CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES 2017 BLOSSOM MUSIC FESTIVAL, PRESENTED BY THE J.M. SMUCKER COMPANY
Franz Welser-Möst conducts three concerts, featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, an evening of opera favorites, and more
Blossom Summer Season includes 21 concerts of family-friendly programming on weekends from Fourth-of-July through Labor Day Weekend
“Under 18s Free” continues for every Blossom Music Festival concert
Subscription renewals currently underway; Premier subscriptions for Classics, Celebrations, or Pops series concerts plus Create-Your-Own subscriptions now available for purchase
Popular Lawn Ticket Books available now: $160 for a book of ten Lawn passes, with two FREE Pavilion upgrade coupons in each book
Individual tickets for the general public go on sale in early May
Release: February 5, 2017
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Orchestra has announced the 2017 Blossom Music Festival season at its summer music home, Blossom Music Center. Festival highlights include:
- Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst conducting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique (July 8), a special evening of opera favorites featuring soprano Erin Wall (July 9), and works by Beethoven, Milhaud, and Roussel (July 15)
- Celebrating the 4th of July, Blossom’s traditional, star-spangled concerts with the Blossom Festival Band, A Salute to America (July 3 & 4)
- An all-Tchaikovsky program that includes his timeless Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 5 (August 5)
- A swinging tribute to Ella Fitzgerald in celebration of her 100th birthday (August 27)
- Movie night, the Steven Spielberg masterpiece E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, shown in HD with the score by John Williams performed live (September 1-3)
- Fireworks featured post-concert July 1 and 2, July 3 and 4, September 1 to 3
All of these concerts, and more, will be held at Blossom Music Center from Fourth of July weekend through Labor Day weekend (July 1 – September 3, 2017).
Details of the 2017 Blossom Music Festival season, including Cleveland Orchestra and Festival soloist and conductor debuts, are available in the Calendar section below and online at clevelandorchestra.com. Concert schedules and series renewals are being mailed to subscribers of last year’s Festival, and new series packages are available for purchase now. Lawn Ticket Books are also on sale now. Individual tickets for the entire season go on sale to the general public in early May.
Family-friendly “Under 18s Free” tickets continue at every Blossom Music Festival concert
“Under 18s Free” is a program of The Cleveland Orchestra’s Center for Future Audiences. The Center, created with a lead endowment gift from the Maltz Family Foundation, was established to fund programs to develop new generations of audiences for Cleveland Orchestra concerts in Northeast Ohio. “Under 18s Free” continues to develop young audiences by making attending Orchestra concerts affordable for families, offering free Lawn tickets to young people, 17 and under, for every Blossom Music Festival concert again this season. Over 110,000 young people have attended Blossom Music Festival concerts since the Center for Future Audiences was inaugurated.
2017 TICKET, SERIES, AND SPONSOR INFORMATION
Subscription Renewals are currently underway with Premier Subscriptions and Create-Your-Own Series and Lawn Ticket Books now available for purchase. Individual tickets for the general public go on sale in early May by telephone, in person at the Severance Hall Ticket Office, and online at clevelandorchestra.com Tickets start at $25. The Blossom Box Office opens for the season beginning on Saturday, June 3, and will be open throughout the summer on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. through intermission on concert days.
PREMIER SUBSCRIPTION SERIES
The 2017 Blossom Music Festival features two five-concert “Classics” series, a four-concert “Celebrations” series, and a five-concert “Pops” series. Ticket packages, on sale now, offer approximately 20% savings off individual-ticket prices. Ticket package prices start at $80, which includes free Lot B parking and access to Kulas Plaza. Box-seat ticket packages include complimentary parking in First Energy Lot A behind the main Box Office in addition to access to Kulas Plaza.
CREATE-YOUR-OWN SERIES
A Create-Your-Own Series package is being offered again this season. When purchasing 4 or more concerts, there is a savings of approximately 10% off the individual ticket prices. There is no limit to the number of Create-Your-Own Series purchases. All subscribers receive free parking in Lot B.
