and the Queen of the Night are also musically juxtaposed. Sarastro’s arias are reverential and quasi-religious in nature, while the Queen of the Night’s music points back to the Baroque opera seria stylings of Handel and Vivaldi. Many of her arias feature dazzling vocal pyrotechnics, death-defying leaps, and frenzied embellishments which provide a virtuosic workout for the singer and a jaw-dropping spectacle for listeners. Some of the musical and dramatic differences are mutually agreeable from the start (such as those between Tamino and Papageno) or are later reconcilable (Sarastro and Pamina, for instance). However, Monostatos and the Queen of the Night remain diametrically opposed to the others and are vanquished as the opera reaches its triumphant conclusion. — Kevin McBrien

Most important (and shocking) in an 18th-century context, [the Queen of the Night] is a “bad” mother, whose betrayal of her daughter contravenes the deepest human instincts. ... She is the opera’s most enigmatic character.

by his side. On her arrival at the “terrifying gates,” the Two Armored Men exclaim: “A woman who does not fear night and death is worthy and will be initiated.” Pamina’s journey through “night” (despair) and “death” (suicide) in her music provide the opera’s most poignant explorations of human feeling. As they enter the trials, she bravely says to Tamino, “I myself will lead you.” At a time when patriarchal power could not be challenged directly, Pamina (like other heroines of her type) was able to lead by inspiring a sympathetic response in characters and audience members alike. In this way, the sentimental heroine gained moral power to effect change in a male-dominated world. At the end of the opera, Pamina achieves an extraordinary destiny, appearing with Tamino in priestly garb, bathed in light.

The Queen of the Night, also called the “Blazing-star Queen,” is a figure of extraordinary power and agency. Stage directions in the original libretto describe the dazzling scenic effect of her first appearance: heralded by thunder, as the mountains part, she is suddenly revealed sitting on a star-studded throne. She is the only

character in the opera who sings in the bravura style associated with opera seria and her range (which extends up to the F above high C) agility, and control are emblematic of her power. Her two showstopping arias include long passages of coloratura that are wondrous, astonishing, and magical. Is this the woman’s speech to which the priests referred? If so, they were right to fear its power and wrong to suggest that it might be in any way typical. The Queen’s vocal power and associated visual spectacle are manifestations of the sublime.

Associated with the darkness, chaos, and unpredictability of the night over which she rules, the Queen will stop at nothing, including murder, to achieve her goals. Most important (and shocking) in an 18th-century context, she is a “bad” mother, whose betrayal of her daughter contravenes the deepest human instincts. But the Queen provides a reason for her actions in a dialogue with her daughter. On his deathbed, her husband had insisted that the sevenfold circle of the sun pass to the initiates (and not to her), telling her to “submit to the guidance of wise men.” This dialogue (again, rarely performed in its entirety) provides a motivation — though not necessarily a justification — for her rage. The Queen resents Sarastro’s rule, and she has a role to play by resisting. She is the opera’s most enigmatic character.

How, then, should we understand the opera’s spectacular denouement in which the Queen and her entourage are vanquished? The stage directions indicate: “All of a sudden the whole stage is transformed into a sun.” Schikaneder and Mozart here draw on the period’s favorite metaphor (in which light is knowledge) to provide

More modern productions of The Magic Flute have expressed a wilder degree of fantasy and imagination. The 1977 Paris Opera production (featuring Kiri Te Kanawa as Pamina) mixed Egyptian and Masonic motifs within a dreamlike realm (left).

A 1987 production at the Edinburgh International Festival saw soprano Lena Willman (above) don a dramatic, winged helmet as the Queen of the Night.

[The] celebratory ending offers a tremendous vision of hope, but, significantly, it excludes the Queen and others who will not “submit to the guidance of wise men.”

a theatrical realization of the experience of enlightenment for the characters and the audience. This celebratory ending offers a tremendous vision of hope, but, significantly, it excludes the Queen and others who will not “submit to the guidance of wise men.” We can understand why. How could Sarastro’s world (light) and the Queen’s (darkness) be reconciled? By the opera’s premiere in 1791, the American and French revolutions had underscored how a vigorous exchange of views, which Enlightenment movements had always embraced, could lead to dangerous debate, division, and dissent. One of The Magic Flute’s most remarkable illusions is its suppression of a political coup without bloodshed. Of course, we do not need to understand the opera’s unique combination of 18th-century fairy tales, Masonic ritual, and Enlightenment thought to enjoy the music. Its engagement of essential human rights and truths (including questions of gender, race, and class) plays itself out anew in every production; its music brings the experience of characters and worlds to life as only Mozart can.

In 1991, the Metropolitan Opera debuted a new production of The Magic Flute that featured vivid designs by artist David Hockney. This image shows the final scene; the Queen of the Night and Monstatos have been vanquished and Tamino and Pamina are initiated into Sarastro’s Temple of the Sun.

Jessica Waldoff will present an Opera Preview on May 26 at Severance Music Center.

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by Bonnie Gordon

by Bonnie Gordon

THE MAGIC FLUTE

THE MAGIC FLUTE

A SONIC ODYSSEY FROM EARTH TO THE UNKNOWN

A SONIC ODYSSEY FROM EARTH TO THE UNKNOWN

More than 15 billion miles away, the Queen of the Night is singing

More than 15 billion miles away, the Queen of the Night is singing

IN 1977, NASA LAUNCHED THE SPACE PROBE VOYAGER 1 out of our solar system. It carried a gold-plated copper record called “The Sounds of Earth,” that, theoretically, would work until eternity. Should a close encounter of the third kind occur, the extraterrestrial would hear, among other things, greetings in 55 languages. The aliens would also hear the voice of German soprano Edda Moser singing the Queen of the Night’s pyrotechnic aria, “Der Hölle Rache” (Hell’s vengeance boils in my heart). If the “gods of revenge” that the almost inhuman sounds cry to are out there, would they heed the aria’s culminating command? Three utterances of the word “hört” (hear), each accentuated by a thunderous orchestra chord? Surely, they wouldn’t know that the chord is not quite a D minor triad, but if their alien ears learned what to expect, they might find that her third pitch is just wrong enough to terrify them.

IN 1977, NASA LAUNCHED THE SPACE PROBE VOYAGER 1 out of our solar system. It carried a gold-plated copper record called “The Sounds of Earth,” that, theoretically, would work until eternity. Should a close encounter of the third kind occur, the extraterrestrial would hear, among other things, greetings in 55 languages. The aliens would also hear the voice of German soprano Edda Moser singing the Queen of the Night’s pyrotechnic aria, “Der Hölle Rache” (Hell’s vengeance boils in my heart). If the “gods of revenge” that the almost inhuman sounds cry to are out there, would they heed the aria’s culminating command? Three utterances of the word “hört” (hear), each accentuated by a thunderous orchestra chord? Surely, they wouldn’t know that the chord is not quite a D minor triad, but if their alien ears learned what to expect, they might find that her third pitch is just wrong enough to terrify them.

To earthly ears, the Queen of the Night, who has just handed her daughter a knife and told her to kill a priestly king, sounds like opera gone mad. After an ominous tremolo (that shakes your body if you’re in the orchestra), the Queen sings, fierce and controlled, her voice jumping higher than most humans can sing. Language evaporates into the destruction of words that led the Catholic Church to crack down on musical creativity in the 16th century and inspired French critics to denigrate Italian opera in the 18th.

To earthly ears, the Queen of the Night, who has just handed her daughter a knife and told her to kill a priestly king, sounds like opera gone mad. After an ominous tremolo (that shakes your body if you’re in the orchestra), the Queen sings, fierce and controlled, her voice jumping higher than most humans can sing. Language evaporates into the destruction of words that led the Catholic Church to crack down on musical creativity in the 16th century and inspired French critics to denigrate Italian opera in the 18th.

“The

“The

signature roles —  in a sparkling costume graced with stars and moons for a 1939 production of The Magic Flute

Back in 1791, when Mozart’s The Magic Flute first premiered, the American and French revolutions threatened aristocratic orders, and Captain Cook had sailed around the world three times. The musical world heard an explosion of new sounds in the timbres of the modern orchestra. The Magic Flute pushed against what was then imaginable. It was almost immediately associated with marionettes; figures that had, since the ancient world, represented a fantasy of humans creating autonomous life and the terror of machines taking over. And in 2024, thanks to AI, this all seems perilously possible.

Back in 1791, when Mozart’s The Magic Flute first premiered, the American and French revolutions threatened aristocratic orders, and Captain Cook had sailed around the world three times. The musical world heard an explosion of new sounds in the timbres of the modern orchestra. The Magic Flute pushed against what was then imaginable. It was almost immediately associated with marionettes; figures that had, since the ancient world, represented a fantasy of humans creating autonomous life and the terror of machines taking over. And in 2024, thanks to AI, this all seems perilously possible.

Queen of the Night is a fighter,” German soprano Erna Berger (1900 – 1990) once told fellow singer Rita Streich. Here, Berger appears as the Queen —  one of her

Queen of the Night is a fighter,” German soprano Erna Berger (1900 – 1990) once told fellow singer Rita Streich. Here, Berger appears as the Queen —  one of her signature roles —  in a sparkling costume graced with stars and moons for a 1939 production of The Magic Flute

One of the magical things about opera is that it invites a kind of time travel, an excavation of the past and a map of the future.

From the first notes, The Magic Flute thrusts audiences into a sonic space of speculative fiction. The production famously begins with the entire orchestra, including three trombones, playing three iterations of an E-flat major chord. Minutes later, after an energetic string fugue, the audience enters a zone of oddities. That the action occurs somewhere far away makes it easier to feel the power structures, codes, violence, and fantasies of the world it emerged from as anything but natural.

When Tamino asks “Where am I,” the bird catcher Papageno can only answer, “Between the mountains and the valleys.” Supposedly set in Egypt, Tamino appears, for reasons that are never clear, dressed in Japanese hunting clothes, and the king of the underworld is named for the Persian prophet Zoroaster (Sarastro). Tamino battles an enormous serpent who looks in most 18th-century illustrations like the monsters associated with the far away zones of what is now known as the Global South. Tamino can’t kill it, but the Three Ladies, who do their work while singing a spellbinding tune, can. Truly, where is he?

Tamino and Papageno encounter the mysterious Three Ladies near the body of the slain serpent in this c. 1793 stage rendering by Peter and Joseph Schaeffer.

Monostatos, the Black slave, and Papageno, the bird catcher, meet over a gorgeous trio, and each is certain the other is the devil. However, Monostatos is a collage of racist stereotypes. His longing-for-love aria in Act II, with its irregular phrases and choppy rhythms asks, “Must I do without these pleasures just because my skin is black? ... I am human?” During Mozart’s day, the enslavement and forced migration of Black people was systematized and normalized. A month before The Magic Flute’s premiere, the Haitian Revolution, the first successful uprising of an enslaved population, shocked the world. Napoleon didn’t quite get the message; he sent troops to Saint-Domingue to quell what he thought was a little slave revolt. A few years and 60,000 dead French soldiers later, he sold Louisiana to the United States.

The characterization of Papageno raises other intriguing issues. Occasionally depicted as a man-bird-machine hybrid, Papageno catches birds with his panpipe prosthesis and a lover with his bells, “eine Maschine wie ein hölzernes Gelächter” (a machine-like wooden laugh.) The front page of the score’s first edition shows librettist Emanuel Schikaneder (who was also the first Papageno) with a feathercovered body and a bird cage growing out of his back. Perhaps the distinctions between humans, animals, and machines are not as clear as we think.

One of the magical things about opera is that it invites a kind of time travel, an excavation of the past and a map of the future. Stage time is always unprecedented, and we, like Mozart and those who animated his operas, live in unprecedented times.

Meanwhile, in March of this year, news outlets reported that Voyager 1 is no longer phoning home …

on

The first edition of The Magic Flute’s score features a witty, almost surrealistic image of librettist Emanuel Schikaneder as Papageno — that of a feathercovered man with a bird cage growing out of his back.

Bonnie Gordon will present an Opera Preview

May 16 at Severance Music Center.

Thanks to the richness of Cleveland’s cultural heritage and the excellence of The Cleveland Orchestra, literally millions of men, women, and children have experienced such a dawn … and it is unforgettable.

Hyster-Yale, Inc.

We are: Hyster and Yale forklift truck solutions, Bolzoni, Auramo and Meyer attachments, and Nuvera Fuel Cell stacks and engines

NACCO Industries, Inc.

We bring natural resources to life through: North American Coal, North American Mining, Catapult Mineral Partners, and Mitigation Resources of North America

Ralph Waldo Emerson

by Kira Thurman

BLACK LIVES IN MOZART’S WORLD

Many tenacious Black musicians fostered extraordinary careers in Mozart’s day, all while breaking cultural barriers

Jean-Baptiste Belley (c. 1746 – 1805) was a

ONE OF THE GREATEST MYTHS OF MOZART ’S WORLD is that it was untouched by global developments such as migration, diaspora, and the transatlantic slave trade. While we are used to learning about the history of slavery in the New World, where white colonists in the 18th century enslaved millions of indigenous West Africans and forced them to work on plantations in the Americas and Caribbean, people of African descent also lived, loved, and died on European soil. In fact, the idea that one can be Black and European is still far too often met with confusion or even derision. Black Europeans, past and present, have frequently had their histories erased during their own lifetimes.

Yet Black people and conversations about Blackness were ever-present in Mozart’s world, even if we are unfamiliar with their stories or rarely connect them to Mozart himself. Eighteenth-century Europe’s Black populations varied by region but nonetheless were a vibrant and vital part of daily life. In the Mediterranean world — geographically closer to Africa and featuring port cities that were crucial to the slave trade — cities such as Lisbon were so mixed that one tourist described it as a “chess board,” with as many Black as white people wandering around. In England, the Black population numbered in the tens of thousands, accounting for almost 3% of the population of London alone. By 1738, France had banned marriages between Black and white people in the hopes of staving off their growing Black populations from claiming citizenship at home in France as well as in the colonies.

The German-speaking world’s Black population was much smaller but no less dynamic, especially since they were often called upon to function as symbols of power and status in a global marketplace. In both the Habsburg Empire and regional

Senegalese-born slave who later became an elected politician in the early years of the French Republic. This 1797 painting by Girodet depicts Belley with a bust of French writer and abolitionist Guillaume Raynal

German courts, Black people’s social status was often one of “privileged dependency,” the historian Vera Lind observes. Many of them had been kidnapped as small children and given to noble families as exotic “gifts,” presented in the same manner as one would offer up a rare orchid or a baby rhinoceros. In 18th-century Vienna, at least 200 people of African descent claimed residency, the majority of whom were in servant-like positions. Yet, as we will see, those domicile positions could occasionally wield great influence. Moreover, their children were often able to slip through these hardening racial barriers.

