Franz to lead telecast of Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert

Franz Welser-Möst conducting the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein

On January 1, Franz Welser-Möst will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in its annual New Year’s Concert, which in terms of its international coverage, represents the largest classical music event in the world. The concert will be broadcast on television and radio in over 70 countries worldwide, and will be telecast nationally in the United States on PBS Great Performances’s program From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2011.

In Cleveland, the program will air on January 1 at 11 a.m. on WCPN 90.3 FM, at 4 p.m. on WCLV 104.9 FM, and at 8 p.m. on WVIZ/PBS.

PBS’s broadcast of the performance, hosted by news veteran Paula Zahn, includes some of the Strauss family’s most famous melodies, along with works by Liszt and Beethoven. In addition, the concert will feature a performance of Johann Strauss II’s “On the Beautiful Blue Danube” waltz, accompanied by a ballet.

The program also features video footage of locations such as Liszt’s living room, the Winter Riding School in the Hofburg Palace, home of the Lipizzaner Stallions, the former Lobkovitz Palace, and now the Austrian Theatre Museum, and Laudon Castle in the Vienna Woods.

The performance will be released globally on compact disc and DVD in January 2011.

For more information about the program, please visit the Vienna Philharmonic's website.

Watch the full episode. See more Great Performances.

Mad about Music

On January 2 at 9:00pm you can hear Franz Welser-Möst talking to Gilbert Kaplan about how conductors’ egos can cause trouble with orchestras, what piece he would pick that would best demonstrate his skill as a conductor, who he would want to sing a few Schubert songs at his funeral, and more. For more information, or for a transcript of the interview, click here.

Holiday Broadcasts

If you didn’t have the opportunity to come to Severance Hall for a Holiday Festival Concert this season, or if you would like to enjoy The Cleveland Orchestra at home, WCPN and WCLV are planning a number of Cleveland Orchestra broadcasts over the holidays. The broadcasts include The Cleveland Orchestra performing Handel’s Messiah and A Cleveland Christmas. Click here for a complete listing of WCPN and WCLV holiday programming.

Toasting the Holidays

Here’s a festive recipe for the holidays, courtesy of Brandt Evans, executive chef and owner of the Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern in Twinsburg.   The recipe is included in the new cookbook titled Kitchen Conductor: Scores of Great Recipes, which benefits The Cleveland Orchestra.

Eggnog French Toast

Serves 2-4

                                     

½ cup eggnog

1 egg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

4-5 slices thick Texas toast*

2 tablespoons butter

confectioners’ sugar for garnish

maple syrup**

                                     

Combine egg and eggnog in small bowl with spices.  Mix well with whisk.  Dip sliced bread into egg mixture; allow to sit 2-3 minutes.

Melt butter in sauté pan.  Sauté bread 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

                                   

Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on top and serve with maple syrup.

                                     

*Texas toast is white bread that’s about 1” thick, double that of packaged sliced white bread.  Contrary to the name, it’s not sold toasted.  Some major brand names sell it pre-packaged or you may simply slice your own.

**Go ahead and spend a little more to get a better maple syrup.  It’s so worth it.

                                     

                                   

                                     

                                               

Orchestra Nation

What's new about how we listen to classical music? Or more to the point, how listeners are enticed to listen?

Kyle MacMillan, fine arts critic of the Denver Post, took a look around the nation, talking to the head of Carnegie Hall along with indie-rock band singer Shara Worden.  In his article, he takes the pulse of coffee houses and clubs where performers like cellist Matt Haimovitz are creating new scenes. And he mentions how The Cleveland Orchestra is finding ways to attract new and younger audiences.

Photo: The Happy Dog restaurant arranged for a bus to take Orchestra patrons from its West Side location to Severance Hall for the Orchestra's Fridays@7 concert on Dec. 3.
Photo by Gregory Wilson

The Severances: An American Odyssey

Cool Cleveland's Kelly Ferjutz reviews Diana Tittle's new biography of the Severance family, whose name lives on at The Cleveland Orchestra's beautiful home and beyond.  On the Orchestra's recent Asia tour, it visited the Severance Hospital in Korea, an example of extraordinary family philanthropy stretching far beyond Cleveland. The hospital is part of the Yonsei University Health System, which sponsored the final concert of the tour at Seoul Arts Center.


