Winter Concert February 16, 2025 Spring Concert May 4, 2025
Spring Concert
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 3 PM
Daniel Reith, conductor
SARAH KIRKLAND SNIDER (b. 1973)
EDVARD GRIEG (1843–1907)
EDWARD ELGAR (1857–1934)
Something for the Dark
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
I. Allegro molto moderato
II. Adagio
III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato — Quasi presto — Andante maestoso
Saya Uejima , piano
INTERMISSION
Enigma Variations (Variations on an Original Theme), Op. 36
Theme: Enigma (Andante)
Variation I: “C.A.E.” (L’istesso tempo)
Variation II: “H.D.S-P.” (Allegro)
Variation III: “R.B.T.” (Allegretto)
Variation IV: “W.M.B.” (Allegro di molto)
Variation V: “R.P.A.” (Moderato)
Variation VI: “Ysobel” (Andantino)
Variation VII: “Troyte” (Presto)
Variation VIII: “W.N.” (Allegretto)
Variation IX: “Nimrod” (Moderato)
Variation X: “Dorabella” (Intermezzo: Allegretto)
Variation XI: “G.R.S.” (Allegro di molto)
Variation XII: “B.G.N.” (Andante)
Variation XIII: “***” (Romanza: Moderato)
Variation XIV: “E.D.U.” (Finale)
This program is about 1 hour 30 minutes in length.
Major support for The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is provided by The Geoffrey and Sarah Gund Endowment.
This evening’s concert will be broadcast on Ideastream/ WCLV Classical 90.3 FM on Sunday, July 6, at 4 PM.
SOMETHING FOR THE DARK
Composed: 2015
Duration: about 10 minutes
BY Sarah Kirkland Snider
BORN
October 8, 1973, in Princeton, New Jersey
Something for the Dark was commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as a result of my receiving the DSO Elaine Lebenbom Award for Female Composers in 2014.
Thinking about Detroit led me to think about resilience, and what it means to endure. After a brief hint of passing doubt, Something for the Dark opens with a bold, heroic statement of hope and fortitude in the horns and trombones. I think of this music as the optimism of a very young person.
Initially, I envisioned this motive journeying through a bit of challenge and adversity to arrive at an even stronger, bolder version of itself: Growth! Triumph! A happy ending! But that wasn’t what happened. Early into its search for glory, the motive finds itself humbled beyond recognition: a delicate, childlike tune in the flute, harp, and celeste arises in its stead. This new version of hope is then put through a series of challenges that roil and churn it like the sea tossing a small boat — testing it, weathering it, even taunting it with memories of its early hubristic naïveté. Eventually, the music finds its way to solid ground, and though its countenance has now darkened, its heroism a distant memory, it finds a kind of clear-eyed serenity — and, maybe, even, the kind of hope that endures.
The title of the piece comes from “For Fran,” a poem by Philip Levine, the Detroitborn-and-raised, former US Poet Laureate who was best known for his poems about Detroit’s working class. The last two lines of the poem struck me as an apt motto for his many clear-eyed reflections on endurance. In preparing the flower beds for winter, Levine’s wife becomes a symbol of the promise of renewal: “She packs the flower beds with leaves / Rags, dampened papers, ties with twine / The lemon tree, but winter carves / Its features on the uprooted stem … I turn to her whose future bears / The promise of the appalling air / My living wife, Frances Levine, Mother of Theodore, John, and Mark / Out of whatever we have been / We will make something for the dark.”
— Sarah Kirkland Snider
PIANO CONCERTO IN A MINOR, OP. 16
Composed: 1868
Duration: about 30 minutes
BY Edvard Grieg
BORN
June 15, 1843, in Bergen, Norway
DIED
September 4, 1907, in Bergen, Norway
Of the great piano concertos that make up the soloist’s usual repertoire, Edvard Grieg ’s is the earliest to come from outside the Austro-German tradition that gave us the concertos of Mozart , Beethoven , Brahms , and others. Because for many people this concerto stands for Grieg — and Grieg stands for Norwegian music — we hear a Norwegian flavor in the main theme of the first movement (where there really is none) and in the spirited dance of the last movement (where there is plenty). But Grieg was a product of German training, and his clearest model for a piano concerto was the one, also in A minor, by Robert Schumann . Between the ages of 15 and 19, Grieg studied at the Leipzig Conservatory, a school where the Beethoven tradition was firmly inculcated in its students.