Black European biographies and legacies are testaments to their willpower and talents in a world where the contours of race and racism sought to define and erase their accomplishments. Here are profiles of four Black musicians in Mozart’s orbit who fostered extraordinary careers, shaping European musical life while simultaneously breaking outdated and harmful cultural conventions.

Though too often erased from historical record, Black musicians were vital to European musical life. The Engagement of St. Ursula and Prince Etherius, a panel from the Saint Auta Altarpiece (c. 1522), depicts a group of Black instrumentalists accompanying the festivities (above). Later, Vittoria Tesi Tramontini (right) achieved great renown as an opera singer in 18th-century Europe.

Black European biographies and legacies are testaments to their willpower and talents in a world where the contours of race and racism sought to define and erase their accomplishments.

VITTORIA TESI TRAMONTINI (1701–1775)

When Mozart was a young boy, he visited the home of Vittoria Tesi Tramontini, a legendary Black Italian opera singer in Vienna. While her name may be unfamiliar to us today, she was one of the most famous singers of the 18th century, her name often whispered in the same sentence as the famous castrato Farinelli. Composers such as Christoph Willibald Gluck and Johann Adolph Hasse wrote operas for her and she sang at royal weddings — and perhaps, even, for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VIII’s coronation in 1742. Becoming opera royalty, Tesi died fabulously wealthy, living her last decades in a Viennese palace under the patronage of Empress Maria Theresa

Her early years did not begin that way. Born in Florence, Italy, in 1701, Tesi was the daughter of a Florentine woman and an African servant in the household of the castrato Francesco de Castris, who stood as Vittoria’s godfather (her godmother, Vittoria Tarquini, was also a famous Italian soprano). At a very young age, she began her operatic career, singing first in Bologna and then in Dresden, Germany in 1719. Her career, which peaked in the 1730s and 40s, took her across the major Italian opera houses.

In 1748, nearing retirement, Tesi settled in Vienna, where she was the opening act for the inauguration of the Habsburg Empire’s brand new Burgtheater (where Mozart would later premiere three of his operas), performing the title role in Gluck’s opera La Semiramide riconosciuta. Leaving the stage in 1750, she began a second career for herself teaching the next generation of opera singers, many of whom Mozart would later recruit for his own operas.

Throughout her lifetime she attracted attention and adoration. Many musicians, including Charles Burney, Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, and Johann Joachim Quantz, were ardent admirers who insisted that she had no operatic equal. “The compass of her voice was so extraordinary,” Charles Burney writes, “that neither to sing high nor low, gave her trouble.”

Soliman was kidnapped as a young child from somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa and taken into slavery. … What happened next is a testament to Soliman’s brilliant mind, social savvy, and hard work. Mastering several languages and becoming highly educated, Soliman became a well-established and deeply respected member of Viennese society.

ANGELO SOLIMAN (C. 1721–1796)

Out of any Black figure in Mozart’s world, Angelo Soliman was the person with whom Mozart most likely enjoyed the most contact. Born Mmadi-Make around 1721, Soliman was kidnapped as a young child from somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa and taken into slavery, first in North Africa, and then in Sicily, where Prince Johann Georg Christian Lobkowitz (an Austrian field marshal and patron of the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck) purchased him and took him to Vienna. Soliman would reside in the city and work for the royal court until his death.

What happened next is a testament to Soliman’s brilliant mind, social savvy, and hard work. Mastering several languages and becoming highly educated, Soliman became a well-established and deeply respected member of Viennese society. Beginning first as a servant, he eventually became a personal educator to the Habsburg family children and took on special duties and services for the family. He married the aristocratic widow Magdalena Christiano in 1768, and they had a daughter, Josephine, who herself would later marry an aristocrat. He eventually joined a Masonic lodge in Vienna in 1782, where he formed acquaintances with Mozart and Haydn. Soliman received the highest honor at the lodge when he was appointed Grand Master, a position that spoke to his erudition and scholarly interests. Years after his death, people fondly remembered Soliman as a loving family man and whip-smart intellectual.

But the end of Soliman’s life also reveals the extent to which scientific racism had seeped into all aspects of Viennese life. After he died of a heart attack in 1796, he did not receive a proper Catholic burial. Instead, his corpse was taxidermized and stuffed to be put on display in the Royal Natural History Collection. His daughter, Josephine, went to the police multiple times — and with the support of the Catholic Church, no less — to protest the desecration of her father’s body but to no avail. Soliman’s body remained on display until 1806 and in the museum’s possession until 1848, when it was destroyed in a building fire during the Vienna Uprising. An enlightened figure during his own life, the violence of racism marred his death.

Angelo Soliman was a respected member of Viennese society, serving as an educator at the Habsburg court and joining the Freemasons, where he met Mozart and Haydn Tragically, his death was marred by the appalling realities of scientific racism.

An expert fencer, swimmer, dancer, and ice skater, Bologne excelled in the arts, particularly music, where he became a brilliant violinist and composer.

JOSEPH BOLOGNE, CHEVALIER DE SAINT GEORGES

(1745–1799)

In 1778, Mozart was in Paris. His father, Leopold, had begged Wolfgang to meet Joseph Bologne, a revered composer and musician in France, and Mozart refused. We still do not know why Mozart chose not to meet Bologne, but we can speculate. “At the age of 20,” historian Olivette Otele writes, “Joseph was considered one of the most handsome and accomplished young men in the kingdom.”

Born to a white aristocratic French plantation owner in Guadeloupe and an enslaved Senegalese woman, Joseph Bologne defied the hardening racist logics defining Europe at the time. His father insisted on recognizing, legitimating, and bringing Joseph with him to France, where he was given a nobleman’s education. (He was bestowed the honorific “Chevalier de Saint-Georges” upon his graduation in 1766.) An expert fencer, swimmer, dancer, and ice skater, Bologne excelled in the arts, particularly music, where he became a brilliant violinist and composer. By the 1770s, his violin concertos were particularly renowned and drew people from across Europe to Paris to hear them performed. A favorite for the position of assistant director of the Paris Opera in 1775, his ascension was blocked by a set of women from the Royal Academy of Music, who said they refused to be led by a “mulatto.”

Joseph Bologne (above) and George Bridgetower (right) were both incredibly successful in the white-dominated musical spaces of 18th- and 19thcentury Europe, giving performances and mingling with figures such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

Such protestations were common. But Bologne fought hard to ensure they would not be the sole determinant shaping his life. He continued to compose and establish himself as one of the top musicians in France, earning accolades from listeners in German-speaking Europe, London, and across France. When Joseph Haydn wrote to Bologne to humbly request six pieces of music for study, Bologne did one better: he visited Haydn himself to conduct a personal concert of his music. Like Angelo Soliman, Bologne was a Freemason who enjoyed close ties to other members of his lodge, many of whom were aristocrats. A believer in the Enlightenment ideals of equality — and inspired in part by the American Revolution — Joseph Bologne became a fighter during the French Revolution and died in 1799 still believing in and fighting for those ideals.

GEORGE BRIDGETOWER (1778–1860)

Born in Biala, Poland and growing up approximately 37 miles south of Mozart on the Esterháza estate in Eisenstadt, Austria, George Bridgetower had already begun to make a name for himself as a child during Mozart’s last years. The son of a West Indian servant and a white Polish woman who was a domestic servant, Bridgetower was a talented violinist who most likely studied with Joseph Haydn in Austria. At age 10, he made his debut at the Concert Spirituel series in Paris. Soon after, George and his father moved to England, where he gave violin concerts that attracted the attention and patronage of the Prince of Wales (later King George IV). He spent his teenage years as the first violinist in the private orchestra of the Prince of Wales.

In 1802, at age 24, Bridgetower set off for Central Europe again — first, to Dresden, where his mother resided. There, he gave two violin concerts that were so highly praised that he received letters of introduction to the highest nobility in Vienna. It was in Vienna where Bridgetower was introduced to Ludwig van Beethoven and the two became fast friends. Beethoven dedicated a violin sonata to Bridgetower (“Sonata mulattica”) in 1803 — until their friendship dissolved over a young woman. Following their fight, Beethoven changed the dedication of the sonata to Rodolphe Kreutzer, who complained of its difficulty after an initial read through.

Departing from Central Europe, Bridgetower returned to England, where he earned a degree in music at Cambridge, fell in love, and had a daughter. A life-long performer and composer, he lived in England for most of his life except for interludes in Paris and Rome, where his daughter resided as an adult.

Kira Thurman is associate professor of history, Germanic studies, and musicology at the University of Michigan, a founder of blackcentraleurope.com, and author of the awardwinning book Singing Like Germans: Black Musicians in the Land of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms

FRIDAY | 7:30  PM

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center

CONRAD TAO IN RECITAL POWER AND INFLUENCE

In November 1918, Sergei Rachmaninoff arrived in his newfound homeland, the United States, after a tumultuous year fleeing the political unrest of his native Russia. Through this thoughtfully constructed program and his own spoken commentary, pianist Conrad Tao, joined by Cleveland Orchestra cellist Dane Johansen in the second half, presents a fascinating dialogue between Rachmaninoff’s old and new homes, discussing the power of old world and new, tradition and innovation.

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)

Prelude in G major, Op. 32, No. 5

Billy Strayhorn (1915–1967)

Take the “A” Train (arr. Conrad Tao)

Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021)

“In Buddy’s Eyes” from Follies (arr. Conrad Tao)

Rachmaninoff

Improvisation on Variation 15 from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 (arr. Conrad Tao)

Strayhorn

Lush Life (arr. Conrad Tao)

Rachmaninoff

Improvisation on Variation 18 from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 (arr. Conrad Tao)

Harold Arlen (1905–1986)

“Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz (arr. Conrad Tao after Art Tatum)

“I was thinking about these overlapping lines of influence, with Rachmaninoff’s music as a ‘spine,’” pianist Conrad Tao says about this program, which juxtaposes Rachmaninoff with selections from the American songbook.

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)

“Auf einer Burg” from Liederkreis, Op. 39 (arr. Conrad Tao)

Rachmaninoff

Études-Tableaux, Op. 39, No. 2 in A minor

Rachmaninoff

“Daisies” from Six Romances, Op. 38, No. 3

Strayhorn

Day Dream (arr. Conrad Tao)

Rachmaninoff

Études-Tableaux, Op. 33, No. 3 in C minor

Buddy Kaye (1918–2002) & Ted Mossman (1912–1977)

Full Moon and Empty Arms (arr. Conrad Tao)

Rachmaninoff

Cello Sonata, Op. 19

I. Lento — Allegro moderato

II. Allegro scherzando

III. Andante

IV. Allegro mosso

This performance is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes long, including one 20-minute intermission.

SATURDAY | 10  AM & 12  PM

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center

THE MAGIC FLUTE FOR KIDS WITH CHRIS RASCHKA

In this one-hour performance hosted by Caldecott Medalist and New York Times best-selling author/ illustrator Chris Raschka, children and families can explore Mozart’s The Magic Flute through storytelling and music. Raschka, an opera lover and musician himself, uses projections of his beautifully illustrated book to share the story of The Magic Flute. He is joined by opera director Nikolaus Habjan, The Cleveland Orchestra’s very own Omni Quartet, and guest singers from Oberlin College to make this experience a memorable introduction to Mozart’s beloved opera.

At 11 AM, between the two presentations, children and families can enjoy fun opera-themed interactive activities in Smith Lobby!

Nikolaus Habjan, whistler

Omni Quartet:

Jung-Min Amy Lee, violin

Alicia Koelz, violin

Joanna Patterson Zakany, viola

Tanya Ell, cello

Chris Leimgruber, tenor (Tamino)

Graham Lin, baritone (Papageno)

Ava Paul, soprano (Papagena)

Chris Raschka’s expressive and joyful illustrations convey a fresh take on the mystical story of The Magic Flute, transporting children to a universe of wonder and exploration.

“Mozart says we must have music to be happy. I’ve always found that to be true. I listen to music. I play music. And when I moved to New York City, I began to see music — at the opera.

The Metropolitan Opera House is a short walk from my apartment. I soon discovered that, if I didn’t mind standing, I could see a whole opera, with real singers, real sets, real costumes, and real instruments in the orchestra, for about the price of a movie. When you stand, high up in the back, the stage is like a giant picture book in your lap. This got me wanting to make my own picture book of an opera I loved: Mozart’s The Magic Flute. To make it, I read all of Mozart’s directions and all of Schikaneder’s lines (I’m half-Viennese so I can read German) then turned each scene into one picture with a line or two of dialogue. It wasn’t easy, but it was fun. And I hope it makes you want to see the real thing in a real opera house yourself. Maybe you can even sit down!” — CHRIS RASCHKA

Presented in partnership with Cleveland Public Library.

The Magic Flute for Kids is presented in loving memory of Michael Shames.

SUNDAY | 4  PM

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center

TERRANCE MCKNIGHT & FRIENDS

POWER DYNAMICS: DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES ON CLASSICAL MUSIC

In the first half of this unique evening, Jeremy Johnson, president & CEO of Assembly for the Arts, moderates a panel featuring Aaron Flagg, vice chair of the League of American Orchestras; Jessica Lee, assistant concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra; and Liza Grossman, co-founder and creative director of Kaboom Collective. How will diverse, classically trained artists engage the eyes and ears of future audiences? What power dynamics must be navigated and addressed to increase representation on the stage, in the seats, and in executive leadership? What initiatives are currently advancing diversity in the field of classical music both locally and nationally?

In the second half, Terrance McKnight leads an evening of conversation and music on how the representation of Blackness in The Magic Flute undermined African humanity in the 18th-century, paved the way for American minstrelsy in the 19th century, and how those ideas persist in today’s culture. He is joined by Helen Forbes Field, president & CEO of YWCA Greater Cleveland; tenor Rodell Rosel, who sings the role of Monostatos in the festival’s performances of The Magic Flute; and Christina Landshamer, who sings the role of Pamina. The discussion also looks at ways that productions of the opera have evolved over the decades to accommodate a culturally diverse society. The evening ends with a Q&A led by Dan Moulthrop, president & CEO of The City Club of Cleveland.

