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Sam Jacobson

Sam Jacobson

Sam Jacobson has been writing for Bachtrack since 2015 and is currently in Pittsburgh, having previously lived throughout the Midwest. A keen traveler, he endeavors to see all the great orchestras and opera houses across the US and abroad. Outside of music, he works as a software engineer. He also maintains a blog which can be read here.

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Semyon Bychkov conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko

Semyon Bychkov brings a Czech perspective to The Cleveland Orchestra

By Sam Jacobson, 16 July 2026

Semyon Bychkov conducts The Cleveland Orchestra in idiomatic performances of Smetana and Dvořák, while Garrick Ohlsson brings commanding authority to a youthful Rachmaninov concerto.

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Semyon Bychkov conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko

Semyon Bychkov brings a Czech perspective to The Cleveland Orchestra

By Sam Jacobson

Abraham Lincoln approves! © Josh Milteer

An American cornucopia from Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 12 June 2026

An eclectic America250 program traces multiple strands of American musical identity, with Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and the Mendelssohn Choir making the strongest impression.

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Abraham Lincoln approves! © Josh Milteer

An American cornucopia from Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Le Bu (Gunther) and Stefan Vinke (Siegfried) © Raftermen

Atlanta Opera’s powerful Götterdämmerung caps a landmark Ring cycle

By Sam Jacobson, 05 June 2026

With superb singing, inspired orchestral playing and imaginative staging, Atlanta Opera crowns its monumental Wagner undertaking.

*****

Le Bu (Gunther) and Stefan Vinke (Siegfried) © Raftermen

Atlanta Opera’s powerful Götterdämmerung caps a landmark Ring cycle

By Sam Jacobson

Mathalie Stutzmann conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra © Adam Hagy | Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Nathalie Stutzmann closes Atlanta season with an impassioned Mahler Resurrection

By Sam Jacobson, 04 June 2026

Drawing on her long history with the work as both singer and conductor, Nathalie Stutzmann conducts the Atlanta Symphony in a deeply felt account of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony.

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Mathalie Stutzmann conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra © Adam Hagy | Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Stutzmann closes Atlanta season with impassioned Mahler Resurrection

By Sam Jacobson

Edward Gardner © Benjamin Ealovega

Edward Gardner makes a distinctive debut at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 17 May 2026

Edward Gardner’s Pittsburgh Symphony debut brings freshness and intensity to Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, alongside a sparkling tribute to Michael Tilson Thomas.

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Edward Gardner © Benjamin Ealovega

Edward Gardner makes a distinctive debut at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Jörg Widmann, Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko

From a ‘classical‘ symphony to Götterdämmerung with The Cleveland Orchestra

By Sam Jacobson, 07 May 2026

Franz Welser-Möst leads a program reflective of the artistic threads that have defined his Cleveland tenure: Prokofiev, contemporary Austrian music and Wagner.

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Jörg Widmann, Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko

From a ‘classical‘ symphony to Götterdämmerung in Cleveland

By Sam Jacobson

Marc-André Hamelin © Ben Ealovega

Marc-André Hamelin surveys two centuries of piano sonatas in Cleveland recital

By Sam Jacobson, 05 May 2026

From Haydn and Beethoven to Weinberg and Rachmaninov, Marc-André Hamelin reveals the piano sonata as a form of breadth, flexibility and expressive power.

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Marc-André Hamelin © Ben Ealovega

Marc-André Hamelin surveys two centuries of piano sonatas

By Sam Jacobson

The Firebird at Music Hall, Cincinnati © Mark Lyons

From funeral rites to firebird: vivid storytelling from Măcelaru and the Cincinnati Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 24 April 2026

In a staged Firebird and an early work by Mahler, Cristian Măcelaru and the Cincinnati Symphony colorfully bring to life these composers’ youthful ambitions.