Grieg’s concerto was composed in Denmark in the summer of 1868, where he spent time with his wife. And it was first performed in Denmark, too. The soloist and dedicatee was the young Norwegian virtuoso Edmund Neupert . Grieg was a good pianist, and although he played the solo part himself in London and Manchester in later years, he preferred to leave it in the hands of specialists on his concert tours.
By the time the concerto was composed, Grieg had come under the influence of a number of Scandinavian musicians who were fired by enthusiasm for anything that belonged uniquely to their own countries. The effect saw the composer move away from large-scale symphonic works. There never was another symphony or another piano concerto. Instead, he devoted himself to songs and smaller piano pieces, many of which were compiled in sets of Lyric Pieces and played by pianists all over the world. He wrote stage music, including the famous Peer Gynt music of 1874, and a varied corpus of choral music. If the songs and choral music were not mostly settings of Norwegian and Danish texts, they would be much better known today.
The three movements of the Piano Concerto enjoy the satisfying balance of Classical form, with a richness of melody that makes the work so attractive. In the slow movement, muted strings present the main melody with sumptuous harmony, while the soloist responds first with elegant tracery and then with a full-blooded statement of
the melody. The horn is prominently featured throughout this movement, which leads directly into the spirited finale, with its unmistakable echo of peasant boots and taxing demands on the soloist’s technique. The flute introduces a melody of a quite different sort, which turns out at the end, after the return of the dance has been transformed into a lively 3/4 pattern, to be called upon to provide the closing bars in shamelessly grandiose style.
— Hugh Macdonald
Hugh Macdonald is Avis H. Blewett Professor Emeritus of Music at Washington University in St. Louis. He has written books on Beethoven, Berlioz, Bizet, and Scriabin, as well as Music in 1853: The Biography of a Year.
ENIGMA VARIATIONS (VARIATIONS ON AN ORIGINAL THEME), OP. 36
Composed: 1898–99
Duration: about 30 minutes
BY Edward Elgar
BORN
June 2, 1857, in Broadheath, England
DIED
February 23, 1934, in Worcester, England
Edward Elgar ’s Variations on an Original Theme (more commonly known as the Enigma Variations) is the work that — almost overnight — made the 42-year-old into a famous composer. At the premiere in 1899, the work was greeted as the greatest composition for large orchestra ever written by an Englishman. And, for more than a century now, audiences have delighted in what Elgar wrote. They have been equally intrigued by what he withheld — a secret that he refused to divulge beyond some carefully worded “enigmatic” clues.
The story of the Enigma Variations began late one night in 1898 when Elgar was improvising at the piano at home in Worcestershire. His wife, Alice, was struck by a particular melody and asked her husband what it was. Elgar replied: “Nothing — but something could be made of it.” As he continued to develop his short theme, Elgar started to toy with the idea of how it could be made to reflect the personalities of some of his friends. Out of this private little game grew what is arguably Elgar’s greatest masterpiece.
With one exception (Variation XIII), each of the 14 variations that follow the theme is preceded by a heading that specifies the person behind the music. Although Elgar only wrote out monograms for each in the score, he quickly admitted who was who — and at various times openly commented about each person’s musical portrait.
At the first performance, the “anonymous” exception helped to reinforce the “enigmatic” nature of the overall work. Even more mysterious, however, were the implications of a statement Elgar made at the time of the premiere: “The Enigma itself I will not explain — its ‘dark saying’ must be left unguessed, and I warn you that the apparent connection between the Variations and the Theme is often of the slightest texture; further, through and over the whole set another and larger theme ‘goes,’ but is not played. … So the principal Theme never appears.”