Every Voice with Terrance McKnight

Every Voice with Terrance McKnight is a podcast that spotlights the vibrant stories and perspectives that reflect the whole of the American musical experience, through a combination of interviews, historical investigation, and personal storytelling. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or by scanning the QR code.

Terrance McKnight is a radio host, commentator, curator, writer, pianist, actor, and author of the forthcoming book Concert Black, soon to be released by Abrams Press.

Presented in partnership with Assembly for the Arts, The City Club of Cleveland, Ideastream Public Media, and WQXR.

Support for Power Dynamics is generously provided by Mrs. Jayne M. Zborowsky.

This event is also supported in part by the John P. Murphy Foundation.

MAY 21

TUESDAY | 7  PM

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

TERENCE BLANCHARD & FRIENDS A CELEBRATION OF WAYNE SHORTER

Renowned for his trumpet prowess and composing skills, eight-time Grammy Award winner Terence Blanchard makes his Severance Music Center debut with Absence, an evening of music celebrating his mentor, jazz icon Wayne Shorter. Joined by longtime collaborators The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet, Blanchard celebrates both the brilliance of Shorter’s legacy and the inspiration he has given Blanchard, influencing his ever-expanding amalgam of music and storytelling.

Terence Blanchard, trumpet

The E-Collective:

Charles Altura, guitar

Taylor Eigsti, piano/keyboard/synths

David Ginyard, Jr., bass

Oscar Seaton, drums

Turtle Island Quartet:

David Balakrishnan, violin

Gabriel Terracciano, violin

Benjamin von Gutzeit, viola

Naseem Alatrash, cello

“Hardly any other musician has so solid a grasp on the scope of what’s going on in jazz today.” — THE NEW YORK TIMES

American saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter (above) was an important pioneer in the jazz fusion movement. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard (left) paid tribute to Shorter’s music and mentorship in his 2021 album Absence

Presented in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College and Tri-C JazzFest.

MAY 23 & 25

THURSDAY, MAY 23 |  7:30 PM SATURDAY, MAY 25 |  8 PM Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

Join us for Concert Previews by: Michael Strasser Reinberger Chamber Hall, one hour prior to each performance

MOZART’S GRAN PARTITA

The Cleveland Orchestra

Franz Welser-Möst CONDUCTOR

Richard Wagner (1813–1883)

Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde

Alban Berg (1885–1935)

Violin Concerto

I. Andante — Allegretto

II. Allegro — Adagio

Leila Josefowicz, violin

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

Serenade No. 10 in B-flat major, K. 361/370a, “Gran Partita”

I. Largo — Allegro molto

II. Menuetto

III. Adagio

IV. Menuetto: Allegretto

V. Romanze: Adagio — Allegretto — Adagio

VI. Thema mit Variationen

VII. Rondo: Allegro molto

This performance is approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes long, including one 20-minute intermission.

Music Director Franz Welser-Möst leads a program that jouneys from the searing Romanticism of Wagner to the emotional catharsis of Berg, ending with the pared-down beauty of Mozart

Thursday evening’s performance is dedicated to Dr. Michael Frank and Patricia A.* Snyder, and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred M. Rankin, Jr. in recognition of their generous support of music.

Saturday evening’s performance is dedicated to Mrs. Alfred M. Rankin, Sr. in recognition of her generous support of music.

This week’s performances are sponsored by Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. and NACCO Industries.

*deceased

by Steve Smith

A HIGHER POWER

MUSIC OF WAGNER, BERG & MOZART

The festival concert program explores potent and powerful expressions of love, loss, and beauty in music from across the centuries

This striking Masonic lithograph — printed in Boston in 1882 and now located at the Pambula Masonic Center in Australia — is bursting with symbolism. Stonemasonry tools appear alongside images and figures representing Masonic values such as brotherhood and unity, all underneath the steadfast gaze of the “all-seeing eye.”

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POWER in the context of classical music and the concert hall, what are we actually pondering? There’s the power exerted by conductors and directors in guiding an assemblage of disparate individuals in tasks of communal expression, as well as the influence that social, cultural, and political events can exert upon a creative artist’s hand. And certainly there is the power music has to enchant, uplift, and inspire — something audience members will encounter in each of the events featured during this year’s Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival.

Anyone seeking traces of power embedded within The Magic Flute, the enchanting, enigmatic singspiel Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed shortly before his death in 1791, won’t be hard-pressed to find them. On its surface, The Magic Flute spins a mythic yarn about a virtuous prince and a goodhearted fool tasked with rescuing a captive princess. Powerful allies become enemies, and vice versa, as our heroes venture toward enlightenment.

But The Magic Flute is more than meets the eye and ear. Nestled within its fantastical tale is an allegory of wisdom and its attainment — one that relates directly to Freemasonry, a secretive guild in which Mozart and librettist Emanuel Schikaneder were involved. Described as the world’s oldest fraternal society, Freemasons employ the vocation and tools of stonemasonry to symbolize pursuit of an upright, enlightened life. We find that pursuit embodied in Sarastro, who exerts power in testing Tamino, Papageno, and Pamina with trials meant to assess their character.

Some scholars believe Masonic symbolism is also embedded in Mozart’s music. Musicologist Jacques Chailley argued that “the key of E flat serves as the perfect masonic tonality, the three flats of its signature reflecting both the threefold initiation rite and the three pillars of the ‘temple of humanity.’” Chailley points to three-beat rhythmic figures as further evidence of Masonic architecture.

After Mozart’s premature death, some conspiracists suggested that the Freemasons had orchestrated his demise in retaliation for revealing secrets of their brotherhood. Another theory — made famous by Peter Shaffer’s 1979 play Amadeus (adapted for the popular film) — pointed a finger toward Antonio Salieri, the elder composer and purported rival.

The accusation is preposterous; in truth, the two were sufficiently friendly that Mozart brought Salieri as his guest to a performance of The Magic Flute. Still, words Shaffer ascribed to Salieri on first hearing the third-movement Adagio of Mozart’s Serenade No. 10, the “Gran Partita,” attest to a nearly mystical power the younger composer’s music possesses:

“On the page it looked … nothing. The beginning simple, almost comic. Just a pulse —  bassoons and basset horns — like a rusty squeezebox. Then suddenly — high above it —  an oboe, a single note, hanging there unwavering, till a clarinet took over and sweetened it into a phrase of such delight! … This was a music I’d never heard. … It seemed to me that I was hearing a voice of God.”

Divine inspiration notwithstanding, the “Gran Partita” — composed in 1781, a decade before The Magic Flute — embodies principles of rationality, clarity, and unambiguous beauty that characterized the Age of Enlightenment, the intellectual and philosophical movement prevalent in Europe from the mid-16th through mid-18th centuries. This is reflected most effectively in the work’s unique instrumentation: an ensemble consisting solely of 13 winds (2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 basset horns, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, and 4 horns), which creates a clean, luminous sound throughout the seven movements of the “Gran Partita.”

Late-18th century Germany saw the emergence of Weimar Classicism, a movement which combined ideas from Romanticism, Classicism, and the Enlightenment. Theobald von Oer’s 1860 painting shows an imagined scene in which poet Friedrich Schiller reads to an attentive audience gathered at the Temple of Muses. Among the listeners is writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

[T]he “Gran Partita” … embodies principles of rationality, clarity, and unambiguous beauty that characterized the Age of Enlightenment. …

Though the works that accompany Mozart’s “Gran Partita” on this program reflect different eras and disparate expressions of power, both share a quality of ineffable, otherworldly beauty that provoke a wonder similar to that expressed by Shaffer’s Salieri. Examinations of political and magical power run through the oeuvre of Richard Wagner, whose operas are populated with warriors, wizards, lovers, and schemers embroiled in various machinations.

Wagner had himself tangled in political machinations. His participation in the May Revolution of 1849 resulted in an arrest warrant that forced him to leave his Dresden Opera conducting post. Immersion in the German medieval epics that sparked the Romantic era — one result of which was his towering operatic adaptation of the Tristan and Isolde legend (1857 – 59) — fueled a nationalism that embraced intolerance, which would have tragic repercussions early in the 20th century. Yet this tale of fatal love nourished by a supernatural potion also called forth from Wagner a music filled with an otherworldly beauty so powerful that it strained the very limits of tonality, as heard in the opera’s Prelude and Liebestod.

One result of Wagner’s advanced harmonic language was an eventual break with tonality fostered by Viennese composer Arnold Schoenberg and his closest acolytes, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. These composers comprised a Second Viennese

The cosmic love depicted in the Tristan legend —  and brought to musical life in Wagner’s opera — has inspired artists across the centuries, including Spanish painter Rogelio de Egusquiza. His 1910 interpretation of Isolde’s Liebestod (love-death) shows the doomed lovers at the opera’s end, before they are reunited in death.

In summoning Bach, Berg harnesses the potency of association: with a “higher power” according to religion, certainly, but also with the undeniable pull of recognition, memory, and stability.

School that departed from models established by their forebears Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, seeking modern forms of structure and expression in 12-tone composition and serialism.

The Second Viennese School’s rigorous application of rules-based formula produced a body of work that remains notorious despite its enduring efficacy. But in Berg’s Violin Concerto, composed in 1935, there came evidence of a different kind of power, rooted in memory and association. Inspired by the tragically premature death of Manon Gropius, the daughter of Walter Gropius and Alma Mahler (Gustav Mahler’s widow), Berg reconciled 12-tone modernity with clear aspects of tonality.

Dedicating his concerto “To the memory of an angel,” Berg summons the spirit of J.S. Bach, not only spelling out his name with the note sequence B–A–C–H (B flat, A, C, B natural), but also quoting the chorale melody “Es ist genug” (It is enough), which Bach had used in his cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort (O eternity, you word of thunder).

In summoning Bach, Berg harnesses the potency of association: with a “higher power” according to religion, certainly, but also with the undeniable pull of recognition, memory, and stability. Untethered from functional tonality, Berg’s concerto is as emotionally complex and ambiguous as Wagner’s Tristan. Encountering within its turbulent roil the steadfast assurance conveyed in just a hint of Bach suggests —  as when Shaffer’s Salieri confronts the ineffable in Mozart’s “Gran Partita” —  evidence of a higher power.

Edvard Munch’s 1907 painting expresses the deep sorrow of a loved one caring for a mortally-ill child. Though Berg’s Violin Concerto paints a similar image in sound, by quoting a German chorale melody, his work ultimately moves from grief to the hope of new life after death.

Steve Smith is a journalist, critic, and editor based in New York City. He has written about music for The New York Times and The New Yorker, and served as an editor for The Boston Globe, Time Out New York, and NPR.

Blossom Summer Soirée

Sunday, July 21

Blossom

Music Center

Join us for a magical evening to benefit The Cleveland Orchestra’s summer home. You’ll enjoy a festive dinner party complete with seasonal summer cocktails and friends in Knight Grove. Then you’ll be treated to a concert by Leslie Odom, Jr., and your Cleveland Orchestra. Learn more and reserve your tickets at clevelandorchestra.com/soiree

Proud Presenting Sponsor of the Blossom Summer Soirée 2024 Performers

• Ledisi

• Take 6

• Charles Lloyd Ocean Trio II, featuring Gerald Clayton and Marvin Sewell

• Marcus Miller

• Bob James Quartet

• Jason Moran and the Bandwagon

• Cécile McLorin Salvant

• ARTEMIS

• Harold Lopez-Nussa: Timba a la Americana

• Diego Figueiredo

• Scary Goldings

• Dominick Farinacci

• Sean Jones

• Tommy Lehman

• Curtis Taylor

SATURDAY | 2  PM

Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

UNITED IN SONG! A COMMUNITY CHORAL CELEBRATION

Join us for an afternoon of joyous vocal performances at Severance Music Center representing the rich diversity of the Greater Cleveland choral community. The event is hosted by writer, spoken-word poet, voiceover talent, and recording artist Orlando Watson, a Cleveland native who is currently the senior director of programming for Pittsburgh’s August Wilson African American Cultural Center.

North Coast Men’s Chorus

Richard Cole, artistic director

Established in 1988 as a local group performing in area churches, the North Coast Men’s Chorus has grown into the largest LGBT arts organization in Northeast Ohio, with over 100 members. Each year the Chorus performs before thousands of people at venues that have included Playhouse Square, Cleveland State University, Notre Dame College, and Severance Music Center.

ncmchorus.org

The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Choruses

Jennifer Rozsa, director

The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Choruses consist of The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus and The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Preparatory Chorus. The Children’s Chorus was formed in 1967 to offer choral training to singers in grades 6 – 8. They perform annually with The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus at Severance Music Center. The Preparatory Chorus was formed in 2005 for singers in grades 4 – 6, providing a foundation in vocal technique, musical literacy, and musicianship. Students interested in joining the Children’s Choruses can visit our website for more information.

cocc.cochorus.com

R. Nathaniel Dett Concert Choir

Robert McCorvey, music director

The R. Nathaniel Dett Concert Choir is one of several ensembles available to vocal music students at Cleveland School of the Arts. Named after CanadianAmerican composer, conductor, and educator R. Nathaniel Dett, the Dett Concert Choir builds upon foundational musical skills and exposes students to the finest choral music ever composed. The ensemble has appeared in Greater Cleveland’s most prestigious venues, including the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Cleveland Museum of Art, and Severance Music Center.

clevelandmetro schools.org/csa

Cleveland Chorale

David Gulley, music director

The Cleveland Chorale emerged in January 2022 during the city’s NBA All-Star events. Initially curated as a select ensemble for this occasion, the choir’s chemistry and passion for music prompted a unanimous decision to transform into a permanent vocal powerhouse. Since then, the Chorale has graced stages across the Buckeye State and beyond, delivering soul-stirring performances that transcend musical boundaries.

clevelandchorale. com

The first iteration of United in Song! in 2023 hosted a joyous gathering of singers and community members from across the Greater Cleveland area.

Support for United in Song! is generously provided by Mrs. Jayne M. Zborowsky.

THANK YOU!

