NEWS RELEASE
Tito Muñoz leads The Cleveland Orchestra
in concerts featuring Berlioz’s “Symphonie fantastique”
at Severance Hall on May 13, 14, and 15
Principal Clarinet Franklin Cohen featured in music of Osvaldo Golijov
CLEVELAND, April 22, 2010 – Cleveland Orchestra Assistant Conductor Tito Muñoz will conduct The Cleveland Orchestra in concerts featuring Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique at Severance Hall on Thursday, May 13, at 8:00 p.m.; Friday, May 14, at 11:00 a.m.; and Saturday, May 15, at 8:00 p.m. The concerts will mark his subscription concerts debut with the Orchestra. At the Thursday and Saturday concerts, Principal Clarinet Franklin Cohen will be soloist in Osvaldo Golijov’s The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind.
The contemporary Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov (whose Azul for cello and orchestra was heard at Severance Hall with soloist Alisa Weilerstein in April 2009) first composed The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind for klezmer clarinet and string quartet in 1994. He was later commissioned to set it for klezmer clarinet and string orchestra.
The program for Thursday and Saturday evenings begins with Johann Strauss Jr.’s Overture to Die Fledermaus (“The Bat”).Next on the program is The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind. After intermission, the program concludes with Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Opus 14. The Friday morning concert, performed without intermission, consists of the works by Strauss and Berlioz.
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These concerts are sponsored by The Sage Cleveland Foundation.
Franklin Cohen’s solo appearance with The Cleveland Orchestra is made possible by a contribution to the Orchestra’s Guest Artist Fund from Mrs. Warren H. Corning.
The Cleveland Orchestra’s Friday Morning Concert Series is endowed by the Mary E. and F. Joseph Callahan Foundation.Pre-concert lectures for the Friday Morning Concert Series are funded by a generous endowment gift from Dorothy Humel Hovorka.
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The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2009-10 season at Severance Hall is sponsored by UBS.Headquartered in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland, UBS is a global firm providing services to private, corporate and institutional clients.Its strategy is to focus on international wealth management and the Swiss banking business alongside its global expertise in investment banking and asset management.In Switzerland, UBS is the market leader in retail and commercial banking.
UBS is a significant supporter of orchestral music globally.In addition to its season sponsorship of The Cleveland Orchestra, the firm currently sponsors several other outstanding symphony orchestras, such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra.These partnerships reflect UBS’s dedication to supporting the communities where it operates, as well as a philosophy of working collaboratively with its clients to deliver the customized solutions that help them pursue their goals.
Biographical information on Tito Muñoz and Franklin Cohen follows.
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Evening Ticket Prices (Add $5 for Saturday): Orchestra: $71, $47; Dress Circle: $93, $55; Balcony: $71, $55, $31.
Friday Morning Ticket Prices: Orchestra: $45, $35; Dress Circle: $55, $35; Balcony: $45, $35, $25.
Ticket Services
The Severance Hall Ticket Office is located in the Smith Lobby.The entrance and 15-minute Ticket Service parking are along East Boulevard.
Severance Hall Ticket Office Hours
M-F 9-6
Sat. 10-6
Closed Sundays and major holidays, except for those days with performances, when the Ticket Office opens three hours prior to the performance start time.
To charge tickets by telephone on American Express, Discover Card, MasterCard, and Visa, call Cleveland Orchestra Ticket Services at (216) 231-1111 (Cleveland) or 800-686-1141 during the regular ticket office hours listed above. Subscriptions and single tickets are also available online. The website offers secure ticket transactions with any major credit card and provides complete concert listings.
Free Concert Previews
Concert Previews will be given prior to the May 13 and 15 concerts, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Reinberger Chamber Hall, and prior to the May 14 concert at 10:00 a.m., in the Concert Hall.The Thursday and Saturday Previews, titled “Dreams and Nightmares,” will be given by Rabbi Roger Klein of The Temple Tifereth-Israel.The Friday morning Preview, titled “Myths and Dreams,” will be given by Rose Breckenridge, Cleveland Orchestra Music Study Groups administrator and lecturer. Concert Previews are designed to enrich the concert-going experience by providing historical background and critical insight into the music performed at each concert.This series is funded by a generous endowment gift from Dorothy Humel Hovorka.
Parking
For evening subscription concerts at Severance Hall, parking can be purchased for $10 per vehicle, when space permits, in the Campus Center Garage (the underground garage located directly behind Severance Hall).Pre-paid parking for the Campus Center Garage can be purchased in advance through the Ticket Office at the cost of $14 per concert (this includes City of Cleveland parking tax and handling fee).The pre-paid parking ensures patrons a parking space, but availability of these pre-paid parking passes is limited.
For further information, or to order pre-paid parking, patrons should call the Cleveland Orchestra Ticket Office during regular office hours at (216) 231-1111 or 800-686-1141.Pre-paid parking passes are also available online.
For Friday morning matinee performances, due to limited parking availability in the Campus Center Garage (the underground garage located directly behind Severance Hall) and in the University Circle area in general, patrons are encouraged to take advantage of off-site parking and round-trip shuttle service available at the Cleveland Play House (8500 Euclid Avenue) and the Cedar Hill Baptist Church (12601 Cedar Road).The fee is $10 per car.