The Theme consists of two ideas: an expressive string melody that is constantly interrupted by rests on the downbeat (and that fits the words “Edward Elgar” surprisingly well), and a second melody that is more continuous, and is built of parallel thirds played by strings and woodwinds.
Variation I: “C.A.E.” is a portrait of Caroline Alice Elgar, the composer’s wife. The little motive played by oboes and bassoons was the signal Elgar used to whistle to let Alice know that he was home.
Variation II: “H.D.S-P.” — Hew David Steuart-Powell was a pianist and Elgar’s chamber music partner. The violins and woodwind instruments play humorous sixteenth notes, while the main theme appears in the cellos and basses.
Variation III: “R.B.T.” — Richard Baxter Townshend , a writer and scholar who used to ride his tricycle around town with the bell constantly ringing. He also participated in amateur theatrical performances, and the oboe solo in the variation is supposed to represent him as his voice occasionally cracked.
Variation IV: “W.M.B.” — William Meath Baker was, as Elgar stated, “a country squire, gentleman, and scholar. … This Variation was written after the host had, with a slip of paper in his hand, forcibly read out the arrangements for the day and hurriedly left the music-room with an inadvertent bang of the door.”
Variation V: “R.P.A.” — Richard Penrose Arnold was “a great lover of music which he played (on the pianoforte) in a self taught manner, evading difficulties but suggesting in a mysterious way the real feeling.” The staccato figure in the woodwinds represents his characteristic laugh.
Variation VI: “Ysobel” — Isabel Fitton was a viola player, hence the special treatment of the viola in this variation. She was also quite tall, a circumstance suggested by the wide leaps in the melody.
Variation VII: “Troyte” — Arthur Troyte Griffith was an architect and a close friend of Elgar’s, who suggested that, “The uncouth rhythm of the drums and lower strings was really suggested by some maladroit essays to play the pianoforte. …”
Variation VIII: “W.N.” stands for Winifred Norbury, but the variation was inspired more by the stately 18th-century house where this co-secretary of the Worcestershire Philharmonic Society lived.
Variation IX: “Nimrod” — This is the most famous variation in the set, often performed separately in England as a memorial. “Nimrod” was August Jaeger, a German-born musician and Elgar’s closest friend. Here, Elgar took the rests out of the original theme and created a soaring, hymn-like melody with a certain Beethovenian quality.
Variation X: “Dorabella” (Intermezzo) — Dora Penny was a young woman to whom Elgar gave the affectionate nickname “Dorabella,” taken from Mozart ’s opera Così fan tutte. She later recollected the day he played through the entire work for her: “My mind was in such a whirl of pleasure, pride, and almost shame that he should have written anything so lovely about me.”
Variation XI: “G.R.S.” — George Robertson Sinclair was organist of Hereford Cathedral. Elgar writes: “The first few bars were suggested by his great bulldog Dan … falling down the steep bank into the River Wye (bar 1); his paddling up stream to find a landing place (bars 2 and 3); and his rejoicing bark on landing (second half of bar 5). G.R.S. said ‘set that to music.’”
Variation XII: “B.G.N.” — Basil Nevinson was a cellist who, with Steuart-Powell (Variation II), often played trios with Elgar, a violinist. This is why in this variation the melody is entrusted to a solo cello.
Variation XIII: “***” (Romanza) — The identity of the person behind the asterisks is the smaller enigma in Elgar’s work. Elgar himself only said that the “asterisks take the place of the name of a lady who was, at the time of the composition, on a sea voyage. The drums suggest the distant throb of the engines of a liner. …”
Variation XIV: “E.D.U.” (Finale) —“Edu” was the nickname Alice Elgar had given to her husband, who disguised it as a set of initials to camouflage the fact that the last variation was a self-portrait. The theme is turned here into a march with a sharp rhythmic profile. There are two slower, lyrical episodes, and then the work ends in a magnificent climax.
— Peter Laki
Peter Laki is a musicologist and frequent lecturer on classical music. He is a visiting associate professor of music at Bard College.
