September 3, 2024
xxxxƵ remains a leading source of world-class music in 2024-25 season, during renovation of Kulas Hall
Just because Kulas Hall is being renovated doesn’t mean musical life at xxxxƵ is on hold.
Just the opposite, actually.
As a new school year begins, xxxxƵ has slated a 2024-25 concert season that’s as busy and bold as ever, one defined by relentless spirits of curiosity, creativity, and adventure.
“xxxxƵ’s commitment to defining and redefining the future of classical music is undiminished,” said Scott Harrison, xxxxƵ’s Executive Vice President & Provost.
“We may be down a concert hall, temporarily, but we are no less determined this season to present our listeners in Cleveland and around the world with a rich, diverse picture of our endlessly creative art form in the 21st century.”
Even as work on Kulas Hall continues through the 2024-25 academic year, xxxxƵ will remain a leading destination – or a source – of great performances all over Northeast Ohio. Patrons can look forward to full lineups from the xxxxƵ Orchestra, xxxxƵ Opera Theater, and xxxxƵ New Music Ensemble, as well as dedicated Perspectives and Insiders series showcasing xxxxƵ’s illustrious faculty and guests.
What will differ are the venues. xxxxƵ’s Mixon Hall will remain in active use but events typically held in Kulas Hall will take xxxxƵ musicians broadly into the community, to a variety of locations including Severance Music Center, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Maltz Performing Arts Center, and local high schools. Of special note will be two opera productions at Cleveland’s historic Playhouse Square.
But that is just an overview. The real excitement lies in the details. Among the many highlights of the 2024-25 season:
-
A fully staged production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in the Ohio Theater at Playhouse Square.
-
The return of guest conductors JoAnn Falletta, Anthony Parnther, and Tito Muñoz. And the xxxxƵ Orchestra debuts of Carolyn Kuan and Jeri Lynne Johnson.
-
First-ever appearances by the xxxxƵ Orchestra at John Hay High School, Mentor High School, and Lorain County Community College.
-
Visits from composers Curtis Stewart, Marilyn Shrude, Claude Baker, and Margaret Brouwer.
-
The return of world-music icon Mike Block (BM ’04, Aaron), with Biribá Union, as well as the second year of the student-led Global Music Experience.
-
The launch of an artistic relationship with the Gateways Music Festival, dedicated to celebrating Black Classical artistry, via an appearance by their Brass Collective.
-
A black-box production of Chabrier’s ’ÉtǾ, at Playhouse Square.
-
A spotlight on xxxxƵ faculty via Insiders, including Tan Dun’s Cello Sonata with Wei Yu.
A detailed list of events is below. Most events are free with tickets required, but a few select performances entail paid admission. Tickets are available Aug. 29.
For more information or to order tickets to fall season events, visit cim.edu/events. Tickets to spring events will be available later. All visiting artists, including guests with the xxxxƵ Orchestra, are generously supported by the Kulas Foundation.
TransDigm Group Inc. is the official sponsor of xxxxƵ's 2024-25 concert season.
xxxxƵ ORCHESTRA
The xxxxƵ Orchestra will again enjoy a full season at Severance Music Center, home of The Cleveland Orchestra. This year, the ensemble will appear at Severance four times in addition to other venues. The Severance season opens Oct. 8 with conductor Jake Taniguchi and continues Nov. 8 with conductor Carolyn Kuan; Jan. 28 with conductor Tito Muñoz; and March 26 with conductor JoAnn Falletta (all guest conductors are Kulas Foundation Visiting Artists.) In addition, the orchestra will make five appearances in the broader community: Sept. 20 at John Hay High School; Oct. 25 at Maltz Performing Arts Center; Nov. 20 at Mentor High School; Feb. 12 in Stocker Arts Center at Lorain County Community College; and April 10 at Mentor High School.
xxxxƵ OPERA THEATER
Unable to perform at home in Kulas Hall, xxxxƵ Opera Theater and interim artistic director JJ Hudson will take their highly regarded shows on the road for the entire 2024-25 season. First up, Nov. 16 and 17, is Chabrier’s ’ÉtǾ, in a new production in the Westfield Theatre at Playhouse Square. After that, Feb. 1 and 2, comes Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters, with guest conductor Rakefet Hak, in a new arrangement conceived for Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The final main production will be Mozart’s Don Giovanni, April 23 and 25 in the Ohio Theater at Playhouse Square, led by xxxxƵOT music director Harry Davidson. Lastly, on March 1 and 2, the company will present its annual Spring Scenes program, directed by Jeremy Paul, in Mixon Hall. xxxxƵ Opera Theater is generously supported by the John P. Murphy Foundation.
