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The Cleveland Orchestra announces 2026 Blossom Music Festival and Summers at Severance    Photo credits: Roger Mastroianni (top left, top right, and bottom right) and Aireonna McCall-Dubé (bottom left). Major symphonies and standout soloists fill the Blossom stage, from Shostakovich, Brahms, and R. Schumann to Sibelius, Rachmaninoff, and an all-French showcase Movie magic and star power at Blossom with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Idina Menzel, The Voices That Changed Music, Cole Porter favorites, and John Williams’s legendary film scores Thursday nights shine with cocktails and concerts at Summers at Severance Music Director Franz Welser-Möst enters 25th and final season with celebratory programs at Severance and Blossom CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra announced its 2026 summer season, anchored by two signature experiences: the beloved Blossom Music Festival and Summers at Severance. The Blossom season offers the Orchestra’s hallmark outdoor concerts at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where picnicking on the Lawn and gathering with family and friends has been a cherished summer tradition for generations. Meanwhile, Summers at Severance brings additional performances to Severance Music Center, inviting audiences to enjoy cocktails on the front terrace and turn their Thursday evenings into stylish, midweek escapes filled with world-class music. Both series feature concerts led by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst as he enters his 25th and final season with The Cleveland Orchestra. He conducts a richly textured program of Wagner and Richard Strauss at Severance Music Center on August 27, then returns to the Blossom stage on August 29 for a Viennese-inspired program with works by Mozart and the Strauss family. 2026 Blossom Music Festival The 2026 Blossom Music Festival starts with a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary on July 3. Conductor Edwin Outwater leads tenor Limmie Pulliam and The Cleveland Orchestra in an evening showcasing the breadth and brilliance of American music. From powerful orchestral works to beloved songs and spirituals, this wide-reaching program highlights music by Gershwin, Copland, Bernstein, and other leading American voices. The celebration continues July 4 with A Salute to America, Blossom’s traditional, star-spangled concert as the Blossom Festival Band performs a mix of marches, patriotic favorites, and a salute to the Armed Forces. The July 3 and 4 concerts are followed by fireworks. On July 11 and 12, audiences relive the magical adventure of Harry Potter’s second year at school like never before. This concert features Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in high definition while The Cleveland Orchestra performs John Williams’s otherworldly score. Classical programming at Blossom Music Center begins on July 18 as Semyon Bychkov conducts a dramatic summer program. Violinist Karen Gomyo brings power and wit to Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1, followed by the dark grandeur of Brahms’s Symphony No. 4. Conductor Kevin John Edusei makes his Cleveland Orchestra debut on July 25 with a concert full of color, rhythm, and sweeping emotion. Martinů’s robust Cello Concerto No. 1 featuring Cleveland Orchestra Principal Cello Mark Kosower and Kodály’s spirited Dances of Galánta open the evening, building towards Rachmaninoff’s thrilling Symphonic Dances with the Kent Blossom Chamber Orchestra. Broadway powerhouse Idina Menzel joins The Cleveland Orchestra on July 26 for a career-spanning evening inspired by her 2024 Take Me or Leave Me Tour. She revisits the roles that made her a global sensation, including Rent, Wicked, and Frozen, along with selections from Redwood and other personal favorites. This is also the evening of the Blossom Summer Soirée, a special fundraising event benefiting the Orchestra’s summer home. Kazuki Yamada conducts The Cleveland Orchestra in Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, a powerful work of hard-won triumph, on August 1. The concert starts with the atmospheric sound world of Takemitsu’s Dreamtime, followed by Stravinsky’s stirring Symphony of Psalms with the Blossom Festival Chorus. Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw take center stage for The Voices that Changed Music on August 8. With electrifying arrangements of hits by Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, and more, this high-energy program honors the voices that continue to inspire generations. Conductor Tabita Berglund makes her Cleveland Orchestra debut with a pair of works by Sibelius on August 15. It starts with Finlandia, an ode to the composer’s home country, and is followed by his Violin Concerto, featuring the technical intensity of Simone Lamsma. This summer evening concludes with Prokofiev’s Suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet, bringing the drama and passion of Shakespeare’s tragedy vividly to life. It’s an all-French