The book is available locally at locations including the Cleveland Orchestra Store.

SymphonyCast broadcast features Cleveland Orchestra and Joela Jones

This Thursday, December 16, at 9:00 p.m., tune in to WCLV 104.9 FM to hear The Cleveland Orchestra’s performance in Miami in January 2010, or listen online at wclv.com.

Listeners in the Miami area can tune in to Classical South Florida 89.7 FM on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. to hear the program.

Radio stations across the U.S. will air the performance as part of American Public Media’s SymphonyCast program. The program is also available for on-demand listening at symphonycast.publicradio.org.

The program includes Verdi’s Overture to La forza del destino, Beethoven’s "Eroica" Symphony, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (two pianos and orchestra), and Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2 (“The Age of Anxiety”), with Cleveland Orchestra principal keyboardist Joela Jones as soloist.

The broadcast also features interviews with Ms. Jones about her experiences working with Leonard Bernstein and other topics.

For more information, or to view radio stations in other areas of the country that will carry the broadcast, please visit symphonycast.publicradio.org.

Youth Chorus on WCLV broadcast tonight

Tonight, WCLV 104.9 FM will feature the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus during its broadcast of programs from Baldwin-Wallace’s conservatory.

Tune in this evening at 8:00 p.m. or listen online at WCLV.com to hear the ensemble perform holiday favorites, including O Come All Ye Faithful, Palestrina’s Exultate Deo, Winter Wonderland, and We Wish You A Merry Christmas. 

The program is a delayed broadcast of performances from recent concerts at Baldwin-Wallace College’s Conservatory of Music, and also includes the conservatory’s Jazz Trio, Women’s Choir, Motet Choir, College Choir, and Men’s Chorus, among others.

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, which is directed by Frank Bianchi, will perform during The Cleveland Orchestra’s Christmas Concerts at Severance Hall, December 10-19.

Founded in 1991, the Youth Chorus consists of approximately 120 members from 40 communities in Northeast Ohio.  For a listing of upcoming Youth Chorus concerts, visit clevelandorchestra.com. 

Sing a Song of Latkes

On a snowy December day, children had fun at Reinberger Chamber Hall of Severance Hall, learning more about Chanukah by listening to Cleveland Orchestra musicians Carolyn Warner (violin and piano) and Stephen Warner (violin). The children also joined with the Orchestra musicians to sing and play percussion instruments -- all under the guidance of Cantor Kathryn Wolfe Sebo (shown here, getting into the spirit of a lively song about latkes).

"Music of Chanukah" is one of a series of PNC Holiday Musical Rainbow programs for young children presented this season by musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. Concerts continue with Christmas Brass Quintet and Kwanzaa programs.  View the slide show below!

Ask A Conductor Day with Sasha Mäkilä

Cleveland Orchestra Assistant Conductor Sasha Mäkilä is joining conductors from around the world for Ask A Conductor Day on Wednesday, December 8.

All day, Sasha will be answering questions from Twitter users about anything under the sun related to music, his job as assistant conductor, his favorite pieces to play or conduct – or anything else you’re curious about.

On Twitter, include the hashtag #AskAConductor and @SashaMakila in your question and ask away! 

Visit AskTheMusicians.com for more information on how to ask your question.

Scores of Great Recipes for Orchestra

Cookbook authors Louise Morris and Gail Kichler set up shop at Nordstrom's  Sunday night to sign copies of their cookbook, Kitchen Conductor: Scores of Great Recipes, which benefits The Cleveland Orchestra. Cool Cleveland.com reviews the book this way:  "Local food mavens Gail Kichler and Louise Morris (friends since high school) are both strong supporters of the orchestra and they know their way around a kitchen. Big-time!" (Read the rest of the review here.)

