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Oct 19
The Cleveland Orchestra, under the leadership of Franz Welser-Möst since 2002, is one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Year after year, the ensemble exemplifies extraordinary artistic excellence, creative programming, and community engagement. In recent years, The New York Times has called Cleveland “the best in America” for its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color, and chamber-like musical cohesion.
Founded by Adella Prentiss Hughes, the Orchestra performed its inaugural concert in December 1918. By the middle of the century, decades of growth and sustained support had turned the ensemble into one of the most admired around the world.
The past decade has seen an increasing number of young people attending concerts, bringing fresh attention to The Cleveland Orchestra’s legendary sound and committed programming. More recently, the Orchestra launched several bold digital projects, including the streaming platform Adella.live and its own recording label. Together, they have captured the Orchestra’s unique artistry and the musical achievements of the Welser-Möst and Cleveland Orchestra partnership.
The 2025–26 season marks Franz Welser-Möst’s 24th year as Music Director, a period in which The Cleveland Orchestra has earned unprecedented acclaim around the world, including a series of residencies at the Musikverein in Vienna, the first of its kind by an American orchestra, and a number of celebrated opera presentations.
Since 1918, seven music directors — Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodziński, Erich Leinsdorf, George Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Welser-Möst — have guided and shaped the ensemble’s growth and sound. Through concerts at home and on tour, broadcasts, and a catalog of acclaimed recordings, The Cleveland Orchestra is heard today by a growing group of fans around the world.
Assistant Conductor
Taichi Fukumura is the current Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, appointed by Franz Welser-Möst, and music director with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO). A rising Japanese American conductor acclaimed for his dynamic stage presence and musical finesse, Fukumura is the Second Prize Winner of The Mahler Competition 2023, a four-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, and recipient of the Concert Artists Guild Richard S. Weinert Award.
Recent international engagements include debuts with the Bamberg Symphony and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. He also returned to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as guest conductor, having previously conducted over 110 concerts as an assistant conductor appointed by Robert Spano. Other recent guest debuts include the Utah Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, Eugene Symphony, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, and Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
As music director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Fukumura has led an ongoing initiative to broaden the orchestra’s repertoire. Focusing on well-balanced, impactful programming, he has highlighted the work of living composers, including Brian Raphael Nabors, Christopher Theofanidis, Stacy Garrop, Gala Flagello, and Michelle Isaac.
Fukumura previously served as assistant conductor of the Chicago Sinfonietta, where he received mentorship from music director Mei-Ann Chen as a Freeman Conducting Fellow. He also returned to the Aspen Music Festival and School as guest assistant conductor, following a summer as a conducting fellow, and was invited by Barbara Hannigan to assist at the Munich Philharmonic and the Musikkollegium Winterthur in Switzerland.
Born in Tokyo, Fukumura spent his childhood in Boston and began studying violin at age 3. He holds a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from Boston University, and both Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University under the mentorship of Victor Yampolsky. Fukumura is fluent in both English and Japanese.
This year’s concert highlights “all creatures great and small,” with music by John Williams (Jurassic Park), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast), Adam Glaser (March of the Little Goblins), Grieg (In the Hall of the Mountain King), and more!
Download The NEW Cleveland Orchestra App, and explore upcoming concerts, purchase tickets with seat selection, and manage your tickets digitally. You’ll also get access to performance updates and helpful notifications.
Below is a list of the features and services available in at Severance for this concert. You may also request assistance in advance of a concert by calling the Severance Ticket Office at 216-231-1111 or 800-686-1141 or create a request using the button below.
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