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The Firebird at Music Hall, Cincinnati © Mark Lyons

From funeral rites to firebird: Măcelaru and the Cincinnati Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Alexandre Kantorow © Sasha Gusov

Alexandre Kantorow in Cleveland recital: a pianophile’s dream

By Sam Jacobson, 16 April 2026

A daring mix of rarities and late masterpieces at Severance Music Center confirms Alexandre Kantorow as a pianist of both staggering technique and uncommon depth.

*****

Alexandre Kantorow © Sasha Gusov

Alexandre Kantorow in recital: a pianophile’s dream

By Sam Jacobson

Rafael Payare conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra © Josh Milteer

Rafael Payare finds artistry at full throttle with the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 10 April 2026

Can one be artful and musical while playing at maximum volume? In a program of López, Prokofiev and Stravinsky, Rafael Payare and the Pittsburgh Symphony answer a resounding yes.

*****

Rafael Payare conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra © Josh Milteer

Artistry at full throttle: Rafael Payare and the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Karita Mattila, Dima Slobodeniouk and the Houston Symphony © Melissa Taylor

Houston Symphony vividly brings Peer Gynt to life

By Sam Jacobson, 28 March 2026

Blending theater and symphony, the Houston Symphony reimagines Peer Gynt as Grieg intended – complete with dialogue, chorus, and a luminous cameo from Karita Mattila.

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Karita Mattila, Dima Slobodeniouk and the Houston Symphony © Melissa Taylor

Houston Symphony vividly brings Peer Gynt to life

By Sam Jacobson

Viviana Goodwin (Treemonisha) and Jonathan Pierce Rhodes (Zodzetrick) © Elman Studio

Washington National Opera marches onward with a joyous Treemonisha

By Sam Jacobson, 15 March 2026

A vibrant new production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha at Washington National Opera underscores the opera’s enduring message of education, community and social justice.

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Viviana Goodwin (Treemonisha) and Jonathan Pierce Rhodes (Zodzetrick) © Elman Studio

Washington National Opera marches onward with a joyous Treemonisha

By Sam Jacobson

Manfred Honeck conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra © Josh Milteer

Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony captivate in Bruckner’s monumental Eighth

By Sam Jacobson, 20 February 2026

Honored by the Bruckner Society of America, Manfred Honeck conducts a majestic and architecturally assured account of Bruckner’s Eighth, paired with Samy Moussa’s evocative Adgilis Deda.

*****

Manfred Honeck conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra © Josh Milteer

Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony captivate in Bruckner

By Sam Jacobson

Johanna Wallroth and Barbara Hannigan © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Barbara Hannigan surveys American voices with The Cleveland Orchestra

By Sam Jacobson, 14 February 2026

Works by Crumb, Ruggles, Barber and Gershwin offer four distinct ideas of what American music can sound like in Barbara Hannigan’s explorative Cleveland Orchestra program.

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Johanna Wallroth and Barbara Hannigan © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Barbara Hannigan surveys American voices with The Cleveland Orchestra

By Sam Jacobson

Yuja Wang and the New York Philharmonic © Chris Lee

Thomas Adès and Yuja Wang offer thought-provoking contemporary works at the NY Phil

By Sam Jacobson, 23 January 2026

Yuja Wang returns to the New York Philharmonic with Rautavaara’s dazzling First Piano Concerto in a probing program curated and conducted by Thomas Adès.

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Yuja Wang and the New York Philharmonic © Chris Lee

Thomas Adès and Yuja Wang offer contemporary works at the NY Phil

By Sam Jacobson

Franz Welser-Möst © Edward Lee

The Cleveland Orchestra brings symphonic extremes to Carnegie Hall

By Sam Jacobson, 21 January 2026

Following a polished account of Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, Shostakovich’s Eleventh erupted with visceral force, as Franz Welser-Möst led The Cleveland Orchestra in a performance of gripping intensity.