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT LEARN

ADELLA PRENTISS HUGHES SOCIETY

GIFTS OF $1,000,000 AND MORE

Mr. and Mrs.* Geoffrey Gund

Joan Y. Horvitz*

Anne H. and Tom H. Jenkins

Milton and Tamar Maltz

Mrs. Jane B. Nord

Mr. and Mrs.* Richard K. Smucker

GIFTS OF $200,000 TO $999,999

The Musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra (in-kind contribution for community programs and opportunities to secure funding)

Mr. Yuval Brisker

Mary Freer Cannon*

Iris and Tom Harvie

Haslam 3 Foundation

Mrs. Norma Lerner

Jan R. Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. Albert B. Ratner

Jenny and Tim Smucker Anonymous

GIFTS OF $100,000 TO $199,999

Gay Cull Addicott*

Mr. Richard J. Bogomolny and Ms. Patricia M. Kozerefski

Rebecca Dunn

Dr. Michael Frank and Patricia A.* Snyder

Dr. Hiroyuki and Mrs. Mikiko Fujita

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Horvitz

The Walter and Jean Kalberer Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Kloiber (Europe)

Thomas and Jessica Lauria (Miami)

Ms. Beth E. Mooney

Patrick and Milly Park & Park Foundation

James* and Donna Reid

Jim and Myrna Spira

Ms. Ginger Warner

Mr. and Mrs. Franz Welser-Möst

Mrs. Jayne M. Zborowsky

LILLIAN BALDWIN SOCIETY

GIFTS OF $75,000 TO $99,999

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander M. Cutler

Richard and Michelle Jeschelnig

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Kern

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis W. LaBarre

Nancy W. McCann

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred M. Rankin, Jr.

Anonymous

GEORGE SZELL SOCIETY

GIFTS OF $50,000 TO $74,999

Randall and Virginia Barbato

Mr. William P. Blair III*

Brenda and Marshall B. Brown

JoAnn and Robert Glick

Gary L. and Cari T. Gross

Ms. Alexandra Hanna

Mr.* and Mrs. Donald M. Jack, Jr.

Elizabeth B. Juliano

The Oatey Foundation (Cleveland, Miami)

William J. and Katherine T. O’Neill

Mrs. Alfred M. Rankin, Sr.

Ilana and Chuck Horowitz Ratner

Barbara S. Robinson* (Cleveland, Miami)

The Ralph and Luci Schey Foundation

Sally and Larry Sears

Astri Seidenfeld

The Seven Five Fund

Richard and Nancy Sneed

Dr. Russell A. Trusso

Paul and Suzanne Westlake

Barbara and David Wolfort

Tony and Diane Wynshaw-Boris

Anonymous

ELISABETH DEWITT

SEVERANCE SOCIETY

GIFTS OF $25,000 TO $49,999

Victor and Abby Alexander

Dr. and Mrs. Wolfgang Berndt (Europe)

Dr. Ben H. and Julia Brouhard

Jeanette Grasselli Brown and Glenn R. Brown*

Dr. Robert Brown and Mrs. Janet Gans Brown

Dr. Thomas Brugger* and Dr. Sandra Russ

J. C. and Helen Rankin Butler

Irad and Rebecca Carmi

Judith and George W. Diehl

Mary Jo Eaton (Miami)

Drs. Wolfgang and Gabi Eder (Europe)

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Ehrlich (Europe)

Mrs. Connie M. Frankino

Friends of The Cleveland Orchestra

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Gillespie

Mr. and Mrs. Harley I. Gross

Sondra and Steve Hardis

Mary and Jon Heider (Cleveland, Miami)

Amy and Stephen Hoffman

David and Nancy Hooker

Richard Horvitz and Erica Hartman-Horvitz (Cleveland, Miami)

Mrs. Marguerite B. Humphrey

Allan V. Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Keithley

Cynthia Knight

Richard and Christine Kramer

Ms. Cathy Lincoln

Jon A. and Virginia M. Lindseth, PhD

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Mathews

Mr. Stephen McHale

Ann Jones Morgan

Sally S. and John C. Morley*

Thomas and Debra Okray

The Honorable John Doyle Ong

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin N. Pyne

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Ratner

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Ratner

Mr. and Mrs. David A. Ruckman

Michael and Chandra Rudd (Miami)

Mark and Shelly Saltzman

Donna E. Shalala (Miami)

Hewitt and Paula Shaw

R. Thomas and Meg Harris Stanton

Mr.* and Mrs. Donald W. Strang, Jr.

Tom and Shirley* Waltermire

Anya Weaving and Tom Mihaljevic

Meredith and Michael Weil

Anonymous (4)

DUDLEY S. BLOSSOM SOCIETY

GIFTS OF $15,000 TO $24,999

Art of Beauty Company, Inc.

Mr. James Babcock

Mr. and Mrs. Jules Belkin

Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Bole

Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Bolton

Dr. Christopher P. Brandt and Dr. Beth Sersig

Mr. D. McGregor Brandt, Jr.

Jim and Mary Conway

Mary* and Bill Conway

Mrs. Barbara Cook

Mrs. Anita Cosgrove

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew V. Crawford

Henry and Mary* Doll

Nancy and Richard Dotson

Mr. Brian L. Ewart and Mr. William McHenry

Ken Fitzgerald and Ruby Carr

Richard and Ann Gridley

Mr. Calvin Griffith

Mrs. Cynthia W. Halle

Kathleen E. Hancock

Jack Harley and Judy Ernest

Gerald Hughes

Mr. and Mrs. Brinton L. Hyde

Sarah Liotta Johnston and Jeff Johnston

John D. and Giuliana C. Koch

Rob and Laura Kochis

Mr. and Mrs. S. Ernest Kulp

Ms. Heather Lennox

Daniel R. Lewis (Miami)

Mr. and Mrs.* Thomas A. Liederbach

Linda Litton

Mr. Jeff Litwiller

Mr. and Mrs. Alex Machaskee

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Malone

Alan Markowitz M.D. and Cathy Pollard

Miba AG and Dr. and Mrs. Peter Mitterbauer (Europe)

Randy and Christine Myeroff

Catherine and Hyun Park

Dr. Roland S. Philip and Dr. Linda M. Sandhaus

Douglas and Noreen Powers

Mr. Winthrop Quigley and Ms. Bonnie Crusalis

James and Marguerite Rigby

Dr. Isobel Rutherford

Saul and Mary Sanders (Miami)

Rachel R. Schneider

Dr. and Mrs. James L. Sechler

Meredith M. Seikel

Robyn Shifrin

Sandra and Richey* Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Stovsky

Kathryn and Duncan Stuart

Dr. Elizabeth Swenson

Bruce and Virginia Taylor

Philip and Sarah Taylor

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Umdasch (Europe)

Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Molly Walsh

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery J. Weaver

Robert C. Weppler

Max and Beverly Zupon

Anonymous (2)

FRANK H. GINN SOCIETY

GIFTS OF $10,000 TO $14,999

Dr. and Mrs. D. P. Agamanolis

Mr. and Mrs. A. Chace Anderson

Laura and Jon Bloomberg

Mr. and Mrs. C. Perry Blossom

Kathleen A. Coleman

Ted and Donna Connolly

Mr. and Mrs. Chester F. Crone

Mrs. Barbara Ann Davis

Maureen A. Doerner and Geoffrey T. White

Dr.* and Mrs. Lloyd H. Ellis Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Fedorovich

Joan Alice Ford

Dr. Edward S. GodleskI

Mr. Robert Goldberg

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gröller (Europe)

Alfredo and Luz Gutierrez (Miami)

Robin Hitchcock Hatch

Dr. Robert T. Heath and Dr. Elizabeth L.

Buchanan

Mrs. Lynn Heisler

Dr. Fred A. Heupler

Donna L. and Robert H. Jackson

Barbara and Michael J. Kaplan

Andrew and Katherine Kartalis

Jonathan and Tina Kislak (Miami)

Mrs. Elizabeth R. Koch

Eeva and Harri Kulovaara (Miami)

David C. Lamb

Dr. Edith Lerner

Dr. David and Janice Leshner

Mr. David and Dr. Carolyn Lincoln

Marcia and Jim Luke

Mr. Fredrick W. Martin

Mr.* and Mrs. Arch J. McCartney

Drs. Amy and James Merlino

Loretta J. Mester and George J. Mailath

Claudia Metz and Thomas Woodworth

Mr. William A. Minnich

Curt and Sara Moll

Mr. John Mueller

Brian and Cindy Murphy

Deborah L. Neale

Andrea Nobil (Miami)

Mr. J. William and Dr. Suzanne Palmer

Alan and Charlene Perkins

Julia and Larry Pollock

Ms. Rosella Puskas

Mr. and Mrs. Roger F. Rankin

Kim Russel and Dirk Brom

Dr. and Mrs.* Martin I. Saltzman

Patricia J. Sawvel

David M. and Betty Schneider

Rev. George Smiga

Roy Smith

Lois and Tom Stauffer*

Michalis and Alejandra Stavrinides (Miami)

Ryan and Melissa Stenger

Mrs. Mary L. Sykora

Taras Szmagala and Helen Jarem

Dr. Gregory Videtic and Rev. Christopher

McCann

Karen Walburn

Susanne Wamsler and Paul Singer (Europe)

Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Watkins

Denise G. and Norman E. Wells, Jr.

Sandy and Ted Wiese

Sandy Wile and Sue Berlin

Katie and Donald Woodcock

Anonymous (6)

THE 1929 SOCIETY

GIFTS OF $5,000 TO $9,999

Mr. and Mrs. Todd C. Amsdell

Robert and Dalia Baker

Thomas and Laura Barnard

Ms. Viia R. Beechler

Mr. and Mrs.* Eugene J. Beer

Fred G. and Mary W. Behm

Mel Berger and Jane Haylor

Howard Bernick and Judy Bronfman

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence R. Beyer

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bidwell

Marilyn and Jeffrey Bilsky

Dr. and Mrs. Eugene H. Blackstone

Doug and Barbara* Bletcher

Laurel Blossom

Robin Dunn Blossom

Mr.* and Mrs. Richard L. Bowen

Mr. and Mrs. David* Briggs

Meghan and Trent Brown

Mrs. Frances Buchholzer

Frank and Leslie Buck

Mr. and Mrs. William D. Buss II

William and Barbara Carson

Ms. Maria Cashy

Victor A. Ceicys M.D. and Mrs. Kathleen Browning Ceicys

Mr. and Mrs. James B. Chaney

Ellen Chesler and Matthew Mallow (Miami)

Mr. William Chin

Drs. Wuu-Shung and Amy Chuang

Drs. Mark Cohen and Miriam Vishny

Ellen E.* and Victor J. Cohn

Diane Lynn Collier and Robert J. Gura

Marjorie Dickard Comella

Robert and Jean* Conrad

Mr. John Couriel and Dr. Rebecca Toonkel (Miami)

Drs. Kenneth and Linda Cummings

Mr. and Mrs. Manohar Daga

Mr.* and Mrs. Ralph Daugstrup

Allan and Connie Dechert

Pete and Margaret Dobbins

Jack and Elaine Drage

Michael Dunn

Elliot and Judith Dworkin

Mr.* and Mrs. Bernard H. Eckstein

Carl Falb

Regis and Gayle Falinski

Jan and John Fitts

Tim and Diane Fitzpatrick

Jose Fornell (Impact Point)

Mr. and Ms. Dale Freygang

Barbara and Peter* Galvin

Joy E. Garapic

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

continued

Mr. James S. Gascoigne and Ms. Cynthia Prior

Anne* and Walter Ginn

Brenda and David Goldberg

Barbara H. Gordon

Harry and Joyce Graham

Drs. Erik and Ellen Gregorie

André and Ginette Gremillet

Mr.* and Mrs. Stephen Griebling

Nancy Hancock Griffith

Candy and Brent Grover

The Thomas J. and Judith Fay Gruber

Charitable Foundation

Nancy* and James Grunzweig

David and Robin Gunning

Ms. Marianne Gymer

Dr. Phillip M. and Mrs. Mary Hall

Mr. Newman T. Halvorson, Jr.

Gary Hanson and Barbara Klante

Lilli and Seth Harris

Clark Harvey and Holly Selvaggi

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hatch

Barbara L. Hawley and David S. Goodman

Matthew D. Healy and Richard S. Agnes

Dr. Toby Helfand

Anita and William Heller

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Herschman

Dr. Keith A. and Mrs. Kathleen M. Hoover

James* and Claudia Hower

Phillip M. Hudson III (Miami)

Elisabeth Hugh

Ms. Mary Joe Hughes

David and Dianne Hunt

Richard and Jayne Janus

Reuben Jeffery (Miami)

Robert and Linda Jenkins

Dr. Richard* and Roberta Katzman

Rod Keen and Denise Horstman

Howard and Michele Kessler

Joanne Kim and Jim Nash

Mrs. Judith A. Kirsh

Dr. and Mrs.* William S. Kiser

Mr. and Mrs.* S. Lee Kohrman

Dr. Ronald H. Krasney and Vicki Kennedy*

Douglas and Monica Kridler

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Lafave, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. John R. Lane

Kenneth M. Lapine and Rose E. Mills

John N.* and Edith K. Lauer

Dr. and Mrs. Anthony T. Lauria

Charles and Josephine Robson Leamy*

Michael Lederman and Sharmon Sollitto

Jeffrey and Janet Leitch

Mr. and Mrs. Roger J. Lerch in Memory of Carl J. and Winifred J. Lerch

Judith and Morton Q. Levin

Dr. Stephen B. and Mrs. Lillian S. Levine

Eva and Rudolf Linnebach

Drs. Todd and Susan Locke

David and Janice* Logsdon

Joan C. Long

Anne R. and Kenneth E. Love

Richard and Terry Lubman (Miami)

Neil and Susan Luria

Ms. Jennifer R. Malkin

David Mann and Bernadette Pudis

Mr. Keith G. Marsh

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce V. Mavec

James and Virginia Meil

Dr. Susan M. Merzweiler

Lynn and Mike Miller

Drs. Terry E. and Sara S. Miller

Dr. Shana Miskovsky

Mr. Bert and Dr. Marjorie Moyar

Mr. and Mrs. Scott C. Mueller

Mr. Raymond M. Murphy

Richard B.* and Jane E. Nash

Richard and Kathleen Nord

Mr. and Mrs. Forrest A. Norman III

Malinda and Robert Och

Thury O’Connor

Jennifer and Alexander Ogan

Harvey* and Robin Oppmann

Mr. David A. Osage and Ms. Claudia C. Woods

Mr. and Mrs. Peter R. Osenar

Mr. Henry Ott-Hansen

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Outcalt

Chris and Susan Pappas

Eliot Pedrosa (Miami)

