In Sunday’s (4/12) Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), Zachary Lewis writes that the summer touring schedule for Cleveland’s Baroque orchestra Apollo’s Fire includes “three dates heralding a new age, three appearances signifying beyond a doubt that Apollo’s Fire has made it: the BBC Proms in London, England’s Aldeburgh Festival and Boston’s Tanglewood Music Center…. [Managing Director Hugh] Carslaw’s presence on staff says something in its own right. A co-founder and longtime executive director of Camerata Ireland, a distinguished touring chamber orchestra, Carslaw came to Apollo’s Fire in March after a seven-month search.… Thanks in part to him, the orchestra already has been invited to a reception at the U.S. Embassy in London and will appear at an August festival in Italy called ‘Paesaggi Musicali Toscani’ (‘Tuscan Musical Landscapes’)…. None of this would be possible if things weren’t also going well at home. And they are. A summary of attendance and ticket sales over the last four years offers clear proof that even without the element of touring, Apollo’s Fire is thriving…. ‘There’s more of a need today to appeal to an audience,’ Carslaw said. ‘Our challenge now is to make even more people here aware of us.’ ”
Posted April 14, 2015