CLASS OF 2025 GRADUATING MEMBERS
Ashley Beall (flute, 2024–25) will attend Capital University to major in flute performance and political science
Jack Berendt (horn, 2022–25) will attend Case Western Reserve University to major in mechanical engineering
Luca Brusco (bass, 2023–25) will attend The Ohio State University to major in music education
Micah Docuyanan (trumpet, 2024–25) will attend Baldwin Wallace University to double major in trumpet performance and business
Kailani Farivar (violin, 2021–25) plans to major in environmental studies
Cole Flores (flute, 2023–25) plans to double major in psychology and flute performance
Henry Foster (tuba, 2024–25) plans to major in tuba performance and film studies
Sam Haskell (trumpet, 2022–25) will attend The Ohio State University to major in jazz studies and economics
Olivia Hays (viola, 2024–25) plans to major in astrophysics and minor in music performance
Claire Hua (cello, 2022–25) plans to major in biology
Carol Huang (violin, 2019–25) will attend the University of Rochester to major in biology (pre-med) and minor in French
Meghan Janke (bassoon, 2022–25) will attend the University of Wyoming to double major in music and wildlife biology & conservation
Bobby Johnston (bass, 2022–25) will attend Baldwin Wallace University to major in biology (pre-med)
Hannah Lee (violin, 2022–25) will attend Case Western Reserve University for their pre-professional studies program in dental medicine
Chengyu Li (cello, 2022–25) will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to major in urban science & planning with computer science, comparative media studies, and minor in music
Elizabeth Liu (violin, 2023–25) will attend Columbia University to major in electrical engineering and economics
Abigail Loeffler (violin, 2023–25)
Isabel Martin (oboe, 2022–25) will attend the University of Guelph to major in animal biology
Sreehita Mudiraj (flute, 2024–25) will attend the University of Cincinnati to major in neurosciece and minor in flute performance
Avaneesh Polaconda (violin, 2021–25) plans to double major in math and physics
Giada Pulig (bass, 2024–25) plans to major in bass performance and Spanish or music education
Leia Schnell (clarinet, 2024–25) plans to major in music education and music performance
Olivia Simpson (horn, 2023–25)
Bernadette Slattery (bassoon, 2023–25) will attend Purdue University to major in computer science
Aiden Tian (cello, 2021–25) will attend Purdue University to major in engineering
Lina Tian (harp, 2021–25) will attend Emory University to major in neuroscience (premed)
Louis Wang (cello, 2021–25) plans to major in cello performance
Jason Wei (viola, 2021–25) plans to double major in viola performance and physics
Anika Westerbeke (violin, 2020–25) will attend Boston University to major in entrepreneurship and international business
Elena Ziegler (cello, 2020–25) plans to major in cello performance and art
CONGRATULATIONS!
The thousands of students who have been members of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra represent a remarkable group of talented young people. For some, their interest in music has carried them forward into careers as educators and performers. For others, music continues as an important part of their lives and careers in business, the arts, recreation, or community service.
Some of this year’s seniors recently reflected on their journey through COYO:
“COYO has changed my life for the better. I never knew how impactful and important this experience would be to me when I first auditioned. The connections you make and the people you meet are experiences you’ll take with you throughout the rest of your life.”
“I am so grateful to COYO for giving me orchestral experience that I would not be able to find anywhere else. The people I have met and the friendships I have made will be with me for years to come, and I could not have asked for a better place to be on the weekends.”
“COYO has been my home for six years now, and I will forever be grateful for the orchestral experience and the friendships it has given me.”
“COYO has changed my life in so many ways. The level of music I was fortunate enough to play was amazing, not to mention getting to rehearse and perform at Severance. I love the people: Daniel, the coaches, Kennedy, Nick , and Lauren COYO has made me a better musician and propelled me to a level of musicianship I never would have imagined.”
We offer our sincere congratulations to this year’s class and wish them success on the next leg of their journey!