Dr. Marc A. and Mrs. Carol Pohl

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Porter

Dr. and Mrs. John N. Posch

Mr. Robert and Mrs. Susan Price

Sylvia Profenna

Pysht Fund

Lute and Lynn Quintrell

Mr. John D. Rabin (Miami)

Beth and Clay Rankin

Brian and Patricia Ratner

C. A. Reagan

Mr. and Mrs.* Robert J. Reid

Ms. Julie Severance Robbins

Lisa Robinson and Robert Hansel

Amy and Ken Rogat

Robert* and Margo Roth

Dr. Adel S. Saada

Dr. Vernon E. Sackman and Ms. Marguerite Patton*

Richard Salomon and Laura Landro

Bob and Ellie Scheuer

Ms. Beverly J. Schneider

Gary Schwartz & Constance Young

Mr. Eric A. Seed and Ms. Ellen Oglesby

Deborah Sesek

Drs. Daniel and Ximena Sessler

Kenneth Shafer

In loving memory of Michael Shames

Steve and Marybeth Shamrock

Harry and Ilene Shapiro

Philip A. Shultz

Howard and Beth Simon

Mr. James S. Simon

The Shari Bierman Singer Family

Drs. Charles Kent Smith and Patricia Moore Smith

Mrs. Gretchen D. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. William E. Spatz

George and Mary* Stark

Howard Stark M.D. and Rene Rodriguez (Miami)

Sue Starrett and Jerry Smith

Edward R. & Jean Geis Stell Foundation

Ms. Lorraine S. Szabo

Robert and Carol Taller

Alan and Barbara Taylor

Bill and Jacky Thornton

Michael Tinter

Mr. and Mrs. Gary B. Tishkoff

Mr.* and Mrs. Robert N. Trombly

Drs. Anna* and Gilbert True

Steve and Christa Turnbull

Robert and Marti* Vagi

Bobbi and Peter* van Dijk

Joan Venaleck

Teresa Galang-Viñas and Joaquin Viñas (Miami)

Mr. and Mrs. Les C. Vinney

Mr. Randall Wagner

Dr. and Mrs.* H. Reid Wagstaff

Mr. and Mrs. Eric Wald

John and Jeanette Walton

Greg and Lynn Weekley

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Allen Weigand

Dr. Edward L. and Mrs. Suzanne Westbrook

Tom and Betsy Wheeler

Stephen Whyte and Rebecca Ralston

Dr. Paul R. and Catherine Williams

Bob and Kat Wollyung

Mr. Graham Wood

Anonymous (4)

COMPOSER’S CIRCLE

GIFTS OF $2,500 TO $4,999

Mr. Leonard H. Abrams*

Ms. Nancy A. Adams

Sarah May Anderson

Susan S. Angell

Chris Ansbacher

Ms. Bonnie M. Baker

Ms. Katherine Barnes

Dr. James Bates

Drs. Nathan A. and Sosamma J. Berger

Mr. Daniel Berrios

Margo and Tom Bertin

Mr. David Bialosky and Ms. Carolyn Christian

Mitch and Liz Blair

Zeda W. Blau

Marilyn and Lawrence Blaustein

Ms. Pamela M. Blemaster

Blossom Friends of The Cleveland Orchestra

Mr. John and Mrs. Robyn Boebinger

Jeff and Elaine Bomberger

David and Julie Borsani

Ms. Ellen Botnick

Dr. David Bowers

Ms. Kristina E. Boykin

Lisa and Ronald Boyko

Adam and Vikki Briggs

Matthew D. Brocone

Mr. and Mrs. Dale R. Brogan

Dale and Wendy Brott

Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Brownell

Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Susan Bulone

James Burke

Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Busha

Mr. William Busta and Joan Tomkins

Dr. and Mrs. William E. Cappaert

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Carney

Dr. Ronald Chapnick* and Mrs. Sonia Chapnick

Mr. and Mrs. Kerry Chelm

Gregory and Kathrine Chemnitz

Mr. John C. Chipka and Dr. Kathleen S. Grieser

Gertrude Kalnow Chisholm and Homer D.W. Chisholm

Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Chuhna

Mr. and Mrs. James Ciroli

Robert and Judy Ciulla

Pete Clapham and Anita Stoll

Jill and Paul Clark

Richard J. and Joanne Clark

Dr. William and Dottie Clark

Drs. John and Mary Clough

Dr. Lucy Ann Dahlberg

Karen and Jim Dakin

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Daniel

Bruce and Jackie Davey

Jeffrey Dean and Barbara and Karen Claas

Mr. Bradford DeBusk

Mr. Douglas Dever

Michael and Amy Diamant

Dr. and Mrs. Howard Dickey-White

Mr. and Mrs. David C. Dillemuth

Do Unto Others Trust (Miami)

Carl Dodge

Ms. Carol Dolan

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dreshfield

Mr. Barry Dunaway and Mr. Peter McDermott

Bill Durham (Miami)

Ms. Mary Lynn Durham

Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Duvin

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Dziedzicki

Peter and Sandy Earl

S. Stuart Eilers

Peter and Kathryn Eloff

Louis* and Patricia Esposito

Andy and Leigh Fabens

Ms. Barbara J. Feldmann

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick A. Fellowes

Anne Ferguson and Peter Drench

Mr. William and Dr. Elizabeth Fesler

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Filippell

Nancy M. Fischer

Bruce and Nancy Fisher

Mr. Dean Fisher

Ms. Nancy Flogge

Ken Fouts

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Frankel

Mr. William Gaskill and Ms. Kathleen Burke

Mr. and Mrs. M. Lee Gibson

Daniel and Kathleen Gisser

Holly and Fred Glock

Dr.* and Mrs. Victor M. Goldberg

Pamela G. Goodell

Ms. Aggie Goss

Mr. Robert Goss

Dr. and Mrs. Ronald L. Gould

Bob Graf and Mia Zaper

Mr. James Graham and Mr. David Dusek

Mr. Morgan Griffiths

Mr. Davin and Mrs. Jo Ann Gustafson

Mr. Ian S. Haberman

Mary Louise Hahn

Dr. James O. Hall

Megan Hall and James Janning

Mr. and Mrs. David P. Handke, Jr.

Jane Hargraft and Elly Winer

Mr. Samuel D. Harris

In Memory of Hazel Helgesen

Dr. Sharon M. Henderson

T. K.* and Faye A. Heston

Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Hirshon

Mr. and Mrs. Martin R. Hoke

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Holler

Charles Hoppel and Marianne Karwowski Hoppel

Lois Krejci-Hornbostel and Roland Hornbostel

Xavier-Nichols Foundation/Robert and Karen Hostoffer

Phillip Huber

Mr. Brooks G. Hull and Mr. Terry Gimmellie

Mrs. Laura Hunsicker

Mr.* and Mrs. J. David Hunter

Donald* and Joyce Ignatz

Ruth F. Ihde

Ms. Melanie Ingalls

Ms. Kimberly R. Irish

Dr. and Mrs. Paul C. Janicki

Mr. David and Mrs. Cheryl Jerome

Mr. Jeremy V. Johnson

Joela Jones and Richard Weiss

Dr. Eric Kaler

Mr. Donald J. Katt and Mrs. Maribeth

Filipic-Katt

Milton and Donna* Katz

Mr. Karl W. Keller

The Kendis Family Trust: Hilary & Robert

Kendis and Susan & James Kendis

Bruce* and Eleanor Kendrick

Mr.* and Mrs. Donald F. Kimmel

Steve and Beth Kish

Fred* and Judith Klotzman

Michael Kluger and Heidi Greene

Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Kimberly Kolz

Ursula Korneitchouk

Dr. and Mrs. John P. Kristofco

Mr. Donald N. Krosin

Peter* and Cathy Kuhn

Alfred and Carol Lambo

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Lane, Jr.

Dr.* and Mrs. Roger H. Langston

Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Larrabee

Mrs. Sandra S. Laurenson

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Lavin

Richard and Barbara Lederman

Young Sei Lee

Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Christine Legow

Michael and Lois Lemr

Robert G. Levy

Mrs. Bongwhan Lim

Mr. Henry Lipian

Ms. Agnes Loeffler

Mary Lohman

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Loparo

Caetano R. Lopes (Miami)

Peter and Pamela Luria (Miami)

Elsie* and Byron Lutman

Mr. and Mrs.* Robert P. Madison

Robert M. Maloney and Laura Goyanes

Janet A. Mann

Herbert L. and Ronda Marcus

Martin and Lois* Marcus

Dr.* and Mrs. Sanford E. Marovitz

Ms. Dorene Marsh

Dr. Ernest and Mrs. Marian Marsolais

Kevin Martin and Hansa Jacob-Martin

Mr. Peter Mazzeo

Mr. Thomas F. McKee

Mr. and Mrs. Sandy McMillan

Ms. Nancy L. Meacham

Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Meany

Mr. James E. Menger

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. Messerman

Mr. Glenn A. Metzdorf

Beth M. Mikes

Mr. and Mrs. David S. Miller

Amy and Marc Morgenstern

Patti and Hadley Morgenstern-Clarren

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Morris

Eudice M. Morse

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mraz

Susan B. Murphy

B Murray

Jane S. Murray

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Myers

Joan Katz Napoli and August Napoli

Richard and Jolene O’Callaghan

Mr. and Mrs. Irving Oleinick

Mr. and Mrs. John Olejko

Dr. and Mrs. Paul T. Omelsky

Mr. Robert Paddock

George Parras and Mary Spencer

Drs. James and Marian Patterson

Dr. Lewis E. and Janice B. Patterson

David Pavlich and Cherie Arnold

Matt and Shari Peart

Robert S. Perry

Dale and Susan Phillip

Mark and Eve Pihl

Ms. Elisabeth Plax*

Mr. Richard W. Pogue

Brad Pohlman and Julie Callsen

In memory of Henry and Mary Lou Pollak

Karen Pritzker

Mr. Helmut Puff

Drs. Raymond R. Rackley and Carmen M. Fonseca

Dr. James and Lynne Rambasek

Mr. Todd J. Reese

David J. Reimer and Raffaele DiLallo

Mrs. Vicki Ann Resnick

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Dr. Robert W. Reynolds

David and Gloria Richards

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INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

continued

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Fund of the Jewish Federation

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Mr. Joshua Smith

Mr. Eugene Smolik

Lloyd Snyder and Margaret Terry

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Spängler Privatstiftung

Diane M. Stack

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Ms. Natalie Stevens

Holly Strawbridge (Miami)

Frederick and Elizabeth Stueber

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Dr. and Mrs. Wulf H. Utian

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Mr. Mike Watts

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Tilles-Weidenthal Foundation

Mr. Peter and Mrs. Laurie Weinberger

Emily Westlake and Robertson Gilliland

Mr. Peter White

Ms. Linda L. Wilmot

Ms. Jennifer Wynn

Rad and Patty Yates

Ms. Carol A. Yellig

Ms. Helen Zakin

Dr. Rosemary Gornik and Dr. William Zelei

Mr. Kal Zucker and Dr. Mary Frances

Haerr

Anonymous (7)

The Cleveland Orchestra extends heartfelt gratitude to these generous organizations and partners who bring concerts and educational programs to life for our community.

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MORE AT CLEVELANDORCHESTRA.COM/PARTNERS

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GAR Foundation

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The Abington Foundation

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With the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners

National Endowment for the Arts

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Charitable Foundation

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SCH Foundation

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Anonymous

For me, classical music isn’t just a passion; it’s a way of life. The beauty, complexity, and emotional depth of performances resonate with me on a profound level. There’s no better way for me to express my appreciation for classical music than by ensuring its future and sharing its magnificence with others.

— ROHAN DHRUV , TCO SUPPORTER

BIOGRAPHIES

FRANZ WELSER-MÖST

MUSIC DIRECTOR

KELVIN SMITH FAMILY CHAIR

Franz Welser-Möst is among today’s most distinguished conductors. The 2023 – 24 season marks his 22nd year as Music Director of The Cleveland Orchestra. With the future of their acclaimed partnership extended to 2027, he will be the longestserving musical leader in the ensemble’s history.

The New York Times has declared Cleveland under Welser-Möst’s direction to be “America’s most brilliant orchestra,” praising its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color, and chamber-like musical cohesion.

With Welser-Möst, The Cleveland Orchestra has been praised for its inventive programming, ongoing support of new music, and innovative work in presenting operas. To date, the Orchestra and Welser-Möst have been showcased around the world in 20 international tours together.

In the 2023 – 24 season, Welser-Möst is a featured Perspectives Artist at Carnegie Hall, where he leads The Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic as part of the series, Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice

In addition to his commitment to Cleveland, Welser-Möst enjoys a particularly close and productive relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic as a guest conductor. He has conducted its celebrated New Year’s Concert three times, and regularly leads the orchestra at home in Vienna, as well as on tours. Welser-Möst is also a regular guest at the Salzburg Festival where he has led a series of acclaimed opera productions, including Rusalka, Der Rosenkavalier, Fidelio, Die Liebe der Danae, Reimann’s opera Lear, and Richard Strauss’s Salome. In 2020, he conducted Strauss’s Elektra on the 100th anniversary of its premiere. He has since returned to Salzburg to conduct additional performances of Elektra in 2021 and Giacomo Puccini’s Il Trittico in 2022.

In 2019, Welser-Möst was awarded the Gold Medal in the Arts by the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts. Other honors include The Cleveland Orchestra’s Distinguished Service Award, two Cleveland Arts Prize citations, the Vienna Philharmonic’s “Ring of Honor,” recognition from the Western Law Center for Disability Rights, honorary membership in the Vienna Singverein, appointment as an Academician of the European Academy of Yuste, and the Kilenyi Medal from the Bruckner Society of America.

ELENA DUBINETS

FESTIVAL CURATOR

A high-profile artistic leader and music scholar, Elena Dubinets was named artistic director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021 having previously held top artistic planning positions at the Seattle and Atlanta symphony orchestras. In 2022, she was also appointed curator of The Cleveland Orchestra’s annual Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival. In 2018, she was named one of Musical America’s Professionals of the Year. She has held appointments on the Recording Academy Board of Directors and as chair of the City of Seattle Music Commission.

Dubinets is a caring impressaria whose goal is to mirror the values of the community in projects that bring people together to create and enjoy deep, meaningful explorations within classical music. Harnessing social interaction around important issues is key to her work. She is a passionate and persistent promoter of BIPOC and female composers and artists, fostering through her work a culture of learning and undoing historic inequities. She has envisioned and brought to fruition successful premieres of more than 120 new works by composers from all over the globe, organized tours to four continents, and overseen multiple Grammy-winning recording projects.