Fridays@7 Welcomed the Happy Dog

Fans from Gordon Square's Happy Dog bussed over to Severance Hall last night for Fridays@7.  Pinchas Steinberg conducted Mahler's Symphony No. 1 and the Overture to the Merry Wives of Windsor by Nicolai.  There was a pre-concert performance of Indian classical music, and a post-concert party with the New York Gypsy All-Stars, joined by world percussionist Jamey Haddad.  Q104's Allan Fee began his birthday celebration @ Fridays@7...see photos below...

 

Were you there?  Look for yourself in this slideshow. Or check it out on Flickr.

Photos: Cleveland Orchestra Media Relations

Richard Kaufman talks about Holiday Movie Magic

Richard Kaufman will be conducting Holiday Movie Magic at Severance Hall on December 8th at 8:00pm. He took a few minutes to write about coming to conduct this Celebrity Series concert with The Cleveland Orchestra.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to come to Cleveland once again to work with my friends in the Cleveland Orchestra. And I'm extra thrilled that I'll have the chance to work with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, and the Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus. It seems like we'll have 10,000 people on stage at Severance Hall...and we just might!!

There are a number of things that will make this concert extra special. Wonderful visuals from both in front of and behind the camera will be projected on a motion picture screen above the orchestra. The concert will feature the music of sixteen of Hollywood's finest (and in some cases, legendary) composers, including Maurice Jarre (Dr. Zhivago, Ben Hur), Dimitri Tiomkin (The High and the Mighty, Rawhide, Giant), Danny Elfman (Batman, Spiderman, Men in Black), Alan Silvestri (Forrest Gump, Father of the Bride, Night at the Museum), and the living legend John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Harry Potter, and about a million others!). And we have a special surprise that I can't tell you (because then it wouldn't be a surprise!).

The concert will include music from some of the most beloved Christmas and holiday season films of all time. To hear this extraordinary orchestra performing this exciting and magnificent music will be memorable for the audience, and definitely for me! For a conductor, it just doesn't get any better than working with the Cleveland Orchestra.

I had a great time selecting the music for this concert, and I truly believe that by the time the concert is over, everyone in the audience will have no doubt that it's the most wonderful time of the year. I hope everyone will have a great time when we present the beauty, excitement and fun of "Holiday Movie Magic" on December 8th at Severance Hall!"

Cleveland Orchestra Nominated for Two Grammys

The Cleveland Orchestra received two Grammy nominations last night. The announcement, which came as part of an hour-long CBS special from Club Nokia in Los Angeles, also recognized Cleveland Orchestra violist Eliesha Nelson, who received nominations in three categories for her recording Quincy Porter: Complete Viola Works, Dorian Sono Luminus.

The Cleveland Orchestra has been nominated for Grammy Awards in the following categories: Best Classical Vocal Performance – Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder – Franz Welser-Möst, conductor, Measha Brueggergosman, soprano, The Cleveland Orchestra, Deutsche Grammophon, and Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra – Mozart Piano Concerto’s Nos. 23 and 24, Mitsuko Uchida, director and piano, The Cleveland Orchestra, Decca.

Eliesha Nelson received three nominations in the categories of Best Chamber Music Performance, Best Engineered Album, Classical, and Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra.

Click here to read the Plain Dealer article.


Here's what Measha Brueggergosman had to say to CBC News when she was surprised to hear she was nominated:

"Because it really wasn't like on my radar. You know, I kind of hold out for the ECMAs and the Junos. The Grammys never really occur to me," she said.

"But, I will take it. I'm thrilled. It's really neat, I've got to say."

Brueggergosman, a 33-year-old soprano, has already won a Grammy for a team project.
"I was actually involved in a project that won multiple Grammys, but I was one of like six soloists or something. And Leonard Slatkin was conducting — it was a recording of a William Bolcom piece," she said.
"I actually have a picture of me trying to steal Leonard Slatkin's Grammy in his office in Washington. So when I say I'll take it, I literally will take your Grammy."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/12/02/nb-grammy-measha-brueggergosman.html#ixzz17NAGVqWq