Community Concerts
The Cleveland Orchestra has a long history of being involved in community celebrations across Northeast Ohio, including special festivities marking the 200th anniversary of the City of Cleveland's founding or the opening of a new baseball season, to annual Fourth-of-July programs each summer, Holiday concerts each December, and more. Music is an integral part of life, and a great way to celebrate a community together.
Public Square Concert and Festival – A Star-Spangled Spectacular
Each summer, The Cleveland Orchestra, with the support of a host of community partners, presents a free concert of patriotic favorites and popular classical repertoire in downtown Cleveland. An annual tradition since 1990, the Public Square concert attracts up to 80,000 people to downtown Cleveland and ends with a spectacular display of fireworks set against the Cleveland skyline. Since 2003, the event has included a pre-concert festival featuring performances by Cleveland-based musical groups in the hours leading up to the Orchestra concert.
The Star-Spangled Spectacular is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, with additional support provided by The Cleveland Foundation, RTA, Tower City Centre, and WVIZ 90.3 ideastream. The musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra donate their services for this concert as a benefit to the Musical Arts Association Sustaining Fund.
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Each January, The Cleveland Orchestra commemorates Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with a free concert. First performed in 1980, this concert features The Cleveland Orchestra, choruses, and guest artists. The celebration continues on Martin Luther King Day, with a free community open house in Severance Hall honoring the life, leadership, and vision of Dr. King.
The concert is sponsored by KeyBank, a Cleveland Orchestra Partner in Excellence, with additional support from The Cleveland Foundation. The musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra donate their services for this concert as a benefit to the Musical Arts Association Sustaining Fund.
Performances in the Community Throughout the Year
The Cleveland Orchestra goes on the road to meet the greater Ohio community through annual orchestral concerts in venues such as Akron, Oberlin, and Toledo.
In addition, many of the Orchestra’s educational programs have homes in the community:
Music Study Groups meet weekly in selected libraries and community centers on Cleveland’s east and west sides for in-depth explorations of the Orchestra’s music.
Learning Through Music (LTM) partner schools throughout the greater Cleveland area use music and the arts to support the general classroom curriculum and meet state standards.
Musical Rainbows on the Road venues throughout the community help The Cleveland Orchestra introduce very young children to the instruments of the orchestra and complement our Musical Rainbow series in Severance Hall.
PNC Grow Up Great enables Head Starts in Cleveland to access many music experiences throughout the year.
Learning Through Music is supported by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.
PNC Musical Rainbows are sponsored by PNC and endowed by the Pysht Fund.
