BLOSSOM NOTES - Cleveland Orchestra€¦ · At CIM, he majored in horn and the performing arts. His mentor, Richard Solis (who served as principal horn with The Cleveland Orchestra

Blossom Friends Newsletter Page 1

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 Message from the President, Meet Mark Williams

2 Meet Mark Williams continued

3 2016 Annual Report Highlights, Thank you to Blossom

Information Center Volunteers

4 A Christmas Gift, WCO Silver Bells, Louis Lane Tribute Concert

5 Chapter News, Orchestra News

6 Gala Evening, Letter to the Editor

7 Calendar of Events

BLOSSOM NOTES NEWSLETTER OF BLOSSOM FRIENDS OF

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA Volume 1, Issue 11 November/December 2016

Attendees to the Blossom Friends Annual Meeting

held on Thursday, October 6th at the 1815 Tavern in

Aurora had the opportunity to hear Mark Williams,

Director of Artistic Planning for The Cleveland

Orchestra. His informative and entertaining

discussion was facilitated by Peggy Fulmer, an

Aurora Blossom Friends Committee Member.

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to

meet the stylish 37-year-old, this event provided the occasion to learn about Mr. Williams’ vision and how

his life has influenced his productivity as the director of artistic planning. His introduction to music came

in the form of a clarinet in 4th grade in Cincinnati. As

a teenager, after hearing a recording of Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3 he taught himself how to play

the piece. But it wasn’t until 11th grade when the

“power of music first hit me” after seeing Verdi’s La Traviata on television and realizing everyone dies in

an opera.

Conversation

between

Peggy

Fullmer and

Mark

Williams.

Photo by

Rosemarie

Mintz,

Aurora

Blossom

Friends

member.

Continued on page 2

Message from Our President As I write this to you, I am thinking about the holidays that are quickly approaching. We all have special memories of family traditions and unique ways we each celebrate the holidays. Gatherings with family and friends, special food, displays of lovely ornamentation and the beauty of nature in November and December. Some holiday seasons we experience the quiet beauty of snow and our lake freezing one wave at a time. In my family music was central to our holiday celebrations. We looked forward each year to The Nutcracker. The music and dancing, exquisite costumes and story line all provided an evening of pure joy. The tradition continues in my family, but now my son and daughter buy the tickets and arrange the special celebration. For many Blossom Friends, family gatherings and holiday celebrations include favorite songs that make one smile and lifts one’s spirits! The Nutcracker has provided a lifetime of memories for three generations of my family. I invite you to try my family’s tradition. The Nutcracker is exceptional.

Happy Holidays to each of you! Lis Hugh, President

Blossom Friends Newsletter Page 2

A Conversation with Mark Williams Continued from page 1

While fellow classmates where listening to rock and

roll, Mark became “hooked” on the classics. After

high school Mark entered the Cleveland Institute of

Music.

At CIM, he majored in horn and the performing arts.

His mentor, Richard Solis (who served as principal

horn with The Cleveland Orchestra from 1978 until

1995) taught him the “importance of becoming a

musician and being able to express yourself”.

During his graduate studies at NYU he became

involved in arts management at IMG Artists before

moving across the country to become an artistic

manager for the San Francisco Symphony. Just like

when he was younger and taught himself to play the

Horn Concerto No. 3, he learned by doing – “I was a

sponge”.

In 2012, Mr. Williams had the opportunity to return

to Cleveland and become the director of artistic

planning. In this role, he is responsible for everything

that happens on the stage, making sure the orchestra’s

repertoire is in line with the conductor’s vision and

hiring guest conductors and soloist (to his credit, he

has never had to cancel a show due to a conductor or

singer’s cancellation).

Blossom Friends

member Iris

Harvie and Mark

Williams at the

Blossom Friends

Annual Meeting.

Photo by Eileen

Rini, Aurora

Blossom Friends

member.

Although Mr. Williams is busy planning TCO’s

2021 season he did take a moment to “step back”

and reflect on the 2018 season. He is very excited

about Bach’s oratorio of St. John Passion and the

return of pianist Maria Pires. Debussy’s Pel léas

and Mélisande are coming the fi rs t

weekend in May – be sure to get your

t ickets now. Stay tuned too for an opera (not

named) “where nothing happens but everything

happens”. While not traveling or working behind

the scenes, Mark enjoys the simplicity of following

a recipe – especially baking and making ice cream.

His favorite part of his job “Being an engineer,

being a catalyst. Doing what I can to bring the

performance to the stage”.

His first challenge came a mere 3 weeks into working

with TCO; putting together a production of Cunning

Little Vixen – an opera by Leoš Janáček in which the

characters are dressed as animals. Another staging

challenge came this past April with Bartók’s operatic

ballet The Miraculous Mandarin and the operatic

thriller Blackbeard’s Castle as the very long legs of

dancers from The Joffrey Ballet competed with

TCO’s cello’s for space on the stage.