program conducted by Antonello Manacorda on August 22, beginning with Debussy’s dreamy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Ravel’s demanding, jazz-inspired Piano Concerto in G with pianist Nelson Goerner in his Cleveland Orchestra debut. Debussy’s Nocturnes, featuring The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, and Ravel’s enchanting Mother Goose Suite close the evening. Tony DeSare returns to Blossom on August 23 with his signature charm for Cole Porter: Let’s Misbehave, a stylish tribute to Cole Porter’s clever wordplay and irresistible swing. From “I Get a Kick Out of You” to “Night and Day,” Porter’s timeless melodies sparkle in lush symphonic arrangements that capture the glamour and romance of the Golden Age. Music Director Franz Welser-Möst leads The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom on August 29 in Summer in Vienna, celebrating the elegance of the Austrian tradition. The program pairs the lush Introduction and Finale from Richard Strauss’s opera Daphne and the fanfare of Mozart’s Symphony No. 34 with a festive selection of waltzes, polkas, and operetta favorites by Johann Strauss, Jr. and Josef Strauss. The Cleveland Orchestra, led by Sarah Hicks, brings the music of John Williams from the silver screen to the concert stage on September 4, 5, and 6. Get swept up in the soaring heroism of Superman and Star Wars, the adventurous spirit of Indiana Jones, the awe of Jurassic Park, the gripping suspense of Jaws, and more from one of cinema’s greatest composers. 2026 Summers at Severance Conductor Semyon Bychkov and pianist Garrick Ohlsson team up for a richly romantic program to kick off Summers at Severance on July 16. Wagner’s tender and flowing Siegfried Idyll opens the evening, followed by Rachmaninoff’s vibrant Piano Concerto No. 1, before Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 brings the concert to a joyful close. On July 30, Kazuki Yamada returns to Severance Music Center to lead The Cleveland Orchestra in Haydn’s sparkling “London” Symphony and Saint-Saëns’s sweeping “Organ” Symphony, featuring the Norton Memorial Organ. In between, Cleveland Orchestra Principal Trombone Brian Wendel shows the instrument’s range in Rota’s charming and challenging Trombone Concerto. Summers at Severance continues August 13 with A Night at the Opera, led by conductor John Fiore in his Cleveland Orchestra debut. Three-time Grammy Award–winning soprano Latonia Moore, tenor Brandon Jovanovich — making his Cleveland Orchestra debut — and the Blossom Festival Chorus, star in a program of operatic highlights, including selections from Rusalka, La forza del destino,Il trovatore, Nabucco, and more. Music Director Franz Welser-Möst conducts an expressive concert on August 27 to end the concert series. It begins with the splendor of Wagner’s Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger followed by Intensity by Bernd Richard Deutsch, the Orchestra’s former Daniel R. Lewis Composer Fellow. Richard Strauss’s expansive and deeply personal Symphonia domestica rounds out the program. 2026 Tickets Individual tickets for the Blossom Music Festival and Summers at Severance go on sale on March 11 through the Severance Music Center Ticket Office at 216-231-1111 or clevelandorchestra.com. Lawn Ticket Books are a great way to save for the entire Blossom Music Festival season and can be used for most Blossom Music Festival concerts, including movie nights. Lawn Ticket Books, which include 10 adult vouchers, 20 Under 18s Free vouchers, and two free Pavilion upgrade passes, are available for $200. Some exclusions apply. Under 18s Free Under 18s Free helps make attending Blossom Music Festival concerts more affordable for families. With each regular-priced adult ticket purchased, a family can get two free vouchers for children 17 and under. Under 18s Free is a program of The Cleveland Orchestra’s Center for Future Audiences. The Center, created with a lead endowment gift from the Maltz Family Foundation, was established to fund programs to develop new generations of audiences for Cleveland Orchestra concerts in Northeast Ohio. Blossom Music Festival & Summers at Severance Sponsors The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to partner with The J.M. Smucker Co. as the Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 Blossom Music Festival. We thank Festival Partner The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, our Movie Night Presenter NOPEC, and our Blossom Family Engagement Sponsor Acme Fresh Markets. We also give thanks to our 2026 Summers at Severance Presenting Sponsor Thompson Hine LLP. The J.M. Smucker Co. and The Cleveland Orchestra The J.M. Smucker Co. has supported The Cleveland Orchestra for decades with annual contributions as well as capital gifts for improvements at Blossom Music Center. The company’s ongoing, remarkable support has been recognized through concert sponsorship at Blossom for over a decade and has earned membership in the Orchestra’s John L. Severance Society — a group of the Orchestra’s most dedicated