“On the eve of its 10th anniversary season in Miami, the Cleveland Orchestra is preparing to celebrate a successful project that just as easily could have failed or lost steam long ago,” writes Zachary Lewis in Sunday’s (11/6) Plain Dealer (Cleveland). “ ‘The excitement didn’t go away,’ said Montserrat Balseiro, managing director of the orchestra’s Florida operation, now known as Cleveland Orchestra Miami. ‘It has continued, and it’s amazing…. People see we’re here to stay.’ Balseiro’s observation [is] supported by such data as attendance, ticket sales and gift-giving…. Capitalizing on momentum that has been building over several years, the orchestra will spend its 10th anniversary season at the Arsht Center playing weighty works by Mahler, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Prokofiev.… The orchestra has forged ties all over the [Miami] region [and] estimates it has appeared before at least 45,000 students. ‘It’s been a great opportunity for us,’ said Matthew Sabatella, a curriculum support specialist with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. ‘Many of our students have never seen a show…. They’re mesmerized from the moment they walk in.’ ” The orchestra’s Miami performances are scheduled for Nov. 13-14, Jan. 21- 22, Jan. 29-30, and March 17-19.
Posted November 9, 2016
Pictured: Last season at the Arsht Center in Miami, the Cleveland Orchestra and music director Franz Welser-Most presented a condensed version of their “Fate and Freedom” festival, pairing symphonies by Beethoven and Shostakovich. Photo by Rodrigo Gaya / WorldRedEye
