For release: February 18, 2024
The Cleveland Orchestra announces 2024 Blossom Music Festival
(© Roger Mastroianni)
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra announced an exciting lineup of classical favorites and star-
studded pops concerts for its 2024 Blossom Music Festival. The festival runs June 29 to September 1 at
Blossom Music Center, the Orchestra’s scenic summer home in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Nine new programs now join the previously announced movie presentations: Raiders of the Lost Ark and
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Tickets go on sale on Monday, February 19, at 10 a.m.
Festival Highlights
Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst returns to Blossom to conduct Tchaikovsky’s
Symphony No. 5 on August 17. The concert features pianist Víkingur Ólafsson in Robert Schumann’s
Piano Concerto.
The festival also welcomes conductors Domingo Hindoyan and Antonello Manacorda in their Cleveland
Orchestra debuts and spotlights two Cleveland Orchestra soloists: Principal Trumpet Michael Sachs in
Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto on July 13 and Principal Cello Mark Kosower in Walton’s Cello Concerto
conducted by Hannu Lintu on July 27.
Fresh off his latest Grammy Award wins, banjo player Béla Fleck joins The Cleveland Orchestra and
conductor Brett Mitchell on July 6.
Tony and Grammy award–winning singer and actor Leslie Odom, Jr. makes his Cleveland Orchestra
debut on July 21 following the annual Blossom Summer Soirée, a special event to benefit the Orchestra'
summer home.
The Blossom Festival Band and conductor Loras John Schissel are back for the festive family favorite
Salute to America on July 3, the perfect way to kick off Fourth of July celebrations.
On August 25, Tony DeSare joins the Blossom Festival Band for Sinatra and Beyond, a night of Frank
Sinatra’s biggest hits.
The season wraps up with Cirque Goes Broadway performed by the Akron Symphony Orchestra on
August 31 and September 1. This unique concert event combines Broadway’s biggest hits with aerialists,
contortionists, and more.
Photos of The Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom Music Center, and this season’s guest artists are available
for download here.
2024 Tickets and Subscriptions
For tickets, contact the Severance Music Center Ticket Office by phone at 216-231-1111 or by emailing
boxoffice@clevelandorchestra.com. Tickets and packages can also be purchased online at
clevelandorchestra.com.
Lawn Ticket Books
Lawn Ticket Books, a great way to save on tickets for the entire Blossom Music Festival season, include
vouchers for children 17 and under. Lawn Ticket Books can be used for most Blossom Music Festival
concerts, including movie nights. Lawn Ticket Books — with 10 adult vouchers, 20 Under 18s Free
vouchers, and two free upgrade passes — can be purchased for $200. Contact the Box Office or visit
clevelandorchestra.com for information. 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 lawn 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.
2024 Blossom Music Festival Sponsors
The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to partner with The J.M. Smucker Co. as the Presenting Sponsor of the
2024 Blossom Music Festival. We thank Festival Partner Ohio CAT, and our Movie Night Presenter
NOPEC.
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 Board Chair Richard K. Smucker is the Retired Executive Chairman of The J.M.
Smucker Co., which was founded 125 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.
Ohio CAT
As a sales and service enterprise, is to create exceponal value for our Customers and our Communies
through proud, knowledgeable and engaged employees who consistently exceed customer
expectaons.
NOPEC
NOPEC is an electric and natural gas aggregaon in Ohio that uses the bulk buying power of over 240
member communies to negoate exclusive rates and beer terms and condions for the residents,
small businesses, and communies they serve. To learn more about NOPEC, visit nopec.org.
A Special Thank You
We share our deepest thanks to the following funders, whose support makes magical summer
evenings at the Blossom Music Festival possible:
The J. M. Smucker Co., Festival Presenting Sponsor
Ohio CAT, Festival Partner
CIBC, Summer Soiree Presenting Sponsor
NOPEC, Movie Night Presenter
Akron Community Foundation
The William Bingham Foundation
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
Barbara and Michael J. Kaplan
Cynthia Knight
Richard and Christine Kramer
Milton and Tamar Maltz and The Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation
Mr.* and Mrs. Arch J. McCartney
Mrs. Jane B. Nord
The M. G. O'Neil Foundation
The Esther and Hyman Rapport Philanthropic Trust
Charles E. & Mabel M. Ritchie Memorial Foundation
Patricia J. Sawvel
The Ralph and Luci Schey Foundation
The Sisler McFawn Foundation
Lloyd L. and Louise K. Smith Memorial Foundation
Sandra and Richey* Smith
Mr. and Mrs.* Richard K. Smucker
Tom and Shirley* Waltermire
The Welty Family Foundation
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 George Szell. The 200-acre
music park features the award-winning and acoustically-acclaimed Blossom Pavilion, designed by
renowned Cleveland architect Peter van Dijk and seating more than 5,000 people under cover. 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
visitors. 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 of
orchestral performances, 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. For more information visit clevelandorchestra.com/discover/blossom-music-center/.
The Cleveland Orchestra 2024 Blossom Music Festival Schedule
Movie Night Live:
Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert
Saturday, June 29, at 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 30, at 7 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
JOHN WILLIAMS Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (film with live orchestral underscore)
Relive the magic of the film that introduced one of the greatest movie heroes of all time, shown on the
big screen with the score performed live by The Cleveland Orchestra!
Movie Night Live: Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert is presented by NOPEC.
Salute to America
Wednesday, July 3, at 8 p.m.