*****

Franz Welser-Möst © Edward Lee

The Cleveland Orchestra at Carnegie Hall: symphonic extremes

By Sam Jacobson

Dima Slobodeniouk © Marco Borggreve

Piquant Poulenc, solemn Sibelius at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 16 January 2026

Dima Slobodeniouk returns to Pittsburgh for works by Finnish composers, and the Jussen brothers delight with Poulenc.

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Dima Slobodeniouk © Marco Borggreve

Piquant Poulenc, solemn Sibelius at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Daniil Trifonov © Chris Lee

Daniil Trifonov brings revelatory Russian rarities to Carnegie Hall

By Sam Jacobson, 13 December 2025

Trifonov offers a probing recital, transforming little-heard Russian works into compelling statements alongside Schumann’s impassioned First Sonata.

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Daniil Trifonov © Chris Lee

Daniil Trifonov brings revelatory Russian rarities to Carnegie Hall

By Sam Jacobson

Yuja Wang and The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Yuja Wang and The Cleveland Orchestra serve an iridescent musical feast

By Sam Jacobson, 28 November 2025

Yuja Wang does double duty in demanding piano concertos by Ravel and Ligeti, while conductor Petr Popelka shows his chemistry with the orchestra in Pictures at an Exhibition.

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Yuja Wang and The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Yuja Wang serves an iridescent musical feast in Cleveland

By Sam Jacobson

Tugan Sokhiev © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Sokhiev and The Cleveland Orchestra gripping in the somber beauty of Mahler

By Sam Jacobson, 13 November 2025

Tugan Sokhiev memorably debuts with The Cleveland Orchestra to lead a recent concerto for English horn and Mahler’s Tragic.

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Tugan Sokhiev © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Gripping, somber Mahler 6 from Sokhiev and The Cleveland Orchestra

By Sam Jacobson

Domingo Hindoyan © Chelsea Lauren

Hélène Grimaud’s glittering Gershwin highlights Pittsburgh Symphony program

By Sam Jacobson, 07 November 2025

Domingo Hindoyan’s Pittsburgh Symphony debuts spans sharp contrasts from Gershwin’s piano concerto to Franck’s symphony.

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Domingo Hindoyan © Chelsea Lauren

Grimaud’s glittering Gershwin highlights Pittsburgh Symphony program

By Sam Jacobson

Dalia Stasevska © Alexis Wary

Dalia Stasevska makes a radiant Pittsburgh Symphony debut

By Sam Jacobson, 17 October 2025

Familiar and unfamiliar Sibelius, a coruscating violin concerto and a recent score by Caroline Shaw are the elements of Dalia Stasevska’s noteworthy debut.

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Dalia Stasevska © Alexis Wary

Dalia Stasevska makes a radiant Pittsburgh Symphony debut

By Sam Jacobson

Franz Welser-Möst conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko

Franz-Welser Möst leads a profound Cleveland Orchestra pairing

By Sam Jacobson, 05 October 2025

The Cleveland Orchestra couples a war-torn symphony of Arthur Honegger with Gustav Mahler’s sublime orchestral song cycle Das Lied von der Erde.

*****

Franz Welser-Möst conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko

Franz-Welser Möst leads a profound Cleveland Orchestra pairing

By Sam Jacobson

Manfred Honeck conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony © JMilteer Photography

Manfred Honeck heralds a spirited season opener at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 26 September 2025

Manfred Honeck inaugurates the new season in Pittsburgh with a Sibelius concerto and a Dvořák symphony, prefaced by a contemporary American work by Christopher Theofanidis.

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Manfred Honeck conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony © JMilteer Photography

Honeck heralds a spirited season opener at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Stewart Goodyear and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra © Jonathan Kirn

Ken-David Masur opens Milwaukee Symphony season with opulent Strauss and Ravel

By Sam Jacobson, 13 September 2025

Ken-David Masur opens his final season in Milwaukee with Ravel’s one-handed wonder and Strauss’ musical autobiography.

