The Cleveland Orchestra announces 13-week international radio broadcast series in partnership with WCLV/Ideastream Public Media and WFMT  (© Roger Mastroianni) |
| CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra, in partnership with WCLV / Ideastream Public Media and WFMT, Chicago’s classical music station, announced plans for a 13-week international radio broadcast series. The series will run from January 7 to April 1, 2025 on commercial and non-commercial radio stations in North America and around the world, reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners. These must-hear concerts were recently recorded live in Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center in Cleveland. The programs are led by Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst and visiting guest conductors and feature acclaimed soloists from around the globe. “Since its very first radio broadcast in 1922, The Cleveland Orchestra has been committed to sharing its music with listeners near and far. I am thrilled to announce a new series that will continue this tradition of bringing the Cleveland Sound to our fans around the world,” said André Gremillet, the Orchestra’s President & CEO. “By partnering with WCLV, WFMT, and a wide network of broadcasters across the country and beyond, we aim to inspire and connect with new audiences while fostering a deeper and renewed appreciation for the artistry that takes place on stage here in Cleveland every week.” Co-produced with WCLV in Cleveland, and with WCLV’s Bill O’Connell as host, these programs build on and expand The Cleveland Orchestra’s legacy of national radio broadcasts, which extends back to the 1930s. “WCLV has had long, productive relationships with The Cleveland Orchestra and WFMT,” said Kevin Martin, WCLV/Ideastream Public Media President & CEO. “We are delighted to work with both organizations to bring Cleveland Orchestra concerts to classical music lovers everywhere.” With this series, The Cleveland Orchestra joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in WFMT’s collection of concert broadcast programs from the finest American orchestras. “WFMT is honored to partner with WCLV/Ideastream Public Media to bring the artistry of The Cleveland Orchestra to a worldwide audience of classical music listeners. This is a shining example of how we deliver on our purpose to enrich lives, engage communities, and inspire exploration,” said Sandra Cordova Micek, WFMT | WTTW President & CEO. For more about The Cleveland Orchestra’s radio broadcasting history, visit this feature story from The Cleveland Orchestra archives. The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2025 National Radio Broadcast Series January 7 Mahler’s Resurrection Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Lauren Snouffer, soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux, mezzo-soprano Cleveland Orchestra Chorus Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’ Some pieces of music are so stirring, so electrifying that audiences are transfixed by their inherent emotional power. Mahler’s passionate and tempestuous Second Symphony – about humanity’s search for meaning in life and death — is such a work. Composed for a massive orchestra, choir, and soloists, it is riveting from its darkly ferocious opening to its exhilarating, ecstatic finale. January 14 Welser-Möst Conducts Schubert Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Joélle Harvey, soprano Daryl Freedman, mezzo-soprano Julian Prégardien, tenor Martin Mitterrutzner, tenor Dashon Burton, bass-baritone Cleveland Orchestra Chorus Alban Berg: Lyric Suite – I. Andante amoroso Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 ‘Unfinished’ – Movement I Alban Berg: Lyric Suite – II. Allegro misterioso Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 ‘Unfinished’ – Movement II Alban Berg: Lyric Suite – III. Adagio appassionato Franz Schubert: Mass No. 6 in E-flat D. 950 Written in the final year of his life, Schubert’s Mass in E Flat is a work of uncommon power and poignant reflection from a composer facing his own mortality. It is preceded by his “Unfinished” Symphony, presented in between movements of Berg’s Lyric Suite. Through this fascinating juxtaposition, spanning more than a century, Schubert’s pioneering artistry and Berg’s latent romanticism are brought into illuminating relief. January 21 Dreams We’ve Dreamed; Songs We’ve Sung; Hopes We’ve Held An Event in the First Mandel Opera and Humanities Festival: The American Dream Daniel Reith, conductor Scott Joplin: ‘Treemonisha’ Overture Julia Perry: Short Piece for Orchestra William Grant Still: ‘Darker America’ Bernard Herrmann: Suite from ‘Vertigo’ Raven Chacon: ‘Voiceless Mass’ Edgard Varèse: ‘Amériques’ (1929 version) Daniel Reith leads The Cleveland Orchestra in a program featuring works by Scott Joplin, Julia Perry, William Grant Still, Bernard Herrmann, Raven Chacon, and Edgard Varèse, representing a multiplicity of backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. January 28 Marsalis and the New World Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Michael Sachs, trumpet Julius Eastman: Symphony No. 2 Wynton Marsalis: Trumpet Concerto [world premiere, TCO Co-Commission] Antonin Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in e Op 95 ‘From the New World’ Dvořák traveled to America in the 1890s, and this wild, new country thrilled him. He admired the beauty of African American spirituals and was fascinated by Native American traditions. When describing his “New