In Symphony of Secrets, violinist and writer Brendan Slocumb and CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra will unearth some hidden gems by staple composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn, as well as less familiar repertoire by Florence Price, and Latin American masters Astor Piazzolla and Arturo Marquez. The concert will feature CityMusic's flutists Laura Gilbert and Kimberly Zaleski. As an author, Slocumb delves into the psychology of his musician characters in his novels The Violin Conspiracy and Symphony of Secrets, both best-selling, high-intensity thrillers. Speaking of classical m ..read more

CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra will return in 2024 for the continuation of their 20th season with a performance at Praxis Fiber Workshop in Collinwood. This concert will be one night only and will feature a romantic rendition of Hermann Goetz’s Piano Quintet, Tchaikovsky’s sextet, Souvenir de Florence, and the premiere of Patrick Prejean’s composition, String Quintet. Prejean, a violist originally from Louisiana, was named CityMusic’s 2023-2024 Diversity Fellow back in August. He has performed in their September, October, and December orchestra series.  When asked about his compos ..read more

CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra will finish 2023 off with a festive bang with their Christmas, Beethoven, & Mambo concert series, featuring renowned conductor Stefan Willich, and The Cleveland Orchestra’s own Hans Clebsch on the French horn. The program begins with a sweeping performance of Arcangelo Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in G Minor, aptly known as the Christmas Concerto. This concerto has been a staple of the season since its inception in the early 18th century. Corelli opposes a small group of soloists (violins, cello, and harpsichord) in lively counterpoint with the rest of t ..read more

We caught up with Travis Guillory, tenor soloist of our October orchestra series, Celebrating Black Excellence, a few days before his first performances with CityMusic Here’s what he had to say about his debut with CityMusic, his experience with operatic singing, and how an arm to the face inspired his favorite performance Hi Travis! It’s wonderful to meet you. How are you feeling about your solo debut with CityMusic? I’m super excited! Super excited. However, as the performances get closer I get a little more nervous every day. I’m like “Oh, well here we go!” I’m super excited though. You’re ..read more

In the second series of their 20th season, CityMusic celebrates the wonder of African American musical heritage in this brilliant program featuring a piece by one of the most revered living Black composers, Jessie Montgomery, and the vocal talents of Oberlin Conservatory’s own Travis Guillory, Elizabeth Hanje, and Benhur Mosazghi. Celebrating Black Excellence will feature excerpts from the iconic opera, Porgy and Bess by Jewish composer, George Gershwin. This opera was hailed as the first great American opera for its setting in black American communities and its performance by black artists a ..read more

We caught up with violinist Kyung Sun Lee, featured soloist of Symphonie Concertante Here’s what she had to say about returning to CityMusic for our 20th season, how she acquired her violin from 1793, and how yoga has become a part of her routine. Hi Kyung Sun! It’s great to talk with you. Let’s start with an easy one. What prompted you to start playing the violin? It's fascinating how people develop their musical talents. In my case, my parents had four daughters, and they made it a point for each of us to learn a musical instrument as a hobby. I started with the piano at the age of 6 and end ..read more

We are pleased to announce our 2023-2024 Diversity Fellow, Patrick Prejean! Patrick will be a featured violist this season. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Patrick Prejean first started his studies at age 8 at the Acadiana Conservatory. Prejean recalls about his beginnings saying, “My mother was against me playing the viola initially. Her exact words were: Black people don’t play that instrument.” It was the spark needed to prove a point for him. Since then, he has gone on to graduate from Interlochen Arts Academy and has won orchestral positions with Lake Charles Symphony Orchestra and Acadian ..read more

CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra is celebrating its 20th season with the first concert of its 2023-2024 series, Symphonie Concertante. These performances will be held around the Northeast Ohio area between September 21-24 and will feature renowned violinists Kyung Sun Lee and Jung Min Amy Lee. CityMusic’s 20th season arrives under the title It Is Music. “The season name seeks to engage with audiences in a way that transcends the tag of classical music, and focus instead on music as an art form that brings people together, beyond labels that might seem intimidating to people who haven't c ..read more

CityMusic Cleveland announces an opportunity for Black, Latinx, and Native American violinists to join the CityMusic Orchestra for our Spring 2023 concerts. The Diversity Fellowship was founded to celebrate the achievements of orchestral players from underrepresented groups. Fellows will serve as regular CityMusic Cleveland members. Following completion of the program, Fellows may be invited to perform with CityMusic Cleveland in future seasons, on a regular or substitute basis, depending on personnel needs. See complete application details ..read more

A ..read more