and generous corporate, foundation, and individual supporters. Additionally, The J.M. Smucker Co. was a co-presenting sponsor of The Cleveland Orchestra’s Second Century Celebration, bringing the Orchestra’s 100th season to life while animating a bold vision for an extraordinary Second Century. Cleveland Orchestra Immediate Past Board Chair Richard K. Smucker is the Retired Executive Chairman of The J.M. Smucker Co., which was founded 129 years ago by Mr. Smucker’s great-grandfather, Jerome Monroe Smucker. Today, The J.M. Smucker Co. is a leading marketer and manufacturer of leading brands across the consumer food, coffee, and pet food and pet snacks categories in North America. While the company’s portfolio has dramatically evolved, Smucker remains committed to its values, shaped by its Basic Beliefs, Our Commitment to Each Other, and its Purpose, Feeding Connections That Help Us Thrive — Life Tastes Better Together. NOPEC Summer Movie Nights are presented by NOPEC. Summer Movie Night Presenter NOPEC is an electric and natural gas aggregation in Ohio that uses the bulk buying power of over 240 member communities to negotiate exclusive rates and better terms and conditions for the residents, small businesses, and communities they serve. To learn more about NOPEC, visit nopec.org. Acme Fresh Market Celebrating 135 years of Feeding the Families in Our Communities, Acme Fresh Market is a fifth-generation, family-owned grocery retailer serving Northeast Ohio with 16 locations. Headquartered in Akron, Acme is known for quality fresh departments, competitive pricing, and a commitment to providing a friendly, community-focused shopping experience. For more information, visit acmestores.com. Thompson Hine Thompson Hine is a business law firm serving organizations across our community and nationally with a focus on innovation and client service. Please visit us at thompsonhine.com. A Special Thank You We share our deepest thanks for the following funders, whose support makes magical summer evenings at the Blossom Music Festival possible: Akron Children’s Akron Community Foundation The William Bingham Foundation Mr. and Mrs. C. Perry Blossom Laurel Blossom Robin Dunn Blossom The Mary S. and David C. Corbin Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Chester F. Crone Mary and Dr. George L. Demetros Charitable Trust Nancy and Richard Dotson GAR Foundation Cynthia Knight Richard and Christine Kramer Dr. David* and Janice Leshner Milton and Tamar Maltz and The Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation Mrs. Emily McCartney Mrs. Jane B. Nord The M. G. O’Neil Foundation Douglas and Noreen Powers James and Marguerite Rigby Charles E. & Mabel M. Ritchie Memorial Foundation RPM International Inc. The Ralph and Luci Schey Foundation The Sisler McFawn Foundation Lloyd L. and Louise K. Smith Memorial Foundation Mr. and Mrs.* Richard K. Smucker Tom and Shirley* Waltermire Welty Enterprises The Welty Family Foundation *in memoriam Thank you to everyone in the community who supports the Blossom Fund and The Cleveland Orchestra’s Annual Fund. We thank members of the Blossom Committee and the Blossom Friends of The Cleveland Orchestra for their leadership, time, and support of the Blossom Music Festival. We also recognize the following supporters, who established Endowed Funds in support of Blossom Music Center and Blossom Festival, providing vital support every year: Blossom Festival Guest Artist Dr. and Mrs. Murray M. Bett The Hershey Foundation The Payne Fund Mr. and Mrs. William C. Zekan Blossom Festival Family Concerts David E. and Jane J. Griffiths Landscaping and Maintenance The William Bingham Foundation Family and friends of Emily Blossom The GAR Foundation John S. and James L. Knight Foundation About Blossom Music Center, Summer Home of The Cleveland Orchestra Blossom Music Center was created as the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra and opened in July 1968 with performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony conducted by the Orchestra’s then-Music Director George Szell. The 200-acre music park features the award winning and acoustically acclaimed Blossom Pavilion, designed by Cleveland architect Peter van Dijk and seating more than 5,000 people. The adjoining Blossom Lawn accommodates as many as 15,000 more outside on an expansive, natural-bowl amphitheater of grass surrounded by bucolic woods. In the more than half-century since Blossom’s opening, headline makers and yet-to-be discovered young artists across all genres have created unforgettable musical experiences for more than 21 million concertgoers. In a typical summer, Blossom serves more than 400,000 visitors, who attend concerts ranging from rock, country, and pop to classical. Live Nation operates Blossom under a long-term contract with The Cleveland Orchestra, dividing each year between the Orchestra’s Blossom Music Festival and a series of presentations from across many genres. Located 25 miles south of Cleveland and just north of Akron, Blossom is situated in the rolling hills