TCO Summer 2026 Season Announced
Blossom and Summers at Severance feature concerts led by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst as he enters his 25th and final season with The Cleveland Orchestra.
Summer is around the corner! The Cleveland Orchestra recently announced its 2026 summer season, anchored by two signature experiences: the Blossom Music Festival and Summers at Severance.
Both series feature concerts led by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst as he enters his 25th and final season with The Cleveland Orchestra. He conducts a richly textured program of Wagner and Richard Strauss at Severance on August 27, before returning to Blossom on August 29 for a Viennese-inspired program with works by Mozart and the Strauss family.
BLOSSOM MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Cleveland Orchestra kicks off the 2026 Blossom Music Festival on July 3 with a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, showcasing the breadth and brilliance of American music. Following this on July 4 is A Salute to America, a beloved summer tradition featuring the Blossom Festival Band. Then, on July 11 and 12, audiences can relive the magic of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on the big screen while The Cleveland Orchestra plays the score live.
Classical programming at Blossom spotlights the Orchestra in a dazzling array of music alongside top artists, from Karen Gomyo performing Shostakovich (July 18) to Antonello Manacorda leading an all-French program (August 22).
Pops programming brings further delights to the Blossom stage. Broadway powerhouse Idina Menzel joins the Orchestra on July 26 for a career-spanning evening of music. Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw sing electrifying arrangements of hits by Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and more on August 8. Tony DeSare returns on August 23 for a stylish tribute to Cole Porter. Finally, the Orchestra and Sarah Hicks close out the Blossom season with selections from John Williams’s timeless film scores (September 4, 5, and 6).
SUMMERS AT SEVERANCE
On July 16, conductor Semyon Bychkov and pianist Garrick Ohlsson team up for a richly Romantic program to begin Summers at Severance. On July 30, Kazuki Yamada conducts works by Haydn and Saint-Saëns, and Principal Trombone Brian Wendel presents Rota’s Trombone Concerto. Severance then goes to the opera on August 13, as award-winning soprano Latonia Moore stars in a program of operatic highlights by Dvořák, Verdi, and more.