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Stewart Goodyear and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra © Jonathan Kirn

Opulent Strauss and Ravel open Milwaukee Symphony season

By Sam Jacobson

Dima Slobodeniouk, Nobuyuki Tsujii and The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko

Chopin and Rachmaninov make for a gorgeous summer evening at The Cleveland Orchestra

By Sam Jacobson, 21 August 2025

Dima Slobodeniouk returns to Cleveland for an evening of Romantic era masterworks, and pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii makes a memorable local debut.

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Dima Slobodeniouk, Nobuyuki Tsujii and The Cleveland Orchestra © Yevhen Gulenko

Chopin and Rachmaninov make for a gorgeous summer evening in Cleveland

By Sam Jacobson

Yefim Bronfman © Dario Acosta

Concertos old and new on Jonathon Heyward’s energetic Baltimore program

By Sam Jacobson, 08 June 2025

Jonathon Heyward led the Baltimore Symphony in a Beethoven piano concerto along with a new Concerto for Orchestra by composer-in-residence James Lee III.

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Yefim Bronfman © Dario Acosta

Concertos old and new on Heyward’s energetic Baltimore program

By Sam Jacobson

Yo-Yo Ma and Manfred Honeck © JMilteer Photography

Ma and Honeck offer definitive Dvořák on festive Pittsburgh Symphony program

By Sam Jacobson, 04 June 2025

Yo-Yo Ma returns to Pittsburgh for searing performance of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto. The enjoyable program also includes a tribute to Fred Rogers.

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Yo-Yo Ma and Manfred Honeck © JMilteer Photography

Definitive Dvořák from Ma and Honeck on festive Pittsburgh program

By Sam Jacobson

Nemanja Radulović © Sever Zolak

Giancarlo Guerrero’s Pittsburgh program grows from sprout to symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 30 May 2025

The Pittsburgh Symphony flanks Khachaturian’s flamboyant Violin Concerto with a Brahms symphony and a recent piece from Sean Shepherd.

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Nemanja Radulović © Sever Zolak

Giancarlo Guerrero’s Pittsburgh program grows from sprout to symphony

By Sam Jacobson

The Phoenix Symphony © Tavits Photography | Phoenix Symphony

American Panoramas: On the Trail with the Phoenix Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 17 May 2025

Thomas Wilkins conducts the Phoenix Symphony in Grofé’s evocative depiction of the Grand Canyon in a program that also explores a melting pot of Mexican-American influences.

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The Phoenix Symphony © Tavits Photography | Phoenix Symphony

American Panoramas: On the Trail with the Phoenix Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Evgeny Kissin © Johann Sebastian Haenel | Deutsche Grammophon

From Bach to Shostakovich, Evgeny Kissin a commanding force in Cleveland recital

By Sam Jacobson, 07 May 2025

Anchored by the piano music of Shostakovich, Evgeny Kissin’s Cleveland recital also explores works of Bach and Chopin.

****1

Evgeny Kissin © Johann Sebastian Haenel | Deutsche Grammophon

From Bach to Shostakovich, Evgeny Kissin a commanding force

By Sam Jacobson

Kazuki Yamada conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Scott Esterly, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Kazuki Yamada balances Mozart's grace and Elgar's grandeur in Cleveland debut

By Sam Jacobson, 25 April 2025

Kazuki Yamada selects a regal Mozart piano concerto and a sprawling Elgar symphony for his Cleveland Orchestra debut.

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Kazuki Yamada conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Scott Esterly, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Yamada balances Mozart's grace and Elgar's grandeur in Cleveland debut

By Sam Jacobson

Daniele Rustioni conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony © JMilteer Photography

Ancient Greece and reimagined Tchaikovsky at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 11 April 2025

Daniele Rustioni leads the Pittsburgh Symphony in music inspired by Ancient Greece, flanking Kirill Gerstein’s take on Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto that restores the composer’s original intentions.