Blossom

Friends

members

enjoy

listening

to Mark

Williams

Blossom Friends Newsletter Page 3

Blossom Friends of The Cleveland

Orchestra 2016 Annual Report Highlights (presented by Blossom Friends President, Lis Hugh)

The 2016 Blossom Music Center’s season and our

work to support the orchestra at Blossom was

extraordinary. As we review each event and

accomplishment, words like effective, efficient,

creative, dedication and unrivaled come to mind.

Members organized and executed 7 events this

season. These include A Special Evening of

Conversation with André Gremillet (Connie Van

Gilder, chair), Overture to Blossom’s Best – Opening

Night (Mary Anne Leone & Kathy Moock, chairs), 3

Gourmet Matinee luncheons (Nancy Cruikshank &

Peggy Krinsky, chairs), and Orchestra Appreciation

Day (Susan Kenney, chair).

Communications were enhanced this year including

our new electronic newsletter Blossom Notes

(Elizabeth McCormick, editor), extensive media

coverage (Connie Schlemmer), coverage in Blossom

Concert programs and Young Audience Guides, and

our new name and logo (formerly Blossom Women’s

Committee).

Information Center (Jean Mathews, chair) Blossom

Friend members staffed the Information Centers for 43

concerts. 118 volunteer slots for the season were

covered by Blossom Friends.

Membership processes were standardized throughout

the various chapters including new membership

communication pieces and member fees (Connie Van

Gilder, chair & Kaye Lowe, advisor). Members

brainstormed on acquiring, launching and retaining

members.

The Orientation and Blossom Music Center Tour

(Virginia Marino, chair) were initiated this year.

Blossom Friends in conjunction with TCO marketing

department initiated the ability to purchase tickets

online for Gourmet Matinee series helping to increase

attendees.

Blossom Friends have donated $353,000 to the

orchestra since 2009.

The Blossom Friends of the

Cleveland Orchestra would like to

recognize and thank the following

volunteers for staffing the Blossom

Information Centers prior to the

2016 concerts – 27 Live Nation and

16 Blossom Festival concerts:

Melissa Allen

Jean Armstrong-Mathews

Barbara Dieterich

Danielle Dieterich Angela Flohr

Claire Frattare

Laura Lee Garfinkel

Suzann Glenn

Joan Graham

Merle Griff

Betty Hejma-Sweet

Sharon Hofmeister

Barb Hornyak

Lis Hugh

Carol Kusmierek

Jim Kusmierek

Patsie Lewis

Debi Lucak

Judy Makaryk

Susan Marino

Virginia Marino

Susan Maxwell

Elizabeth McCormick

Carole Moroney

Nancy Reitz

Paula Ritterback

Gail Rownd

Betty Jo Scurei

Janet Sessions

Kara Shrigley

Lorry Szabo

Barb Baker Williams

.

Blossom Friends Newsletter Page 4

AT HOLIDAY TIME SHARE YOUR LOVE OF MUSIC

Please check out the newly revamped Donation Page for The Cleveland Orchestra -

www.clevelandorchestra.com/Support-And-Volunteers/Donate-Now/. Designate

where you want your dollars to go; whether it be to the Annual Fund, Education and

Community Programs, Opera and Ballet or In Honor of Someone – all with the

simple click of your mouse.

Your support helps sustain The Cleveland Orchestra's musical performances, education programs, and community activities - all at the highest levels of musical

excellence. All gifts are fully tax deductible.

During the months of November &

December purchase your elegant

silver plated bell being sold by the

WCCO in the Smith lobby and

Cleveland Orchestra store.

Blossom Friends Newsletter Page 5

On Thursday, November 10th the Kent

Chapter had their Fall Meeting with guest

speaker Jerry Golski, Sales Manager for The

Cleveland Orchestra at the Pufferbelly

Restaurant, 152 Franklin Avenue, Kent. RSVP

to Shawn Gordon at [email protected].

The December meeting of the Northeast

Chapter will be held on December 13th at

4:30 at the Pastina Rustic Italian Kitchen in

Mentor. This is an evening for celebrating

the past year’s events and enjoying the

fellowship of members and their spouses/

partners.

There will be an Open Rehearsal on

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 with The

Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall from

1:30 – 3:30 pm. This is a special invitation

event for all Volunteer Committee

Members and a guest. Tickets are

required and are available for pick-up at the

check-in table before the rehearsal. RSVP

to Lori Cohen, Community Leadership

Liaison at [email protected].

“Emily’s Garden – Blossom Music

Center”

”Blossom’s Blessing” A Tribute to Emily McCartney

The Northeast Blossom Friends of the Cleveland Orchestra had their annual fund raiser on Sunday, November 6th. The “Blossom Blessings” was held at Manakiki Country Club in Willoughby with a “Sunday Dinner” served by Dino’s. The event began with a champagne reception honoring Emily McCartney, who is a founding member of the Northeast Friends. Her mother, Emily Blossom, formed the first group that has become the Blossom Friends of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Emily McCartney has continued the family’s support of Blossom Music Center. The family style dinner was followed by a tribute to Emily which included the presentation of a watercolor painting of her garden. The afternoon event concluded with a performance by Tanya Ell, cellist with the Cleveland Orchestra. Ms. Ell is the assistant principal cellist and holds the Thomas J. and Judith Fay Gruber Endowed Chair. The master of ceremonies for the afternoon was Henry Peyrebrune, orchestra bass player and a development officer in the Orchestra’s Philanthropy and Advancement office. The many winning opportunities for those attending included beautiful raffle baskets, a money and lottery tree and a $1,000 Grand Prize raffle.