Dubinets has taught at universities in the US, Russia, and Costa Rica, published five books, and written hundreds of articles, as well as liner and program notes in multiple languages. Her book Russian Composers Abroad, about historical and sociological aspects of musical emigration from Russia and the former USSR (Indiana University Press, 2021), was awarded Choice Review’s 2022 Outstanding Academic Title. Her research has been supported by fellowships and grants from the Sacher Stiftung and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others.

Dubinets received her MA and PhD degrees from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia. She lived in the US from 1996 to 2021, when she moved to London, where she currently resides.

FEATURED FESTIVAL GUESTS & CONTRIBUTORS

TERENCE BLANCHARD TRUMPET

Terence Blanchard & Friends: A Celebration of Wayne Shorter

NEA Jazz Master and eight-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies, past and present. Blanchard has composed scores for over 20 Spike Lee projects over three decades, receiving Oscar nominations for Da 5 Bloods and BlacKkKlansman More recently, Blanchard wrote music for The Woman King and the Apple TV+ docuseries They Call Me Magic. Blanchard’s two operas —  Champion and Fire Shut Up in My Bones —  were recently staged at the Metropolitan Opera to critical acclaim. His album Absence, recorded in collaboration with his longtime E-Collective band and the acclaimed Turtle Island Quartet, received Grammy nominations in 2021 for Best Instrumental Jazz Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

CHRISTINA DAHL PIANO

Keynote Event: An Evening with Kai Bird Christina Dahl has been on the piano faculty at Stony Brook University for almost 30 years. She is currently the chair of the music department and has also served as graduate program director. The holistic graduate piano program that she created with pianist Gilbert Kalish is an enlightened model of collaboration, innovation, and collegiality. Dahl has been a visiting faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Peabody Conservatory, and Ithaca College. She has twice been a cultural ambassador for the US State Department and is active at summer festivals, including Yellow Barn and Icicle Creek Center for the Arts. Her husband is Cleveland Orchestra trombonist Richard Stout

AARON FLAGG PANELIST

AARON FLAGG PANELIST

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Aaron Flagg is an accomplished musician, educator, writer, consultant, and arts leader. Before his current role as chair and associate director of jazz studies at The Juilliard School, he was on faculty at the University of Hartford. He serves on the board of the League of American Orchestras, College Music Society, and New York State Council on the Arts. Flagg frequently consults with organizations worldwide, and lectures on arts education and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

LIZA GROSSMAN PANELIST

LIZA GROSSMAN PANELIST

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Aaron Flagg is an accomplished musician, educator, writer, consultant, and arts leader. Before his current role as chair and associate director of jazz studies at The Juilliard School, he was on faculty at the University of Hartford. He serves on the board of the League of American Orchestras, College Music Society, and New York State Council on the Arts. Flagg frequently consults with organizations worldwide, and lectures on arts education and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

HELEN FORBES FIELDS PANELIST

HELEN FORBES FIELDS PANELIST

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Helen Forbes Fields is president & CEO of the YWCA Greater Cleveland. Previously, she was executive vice president and general counsel of United Way of Greater Cleveland. She came to United Way with over 31 years of law experience with Forbes, Fields & Associates, where she was active in the firm’s public law and municipal finance practice. Forbes Fields graduated from Spelman College in 1981 with a degree in political science and received her JD in 1984 from Howard University School of Law.

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Liza Grossman has pioneered innovative programming for youth ensembles for over 30 years. She is the co-founder and creative director of Kaboom Collective, an education platform for young artists offering professional commercial training in the arts and entertainment industry. She also conducts the Kaboom Studio Orchestra, which is a traditional Hollywood-style recording orchestra. A supporter of new music, she has commissioned and conducted over 500 orchestra and chamber works. She has guest conducted the Colorado Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, and Nashville Symphony and as a violist, has performed, recorded, and toured with artists including The Eagles, Kansas, Bernadette Peters, The Three Tenors, and Yes. Liza is the founder of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, where she served as executive director and music director for over two decades.

Helen Forbes Fields is president & CEO of the YWCA Greater Cleveland. Previously, she was executive vice president and general counsel of United Way of Greater Cleveland. She came to United Way with over 31 years of law experience with Forbes, Fields & Associates, where she was active in the firm’s public law and municipal finance practice. Forbes Fields graduated from Spelman College in 1981 with a degree in political science and received her JD in 1984 from Howard University School of Law.

BONNIE GORDON OPERA PREVIEW SPEAKER

BONNIE GORDON OPERA PREVIEW SPEAKER

Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Musicologist Bonnie Gordon is a professor at the University of Virginia (UVA) whose work focuses on early modern music, opera, gender, and early America. Her most recent book, Voice Machines: The Castrato, the Cat Piano, and Other Strange Sounds, was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2023. She is a founding faculty member of the Equity Center and Sound Justice Lab at UVA.

Musicologist Bonnie Gordon is a professor at the University of Virginia (UVA) whose work focuses on early modern music, opera, gender, and early America. Her most recent book, Voice Machines: The Castrato, the Cat Piano, and Other Strange Sounds, was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2023. She is a founding faculty member of the Equity Center and Sound Justice Lab at UVA.

DANE JOHANSEN CELLO

DANE JOHANSEN CELLO

Liza Grossman has pioneered innovative programming for youth ensembles for over 30 years. She is the co-founder and creative director of Kaboom Collective, an education platform for young artists offering professional commercial training in the arts and entertainment industry. She also conducts the Kaboom Studio Orchestra, which is a traditional Hollywood-style recording orchestra. A supporter of new music, she has commissioned and conducted over 500 orchestra and chamber works. She has guest conducted the Colorado Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, and Nashville Symphony and as a violist, has performed, recorded, and toured with artists including The Eagles, Kansas, Bernadette Peters, The Three Tenors, and Yes. Liza is the founder of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, where she served as executive director and music director for over two decades.

MICHAEL E. HILL MODERATOR

MICHAEL E. HILL MODERATOR

Keynote Event: An Evening with Kai Bird

Keynote Event: An Evening with Kai Bird

Michael E. Hill, EdD, serves as the 18th president of Chautauqua Institution, a national non-profit that owns and animates a 750-acre campus on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York. One hundred fifty years ago, Chautauqua’s founders imagined a place where citizens could make purposeful use of leisure time through experiences in education, religion, recreation, and the arts. Today, more than 100,000 people attend public events in person and online, featuring leaders from corporate America, the arts and sciences, education, and the highest levels of government. Hill is leading an expanded vision for the Institution to broaden and deepen its impact and sustainability. He is at the helm of the largest capital campaign in the Institution’s history, poised to raise $150 million.

Conrad Tao in Recital: Power and Influence Dane Johansen joined The Cleveland Orchestra in March 2016. He was cellist with the Escher String Quartet for five years and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician worldwide, including at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. For many years, Johansen has dedicated time and energy exploring J.S. Bach’s cello suites. He performed them at Alice Tully Hall in 2010 and throughout his 580-mile pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain in 2014; the story of his adventure was made into the documentary film Strangers on the Earth. A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, Johansen studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, and at The Juilliard School.

Conrad Tao in Recital: Power and Influence Dane Johansen joined The Cleveland Orchestra in March 2016. He was cellist with the Escher String Quartet for five years and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician worldwide, including at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. For many years, Johansen has dedicated time and energy exploring J.S. Bach’s cello suites. He performed them at Alice Tully Hall in 2010 and throughout his 580-mile pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain in 2014; the story of his adventure was made into the documentary film Strangers on the Earth. A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, Johansen studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, and at The Juilliard School.

JEREMY JOHNSON MODERATOR

JEREMY JOHNSON MODERATOR

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Michael E. Hill, EdD, serves as the 18th president of Chautauqua Institution, a national non-profit that owns and animates a 750-acre campus on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York. One hundred fifty years ago, Chautauqua’s founders imagined a place where citizens could make purposeful use of leisure time through experiences in education, religion, recreation, and the arts. Today, more than 100,000 people attend public events in person and online, featuring leaders from corporate America, the arts and sciences, education, and the highest levels of government. Hill is leading an expanded vision for the Institution to broaden and deepen its impact and sustainability. He is at the helm of the largest capital campaign in the Institution’s history, poised to raise $150 million.

Jeremy Johnson is president & CEO of Assembly for the Arts, the arts council which serves Greater Cleveland’s arts and cultural sector. He previously held senior nonprofit positions in New Jersey and served as philanthropic liaison for Newark Mayor (now Senator) Cory Booker. He started his arts management career with positions at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Chamber Music Society of New Jersey. He served on the board of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and currently serves on the boards of University Circle Inc. and the Equity Task Force for Americans for the Arts. A former church keyboardist and vocalist, he has also sung and recorded the role of Pilate in J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion

Jeremy Johnson is president & CEO of Assembly for the Arts, the arts council which serves Greater Cleveland’s arts and cultural sector. He previously held senior nonprofit positions in New Jersey and served as philanthropic liaison for Newark Mayor (now Senator) Cory Booker. He started his arts management career with positions at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Chamber Music Society of New Jersey. He served on the board of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and currently serves on the boards of University Circle Inc. and the Equity Task Force for Americans for the Arts. A former church keyboardist and vocalist, he has also sung and recorded the role of Pilate in J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion

LEILA JOSEFOWICZ VIOLIN

Mozart’s Gran Partita

Leila Josefowicz’s passionate advocacy of contemporary violin music is reflected in her diverse programs and enthusiasm for performing new works. A favorite of living composers, she has premiered many concertos, including those by Colin Matthews, Luca Francesconi, John Adams, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, all written specially for her. Artist-in-residence of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra for the 2023 – 24 season, Josefowicz’s recent engagements include orchestra appearances with the Musikkollegium Winterthur, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Lahti Symphony, and recitals in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Josefowicz has released several recordings, receiving Grammy nominations for John Adams’s Scheherazade.2 and EsaPekka Salonen’s Violin Concerto. She won the 2018 Avery Fisher Prize and was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2008.

JESSICA LEE PANELIST

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Jessica Lee joined The Cleveland Orchestra as assistant concertmaster (holding the Clara G. and George P. Bickford Chair) in the 2016 – 17 season. She is the grand prize winner of the 2005 Concert Artists Guild International Competition and has performed around the world, including with the Malaysia Festival Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and at Carnegie Hall. An active chamber musician, Lee was a longtime member of the Johannes String Quartet and has toured frequently with Musicians from Marlboro. A native of Virginia, she began playing the violin at age 3 and captured national attention with a feature article in Life magazine. She holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School and was previously a faculty member at Rutgers University and Vassar College.

JUNG-MIN AMY LEE

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

GRETCHEN D. AND WARD SMITH CHAIR

Keynote Event: An Evening with Kai Bird and The Magic Flute for Kids

Jung-Min Amy Lee joined The Cleveland Orchestra as associate concertmaster in March 2008. She enjoys a varied performing and teaching career, serving as an artist-in-residence at Kent State University and a faculty member at the Kent Blossom Music Festival. An active chamber musician, Lee is a member of the Omni Quartet, Ensemble HD, and Verve Chamber Players. Lee has also appeared with orchestras worldwide, including the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, National Gallery Orchestra, and Baden-Baden Philharmonic, among others. Lee holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. She is a former first-prize winner of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the Corpus Christi International Competition for piano and strings.

TERRANCE M C KNIGHT

HOST

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Terrance McKnight is a radio host, commentator, curator, writer, pianist, and actor. He is the author of the forthcoming book Concert Black, soon to be released by Abrams Press. McKnight is the weekday evening host for WQXR, New York’s only all-classical music station. In early 2023, in association with the station, his production company, Concert Black LLC, launched the podcast series Every Voice. The first topic, representations of Blackness in opera, was captured in 16 weekly episodes and distilled into four one-hour radio documentaries. Prior documentaries for WQXR feature Langston Hughes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Hazel Scott, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Florence Beatrice Price, Leonard Bernstein, and Harry Belafonte. Another of his radio shows for WQXR, All Ears with Terrance McKnight, was honored with an ASCAP Deems Taylor Radio Broadcast Award.

TOUSSAINT MILLER CURATOR

The Magic Lens: A Photographic Journey by Chuck Stewart

Toussaint Miller is a junior at Harvard College pursuing a degree in neurobiology with a secondary in music. On campus, Miller co-founded the Black Arts Collective, an organization dedicated to the liberation of Black creative expression, and performs with the Harvard Jazz Orchestra. In addition to his artistic endeavors, Miller is a research assistant at the Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute and aspires to become a neurosurgeon. Through his work, he explores the intersection between arts and medicine, seeking to bridge the gap between scientific understanding and the healing power of music.

DAN MOULTHROP MODERATOR

Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Dan Moulthrop was appointed CEO of The City Club of Cleveland in 2013, after many years as a member, volunteer, and frequent forum moderator. Prior to joining The City Club, he co-founded The Civic Commons, a pioneer in the field of social media for civic good. Moulthrop is also the former host of 90.3 WCPN’s Sound of Ideas and co-author, with Dave Eggers and Nínive Calegari, of the best-selling book Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America’s Teachers (The New Press, 2005), which provided the basis for the 2011 documentary American Teacher. He’s an award-winning journalist, a former high school teacher, and a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. He and his family live in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

OMNI QUARTET

ENSEMBLE

The Magic Flute for Kids

Formed in 2009, Omni Quartet is comprised of Cleveland Orchestra violinists Jung-Min Amy Lee and Alicia Koelz, violist Joanna Patterson Zakany, and cellist Tanya Ell They have toured the world’s greatest venues as members of the Orchestra and strive to give concertgoers a more personal experience through seasoned chamber music performances.

CHRIS RASCHKA

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR/HOST

The Magic Flute for Kids

Chris Raschka is the creator of many distinguished and awardwinning books for children. He has received two Caldecott Medals — one for The Hello, Goodbye Window, written by Norton Juster, and one for his own A Ball for Daisy. He also received a Caldecott Honor for Yo! Yes? Raschka was the US nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2012 and 2016 and has been awarded a New York Times Best Illustrated Book citation six times. He lives in New York City with his family.