FIRST VIOLINS
Carol Huang
CONCERTMASTER
Hathaway Brown
Cyprus Foster
ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER
Homeschooled
Elizabeth Liu
Beachwood High School
Chengyu Jiang
Solon High School
Aika Birch
Jackson High School
Mason Zhang
Shaker Heights High School
Anika Westerbeke
Hawken Mastery School
Kailani Farivar
Solon High School
Cole Krajewski
Twinsburg High School
Sujin Kim
Menlo Park Academy
Aaron Wei
Solon High School
Hannah Lee
Hudson High School
Brayden Qi
Hawken School
Roan Westerbeke Hawken School
Esther Hayashi
Hudson High School
SECOND VIOLINS
Harris Wang
PRINCIPAL
Solon High School
Avaneesh Polaconda
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Strongsville High School
Alice Han
Beachwood High School
Andrew Heinzen
Cleveland Heights High School
YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Lydia Andres
Homeschooled
Sophia Jiang
Solon Middle School
Alex Jin
Aurora High School
Peter Dzero
Stanton Middle School
Cailyn Hua
Western Reserve Academy
Arthur Zhao
Avon High School
Jerry Du
Hudson High School
Abigail Loeffler
Homeschooled
Abby Hahnenberg
Shaker Heights High School
Julia Astorga
Homeschooled
VIOLAS
Lindsey Jones
PRINCIPAL
Homeschooled
Jason Wei
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Solon High School
Jonah Paponetti
Shaker Heights High School
Lydia Huff
Langston Middle School
Jason Yi-Kun Zhao University School
Preston Duncan
Aurora High School
Gabi Levy
Oberlin High School
Olivia Hays
Avon High School
Elizabeth Pineda
Hawken School
Milo Page**
Oberlin College & Conservatory
CELLOS
Elena Ziegler
PRINCIPAL
Copley High School
Louis Wang
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Solon High School
Chengyu Li
Beachwood High School
Aiden Tian
Hawken School
Nick Jacques Hawken School
Kaiden Honaker
Twinsburg High School
Cate Dzero
Western Reserve Academy
Michael Zhu University School
Belinda Zhu
Olentangy Liberty Middle School
Oliver Krishnaney University School
Seraphina Huang
Menlo Park Academy
BASSES
Sullivan Wiggins
PRINCIPAL
Shaker Heights High School
Travis Phillips
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL University School
Luca Brusco
Brunswick High School
Bobby Johnston
Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School
Abigail Kovach
Lakewood High School
Giada Pulig
Avon High School
Kate Davis
Firestone CLC
FLUTES
Ashley Beall S
Green High School
Cole Flores G, E
Strongsville High School
Zachary Moskowitz
Shaker Heights High School
Sreehita Mudiraj
Strongsville High School
PICCOLO
Ashley Beall E
Cole Flores S
Zachary Moskowitz G
OBOES
Eliana Fittante S
Ontario High School
Andrew Kelly E
Bay High School
Isabel Martin G
Walsh Jesuit High School
Christopher Wang
Solon High School
ENGLISH HORN
Isabel Martin S
CLARINETS
Nicholas Garrett S, E
Cleveland School of the Arts
Willa Kenny
Saint Joseph Academy
Evan Lee
Hudson High School
Leia Schnell G
Strongsville High School
BASSOONS
Meghan Janke
Green High School
Alessio Matera S
Lakewood High School
Bernadette Slattery E
Westlake High School
Angie Stump G
Copley High School
CONTRABASSOON
Meghan Janke S, E
HORNS
Jack Berendt G, E
Aurora High School
Olivia Simpson S
Strongsville High School
Elena Miller**
Cleveland Institute of Music
Louis Roy**
Cleveland Institute of Music
TRUMPETS
Micah Docuyanan G
Strongsville High School
Carter Free
Avon High School
Sam Haskell S
Brunswick High School
Owen Rinaldo E
Stow-Munroe Falls High School
TROMBONES
Grace Berendt S, G, E
Aurora High School
Lucas Marques
Westlake High School
Brennon Mitchell
Canfield High School
TUBA
Henry Foster
Copley High School
The following eight endowed Youth Orchestra chairs have been created in recognition of generous gifts to The Cleveland Orchestra’s endowment:
Concertmaster, Daniel Majeske Memorial Chair
Principal Cello, Barbara P. and Alan S. Geismer Chair
Principal Viola, Anthony T. and Patricia A. Lauria Chair
TIMPANI
Nathaniel Pino E
Solon High School
Justin Reimschisel S
Solon High School
Kelsey Rogers G
Shaker Heights High School
PERCUSSION
Matthew Arnold
Orange High School
Nathaniel Pino
Justin Reimschisel
Kelsey Rogers
HARP
Lina Tian S
Hathaway Brown
PIANO & CELESTA
