CLEVELAND, Ohio – Nowhere is the Cleveland Orchestra's audience growing faster than at Blossom Music Center. And yet the group still sees room for improvement.
As evidenced by its just-announced 2015 Blossom Music Festival season, the orchestra is still very much engaged in the business of attracting new listeners.
"The goal is always to give as broad an array [of music] as possible to as many people as possible," noted Ross Binnie, the orchestra's chief marketing officer. "We've got to keep playing more music for more people."
2015 BLOSSOM MUSIC FESTIVAL CALENDAR
Books of 10 lawn tickets are available now for $160. Pavilion subscriptions, also available now, range from $84 to $286. Individual pavilion tickets, $24-$126, and individual lawn tickets, $24, go on sale Tuesday, May 12 at the Cleveland Orchestra's website or by calling 216-231-1111. Blossom Music Center is at 1145 W. Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls.
8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 2 and 3
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
"America the Beautiful"
(Fireworks)
8 p.m. Saturday, July 4
Blossom Festival Band
Loras John Schissel, conductor; Harold Summy, xylophone
"A Salute to America"
(Fireworks)
8 p.m. Saturday, July 11
Franz Welser-Most, conductor
Blossom Festival Chorus
Messiaen: "L'Ascension"
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
8 p.m. Saturday, July 18
Michael Feinstein, vocalist
"A Big Band Tribute to Frank Sinatra"
8 p.m. Saturday, July 25
Stephane Deneve, conductor
Paul Lewis, piano
Stravinsky: Concerto in E-Flat Major "Dumbarton Oaks"
Schumann: Piano Concerto
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4
7 p.m. Sunday, July 26
Jahja Ling, conductor
Franklin Cohen, clarinet
Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 2
Elgar: "Enigma" Variations
7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1
With the Kent/Blossom Chamber Orchestra
Brett Mitchell, conductor
James Ehnes, violin
Dvorak: "The Noon Witch"
Barber: Violin Concerto
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2
Jack Everly, conductor
"Broadway Divas"
8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8
Gustavo Gimeno, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"
Beethoven: "Leonore" Overture No. 2
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9
8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15
James Feddeck, conductor
Simone Lamsma, violin
Weber: Overture to "Euryanthe"
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5
7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16
Michael Krajewski, conductor
Storm Large, vocalist
Shem von Schroeck, vocalist
"The British Invasion: The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, And More"
8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Mark Kosower, cello
Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3
Haydn: Cello Concerto in C Major
J.C. Bach: Sinfonia in G Minor
Mozart: Symphony No. 31 "Paris"
8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29
William Eddins, conductor
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Marsalis: Symphony No. 3 "Swing Symphony"
7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30
Edo de Waart, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
Mahler: Symphony No. 1
8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5 and 6
Richard Kaufman, conductor
"The Music of John Williams"
(Fireworks)
Data from last summer suggest they're doing just that. Overall attendance at the 2014 festival grew 15 percent, Binnie said. Of that expanded audience, some 20 percent consisted of young people taking advantage of the orchestra's popular "Under 18s Free" program.
Now they're likely headed to new highs, with a 2015 season targeting multiple tastes and demographic groups, often in the same weekend. Orchestra crowds may never equal those of rock or country acts, but they're certainly getting closer.
"It's the change of the industry," Binnie said. "We can't be pigeonholed."
The classical menu is plenty filling, despite its lack of contemporary and modern music. Over the course of the summer, the orchestra will present a Baroque night as well as such substantial works as Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, Sibelius' Symphony No. 5, Dvorak's Symphony No. 8., Elgar's "Enigma" Variations and Mahler's "Titan" Symphony No. 1.
On top of that comes a banquet of concertos. Listen this summer for Haydn's C-Major Cello Concerto, the Barber and Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos, Beethoven's "Emperor" Piano Concerto No. 5, the Schumann Piano Concerto and Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 2. Later to come will be an announcement regarding the continuation of the "Summers @ Severance" series, launched last summer.
Two of the grandest offerings this year at Blossom will come right at the outset. On the season opener, music director Franz Welser-Most will conduct both Messiaen's "L'Ascension" meditations and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.
"That will be special," Binnie predicted. "That'll be a nice night for us."
No less tantalizing is the slate of guests. In addition to several debuts, the calendar includes such luminaries as violinist Gil Shaham, pianists Garrick Ohlsson and Paul Lewis, and conductors Edo de Waart, Jahja Ling, Stephane Deneve and Nicholas McGegan.
Last, but far from least, are several artists from the ranks of the orchestra. Also stepping up to play concertos will be both principal cellist Mark Kosower and principal clarinetist Franklin Cohen. Listen too, for current and former assistant conductors Brett Mitchell and James Feddeck, respectively.
"It's a balance," Binnie said. "We want the best of the best for the orchestra."
The same philosophy apparently holds true for popular music. Ever eager to reach out more widely, Binnie said the orchestra this summer invested more heavily than usual in acts from the rock, jazz and Broadway spheres.
Scattered evenly throughout the season are such figures as vocalist Michael Feinstein, conductors Jack Everly and Richard Kaufman, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Conductor Michael Krajewski also will preside over a "British Invasion" night, and the season ends with tribute to beloved film composer John Williams.
"We want our pops programs to be nourishing, too," Binnie said.
One item conspicuously absent from the calendar: ballet. Worry not, though. Hinting strongly at the 2015-16 Severance Hall season, Binnie said the orchestra isn't giving up on the art.
Neither is it giving up on two other tried-and-true offerings: "Under 18s Free" (two free lawn passes for children 17 and under for every one adult admission) and a Blossom policy allowing lawn ticketholders to occupy certain sections of the pavilion. Both have proven surefire hits when it comes to creating new fans.
"They're working," Binnie said of the programs. "We just want to get people exposed to our orchestra. The music stands very well on its own."