NEWS RELEASE
Semyon Bychkov makes his Cleveland Orchestra debut
in concerts featuring Schumann’s Symphony No. 2
at Severance Hall on April 8, 9, and 10
CLEVELAND, March 29, 2010 – Semyon Bychkov, chief conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne since 1997, will make his debut with The Cleveland Orchestra in a program featuring Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 at Severance Hall on Thursday, April 8, at 8:00 p.m.; Friday, April 9, at 11:00 a.m.; and Saturday, April 10, at 8:00 p.m.
The program for Thursday and Saturday evenings begins with Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, followed by Henri Dutilleux’s Métaboles, which was commissioned by the Musical Arts Association to celebrate the 40th anniversary season (1957-58) of The Cleveland Orchestra. After intermission, the program concludes with Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 in C major, Opus 61. The Friday morning concert, performed without intermission, consists of the works by Ravel and Schumann.
Russian conductor Semyon Bychkov was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Two years after winning the 1973 Rachmaninoff Conducting Competition, he immigrated to the United States. An engagement at the Spoleto USA Festival led to performances with the Buffalo Philharmonic, beginning a close 10-year relationship with that orchestra, including the position of music director (1985-89). Subsequent posts have included music director of the Orchestre de Paris (1989-98), principal guest conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic (1990-94) and the Maggio Musicale in Florence (1993-2000), chief conductor of the Dresden Semperoper (1998-2002), and his current position with the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne. Mr. Bychkov has appeared as guest conductor with the orchestras of Berlin, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Vienna, and has conducted productions at La Scala, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Vienna State Opera, and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden.
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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.
Further biographical information on Semyon Bychkov is available on request.
Evening Ticket Prices: (Add $5 for Saturday): Orchestra: $60, $41; Dress Circle: $82, $47; Balcony: $60, $47, $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 April 8 and 10 concerts, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Reinberger Chamber Hall, and prior to the April 9 concert at 10:00 a.m., in the Concert Hall. The Previews, titled “Transformations,” 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, April 8, at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 10, at 8:00 p.m.
Severance Hall
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
SEMYON BYCHKOV, conductor
RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin
DUTILLEUX Métaboles
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2
Ticket Prices: $31-$87 – Call (216) 231-1111 or 800-686-1141, or order online at clevelandorchestra.com
Season Sponsor: UBS
Concert Preview, in Reinberger Chamber Hall beginning at 7:00 p.m.: “Transformations”
Preview Speaker: Rose Breckenridge, Cleveland Orchestra Music Study Groups administrator and lecturer
Friday, April 9, at 11:00 a.m.
Severance Hall
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
SEMYON BYCHKOV, conductor
RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2
Ticket Prices: $25-$55 – Call (216) 231-1111 or 800-686-1141, or order online at clevelandorchestra.com
Season Sponsor: UBS
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.: “Transformations”
Preview Speaker: Rose Breckenridge, Cleveland Orchestra Music Study Groups administrator and lecturer
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