Olivia Zeng S Solon High School
ORGAN
Saya Uejima E Green High School
MANAGER
Kennedy McKain
LIBRARIAN
Nick Taylor
DIRECTOR OF INSTRUMENTAL PATHWAYS
Lauren Generette
Performers are listed alphabetically within each woodwind, brass, and percussion section. Superscripts indicate principal player according to the following key:
S Snider
G Grieg
E Elgar
** Extra/substitute musician
Principal Bass, Anthony F. Knight Memorial Chair
Principal Flute, Virginia S. Jones Memorial Chair Piccolo, Patience Cameron Hoskins Chair
Principal Harp, Norma Battes Chair
Principal Keyboard, Victor C. Laughlin M.D. Memorial Chair
DANIEL REITH
Music Director, The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra Associate Conductor, The Cleveland Orchestra, Sidney and Doris Dworkin Chair
Daniel Reith was appointed assistant conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra and music director of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) starting in the 2022–23 season, being promoted to associate conductor in June 2024. As COYO’s music director, Reith oversees the ensemble’s artistic planning, selects personnel for the ensemble, and leads rehearsals and performances of the Youth Orchestra. He’s also actively involved with the Orchestra’s education programs and community performances, and provides assistance for the Orchestra’s Classical and Blossom Music Festival seasons.
Reith was the 2019 winner of Opptakt, Talent Norway’s program for fostering young conductors, and has since performed with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, and the Norwegian Armed Forces. In 2022, Reith made his debuts with the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. He also served as assistant conductor for the Norwegian Opera production of Orpheus in the Underworld .
In addition to his conducting work, Reith is a talented pianist and chamber musician, having performed in concerts and competitions throughout Germany, Norway, and other countries. Reith has been awarded several scholarships in Germany, where he’s worked with orchestras such as the Hamburg Philharmonic and Neubrandenburg Philharmonic.
Reith grew up in Bühl, Germany, and studied music in his home country as well as Norway. He received bachelor’s degrees in piano from Freiburg’s Academy of Music and the Norwegian Academy of Music. He also received a bachelor’s degree in music theory at Freiburg’s Academy of Music, followed by a bachelor’s degree in conducting at Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. In 2021, he received his master’s degree in conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
SAYA UEJIMA
Piano
Saya Uejima started her piano journey at age 6, where she studied with Seiko Kaneshige in Japan. Soon after, she moved to the United States for further advanced studies. Her first accomplishment was a gold prize in the 24th Mie Music Concours in 2018 with her first teacher in the US, Sebastian Birch . Since then, Uejima has studied with Yuka Nakayama-Lewicki , Mayumi Kikuchi , and currently studies under Haewon Song from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She has also had many masterclass opportunities with Olga Radosavljevich , Gerardo Teissonnière, Donna Lee, and Ting Zhou . Uejima gave her first solo recitals at Kent State University and The College of Wooster in 2021.
Uejima has been the keyboardist of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra since 2023. She has participated in various music camps and festivals, including the Oberlin Piano Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and CIM Summer Sonata. Her recent accomplishments include first place in the OFMC Elizabeth Gerber Awards in 2023, winner of the 2023 OhioMTA Pre-College State Buckeye Auditions Junior Division, honorable mention in the 2024 Oberlin Piano Festival Competition, second place in the OFMC Charlotte & W. Alfred Gray Competition, and winner in The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition.
Apart from the piano, Uejima has a passion for the oboe and classical singing. She aspires to be a neurosurgeon and hopes to achieve great accomplishments in the medical field.