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Daniele Rustioni conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony © JMilteer Photography

Ancient Greece and reimagined Tchaikovsky at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Yuja Wang and The Cleveland Orchestra © Aireonna McCall-Dube, courtesy of TCO

Yuja Wang stars in winning Cleveland Orchestra Tchaikovsky program

By Sam Jacobson, 23 March 2025

Yuja Wang conquers Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, and just as impressive is The Cleveland Orchestra’s powerful take on the same composer’s Fifth Symphony.

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Yuja Wang and The Cleveland Orchestra © Aireonna McCall-Dube, courtesy of TCO

Yuja Wang stars in winning Cleveland Orchestra Tchaikovsky program

By Sam Jacobson

Lang Lang © Nancy Andrews

Lang Lang headlines a festive evening at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 19 March 2025

Lang Lang gives a dramatic, technically brilliant rendition of Grieg’s beloved piano concerto.

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Lang Lang © Nancy Andrews

Lang Lang headlines a festive evening at the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Elim Chan © JMilteer Photography | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Elim Chan commands powerful Prokofiev with Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 07 March 2025

The debutante conductor made her mark in Prokofiev, with Jan Lisiecki joining in for Mozart.

****1

Elim Chan © JMilteer Photography | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Elim Chan commands powerful Prokofiev with Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Sasha Cooke, Thomas Adès and The Cleveland Orchestra © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Thomas Adès presents a bold, modernist vision with The Cleveland Orchestra

By Sam Jacobson, 22 February 2025

In a rewarding program of challenging, unfamiliar scores, Thomas Adès and The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus tackle works by Sibelius, Ives, Saariaho, and Adès himself.

*****

Sasha Cooke, Thomas Adès and The Cleveland Orchestra © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

In Cleveland, Thomas Adès presents a bold, modernist vision

By Sam Jacobson

María Dueñas, Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra © J Milteer Photography | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Virtuosity and contrasts with Dueñas, Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 14 February 2025

From Carlos Simon’s rhythmic energy to Dvořák’s lush melodies, Honeck and the PSO deliver a night of brilliance, with violinist María Dueñas shining in Saint-Saëns.

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María Dueñas, Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra © J Milteer Photography | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Virtuosity and contrasts with Dueñas and Honeck in Pittsburgh

By Sam Jacobson

Janice Carissa © Chris McGuire

Osmo Vänskä leads Pittsburgh Symphony in rich Russian repertoire

By Sam Jacobson, 17 January 2025

Osmo Vänskä’s Pittsburgh program includes key works of Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, prefaced with a recent piece from Samy Moussa.

****1

Janice Carissa © Chris McGuire

Osmo Vänskä leads Pittsburgh Symphony in rich Russian repertoire

By Sam Jacobson

Dima Slobodeniouk © Marco Borggreve

Dima Slobodeniouk paints portraits of the sea with the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 12 January 2025

Dima Slobodeniouk’s Pittsburgh program is centered around ocean-inspired music of Debussy, Sibelius, and Icelandic composer María Sigfúsdóttir.

****1

Dima Slobodeniouk © Marco Borggreve

Slobodeniouk paints portraits of the sea with the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Jeanine De Bique and Manfred Honeck © Josh Milteer | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Mendelssohn Choir shines in Pittsburgh Symphony’s mostly choral program

By Sam Jacobson, 06 December 2024

Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony perform five diverse works, culminating in an affecting reading of Fauré’s pensive Requiem.

****1

Jeanine De Bique and Manfred Honeck © Josh Milteer | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Mendelssohn Choir shines in Pittsburgh Symphony’s choral program

By Sam Jacobson

Santtu-Matias Rouvali © Julian Dubé, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Santtu-Matias Rouvali journeys across the Baltic in Cleveland Orchestra debut

By Sam Jacobson, 23 November 2024

Santtu-Matias Rouvali unexpectedly debuts with The Cleveland Orchestra, offering an early Sibelius symphony and a Tchaikovsky concerto with Stefan Jackiw.