LAWN TICKET BOOKS INCLUDE TWO PAVILION UPGRADES AND QUALIFY FOR THE “UNDER 18S FREE” PROGRAM
Lawn Ticket Books of ten vouchers are now available for $160 (a savings of up to $100). Lawn vouchers qualify for youth admission as part of the “Under18s Free” program. Youth admission tickets can be requested after individual tickets go on sale. Contact the Box Office or visit clevelandorchestra.com for information about this program.
GROUP TICKET SALES
Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Call the Cleveland Orchestra Group Sales Office at Severance Hall at 216-231-7493 for more information.
Blossom Music Festival Presented by The J.M. Smucker Company
The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to partner with The J.M. Smucker Company as the Season Sponsor of the Blossom Music Festival. The J.M. Smucker Company has supported The Cleveland Orchestra for decades with annual contributions as well as capital gifts for improvements at Blossom Music Center. The company’s ongoing, generous support has been recognized through concert sponsorship at Blossom for the past decade, and has earned them recognition as a member of the Orchestra’s John L. Severance Society — a group of the Orchestra’s most dedicated and generous corporate, foundation, and individual supporters.
2017 Blossom Music Festival Calendar
TCHAIKOVSKY’S SPECTACULAR
1812 OVERTURE AND OTHER FAVORITES
Saturday, July 1, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.*
Sunday, July 2, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.*
The Cleveland Orchestra
Jahja Ling, conductor
Aaron Diehl, piano — Cleveland Orchestra debut
SHOSTAKOVICH - Tahiti Trot
GERSHWIN - Concerto in F
GERSHWIN - Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture (arr. Bennett)
TCHAIKOVSKY - 1812 Overture
* Denotes fireworks following the concert, weather permitting.
A SALUTE TO AMERICA
Monday, July 3, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.*
Tuesday, July 4, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.*
Blossom Festival Band
Loras John Schissel, conductor
Great music, fireworks, and fun for the whole family! Blossom’s traditional, star-spangled celebration with the Blossom Festival Band features a mix of patriotic Sousa marches, Broadway favorites, an Armed Forces Salute, and more — concluding with the “1812” Overture and fireworks!
* Denotes fireworks following the concert, weather permitting.
SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE
Saturday, July 8, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 2
BERLIOZ - Symphonie fantastique
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Sunday, July 9, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Erin Wall, soprano — Blossom Music Festival debut
Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst leads an evening of orchestral selections and arias from favorite operas by Mozart, Verdi, Strauss and more. Soprano Erin Wall makes her Blossom Music Festival debut.
BEETHOVEN 7
Saturday, July 15, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
MILHAUD - Le Boeuf sur le toit [The Ox on the Roof]
ROUSSEL - Suite No. 2 from Bacchus and Ariane
BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 7
BEST OF BROADWAY
Sunday, July 16, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Jack Everly, conductor
Christina DiCicco, vocalist
Ted Keegan, vocalist
Ron Remke, vocalist
Richard Todd Adams, vocalist — Cleveland Orchestra debut
Blossom Festival Chorus
Celebrate the greatest hits of America’s Broadway legends. Broadway stars Kathy Voytko, Ted Keegan, Ron Remke, and Richard Todd Adams dazzle you with your favorite melodies from great musicals. Selections from the great musicals of Irving Berlin, Lerner and Loewe, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, including Oklahoma!, The Phantom of the Opera, The Music Man, Les Misérables, and more!
DVOŘÁK’S NEW WORLD
Saturday, July 22, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.*
The Cleveland Orchestra
Jahja Ling, conductor
Eli Matthews, violin — Cleveland Orchestra concerto debut
with the Kent/Blossom Chamber Orchestra*
ROSSINI - Overture to The Barber of Seville
PAGANINI - Violin Concerto No. 1
DVOŘÁK - Symphony No. 9: From the New World
Celebrating its 50th season in 2017, the Kent/Blossom Music Festival began when The Cleveland Orchestra and Kent State University launched a partnership in 1968, the year Blossom Music Center opened. For five weeks in June and July, Kent/Blossom Music Festival’s advanced training program brings musicians from around the world to Ohio for professional training in chamber music and orchestral studies with members of The Cleveland Orchestra and other elite faculty. Festival participants will perform with The Cleveland Orchestra in a side-by-side concert and also present a pre-concert program of music.