MILOŠ REPICKÝ

PIANO

Keynote Event: An Evening with Kai Bird Miloš Repický has developed a diverse musical presence as pianist, conductor, chamber musician, educator, and producer. He is on staff at the Metropolitan Opera, where he serves as assistant conductor and prompter, and has also collaborated regularly with The Cleveland Orchestra’s opera productions, including Ariadne auf Naxos and The Cunning Little Vixen

MICHAEL STRASSER

CONCERT PREVIEW SPEAKER

Mozart’s Gran Partita

Michael Strasser is a professor of musicology at Baldwin Wallace University whose research focuses primarily on music of the late 19th and 20th centuries. While researching his dissertation on musical life in fin-de-siècle France, Strasser spent two years in Paris as a recipient of the prestigious Chateaubriand Fellowship, awarded by the French government for the study of French history and culture. He has presented papers on his research at conferences in the US, the UK, and France and has written articles and reviews for several leading musicological journals. He previously taught at the University of Evansville, and, before turning his attention to musicology, was a band director at a high school in Florida and at the University of Louisville.

CONRAD TAO PIANO

Conrad Tao in Recital: Power and Influence Conrad Tao appears worldwide as a pianist and composer and has been dubbed an artist of “probing intellect and openhearted vision” by The New York Times He was the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and was named a Gilmore Young Artist. In the 2023 – 24 season, Tao appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Cincinnati Symphony, among others. This season also included performances with dancer Caleb Teicher and a multi-city tour with the Junction Trio. A Warner Classics recording artist, Tao’s albums have been highly acclaimed, and in 2021, Tao and brass quartet The Westerlies released Bricolage, an album of improvisations and experiments recorded in a small cabin in rural New Hampshire.

TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET

ENSEMBLE

Terence Blanchard & Friends: A Celebration of Wayne Shorter

Since its inception in 1985, the Turtle Island Quartet has been a singular force in the creation of bold new trends in chamber music for strings. Winner of Grammy Awards in 2006 and 2008, Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet aesthetic with contemporary American musical styles, devising a performance practice that honors both. This has resulted in over a dozen recordings, soundtracks for major motion pictures, appearances on The Today Show and All Things Considered, and collaborations with famed artists such as Terence Blanchard, Paquito D’Rivera, The Manhattan Transfer, and Cyrus Chestnut, among others. Another unique element of Turtle Island is their revival of venerable improvisational and compositional chamber traditions, and each member is accomplished in these areas of expertise.

JESSICA WALDOFF

OPERA PREVIEW SPEAKER

Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Jessica Waldoff is professor of music at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her research focuses on issues of dramaturgy and representation in music of the late 18th century. Most recently, Waldoff was the editor of The Cambridge Companion to The Magic Flute (Cambridge University Press, 2023), which includes over 20 contributing essays by leading scholars. She is also the author of Recognition in Mozart’s Operas (Oxford University Press, 2006; 2011), and a contributing author to many edited books on the music of Mozart and his contemporaries. A past president of the Mozart Society of America, Waldoff has written program essays for the Salzburg Festival, the Royal Opera House, and other European opera houses.

BIOGRAPHIES

ORLANDO WATSON HOST

United in Song! A Community Choral Celebration

Orlando Watson has established himself as an emerging lyricist and recording artist. Following his debut project, Everything’s Personal (2017), his full-length album Corner Stories (2021) peaked at No. 14 on the iTunes R&B/Soul charts. Watson opened Lalah Hathaway and Chantae Cann’s respective tours in 2018 and has recorded with Terence Blanchard, Braxton Cook, and Bobby Sparks II of Snarky Puppy. His poetry has appeared in the Linden Avenue Literary Journal and Five 2 One Magazine. Watson was associate director of Cleveland’s Tri-C JazzFest (2019 – 22) and is currently senior director of programming at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. In 2015 he was awarded the prestigious “Kente Cloth” by The Ohio State University’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion.

KRISTEN WINDMULLER-LUNA

CURATOR | OPERA PREVIEW SPEAKER

Africa & Byzantium and Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Kristen WindmullerLuna joined The Cleveland Museum of Art in January 2020. As curator of African art, she is responsible for the museum’s collection of approximately 480 historical and contemporary African artworks spanning some 2,500 years. In this role, she uses an expansive and inclusive curatorial model to research, present, and build the collection. At the Museum, she has served as host curator of Second Careers: Two Tributaries in African Art (2020) and curator of Threads across Time: African Textiles, 500 –1993 (2021). Previously, Windmuller-Luna worked at the Brooklyn Museum and lectured at Columbia University. She holds a PhD in African arts and architectures from Princeton University and serves on the board of the Arts Council of the African Studies Association.

THE MAGIC FLUTE CAST

NIKOLAUS HABJAN DIRECTOR

Winner of three Nestroy Awards, Nikolaus Habjan is one of today’s most versatile and sought-after theater directors. In recent seasons, Habjan directed productions at the Dortmund Opera, Semperoper Dresden, and Bayreuth Festival, among others. He was director in residence at the Theater an der Wien during the 2019 – 20 season, where his production of Richard Strauss’s Salome was nominated for the 2021 Austrian Musical Theatre Prize. At age 15, Habjan began exploring puppetry during studies with Neville Tranter. His first puppet productions were shown in Vienna, with F. Zawrel — Erbbiologisch und sozial minderwertig earning him his first Nestroy Award in 2012. Additionally, Habjan is an actor, singer, and art whistler, appearing at such venues as Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and the Vienna Konzerthaus.

JULIAN PRÉGARDIEN

TENOR

Tamino

Julian Prégardien is a leading representative of the next generation of classical vocal artists. As an opera soloist, he has appeared at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg Festival, and Berlin State Opera, among others, performing repertoire ranging from Mozart to Richard Strauss. Prégardien’s clear voice, deep understanding of the text, and storytelling also make him a sought-after lied interpreter. In fall 2023, he celebrated the 200th anniversary of Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin with performances across 10 different venues in Vienna. Prégardien is an exclusive artist with Harmonia Mundi and has released recordings of works by Schubert and Robert Schumann Off stage, he is a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich and artistic director of the Brentano Academy Aschaffenburg.

LUDWIG MITTELHAMMER

BARITONE

Papageno

Baritone Ludwig Mittelhammer is in high demand worldwide as a vocal soloist. He has appeared with renowned orchestras including the Swedish Radio Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, and Concerto Köln, and sung roles at Frankfurt Opera, Staatstheater Nürnberg, and Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz. Recitals have taken him to the Heidelberg Spring Festival, Wigmore Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, and Pierre Boulez Saal, among others.

Mittelhammer studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich and was a member of the Bavarian Theater Academy August Everding. In 2014, Mittelhammer won first prize at the International Art Song Competition of the Hugo Wolf Academy. His first solo album, featuring songs by Schubert, Wolf, and Medtner, was released in June 2019 on the Berlin Classics label.

CHRISTINA LANDSHAMER

SOPRANO

Pamina and Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

With her versatility spanning a diverse repertoire, Christina Landshamer is a globally sought-after concert, opera, and lieder singer. She has appeared with top-tier orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and New York Philharmonic. Opera engagements have led her to the Salzburg Festival, Glyndebourne, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, among others. Landshammer is also a welcome guest at prominent lieder centers such as the Pierre Boulez Saal, Wigmore Hall, and Kioi Hall. In 2022, her album featuring works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven was released by Pentatone. Based in Stuttgart, she pursued vocal studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich and is currently a professor of voice at the University of Music Trossingen.

KATHRYN LEWEK

SOPRANO

Queen of the Night

Combining charismatic stage presence with a voice of sumptuous range, American soprano Kathryn Lewek headlines major productions at opera houses and festivals worldwide. The 2023 – 24 season sees Lewek appear at the Metropolitan Opera (The Magic Flute), Opéra de Nice (Lakmé), and Salzburg Festival (Les contes d’Hoffmann), among others. Previous season highlights include productions at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Royal Opera House, Vienna State Opera, and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. Lewek has also appeared in concert with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Dallas Symphony. Her star turn in the Metropolitan Opera’s The Magic Flute has streamed live to cinema audiences worldwide. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and their two children.

TAREQ NAZAMI

BASS

Sarastro

Tareq Nazmi’s expressive portrayals of roles have made him a sought-after performer. Recent stage highlights include appearances at the Salzburg Festival (Macbeth), Grand Théâtre de Genève (Parsifal), and Vienna State Opera (Lohengrin). This season, Nazmi will be heard at the Salzburg Easter Festival (La Gioconda), Munich Opera Festival (Il trovatore), and in Cleveland (The Magic Flute). In concert, he performs Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Gewandhaus Leipzig and Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with the Orchestre de Paris. As a lied singer, Nazmi was most recently heard with Gerold Huber at the Schubertiade Hohenems, in Munich, Cologne, and at London’s Wigmore Hall. Nazmi studied at Munich’s Hochschule für Musik und Theater and began his career in the Munich Opera Studio.

ALEXANDRIA SHINER

SOPRANO

First Lady

Soprano Alexandria Shiner is a Grand Finals Winner of the Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition (formerly the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions) and continues to garner critical acclaim for her “blazing soprano” (Wall Street Journal). 2023 – 24 season highlights include her debut with The Cleveland Orchestra, performances with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and a concert production of Idomeneo at the Ravinia Festival. Other recent highlights include appearances at the Metropolitan Opera (The Magic Flute), Washington National Opera (Elektra), Hollywood Bowl (Die Walküre), Wolf Trap Opera (Der Freischütz), Lyric Opera of Chicago (Ernani), and Arizona Opera (The Sound of Music). Shiner is a recent graduate of the Cafritz Young Artists Program at Washington National Opera.

JENNIFER FEINSTEIN

MEZZO-SOPRANO

Second Lady

Increasingly coveted for her portrayals of the dramatic mezzo-soprano repertoire, Jennifer Feinstein’s 2023 – 24 season highlights include her return to the Metropolitan Opera, Le prophète at Bard SummerScape, and her debut with The Cleveland Orchestra. As an ensemble member at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Feinstein was seen in Don Giovanni, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Elektra, among others. She has also recently appeared with the Spoleto Festival USA, Oregon Bach Festival, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Feinstein was a national semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and received awards from the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition and Gerda Lissner Competitions. She holds degrees from Indiana University and Yale University, and was a Fellow at the Music Academy of the West.

DARYL FREEDMAN

MEZZO-SOPRANO

Third Lady

Praised by Opera News for her “striking dark timbre,” mezzosoprano Daryl Freedman’s 2023 – 24 season includes returns to the Metropolitan Opera and Cleveland Orchestra for The Magic Flute and covering in Aida at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Other recent engagements include appearances at the Atlanta Opera (Julius Caesar), Salzburg Festival (Suor Angelica), and Washington National Opera (Sankaram’s Rise). In concert, she has appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra, Fairfax Symphony, and Santa Fe Symphony. She made her Wagnerian role debut in Der fliegende Holländer with Sarasota Opera. Freedman is a graduate of Washington National Opera’s Cafritz Young Artist Program where she was seen in numerous productions including Hansel and Gretel, Dead Man Walking, and Le nozze di Figaro

RODELL ROSEL

TENOR

Monostatos and Power Dynamics: Diverse Perspectives on Classical Music

Rodell Rosel appears regularly in major opera houses worldwide. The 2023 – 24 season sees him appear with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Calgary Opera, among others. Rosel has sung title roles in Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg and Britten’s Albert Herring and originated roles in operas by Paul Moravec and Jake Heggie. He was also part of the Grammy-nominated cast of John Musto’s Volpone. Rosel has appeared as Monostatos in productions at the Royal Opera House, Los Angeles Opera, and Metropolitan Opera. A grand prize winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (formerly the National Council Auditions), Rosel is an alumnus of UCLA, Music Academy of the West, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center.

BIOGRAPHIES

DASHON BURTON BASS-BARITONE

Speaker of the Temple and Keynote Event: An Evening with Kai Bird Grammy-winning bass-baritone Dashon Burton has established a vibrant career throughout the US and Europe. Highlights of his 2023 – 24 season include performances with the San Francisco Symphony, Washington Bach Consort, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Cleveland Orchestra. He is an artist-in-residence with San Francisco Performances, appearing at venues and educational institutions throughout the Bay Area. As an original member of the groundbreaking vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, Burton won his first and third Grammys in 2013 and 2024, respectively, and received his second Grammy in 2021 with his performance in Ethel Smyth’s The Prison. Burton received degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory and Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music, and is currently an assistant professor of voice at Vanderbilt University.

OWEN M C CAUSLAND TENOR

First Armored Man and Second Priest Canadian tenor Owen McCausland is increasingly in demand for engagements with both opera companies and symphony orchestras across North America. Highlights of recent seasons include Otello and La fanciulla del West with The Cleveland Orchestra, Don Giovanni with Pacific Opera Victoria, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. He has sung the world premieres of several works, such as Ian Cusson’s Fantasma with the Canadian Opera Company, Paul Frehner’s LEX with Soundstreams, and Chaakapesh: The Trickster’s Quest with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. An alumnus of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, McCausland was a finalist and winner of the Canadian Encouragement Award in the George London Singing Competition and also a semi-finalist in the Montreal International Music Competition.

KIDON CHOI BARITONE

Second Armored Man and First Priest Baritone Kidon Choi is a recent graduate of the prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. His 2023 – 24 season includes his debut with San Diego Opera (Madama Butterfly) and a return to The Cleveland Orchestra (The Magic Flute). Additionally, he will join the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Aida and appear with the KBS Symphony for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Other recent highlights include engagements with Korea National Opera, Opera San José, San Francisco Opera, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Choi is a 2019 Sullivan Foundation Grant recipient and won first prize in the Alfredo Silipigni Vocal Competition. He holds degress from the Mannes School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and Hanyang University in Seoul.

ASHELY EMERSON

SOPRANO

Papagena

With her sparkling voice and stage presence, soprano Ashley Emerson has been described as a “vocal and dramatic delight” (St. Louis Post Dispatch). In the 2022 – 23 season, she appeared as Papagena in The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera, joined the New Jersey Festival Orchestra as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, and made her role debut as Despina in Così fan tutte with Cedar Rapids Opera. In the 2023 – 24 season, Emerson sang Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with Kentucky Opera, made her Boston Lyric Opera debut as Jeanette in L’amant anonyme, and reprises Papagena in The Magic Flute with The Cleveland Orchestra. A passionate recitalist, she also returns to the Brooklyn Art Song Society in both 2024 and 2025.