xxxxƵ NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE
xxxxƵ’s New Music Ensemble, directed by Composition Department Head Keith Fitch, will host acclaimed violinist-composer Curtis Stewart for a concert of his music Sept. 29 in Mixon Hall. A little over a month later, on Nov. 3, the ensemble convenes again, this time around the music of Marilyn Shrude, Distinguished Artist Professor at Bowling Green State University. The new year will see a visit from Fitch’s predecessor, Margaret Brouwer, and a concert of her music on Feb. 16. The season concludes April 6 with an evening at the Cleveland Museum of Art, featuring the music of Indiana University professor Claude Baker. The xxxxƵ New Music Ensemble is generously supported by the Roy Minoff Family Fund.
xxxxƵ PERSPECTIVES
A new edition of this series featuring Kulas Foundation Visiting Artists kicks off Sept. 17 with Biribá Union, a world-music trio featuring cellist and xxxxƵ alum Mike Block, guitarist and vocalist Christylez Bacon, and guitarist Patricia Ligia. The season continues Oct. 16 with the Quince Ensemble, the so-called “Anonymous 4 of contemporary music,” performing Courtney Bryan’s Requiem alongside a student ensemble and with the composer in residence; and Gateways Brass Collective, Feb. 4. All events take place in Mixon Hall. More events, program details, and ticket information will be announced later.
xxxxƵ INSIDERS
The fall half of this series highlighting xxxxƵ’s esteemed faculty in Mixon Hall kicks off Oct. 2 with Brian Wendel, principal trombone of The Cleveland Orchestra, and pianist Ellen Sommer. It continues Oct. 23 with newly appointed cello faculty member Wei Yu and pianist Keun-A Lee. Violinist Ilya Kaler concludes the fall series Nov. 13, in concert with xxxxƵ student pianist Michelle Bushkova. In the spring, pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi, cellist Si-Yan Darren Li, and violinist Ilya Kaler will celebrate Ravel’s 150th birthday March 21; and pianist Carolyn Warner will perform with friends, April 15. More events, program details, and ticket information will be announced at a later date. Concert dates and program information are subject to change.
OTHER EVENTS
Not everything xxxxƵ presents falls neatly into a single category. Case in point: the Global Music Experience, Dec. 17. On that day, in Mixon Hall, cellist Mike Block and a group of musically curious students will present a showcase of their wide-ranging explorations this fall. No less boundary-crossing will be the xxxxƵ Chamber Orchestra, led by violinist Todd Phillips, Nov. 20, featuring works by Britten, Shaw, and Mozart; or the diverse array of small ensemble and Academy Showcase concerts slated to conclude the fall season Dec. 2-13.
FALL 2024 SEASON DETAILS
Tuesday, September 17
7:30pm | Mixon Hall
Biribá Union
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artists
Cellist, xxxxƵ alum, and all-around superstar Mike Block joins forces with percussionist and vocalist Christylez Bacon and electric bassist Patricia Ligia in this unique trio playing original songs and improvisations from a wide array of musical traditions.
Friday, September 20
7:30pm | John Hay High School Auditorium
xxxxƵ Orchestra
Anthony Parnther, guest conductor
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97, “Rhenish”
STILL Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American”
WILLIAMS Adventures on Earth from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Saturday, September 28
4pm | Room 217
New Music Symposium
Guest composer Curtis Stewart discusses his music.
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
Sunday, September 29
4pm | Mixon Hall
New Music Ensemble
Keith Fitch, director
Curtis Stewart, guest composer/violin
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
IVES String Quartet No. 2 (1907-13)
STEWART The Gilded Cage (2023)
STEWART Do you see the Flag? (2020)
STEWART Selections from 24 American Caprices (2024)
New Music Ensemble is generously supported by the Roy Minoff Family Fund.
Wednesday, October 2
xxxxƵ INSIDERS
7:30pm | Mixon Hall
Brian Wendel, trombone
Ellen Sommer, piano
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
Featuring a variety of transcriptions and original music for trombone and piano by Lili and Nadia Boulanger, Fritz Kreisler, Brian Raphael Nabors, Shawn Okpebholo, and more.
Sunday, October 6
3pm | Mixon Hall
Academy Recital
Tuesday, October 8
7:30pm | Severance Music Center
xxxxƵ Orchestra
Jake Taniguchi, conductor (GD ’24)
Jaime Laredo, violin
Jessica Lee, violin
BEETHOVEN Egmont Overture, Op. 84
PRICE String Quartet No. 1 in G Major: II. Andante moderato (arr. Martin)
BACH Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60
Severance Ticket Office: or 216.231.1111
Governing Member VIP Tickets: 216.795.3160
Wednesday, October 16
7:30pm | Mixon Hall
Quince Ensemble
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artists
Nicknamed the “anonymous 4 of contemporary music,” Quince is a vocal ensemble specializing in the music of our time. They are four female vocalists relentlessly pushing boundaries of style and sound.