of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which preserves 33,000 acres of natural parkland along the Cuyahoga River. Blossom Music Center was named to honor the Dudley S. Blossom family, who have been major supporters of The Cleveland Orchestra throughout its history. Blossom lies within the city limits of Cuyahoga Falls, an Ohio community first settled in the early 1800s, at 1145 West Steels Corners Road in Summit County The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2026 Blossom Music Festival and Summers at Severance Calendar AMERICA AT 250 Friday, July 3, 2026, at 8 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Edwin Outwater, conductor Limmie Pulliam, tenor *Fireworks immediately following the performance, weather permitting. SALUTE TO AMERICA Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 8 p.m. Blossom Music Center Blossom Festival Band* Michelle Rakers, conductor *Please note: The Cleveland Orchestra does not appear on this concert. **Fireworks immediately following the performance, weather permitting. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Brett Mitchell, conductor JOHN WILLIAMS Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film with live orchestra underscore) WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s23) OHLSSON PLAYS RACHMANINOFF Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 7 p.m. Severance Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Semyon Bychkov, conductor Garrick Ohlsson, piano WAGNER Siegfried Idyll RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 1 DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8 BRAHMS & SHOSTAKOVICH Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Semyon Bychkov, conductor Karen Gomyo, violin SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 1 BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 Gomyo. RACHMANINOFF’S SYMPHONIC DANCES Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Kevin John Edusei, conductor Mark Kosower, cello With the Kent Blossom Chamber Orchestra KODÁLY Dances of Galánta MARTINŮ Cello Concerto No. 1 RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances AN EVENING WITH IDINA MENZEL Sunday, July 26, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Andy Einhorn, conductor Idina Menzel, vocals SAINT-SAËNS’S ORGAN SYMPHONY Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 7 p.m. Severance Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Kazuki Yamada, conductor Brian Wendel, trombone HAYDN Symphony No. 104, “London” ROTA Trombone Concerto SAINT-SAËNS Symphony No. 3, “Organ” SCHUMANN’S SECOND SYMPHONY Saturday, August 1, 2026, at 7 PM Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Kazuki Yamada, conductor Blossom Festival Chorus TAKEMITSU Dreamtime STRAVINSKY Symphony of Psalms R. SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2 THE VOICES THAT CHANGED MUSIC Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Lucas Waldin, conductor Capathia Jenkins, vocals Ryan Shaw, vocals A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. Severance Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra John Fiore, conductor Latonia Moore, soprano Brandon Jovanovich, tenor Blossom Festival Chorus Selections from Rusalka, La forza del destino,Il trovatore, Nabucco, and more. PROKOFIEV’S ROMEO & JULIET Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Tabita Berglund, conductor Simone Lamsma, violin SIBELIUS Finlandia SIBELIUS Violin Concerto PROKOFIEV Suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO IN G Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Antonello Manacorda, conductor Nelson Goerner, piano The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus DEBUSSY Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun RAVEL Piano Concerto in G DEBUSSY Nocturnes RAVEL Suite from Mother Goose COLE PORTER: LET’S MISBEHAVE Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Steven Reineke, conductor Tony DeSare, piano and vocals Aubrey Logan, trombone and vocals John Manzari, tap dancer and vocals WELSER-MÖST CONDUCTS STRAUSS Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 7 p.m. Severance Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Franz Welser-Möst, conductor WAGNER Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger BERND RICHARD DEUTSCH Intensity R. STRAUSS Symphonia domestica SUMMER IN VIENNA Saturday, August 29, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Franz Welser-Möst, conductor R. STRAUSS Introduction and Finale to Daphne MOZART Symphony No. 34 J. STRAUSS, JR. Overture and Ballet Music from The Carnival in Rome J. STRAUSS, JR. Entr’acte from A Night in Venice JOS. STRAUSS Angelica-Polka J. STRAUSS, JR. With Us at Home Waltzes J. STRAUSS, JR. Quadrille from The Gypsy Baron THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS Friday, September 4, 2026, at 7 p.m. Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 7 p.m. Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center The Cleveland Orchestra Sarah Hicks, conductor All programs, artists, and prices are subject to change. |