In Wednesday’s (2/2) Plain Dealer (Cleveland), Zachary Lewis wrote, “A resident of chilly Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Orchestra is hardly intimidated by snow. But the storm now paralyzing the Midwest is exceptional, and sometimes even the toughest must surrender to the weather. In a move surprising to no one, the orchestra has canceled its scheduled appearance tonight at Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago. … Gary Hanson, executive director of the Cleveland Orchestra, said the group had considered traveling from Ann Arbor to Chicago by train until last night, when Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn declared a state of emergency. … Now the group plans to remain in Ann Arbor until the storm passes Thursday, and charter a flight from nearby Detroit to New York City. The orchestra is scheduled to perform at Carnegie Hall Friday and Saturday.” On Thursday, Lewis reports, “Inspired to make the most of an unexpectedly free evening, a large group of musicians from the Cleveland Orchestra gave an impromptu concert Wednesday, playing chamber music at a local eatery while patrons nibbled pizza, drank wine, and marveled at a truly rare spectacle. ‘It’s pretty amazing to walk into a pizza place and have people focused on classical music,’ said principal flutist Joshua Smith, who helped organize and took part in the event. ‘It’s just a great way of bringing people together.’ ”
Posted February 3, 2011