Blossom Festival Band*
Loras John Schissel, conductor
Blossom’s traditional, star-spangled celebration with the Blossom Festival Band returns with a mix of
patriotic marches, Broadway favorites, an Armed Forces Salute, and more — concluding with
fireworks!**
*The Cleveland Orchestra does not appear on this concert.
**Fireworks immediately following the performance, weather permitting.
Rhapsody in Blue
Saturday, July 6, at 7 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Brett Mitchell, conductor
Béla Fleck, banjo (Blossom Music Festival debut)
BERNSTEIN Three Dance Episodes from On the Town
GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue (trans. Fleck)
BARBER Overture to The School for Scandal
STILL Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American”
Experience a fresh take on an American classic. Béla Fleck, “arguably the greatest living banjo player in
the world” (NPR), marks the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with a dazzling new banjo
transcription of this beloved showpiece. Conductor Brett Mitchell rounds out this all-American evening
with orchestral gems by Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, and William Grant Still.
Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony
Saturday, July 13, at 7 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Domingo Hindoyan, conductor (Cleveland Orchestra debut)
Michael Sachs, trumpet
Blossom Festival Chorus
BORODIN Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor
ARUTIUNIAN Trumpet Concerto (Cleveland Orchestra premiere)
RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 3
Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony baffled listeners at its 1936 premiere, but the composer predicted it
would one day “be rediscovered ... and become a sensational success.” Hear why this electrifying work is
now considered one of the composer’s finest creations. Arutunian’s Trumpet Concerto — featuring
Principal Trumpet Michael Sachs — and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances complete this sparkling program
led by Domingo Hindoyan.
Tetzlaff Plays Mozart
Saturday, July 20, at 7 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Antonello Manacorda, conductor (Cleveland Orchestra debut)
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
MENDELSSOHN Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish”
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7
An evening of classics under the stars. Celebrated violinist Christian Tetzlaff brings to life Mozart’s Fifth
Violin Concerto, which bubbles with the composer’s quintessential craft and charm. Antonello
Manacorda complements this favorite with Mendelssohn’s breezy Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture
and Beethoven's indomitable Seventh Symphony.
An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr.
Sunday, July 21, at 7 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Leslie Odom, Jr., vocals (Cleveland Orchestra debut)
Don’t miss the Tony and Grammy award–winning vocalist, songwriter, author, and actor, known for his
breakout role as the original Aaron Burr in the smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton, as he makes his
debut with The Cleveland Orchestra.
Blossom Summer Soirée: This special fundraising event takes place before the concert. More
information about the Blossom Summer Soirée, as well as ticket and table options, here
Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony
Saturday, July 27, at 7 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Mark Kosower, cello
With the Kent Blossom Chamber Orchestra
SIBELIUS Lemminkäinen’s Return
WALTON Cello Concerto
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5
An apology or an act of defiance? Shostakovich composed his Fifth Symphony in 1937 after receiving an
official reprimand from the Soviet Union, responding with one of the most powerful — and enigmatic —
symphonies in the orchestral repertoire. Conductor Hannu Lintu pairs this with a sweeping tone poem
by Sibelius and Walton’s virtuosic Cello Concerto, performed by Principal Cello Mark Kosower.
Movie Night Live:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Friday, August 2, at 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 3, at 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 4, at 7 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Ludwig Wicki, conductor
Blossom Festival Chorus
The Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus
HOWARD SHORE The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (film with live orchestral underscore,
chorus, and soloists)
The culmination of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy based on the timeless J.R.R. Tolkien classic and the final
battle for Middle-earth, shown on the big screen with the score performed live by The Cleveland
Orchestra!
Movie Night Live: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is presented by NOPEC.
Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony
Saturday, August 17, at 7 p.m.
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Víkingur Ólafsson, piano (Blossom Music Festival debut)
R. SCHUMANN Piano Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
Franz Welser-Möst returns to Blossom with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, which journeys from dark
inner turmoil to an unwavering celebration of life. The “breathtakingly brilliant pianist” Víkingur
Ólafsson (Gramophone) also joins the Orchestra for Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto, a marvelous
showcase for soloist and orchestra that the composer once referred to as “a compromise between a
symphony, a concerto, and a huge sonata.”
Sinatra and Beyond
Sunday, August 25, at 7 p.m.
Tony DeSare, vocals
Blossom Festival Band*
Singer/pianist/songwriter Tony DeSare takes on the legend of Ol’ Blue Eyes himself in a critically
acclaimed tribute to the great Frank Sinatra that includes songs like “Come Fly with Me,” “I’ve Got the
World On a String,” “The Summer Wind,” “I Get A Kick Out of You,” “Night and Day,” “New York, New
York,” “My Way,” and so many more Sinatra classics.
*The Cleveland Orchestra does not appear on this concert.
Cirque Goes Broadway
Saturday, August 31, at 7 p.m.
Sunday, September 1, at 7 p.m.
Cirque de la Symphonie
Akron Symphony Orchestra*
Lucas Waldin, conductor
Morgan James, vocals
Hugh Panaro, vocals
Dizzying acrobatic heights and eye-popping feats come together with top Broadway hits from Les
Misérables, Frozen, Miss Saigon, and more. Fun for the whole family and the perfect way to close out
the summer.
*The Cleveland Orchestra does not appear on this concert.
All programs, artists, and prices are subject to change.
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Media Contact:
Jen Steer, jsteer@clevelandorchestra.com, 216-231-7637