STEPHANIE SPECK

TREBLE

First Spirit

Stephanie Speck discovered her love for singing when she began participating in her church’s choir. She is currently an active member of her school’s Cantorum and also plays clarinet in the school orchestra. This is her first year with The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. Speck plans to work towards a bachelor’s of music education and become a choral director.

MAREN SCOTT

TREBLE

Second Spirit

Maren Scott is a freshman at Hawken School. This is her first year in The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, after singing in the Children’s Chorus for two years. Scott studies voice at the Cleveland Institute of Music and loves participating in activities at her school, such as track, musical theater, and theatrical sound design.

JADE GLADUE

TREBLE

Third Spirit

Jade Gladue has been part of The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus family since 6th grade and is thrilled to have this amazing opportunity in their final year of high school. Next year, they will attend the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College. Gladue hopes to be back in the summers to sing with the Blossom Festival Chorus.

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA

Now in its second century, The Cleveland Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Franz Welser-Möst since 2002, is one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Year after year, the ensemble exemplifies extraordinary artistic excellence, creative programming, and community engagement. The New York Times has called Cleveland “the best in America” for its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color, and chamber-like musical cohesion.

Founded by Adella Prentiss Hughes, the Orchestra performed its inaugural concert in December 1918. By the middle of the century, decades of growth and sustained support had turned it into one of the most admired globally.

The past decade has seen an increasing number of young people attending concerts, bringing fresh attention to The Cleveland Orchestra’s legendary sound and committed programming. More recently, the Orchestra launched several bold digital projects, including the streaming broadcast series In Focus, the podcast On a Personal Note, and its own

FRANZ WELSER-MÖST

MUSIC DIRECTOR

Kelvin Smith Family Chair

FIRST VIOLINS

Jung-Min Amy Lee ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Gretchen D. and Ward Smith Chair

Jessica Lee ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Clara G. and George P. Bickford Chair

Stephen Tavani ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Dr. Ronald H. Krasney Chair

Wei-Fang Gu

Drs. Paul M. and Renate H. Duchesneau Chair

Kim Gomez

Elizabeth and Leslie Kondorossy Chair

Chul-In Park

Harriet T. and David L. Simon Chair

Miho Hashizume

Theodore Rautenberg Chair

Jeanne Preucil Rose

Larry J.B. and Barbara S. Robinson Chair

Alicia Koelz

Oswald and Phyllis Lerner Gilroy Chair

Yu Yuan

Patty and John Collinson Chair

Isabel Trautwein

Trevor and Jennie Jones Chair

Katherine Bormann

Analisé Denise Kukelhan

Gladys B. Goetz Chair

Zhan Shu

Youngji Kim

Genevieve Smelser

SECOND VIOLINS

Stephen Rose*

Alfred M. and Clara T. Rankin Chair

Jason Yu2

James and Donna Reid Chair

Eli Matthews1

Patricia M. Kozerefski and Richard J. Bogomolny Chair

Sonja Braaten Molloy

Carolyn Gadiel Warner

recording label, a new chapter in the Orchestra’s long and distinguished recording and broadcast history. Together, they have captured the Orchestra’s unique artistry and the musical achievements of the Welser-Möst and Cleveland Orchestra partnership.

The 2023 – 24 season marks Welser-Möst’s 22nd year as music director, a period in which The Cleveland Orchestra earned unprecedented acclaim around the world, including a series of residencies at the Musikverein in Vienna, the first of its kind by an American orchestra, and a number of acclaimed opera presentations.

Since 1918, seven music directors — Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodziński, Erich Leinsdorf, George Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Welser-Möst — have guided and shaped the ensemble’s growth and sound. Through concerts at home and on tour, broadcasts, and a catalog of acclaimed recordings, The Cleveland Orchestra is heard today by a growing group of fans around the world.

Elayna Duitman

Ioana Missits

Jeffrey Zehngut

Sae Shiragami

Kathleen Collins

Beth Woodside

Emma Shook

Dr. Jeanette Grasselli

Brown and Dr. Glenn R. Brown Chair

Yun-Ting Lee

Jiah Chung Chapdelaine Liyuan Xie

VIOLAS

Wesley Collins*

Chaillé H. and Richard B. Tullis Chair

Stanley Konopka2

Mark Jackobs

Jean Wall Bennett Chair

Lisa Boyko

Richard and Nancy Sneed Chair

Richard Waugh

Lembi Veskimets

The Morgan Sisters Chair

Eliesha Nelson

Anthony and Diane Wynshaw-Boris Chair

Joanna Patterson

Zakany

William Bender

Gareth Zehngut

CELLOS

Mark Kosower*

Louis D. Beaumont Chair

Richard Weiss1

The GAR Foundation

Chair

Charles Bernard2

Helen Weil Ross Chair

Bryan Dumm

Muriel and Noah Butkin Chair

Tanya Ell

Thomas J. and Judith Fay

Gruber Chair

Ralph Curry

Brian Thornton

William P. Blair III Chair

David Alan Harrell

Martha Baldwin

Dane Johansen

Paul Kushious

BASSES

Maximilian Dimoff*

Clarence T. Reinberger Chair

Derek Zadinsky2

Charles Paul1

Mary E. and F. Joseph Callahan Chair

Mark Atherton

Thomas Sperl

Henry Peyrebrune

Charles Barr Memorial Chair

Charles Carleton

Scott Dixon

HARP

Trina Struble*

Alice Chalifoux Chair

FLUTES

Joshua Smith*

Elizabeth M. and William C. Treuhaft Chair

Saeran St. Christopher

Jessica Sindell2

Austin B. and Ellen W. Chinn Chair

Mary Kay Fink

PICCOLO

Mary Kay Fink

Anne M. and M. Roger Clapp Chair

OBOES

Frank Rosenwein*

Edith S. Taplin Chair

Corbin Stair

Sharon and Yoash Wiener Chair

Jeffrey Rathbun2

Everett D. and Eugenia S. McCurdy Chair

Robert Walters

ENGLISH HORN

Robert Walters

Samuel C. and Bernette K. Jaffe Chair

CLARINETS

Afendi Yusuf*

Robert Marcellus Chair

Robert Woolfrey

Victoire G. and Alfred M.

Rankin, Jr. Chair

Daniel McKelway2

Robert R. and Vilma L. Kohn Chair

Amy Zoloto

E-FLAT CLARINET

Daniel McKelway

Stanley L. and Eloise M. Morgan Chair

BASS CLARINET

Amy Zoloto

Myrna and James Spira Chair

BASSOONS

John Clouser*

Louise Harkness Ingalls Chair

Gareth Thomas

Barrick Stees2

Sandra L. Haslinger Chair

Jonathan Sherwin

CONTRABASSOON

Jonathan Sherwin

HORNS

Nathaniel Silberschlag*

George Szell Memorial Chair

Michael Mayhew§ Knight Foundation Chair

Jesse McCormick

Robert B. Benyo Chair

Hans Clebsch

Richard King

Meghan Guegold Hege

TRUMPETS

Michael Sachs*

Robert and Eunice Podis Weiskopf Chair

Jack Sutte

Lyle Steelman2

James P. and Dolores D. Storer Chair

Michael Miller

CORNETS

Michael Sachs*

Mary Elizabeth and G. Robert Klein Chair

Michael Miller

TROMBONES

Brian Wendel*

Gilbert W. and Louise I.

Humphrey Chair

Richard Stout

Alexander and Marianna C. McAfee Chair

Shachar Israel2

BASS TROMBONE

Luke Sieve

EUPHONIUM & BASS TRUMPET

Richard Stout

TUBA

Yasuhito Sugiyama*

Nathalie C. Spence and Nathalie S. Boswell Chair

TIMPANI vacant

PERCUSSION

Marc Damoulakis*

Margaret Allen Ireland Chair

Thomas Sherwood

Tanner Tanyeri

KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS

Carolyn Gadiel Warner

Marjory and Marc L. Swartzbaugh Chair

LIBRARIANS

Michael Ferraguto

Joe and Marlene Toot Chair

Donald Miller

Gabrielle Petek

ENDOWED CHAIRS CURRENTLY UNOCCUPIED

Elizabeth Ring and William Gwinn Mather Chair

Blossom-Lee Chair

Virginia M. Linsdseth, PhD, Chair

Paul and Lucille Jones Chair

Charles M. and Janet G. Kimball Chair

Sunshine Chair

Otto G. and Corinne T. Voss Chair

Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Smucker Chair

Rudolf Serkin Chair

CONDUCTORS

Christoph von Dohnányi

MUSIC DIRECTOR

LAUREATE

Daniel Reith

ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

Sidney and Doris Dworkin Chair

Lisa Wong

DIRECTOR OF CHORUSES

Frances P. and Chester C. Bolton Chair

* Principal

§ Associate Principal

1 First Assistant Principal

2 Assistant Principal

This roster lists full-time members of The Cleveland Orchestra. The number and seating of musicians onstage varies depending on the piece being performed. Seating within the string sections rotates on a periodic basis.

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA CHORUS

LISA WONG DIRECTOR OF CHORUSES

Frances P. and Chester C. Bolton Chair

Lisa Wong was appointed director of choruses for The Cleveland Orchestra in May 2018 after serving as acting director throughout the 2017 – 18 season. She joined the choral staff of The Cleveland Orchestra as assistant director of choruses at the start of the 2010 – 11 season. In 2012, she took on added responsibilities as director of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus.

In addition to her duties at Severance, she is a faculty member at The College of Wooster. Choirs under her direction have performed at the Central Division conference of the American Choral Directors Association and the state conference of the Ohio Music Education Association. An advocate for the music of under-represented composers, Wong serves as the Repertoire and Resource Chair for World Music and Cultures for the Ohio Choral Directors Association.

Active as a clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator, she serves as a music panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. Wong holds a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from West Chester University, as well as Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees in choral conducting from Indiana University.

Now in its 72nd season, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus is one of the few all-volunteer, professionally led choruses affiliated with a major American orchestra. Founded in 1952 at the request of George Szell, it received the 2019 – 20 Distinguished Service Award, recognizing extraordinary service to the Orchestra. Lisa Wong has been director of the Chorus since May 2018.

Lisa Wong DIRECTOR

Daniel Singer

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Daniel Overly

COLLABORATIVE PIANIST

SOPRANOS

Yu Ching Ruby Chen

Caitlin DiFranco

Emily Engle

Molly Falasco

Lisa Fedorovich

Arianna Fouch

Samantha Garner

AJ Gauger*

Julia Halamek

Rebecca S. Hall

Sarah Henley

Rachel Imhoff

Amber Jackson

Shannon R. Jakubczak

Katie Kitchen*

Julie Myers-Pruchenski

Jennifer Heinert O’Leary

Katie Paskey

Victoria Peacock

Grace Prentice

Jylian Purtee

Cara Rovella

Martell Savage

Katie Schick

Megan Tettau

Angel Victoria Tyler

Meagan Ulery

Cassie Utt

Liz Wakelin

Sharilee Walker

ALTOS

Debbie Bates

Bridget Corcoran

Carolyn Dessin

Amber Dimoff

Megan Fought

Sarah Hutchins

Maggie Keverline

Rebecca King

Zoe Kuhn

Taylor Mills Logan

Danielle S. McDonald

Karla McMullen

Dawn Ostrowski

Melanie Tabak

Rachel Thibo

Leah Wilson

Jennifer R. Woda

Lynne Leutenberg Yulish

TENORS

Richard Hall

John-Joseph Haney*

Daniel M. Katz

Peter Kvidera

Adam Landry

Christian L. Maric

David McCallum

Matthew Rizer

Ted Rodenborn

Jacob Rumelfanger

Nathan A. Russell

Julio Santana

Andrew Stamp

Ethan Yoder*

BASSES

Ronnie Boscarello

Sean Michael Cahill

Tyler Coy

Kyle Crowley

Christopher Dewald

Jeffrey Duber

Andrew Fowler

Jeffrey D. Gershman

Mark Hermann

Kurtis B. Hoffman

Taral K. Jella

James Johnston

Jason Levy

Jacob J. Liptow

Tyler Mason

Glenn Obergefell

Trevor Pollack

Francisco Prado

Brandon Randall

Charlie Smrekar

Patrick Wickliffe

*Shari Bierman Singer Fellow

Jill Harbaugh

DIRECTOR OF CHORAL OPERATIONS

Lisa Fedorovich

CHAIR

Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

Operating Committee

YOUR VISIT

HEALTH & SAFETY

The Cleveland Orchestra is committed to creating a comfortable, enjoyable, and safe environment for all guests at Severance Music Center. While mask and COVID-19 vaccination are recommended they are not required. Protocols are reviewed regularly with the assistance of our Cleveland Clinic partners; for up-to-date information, visit: clevelandorchestra.com/attend/ health-safety

LATE SEATING

As a courtesy to the audience members and musicians in the hall, late-arriving patrons are asked to wait quietly until the first convenient break in the program. These seating breaks are at the discretion of the House Manager in consultation with the performing artists.

PAGERS, CELL PHONES & WRISTWATCH ALARMS

As a courtesy to others, please silence all devices prior to the start of the concert.

PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY & RECORDING

Audio recording, photography, and videography are prohibited during performances at Severance. Photographs can only be taken when the performance is not in progress.

HEARING AIDS & OTHER HEALTH-ASSISTIVE DEVICES

For the comfort of those around you, please reduce the volume on hearing aids and other devices that may produce a noise that would detract from the program. For Infrared Assistive-Listening Devices, please see the House Manager or Head Usher for more details.

IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

Contact an usher or a member of house staff if you require medical assistance. Emergency exits are clearly marked throughout the building. Ushers and house staff will provide instructions in the event of an emergency.

AGE RESTRICTIONS

Regardless of age, each person must have a ticket and be able to sit quietly in a seat throughout the performance. Classical Season subscription concerts are not recommended for children under the age of 8. However, there are several age-appropriate series designed specifically for children and youth, including Music Explorers (for 3 to 6 years old) and Family Concerts (for ages 7 and older).

SETTING THE STAGE

We believe that all Cleveland youth should have access to high-quality arts education. Through the generosity of our donors, we have invested more than $12.6 million since 2016 to scale up neighborhood-based programs that serve thousands of youth year-round in music, dance, theater, photography, literary arts and curatorial mastery. That’s setting the stage for success. Find your passion, and partner with the Cleveland Foundation to make your greatest charitable impact.

(877) 554-5054 www.ClevelandFoundation.org/Success