ABOUT THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA YOUTH ORCHESTRA
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is a full symphonic ensemble composed of 93 young musicians drawn from 36 communities in 8 counties across Northern Ohio. Founded in 1986 by Jahja Ling (then resident conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra), The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) provides serious young music students of middle and high school age with a unique pre-professional orchestral training experience. The 2024–25 season marks COYO’s 39th season and the third under the direction of Daniel Reith .
Among the acclaimed artists to work with COYO are Marin Alsop, Pierre Boulez , Stéphane Denève, Christoph von Dohnányi , Giancarlo Guerrero, Witold Lutosławski , Yo-Yo Ma , Gil Shaham , Michael Tilson Thomas , Antoni Wit , and Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst . The ensemble has been featured on three international tours.
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is part of a suite of Cleveland Orchestra programs designed to nurture aspiring young musicians, which also includes The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus and Preparatory Chorus, and the Crescendo and Music Mentors pathways initiatives for students in Cleveland schools. In addition, with the support of many generous individual, foundation, corporate, and governmental funding partners, the Orchestra’s full range of education and community programs reach more than 100,000 young people and adults annually, helping to foster a lifelong relationship with music by removing barriers to participation, advocating for and helping to facilitate equitable access to comprehensive music education in schools, and harnessing the life-changing power of music in service to the community.
YOUTH ORCHESTRA COACHING STAFF
The following members of The Cleveland Orchestra have served as section coaches for the Youth Orchestra in preparation for this concert:
VIOLINS
Stephen Tavani Assistant Concertmaster
Kathleen Collins
Zhan Shu
VIOLAS
Stanley Konopka Assistant Principal Lisa Boyko
CELLOS
Mark Kosower Principal
David Alan Harrell
BASS
Mark Atherton
FLUTE
Mary Kay Fink Principal Piccolo | Flute
OBOE
Frank Rosenwein
Principal
CLARINET
Robert Woolfrey
BASSOONS
Gareth Thomas
Phil Austin Emeritus
HORN
Meghan Guegold Hege
TRUMPET
Michael Miller
TROMBONE
Shachar Israel Assistant Principal
TUBA
Yasuhito Sugiyama
PERCUSSION
Donald Miller Emeritus
HARP
Trina Struble Principal
WITH SPECIAL THANKS
Michael Ferraguto Librarian
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Cleveland Orchestra musician Hans Clebsch coaches COYO horn students in Reinberger Chamber Hall.
SCHOOL MUSIC TEACHERS
The members of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra express gratitude to their school music directors for the role they play on a daily basis in developing musical skills:
Jason Burdett
Aurora High School
Mason Smith
Aurora High School
Ethan Eraybar
Avon High School
Jesse Martin
Avon High School
Devon Gess
Bay High School
David Luddington
Beachwood High School
Allison Siekmann
Beachwood High School
Steven Cocchiola
Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School
Sam Portzer
Brunswick High School
Valerie Roman
Brunswick High School
Kyle O’Donnell
Canfield High School
Daniel Heim
Cleveland Heights High School
Robert Davis
Cleveland School of the Arts
Michael Foster
Copley High School
Dustin Harris
Cuyahoga Falls High School
Sloan Stakleff
Firestone CLC
Amy Rach
Green High School
Curtis Prichard
Hathaway Brown
Kyra Mihalski
Hawken School
Roberto Iriarte
Hudson High School
John Rodesh
Hudson High School
Scott Eversdyke
Jackson High School
Elizabeth Hankins
Lakewood High School
Clinton Steinbrunner
Lakewood High School
Emily Cromwell
Langston Middle School
Adonai Henderson
Menlo Park Academy
Erik Kalish
North Olmsted High School
Emily Cromwell
Oberlin High School