World” symphony, he said, “I tried to write only in the spirit of those national American melodies,” but his Ninth is clearly an expression of both the Old World and the new. It is joined by Eastman’s Second Symphony, and the world premiere of a new concerto by Wynton Marsalis, written for principal trumpet Michael Sachs. February 4 Weilerstein Plays Barber Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Alisa Weilerstein, cello Allison Loggins-Hull: Can You See [world premiere, TCO Commission] Samuel Barber: Cello Concerto Op 22 Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4 in C Op 47 Cleveland-born cellist Alisa Weilerstein joins Music Director Franz Welser-Möst to perform Barber’s “lyric and romantic” Cello Concerto, a piece praised for its “Brahms-like grandeur.” Written while Barber was serving in the U.S. military during World War II, the concerto is bookended by the world premiere of Allison Loggins-Hull’s Can You See? and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 4 (revised 1947 version), a fascinating work that was premiered in Boston before Prokofiev reworked it upon return to the Soviet Union. February 11 Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony Rafael Payare, conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano Leonard Bernstein: Symphony No. 2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’ Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in d Op 47 In 1937 at the height of the Stalinist purges, Shostakovich was in disgrace — an outcast who feared for his life. (He slept in the stairwell outside his apartment so that his family might be spared if he were arrested.) In these darkest moments, he somehow found the courage to write his Fifth Symphony, publishing it with the ironic subtitle “A Soviet Artist’s Reply to Just Criticism.” Its unsettling opening movement captures the shifting, uncertain mood of the time, and leads to an exultant finale proclaiming that all is heroic, bright, and beautiful. The work was both critical and political salvation for the composer. February 18 Trifonov Plays Brahms Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Daniil Trifonov, piano Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor Op 15 Jean-Philippe Rameau: Allemande from Suite in A minor (encore) Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor Op 111 Winner of the 2011 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition and Cleveland favorite, Daniil Trifonov excites critics and audiences worldwide. His not-to-be-missed performance of Brahms’s well-loved concerto is paired with a late symphony by Prokofiev, filled with powerful atmospheric writing and dark, thrilling melodic lines. “Without question the most astounding pianist of our age.”—The Times February 25 Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Christoph Sietzen, percussion Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A K 201 Johannes Maria Staud: Whereas the Reality Trembles [World Premiere, TCO Co-Commission] Hubert von Goisern: Improvisation on the song ‘Jodler für Willi’ (encore) Peter Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 in C minor Op 17 ‘Ukrainian’ Tchaikovsky considered Ukraine a second home and refuge, and he began work on this symphony while staying just outside of Kyiv. One of his most joyful compositions, this symphony creatively incorporates Ukrainian folk songs. The concert features a percussion concerto commissioned for Christoph Sietzen, who has been praised as an outstanding talent, “a refreshingly natural musician notable for his technical mastery and powerful stage presence.” March 4 Mahler’s Song of the Night Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Simon Keenlyside, baritone Gustav Mahler: Frühlingsmorgen from Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit Gustav Mahler: Ablösung im Sommer from Des Knaben Wunderhorn Gustav Mahler: Revelge from Des Knaben Wunderhorn Gustav Mahler: Urlicht from Des Knaben Wunderhorn Gustav Mahler: Rheinlegendchen from Des Knaben Wunderhorn Gustav Mahler: Hans und Grethe from Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 7 in E minor Simon Keenlyside is one of the world’s most sought-after and charismatic singers, noted for his versatility and highly charged performances on stage. He joins music director Franz Welser-Möst for an evening of Mahler, featuring the moody, enigmatic Seventh Symphony, sometimes called Song of the Night. “Armed with his dark, handsome baritone he unveiled multiple layers of meaning in every song, every stanza and occasionally, in a single line”— The Financial Times March 11 Hannigan Conducts Strauss Barbara Hannigan, conductor Aphrodite Patoulidou, soprano Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 44 in E minor ‘Mourning’ Claude Vivier: Lonely Child György Ligeti: Lontano for Orchestra Richard Strauss: Death and Transfiguration Op 24 Embodying music with an unparalleled dramatic sensibility, soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan is an artist at the forefront of creation. Her much-anticipated Severance conducting debut features a fascinating juxtaposition of works by Haydn, Ligeti — marking the centenary of the composer’s birth — and Vivier. The program concludes with Richard Strauss’s exploration of the most universal of questions: what lies waiting ahead for all of us? March 18 Mahler’s Fourth Symphony Daniel Harding, conductor Liv Redpath, soprano Betsy Jolas: Ces belles années… [U.S. Premiere, TCO Co-Commission] Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G Mahler’s