*Kent/Blossom Chamber Orchestra performs at 7:00 p.m. The Cleveland Orchestra’s concert (program listed above) begins at 8:00 p.m.
FIRE & RAIN: FOLK ANTHEMS OF THE 1970s
Sunday, July 23, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Rob Fisher, conductor
A.J. Swearingen, vocals and guitar
Jayne Kelli, vocals and guitar
Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Neil Diamond, Cat Stevens ... In the '70s, the fusion of Folk and Rock music swept the nation with its powerful, socially conscious lyrics, memorable melodies, and tight vocal harmonies. Relive - or experience for the first time - the blockbuster era of these singer-songwriters with their greatest hits, including "Sundown," "You've Got a Friend," "Time in a Bottle," and many more.
ROMANTIC RACHMANINOFF
Saturday, July 29, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko, conductor — Cleveland Orchestra debut
David Fray, piano
MOZART - Piano Concerto No. 24
RACHMANINOFF - Symphony No. 2
TCHAIKOVSKY FAVORITES
Saturday, August 5, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Robert Trevino, conductor — Cleveland Orchestra debut
Behzod Abduraimov, piano — Cleveland Orchestra debut
TCHAIKOVSKY - Piano Concerto No. 1
TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony No. 5
THE ROSE CAVALIER
Sunday, August 6, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Juraj Valčuha, conductor — Cleveland Orchestra debut
Stefan Jackiw, violin — Blossom Music Festival debut
STRAUSS - Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
ROTA - Suite from La Strada
KORNGOLD - Violin Concerto
STRAUSS - Suite from Der Rosenkavalier [The Rose Cavalier]
THE FIREBIRD
Saturday, August 12, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Gustavo Gimeno, conductor
Johannes Moser, cello
RAVEL - Alborada del gracioso [Morning Song of the Jester]
LALO - Cello Concerto
FALLA - Suite from El amor bruho [Love, the Magician]
STRAVINSKY - Suite from The Firebird
HOLLYWOOD HEROES AND SUPERHEROES
Sunday, August 13, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Richard Kaufman, conductor
Need a hero? They’re all here tonight at Blossom! Movie maestro Richard Kaufman conducts an all-star salute to the biggest, boldest, and baddest heroes of the silver screen: Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and more. With selections from Star Wars, Star Trek, and James Bond movies, this is a musical adventure you won’t want to miss.
BOLÉRO!
Saturday, August 19, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Fabien Gabel, conductor — Cleveland Orchestra debut
Juho Pohjonen, piano — Cleveland Orchestra debut
SCHMITT - Le Palais Hanté [The Haunted Palace]
PROKOFIEV - Piano Concerto No. 1
DEBUSSY - Ibéria
RAVEL - Boléro
THE PLANETS
Saturday, August 26, 2017, at 8:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Cristian Măcelaru, conductor — Cleveland Orchestra debut
Augustin Hadelich, violin
Women of the Blossom Festival Chorus
DVOŘÁK - Violin Concerto
HOLST - The Planets
A TRIBUTE TO ELLA FITZGERALD
Sunday, August 27, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Randall Craig Fleischer, conductor — Cleveland Orchestra debut
Capathia Jenkins, vocalist
Harolyn Blackwell, vocalist
Aisha de Haas, vocalist — Cleveland Orchestra debut
This swinging tribute to Ella Fitzgerald — in celebration of her 100th birthday — presents some of the most glorious songs that she made her own, including “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” and “Summertime.”
MOVIE NIGHT: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
Friday, September 1, 2017, at 8:30 p.m.*
Saturday, September 2, 2017, at 8:30 p.m.*
Sunday, September 3, 2017, at 8:30 p.m.*
The Cleveland Orchestra
Brett Mitchell, conductor
The classic film shown in HD on the big screen — with the score performed live by The Cleveland Orchestra. Filled with unparalleled magic and imagination, Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming masterpiece E.T. follows the story of a lost little alien who befriends a 10-year-old boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas). Experience all the mystery and fun of their unforgettable adventure in the beloved movie that captivated audiences, complete with John Williams’s Academy Award®-winning score.
* Denotes fireworks following the concert, weather permitting.
All programs, artists, and prices are subject to change.