Amy Ruff
Olentangy Liberty
Middle School
Elijah Henkel
Ontario High School
Brandon DuVall
Orange High School
Brian Patton
Saint Joseph Academy
Bill Hughes
Shaker Heights High School
Donna Jelen
Shaker Heights High School
Robert Luce
Solon High School
Mark Mauldin
Solon High School
Gerald MacDougall
Solon Middle & High School
Garrett Doty
Stanton Middle School
Greg Newman
Stow-Munroe Falls High School
Andrew Hire
Strongsville High School
Brian King
Strongsville High School
Damon Conn
Twinsburg High School
David Kay
University School
Devon Steve
University School
Nicholas Ratay
Walsh Jesuit High School
Margaret Karam
Western Reserve Academy
Hilary Patriok
Westlake High School
PRIVATE MUSIC TEACHERS
The members of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra express gratitude to their private teachers for their support, insight, and expertise:
VIOLIN TEACHERS
Masha Andreini
Gina Bagnoli
Sibbi Bernhardsson
Katherine Bormann*
Wei-Shu Co
Heather Crawford
Vladimir Deninzon
Francesca dePasquale
Wei-Fang Gu*
Liesl Hook-Langmack
Micheal Houff
Amy Lee*
Kimberly Meier-Sims
David Mendieta
Marlene Moses
Elona Pappas
Eugenia Poustyreva
James Rhodes
Sam Rotberg
Carol Ruzicka
Zhan Shu*
Laura Shuster
Yu Yuan*
VIOLA TEACHERS
Abbie Foster
Laura Kuennan-Poper
Ellen Murphy
James Rhodes
Carol Ross
Luke Wardell
Ann Yu
Louise Zeitlin
CELLO TEACHERS
Kellan Degnan
Abbey Hansen
David Alan Harrell*
Dmitry Kouzov
Paul Kushious*
Ida Mercer
Daniel Pereira
Nora Willauer
BASS TEACHERS
Steven Brija
Patricia Johnston
Tracy Rowell
Gavin VanWinkle-Bright
Susan Yelanjian
FLUTE TEACHERS
Lisa Aglioti
Linda Miller
Dawn Schwartz
Jackie Wood
OBOE TEACHERS
Carol Bernhardt
Stephanie Cohn Minter
Corbin Stair*
Danna Sundet
CLARINET TEACHERS
Meghan Colbert
Stanislav Golovin
Dick Ingersoll
Sally Kish
BASSOON TEACHERS
Lydia Byndas
Mark DeMio
Tom English
Judith Guegold
HORN TEACHERS
Alan DeMattia
Melinda Kellerstrass
TRUMPET TEACHERS
Jerry Kleman
Scott Kline
Michael Miller*
Rich Pokrywka
TROMBONE TEACHERS
Thomas Brucoli
Ty Deane
Eric Richmond
Lauren Rudzinskas
TUBA TEACHER
Kenneth Heinlein
PERCUSSION TEACHERS
Thomas Freer
Katy La Favre
Matt Larson
Jennalee Quillen
HARP TEACHER
Jody Guinn
KEYBOARD TEACHER
Haewon Song
* Member of The Cleveland Orchestra
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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, when ushers will help you to your seats. These seating breaks are at the discretion of the House Manager in consultation with the performing artists.
CELL PHONES, WATCHES & OTHER DEVICES
Please silence any noise-making devices, including cell phones and watches, prior to the start of the concert.
PHOTOGRAPHY,
VIDEOGRAPHY & RECORDING
Audio recording, photography, and videography are prohibited during performances at Severance. Photographs of the hall and selfies can be taken when the performance is not in progress.
FREE MOBILE APP
Get instant access to your tickets for Cleveland Orchestra concerts at Severance and Blossom Music Center by using the Ticket Wallet App. More information is at clevelandorchestra.com/ticketwallet
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.
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. Infrared Assistive-Listening Devices are available. Please see the House Manager or Head Usher for more details.
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).
Copyright © 2025 by The Cleveland Orchestra and Musical Arts Association
Editorial: Kevin McBrien, Publications Manager (kmcbrien@clevelandorchestra.com)
Design: Melissa Leone (melissa@melissaleone.com)
Program books for Cleveland Orchestra concerts are produced by The Cleveland Orchestra and are distributed free to attending audience members. The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to have its home, Severance Music Center, located on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, with whom it has a long history of collaboration and partnership.