Fourth Symphony paints an uplifting picture of the afterlife, a child’s vision of heaven as a place filled with earthly delights and tuneful melodies. Here it is paired with Ces belles années… (Those good years), a new work by esteemed French-American composer Betsy Jolas, which reveals hidden allusions to the classic “Happy Birthday” tune within its sparkling and wondrous soundworld. March 25 The Miraculous Mandarin Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Ernst Krenek: Kleine Symphonie Op 58 Gustav Mahler (arr Ernst Krenek): Adagio from Symphony No. 10 Béla Bartók (arr Konopka): String Quartet No. 3 for String Orchestra Béla Bartók: Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin Op 19 Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin tells of a girl forced to lure a wealthy mandarin to his tragic fate. Its theme of the tragic, dark passions between men and women is equally as gripping and powerful — and controversial — as when it first premiered. It’s paired with a striking arrangement for string orchestra of Bartók’s String Quartet No. 3, by Orchestra violist Stanley Konopka. Krenek’s eclectic Kleine Symphonie and the opening movement of Mahler’s uncompleted final symphony provide a bridge from late Romanticism to the no-holds-barred sounds of interwar Europe. April 1 Sibelius’s Second Symphony Dalia Stasevska, conductor Josefina Maldonado, mezzo-soprano Einojuhani Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus Julia Perry: Stabat Mater Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Op 43 With its rich, sweeping melodies and dynamic brass chorales, Sibelius’s Second Symphony vividly evokes the beauty of his native Finland. Icy Nordic landscapes are also heard in Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus, a haunting “concerto for birds and orchestra” that weaves recordings of birdsong into the orchestral tapestry. Julia Perry’s setting of the 13th-century Stabat Mater hymn adds a powerful complement to this program that highlights two rising stars: conductor Dalia Stasevska and mezzo-soprano Josefina Maldonado. About The Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, under the leadership of Franz Welser-Möst since 2002, is one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Year after year the ensemble exemplifies extraordinary artistic excellence, creative programming, and community engagement. In recent years, The New York Times has called Cleveland “the best in America” for its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color, and chamber-like musical cohesion. Founded by Adella Prentiss Hughes, the Orchestra performed its inaugural concert in December 1918. By the middle of the century, decades of growth and sustained support had turned the ensemble into one of the most admired around the world. The past decade has seen an increasing number of young people attending concerts, bringing fresh attention to The Cleveland Orchestra’s legendary sound and committed programming. More recently, the Orchestra launched several bold digital projects, including the streaming platform Adella.live and its own recording label. Together, they have captured the Orchestra’s unique artistry and the musical achievements of the Welser-Möst and Cleveland Orchestra partnership. The 2024–25 season marks Franz Welser-Möst’s 23rd year as Music Director, a period in which The Cleveland Orchestra has earned unprecedented acclaim around the world, including a series of residencies at the Musikverein in Vienna, the first of its kind by an American orchestra, and a number of celebrated opera presentations. Since 1918, seven music directors — Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodziński, Erich Leinsdorf, George Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Welser-Möst — have guided and shaped the ensemble’s growth and sound. Through concerts at home and on tour, broadcasts, and a catalog of acclaimed recordings, The Cleveland Orchestra is heard today by a growing group of fans around the world. Find out more. About Ideastream Public Media Ideastream Public Media serves as Ohio’s largest independent, publicly supported media organization. Ideastream is the home of Northeast Ohio’s PBS, NPR and classical and jazz music public broadcasting stations: WVIZ, WKSU, WCLV and JazzNEO. Free programs and services are made available to 3.6 million people in 22 counties, and content is accessible online at ideastream.org, the Ideastream Public Media App, the PBS App, the NPR One App, and on major social media and digital content platforms. About WFMT WFMT is one of the world’s most respected classical music radio stations, accessible via broadcast at 98.7FM, streaming live at wfmt.com, and on the WFMT app. Recognized for trusted hosted programming, immersive live performances and concerts, strong partnerships with community organizations and championing young, local musicians and access to the arts, WFMT spotlights inspiring music, musicians, and musical performances from Chicago and around the world including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Music of the Baroque, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the New York Philharmonic, and many more. Through the WFMT Radio Network, WFMT is also a leading producer and syndicator of a diverse selection of outstanding musical series across classical music genres including Exploring Music, the Beethoven Network, the Jazz Network, and orchestra and opera festivals and performances from around the world. Connect with WFMT on Facebook and Twitter. |