Submitted by Blossom Friends member, Janet Messner

Be sure to visit The Cleveland Orchestra Store for unique holiday gifts. Including the newly released Mitsuko Uchida: Mozart Piano Concertos Nos. 17 and 25 by The Cleveland Orchestra.

Blossom Friends Newsletter Page 6

The Cleveland Orchestra Gala Evening

with Emanuel Ax

The Cleveland Orchestra’s Gala Evening

featuring pianist Emanuel Ax, raised more than

$1.1 million for the Orchestra’s musical education

and community engagement programs.

Approximately 460 guests enjoyed a cocktail

reception prior to the concert. The concert began

with Mr. Ax performing Beethoven’s Piano

Concerto No. 2, followed by John Harbison’s

Remembering Gatsby: Foxtrot for Orchestra, and

finishing with Copland’s Suite from Billy the Kid.

After the concert guests enjoyed a delicious

dinner by Chef Doug Katz throughout Severance

Hall, with parting gifts of Mr. Ax’s CDs and

cookies with a motif of the lotus, Elisabeth

Severance’s favorite flower. Excerpted from the original

story “Gala Evening with The Cleveland Orchestra and Emanuel Ax” by

Kathryn Riddle.

Pictured left, Franz

Welser-Möst with

Emanuel Ax

Pictured right,

chairs Norma

Lerner & Beth

Mooney

Pictured left, Tiziano

& Giovanna Galardi

with Giuliana and

John Koch

Congratulations to associate concertmaster

and violinist Amy Lee and Frank

Rosenwein on the birth of their identical

twin boys – Joshua Sylvan and Julian Mack

on October 7th.

Congratulations to assistant concertmaster

and violinist Jessica Lee and her husband

on the birth of their baby girl, Cora Jinah

Rock on Saturday, October 29th.

Please join us in welcoming these little ones to The Cleveland Orchestra family!

Emily Thome joined the Philanthropy and Advancement Dept. as the Senior Director of Development beginning on October 19th, 2016. Emily was previously at The Cleveland Clinic where she was responsible for overseeing fundraising strategy, stewardship of major gift prospects and direct solicitation. Please join us in welcoming her to the TCO family.

On December 5th, Kathy Pahr will transition from Sales & Communications to Philanthropy & Advancement in the role of Corporate Giving Officer, reporting to Abby Mitchell. Kathy will be leading the Orchestra’s corporate philanthropy efforts. Please congratulate Kathy on this new chapter in her Cleveland Orchestra career!

The Cleveland Orchestra and music director Franz Welser-Möst will be beginning their 11th season in Miama’s Arsht Center for four weeks this winter starting November 11th and 12th with a subscription program featuring violinist Gil Shaham.

Blossom Friends Newsletter Page 7

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2016 Cleveland Orchestra & Severance Hall Events: (check clevelandorchestra.com for tickets and additional information)

November 17th, 19th & 20th – Duruflé Requiem, Mathew Halls, conductor and Sasha Cooke, mezzo-

sprano and The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, various times.

November 18th & 19th – PNC Musical Rainbows, The Velvet Violin. Host Maryann Nagel with Beth

Woodside, violin and Laura Silverman, piano, various times.

November 18th – COYO Autumn Concert, Brett Mitchell, conductor, 8:00 pm

November 20th & 27th – Free Tour of Severance Hall, various times.

November 25th, 26th & 27th – Beethoven’s Fateful Fifth, Jaap van Zweden, conductor with Daniil

Trifonov, piano, various times.

December 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th – George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker, Brett Mitchell, conductor

with The Cleveland Orchestra, Playhouse Square, various times.

December 8th & 9th – Holiday Special “It’s a Wonderful Life”, Brett Mitchell, conductor with the

Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, various times.

December 9th & 10th – PNC Musical Rainbows, Christmas Brass Quintet, various times.

December 10th, 11th, 15th, 16th, 17th, & 18th – Holiday Concert, The Cleveland Orchestra, various

times.

November and December Silver Bells sales in Smith Lobby and Cleveland Orchestra Store, silver plated bells, $30 Co-Chairs: Laurel Kest at [email protected] and Gloria Goldstein at

[email protected]

Friday, December 2 Membership Reception and Behind the Scenes Tour at Severance Hall with WCCO board member Beryl Tishkoff, 10:00am-11:30am, RSVP to Tricia Smith at [email protected] or 216-798-1788

Monday, December 5 Philanthropic Fund-raising luncheon at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven, $75 per person, check payable to

WCCO, Chair: Mary Kay Maxson at [email protected]