Calendar Listings
Thursday, May 13, at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 15, at 8:00 p.m.
Severance Hall
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
TITO MUÑOZ, conductor
FRANKLIN COHEN, clarinet
J. STRAUSS JR. Overture to Die Fledermaus
GOLIJOV The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind
BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
Ticket Prices: $31-$98 – Call (216) 231-1111 or 800-686-1141, or order online.
Season Sponsor: UBS
Concert Sponsor: The Sage Cleveland Foundation
Guest Artist Fund: Mrs. Warren H. Corning
Concert Preview, in Reinberger Chamber Hall beginning at 7:00 p.m.: “Dreams and Nightmares”
Preview Speaker: Rabbi Roger Klein of The Temple Tifereth-Israel
Friday, May 14, at 11:00 a.m.
Severance Hall
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
TITO MUÑOZ, conductor
J. STRAUSS JR. Overture to Die Fledermaus
BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
Ticket Prices: $25-$55 – Call (216) 231-1111 or 800-686-1141, or order online at clevelandorchestra.com
Season Sponsor: UBS
Concert Sponsor: The Sage Cleveland Foundation
Guest Artist Fund: Mrs. Warren H. Corning
The Cleveland Orchestra’s Friday Morning Concert Series is endowed by the Mary E. and F. Joseph Callahan Foundation.Pre-concert lectures for the Friday Morning Concert Series are funded by a generous endowment gift from Dorothy Humel Hovorka.
Concert Preview, in the Concert Hall beginning at 10:00 a.m.:“Myths and Dreams”
Preview Speaker: Rose Breckenridge, Cleveland Orchestra Music Study Groups administrator and lecturer
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Contacts: Jennifer Schlosser, (216) 231-7518; Email: jschlosser@clevelandorchestra.com
Ana Papakhian, Office: (216) 231-7476; Cell phone: (216) 370-2595; Email: anap@clevelandorchestra.com
Tito Muñoz
Assistant Conductor
Sidney and Doris Dworkin Endowed Chair
League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow
The Cleveland Orchestra
Tito Muñoz is in his third and final season as Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra/ League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow.As an assistant conductor, Mr. Muñoz participates in planning and conducting Education, Family, and other concerts, and serves as cover conductor for Severance Hall subscription concerts and Blossom Festival concerts.Prior to joining the conducting staff of The Cleveland Orchestra, he served as assistant conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. The May 13-15, 2010, concerts mark his subscription concerts debut with The Cleveland Orchestra.
Born in New York City in 1983, Tito Muñoz began his musical training on the violin at age thirteen in the Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program.He continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and Queens College City University of New York.He is an alumnus of the National Conducting Institute and Aspen Music Festival and School.
Recent and upcoming appearances include the Blossom Festival, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, El Paso Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Grant Park (Chicago) Orchestra, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and Toledo Symphony Orchestra.An operatic debut with the Opéra National de Lorraine as well as a debut with the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy led to re-engagements for subscription concert performances in the spring of 2010 and performances of Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps (“The Rite of Spring”) with the Ballet de Lorraine in 2011.In June 2010, he conducts the Mexico City Philharmonic.This summer, Mr. Muñoz will conduct The Cleveland Orchestra at Public Square in downtown Cleveland in celebration of Independence Day, in a Blossom Festival concert on July 11, and in Blossom performances with The Joffrey Ballet on September 4 and 5.Engagements during the 2010-11 season include concerts with the orchestras of Albany, Omaha, and San Antonio. For additional information, visit www.titomunoz.com.
Franklin Cohen
Principal Clarinet
Robert Marcellus Endowed Chair
The Cleveland Orchestra
Principal clarinet of The Cleveland Orchestra since the fall of 1976, Franklin Cohen is one of the outstanding clarinetists of his generation.At the age of 22, he became the first – and, to date, only – clarinetist awarded first prize at the International Munich Competition.With The Cleveland Orchestra, Mr. Cohen has appeared as soloist in more than 170 performances – at Severance Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Blossom Festival, and on tour across the United States, Asia, and Europe – and recorded the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and Debussy’s First Rhapsody.His most recent solo appearance with the Orchestra was in July 2009.
A native New Yorker, Mr. Cohen studied at the Juilliard School and began his professional orchestral career as principal clarinetist for the American Symphony Orchestra, appointed by Leopold Stokowski.Mr. Cohen later held the same position with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Casals Festival Orchestra.
As recitalist and chamber musician, Mr. Cohen has participated in the Aspen, Blossom, Casals, Marlboro, Santa Fe, and Sarasota music festivals.He also has performed with the Cavani, Emerson, Guarneri, Miami, Miró, Orion, Shostakovich, Takács, Tokyo, and Ysaÿe string quartets, and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.He has given masterclasses and seminars throughout the world and, since 1976, has chaired the clarinet department at the Cleveland Institute of Music and at Kent/Blossom Music. His former students hold important positions in major orchestras in North America and Europe.
Franklin Cohen is part of a musical family.His late wife, Lynette Cohen, was a prominent bassoonist.Both of his children are graduates of the Cleveland Institute of Music.His daughter, Diana, is a concert violinist and his son, Alexander, is a professional timpanist.
