Franz Welser-Möst’s 25 years with The Cleveland Orchestra are not just the story of a Music Director, but of a unique partnership. Together, they have refined an unmistakable sound, carried Cleveland’s artistry to the world’s greatest stages, embraced bold innovation, and built a resilient institution. The rest is a powerful harmony of sound, place, and purpose that not only honors The Cleveland Orchestra’s legacy as one of the world’s finest but positions it as a beacon for the next generation of audiences at home and abroad.

The Orchestra is renowned for its virtuosity, elegance of sound, and chamber-like musicality. Welser-Möst has shaped this sound with extraordinary care and imagination, cultivating greater warmth and flexibility, while preserving precision and transparency. His advocacy for The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and commitment to annual opera performances have made drama and lyricism central to the Orchestra’s voice.

This partnership has carried the Orchestra on tours across continents — from Vienna and Paris to New York, Beijing, Tokyo, and beyond — affirming Cleveland’s artistry on the world stage. Regular invitations to festivals such as Salzburg, Lucerne, Grafenegg, and Edinburgh became hallmarks of Cleveland’s global stature, placing the Orchestra alongside the world’s most elite ensembles. Residencies in Miami and Vienna represent groundbreaking commitments: expanding Cleveland’s reach beyond the Midwest, cultivating loyal new audiences, and becoming a national model for sustained worldwide presence. 

Under Welser-Möst, the Orchestra has achieved major institutional milestones, including launching an in-house recording label, establishing their streaming platform, Adella.live, and inaugurating the annual Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival. Inclusive initiatives at Severance and Blossom, from flexible ticketing to interactive program formats, have made the Orchestra more inviting and accessible than ever, and collaborations with schools, libraries, and community groups have solidified the Orchestra as a treasured community institution.

Under Franz Welser-Möst’s 25 years of leadership the Orchestra has appointed a new generation of musicians, navigated change and challenges with confidence, and carried Cleveland’s artistry to the world. This legacy is more than history — it is a promise. The Orchestra is not only one of the world’s finest, but also one of its strongest.