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Santtu-Matias Rouvali © Julian Dubé, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Rouvali journeys across the Baltic in Cleveland Orchestra debut

By Sam Jacobson

Daniil Trifonov © Anne Ryan

Daniil Trifonov opens Chicago residency with imposing recital

By Sam Jacobson, 17 November 2024

Bookended by Tchaikovsky, Daniil Trifonov’s powerfully virtuosic recital also visits the music of Chopin and Barber.

****1

Daniil Trifonov © Anne Ryan

Daniil Trifonov opens Chicago residency with imposing recital

By Sam Jacobson

Marek Janowski © Elliot Mandel

Marek Janowski returns to the Chicago Symphony with majestic Bruckner

By Sam Jacobson, 14 November 2024

Janowski anchors his Chicago Symphony program with Bruckner’s Third, prefacing with music of Weber and Liszt.

****1

Marek Janowski © Elliot Mandel

Marek Janowski returns to the CSO with majestic Bruckner

By Sam Jacobson

Ángela Aguilar and Gustavo Dudamel © Farah Sosa courtesy of the LA Phil

Dudamel leads Los Angeles Philharmonic in exuberant celebration of Día de los Muertos

By Sam Jacobson, 01 November 2024

Gustavo Dudamel selects a trio of works by Latin American composers for a colorful and extravagant evening at the LA Phil.

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Ángela Aguilar and Gustavo Dudamel © Farah Sosa courtesy of the LA Phil

Dudamel leads LA Phil in exuberant celebration of Día de los Muertos

By Sam Jacobson

Tragic Sibelius and sparkling Ravel from Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 20 October 2024

Jukka-Pekka Saraste’s Pittsburgh program makes a strong impression in coloristic works from the early 20th century, while pianist Tom Borrow has a memorable debut.

****1

Tragic Sibelius, sparkling Ravel from Saraste and Pittsburgh Symphony

By Sam Jacobson

Klaus Mäkelä conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Klaus Mäkelä guides Cleveland Orchestra through monumental Mahler

By Sam Jacobson, 17 October 2024

Klaus Mäkelä helms Mahler’s Third Symphony, the composer’s longest work, in a journey to remember with inspired playing from instrumentalists and vocalists alike.

*****

Klaus Mäkelä conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Mäkelä guides Cleveland Orchestra through monumental Mahler

By Sam Jacobson

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to Cleveland and introduces his Cello Concerto

By Sam Jacobson, 12 October 2024

After an absence of more than two decades, Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to The Cleveland Orchestra, conducting his own Cello Concerto, flanked by Ravel and Sibelius.

****1

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts The Cleveland Orchestra © Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra

Salonen returns to Cleveland and introduces his Cello Concerto

By Sam Jacobson

Schaghajegh Nosrati © Irène Zandel

Dance, variation, symphony: pianist Schaghajegh Nosrati in recital

By Sam Jacobson, 29 September 2024

For her program at Duke University’s piano series, Schaghajegh Nosrati selects a Bach partita, two sets of variations, and Alkan’s massive Symphony for solo piano.

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Schaghajegh Nosrati © Irène Zandel

Dance, variation, symphony: pianist Schaghajegh Nosrati in recital

By Sam Jacobson

James Ehnes, Petr Popelka © The Cleveland Orchestra | Kevin Libal

A Romantic Cleveland Orchestra debut for Petr Popelka

By Sam Jacobson, 25 July 2024

In his Cleveland Orchestra debut, Petr Popelka skirts the warhorses: a Franck tone poem, a Dvořák symphony and Korngold’s Violin Concerto with James Ehnes.

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James Ehnes, Petr Popelka © The Cleveland Orchestra | Kevin Libal

A Romantic Cleveland Orchestra debut for Petr Popelka

By Sam Jacobson