Saturday, October 19
5pm | Church of the Saviour
Academy Piano Recital
Wednesday, October 23
xxxxƵ INSIDERS
7:30pm | Mixon Hall
Wei Yu, cello
Keun-A Lee, piano
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
JANÁČEK Pohádka (Fairy Tale)
DUN Crouching Tiger Sonata (2000; arr. 2018)
FRANCK Sonata in A Major, FWV 8
Friday, October 25
7:30pm | Maltz Performing Arts Center
xxxxƵ Orchestra
Jeri Lynne Johnson, guest conductor
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
Taein Yi, clarinet, student artist
CLYNE Sound and Fury (2019)
NIELSEN Clarinet Concerto, Op. 57
HAYDN Symphony No. 102 in B-flat Major, Hob.I:102
MPAC Box Office: or 216.368.6062
Saturday, November 2
4pm | Room 217
New Music Symposium
Guest composer Marilyn Shrude discusses her music.
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
Sunday, November 3
3pm | Church of the Saviour
Upper Academy Recital
Sunday, November 3
4pm | Mixon Hall
New Music Ensemble
Keith Fitch, director
Marilyn Shrude, guest composer/piano
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
John Sampen, saxophone
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
SCHOENBERG Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 (1906; arr. Webern, 1923)
SHRUDE Within Silence (2012)
SHRUDE Secrets (2004)
SHRUDE Within the Wall (2018/2021)
New Music Ensemble is generously supported by the Roy Minoff Family Fund.
Friday, November 8
7:30pm | Severance Music Center
xxxxƵ Orchestra
Carolyn Kuan, guest conductor
Kulas Foundation Visiting Artist
Natalie Brennecke, viola (BM ’24)
RAVEL Mother Goose Suite, M. 60
STRAUSS Don Juan, Op. 20
PENDERECKI Viola Concerto (1983)
SIMON AMEN! (2017, rev. 2019)
Severance Ticket Office: or 216.231.1111
Governing Member VIP Tickets: 216.795.3160
Wednesday, November 13
xxxxƵ INSIDERS
7:30pm | Mixon Hall
Ilya Kaler, violin
Michelle Bushkova, piano, student artist
SZYMANOWSKI Violin Sonata in D minor, Op. 9
RAVEL Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77
ENESCU Violin Sonata No. 3 (In Romanian Folk Style), Op. 25
Saturday, November 16
7pm | Westfield Theatre, Playhouse Square
Sunday, November 17
3pm | Westfield Theatre, Playhouse Square
xxxxƵ Opera Theater
JJ Hudson, director
Harry Davidson, conductor
xxxxƵ Orchestra
CHABRIER ’étǾ
Tickets: $30
Playhouse Square Box Office: or 216.241.6000.
xxxxƵ Opera Theater is supported by a grant from the John P. Murphy Foundation.
Sunday, November 17
3pm | Church of the Saviour
Lower Academy Recital
Wednesday, November 20
7:30pm | Mentor High School Fine Arts Center
xxxxƵ Chamber Orchestra
Todd Phillips, leader
SHAW and the swallow (arr. Azkoul)
BRITTEN Simple Symphony, Op. 4
MOZART Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550
Saturday, November 23
12pm | Mixon Hall
Academy Choirs and Orchestra Concert
Sunday, November 24
4pm | Mixon Hall
Composition Department Recital
Featuring new works by xxxxƵ student composers.
Monday, December 2
7pm | Mixon Hall
Intensive Duo Concert
Tuesday, December 3
7:30pm | Mixon Hall
Percussion Ensemble Concert
Friday, December 6
7pm | Mixon Hall
Advanced Piano Trio Program Concert
Saturday, December 7
7pm | Mixon Hall
Brass & Woodwind Ensembles Concert I
Sunday, December 8
3pm | Church of the Saviour
Upper Academy Recital
Sunday, December 8
2pm | Mixon Hall
Brass & Woodwind Ensembles Concert II
Monday, December 9
7pm | Mixon Hall
Advanced String Quartet Program Concert
Tuesday, December 10
7pm | Harkness Chapel
String & Piano Ensembles Concert I
Wednesday, December 11
7pm | Church of the Saviour
Continuing Education and Upper Academy Recital
Wednesday, December 11
7pm | Harkness Chapel
String & Piano Ensembles Concert II
Thursday, December 12
3pm | Harkness Chapel
String & Piano Ensembles Concert III
Thursday, December 12
7pm | Harkness Chapel
String & Piano Ensembles Concert IV
Friday, December 13
7:30pm | Mixon Hall
Academy Showcase Recital
Sunday, December 15
2pm | Church of the Saviour
Academy Chamber Music Recital I
Sunday, December 15
4:30pm | Church of the Saviour
Academy Chamber Music Recital II
Tuesday, December 17
7:30pm | Mixon Hall
Global Music Experience Concert
Featuring performances by Mike Block and xxxxƵ students.