Cleveland Orchestra Sets 2015-16 Family Concerts

The Cleveland Orchestra announces its 2015-16 Family Concert Series, for children ages 7 and older, and PNC Musical Rainbow Concerts Series, for children ages 3 to 6. Both concert series are designed to introduce young people to classical music, and feature performances by Cleveland Orchestra musicians with special guest artists. Subscriptions and individual concert tickets for both series are now available online at clevelandorchestra.com or by calling Cleveland Orchestra Ticket Services at 216-231-1111.

2015-16 FAMILY CONCERT SERIES

Three Family Concerts will take place during the 2015-16 season, in October, February, and April. In addition to the orchestral performances, the Family Concert Series also includes free pre-concert activities, which begin one hour before each performance and include Instrument Discovery, where children can try various instruments. The Family Concert Series is supported by The Giant Eagle Foundation.

On Sunday, October 25, at 3:00 p.m., the "Halloween Spooktacular" concert will feature the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra conducted by Carl Topilow. (The Cleveland Orchestra will be on tour in Europe from October 15-31.) Families are invited to come dressed in their Halloween best for a costume contest and an afternoon of deliciously frightening fun and terrifying tales featuring the spooky sounds of orchestral favorites Danse macabre by Saint-Saëns and The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Dukas as well as favorites by John Williams from Star Wars, Superman, and Harry Potter. Free pre-concert activities, including the costume contest, begin at 2:00 p.m. Costume contest winners will be announced at the end of the concert.

On Friday, February 26, at 7:30 p.m., in a program titled "Gotta Dance!", The Cleveland Orchestra and Associate Conductor Brett Mitchell will be joined by the "new" Cleveland Ballet for a program featuring a habanera from Bizet's Carmen, a wild square dance from Copland's Rodeo, and rousing Slavonic Dances by Dvo?ák. Cleveland Ballet is a new professional ballet company resident in Cleveland whose artistic director is Gladisa Guadalupe. Ms. Guadalupe was a principal dancer in the original Cleveland Ballet, which performed in Cleveland from 1976 to 2000. Fall 2015 marks the first season of the "new" Cleveland Ballet.

On Saturday, April 16, at 2:00 p.m., the 2015-16 Family Concert Series concludes as The Cleveland Orchestra performs a program titled "Green Eggs and Hamadeus," featuring Rob Kapilow's Green Eggs and Hamadeus (adapted from the classic book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss) in a production directed by Daniel Pelzig with soprano Sherry Boone. Rob Kapilow will conduct and host the concert, which brings together the worlds of Dr. Seuss and Mozart, in a whiz-bang operetta mash-up designed especially for children. The Boston Globe called Green Eggs and Hamadeus "the most popular family music since Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra." Kapilow's delightfully funny musical score takes its inspiration from Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and sets to music Dr. Seuss's tale of "Sam-I-am" and a hilariously questionable meal!

2015-16 PNC MUSICAL RAINBOW CONCERTS SERIES

The Cleveland Orchestra's PNC Musical Rainbow programs are a fun way for children to learn about instruments of the orchestra, one at a time. Energetic host Maryann Nagel leads singing, clapping, and moving to the music while Cleveland Orchestra musicians and guests perform short solo selections and kid-friendly tunes, and demonstrate their instruments.

Powerful Percussion will be presented on October 23 and 24, 2015, with guest percussionists Mell Csicsila and Andrew Pongracz. The Fabulous Flute will be presented on November 20 and 21, 2015, with flutist Marisela Sager. The Cheerful Cello will be presented on March 4 and 5, 2016, with cellist David Alan Harrell. The Terrific Trumpet will be presented on April 8 and 9, 2016, with trumpet player Jack Sutte. The Victorious Viola will be presented on May 27 and 28, 2016, with violist Lembi Veskimets.

In addition to the five-program PNC Musical Rainbow Concerts Series, the 2015-16 season also includes a special PNC Holiday Musical Rainbow program. Christmas Brass Quintet performances take place in Severance Hall on Friday, December 11, at 10:00 a.m., and Saturday, December 12, at 11:00 a.m.

PNC Musical Rainbow Concerts are endowed by the Pysht Fund.

TICKETS:

A three-concert subscription package for the 2015-16 Family Concert Series is now available. Subscribers save up to 33% off the price of individual tickets and are guaranteed the same reserved seats for all three concerts. Subscription prices are $60 or $30 (Balcony) for all three concerts. Individual concert tickets for Family Concerts are also on sale. Prices range from $15 to $30.

Five-concert subscriptions for the PNC Musical Rainbow Concerts Series are now on sale. Subscriptions are $25 for the series, a savings of nearly 30% off the price of individual tickets. Three subscription series times are available: Friday at 10:00 a.m. and Saturday at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. Individual concert tickets for all Musical Rainbow performances, including the Christmas Brass Quintet concerts, are available now, priced at $7.

UNDER 18s FREE

Subscribers can receive one youth admission free with each adult subscription purchased, excluding Box Seats. For single concerts, one youth admission is available for free with each adult ticket purchased. The free tickets for Severance Hall concerts eligible for this program must be obtained through the Severance Hall Ticket Office.

Under 18s Free is a program for families, supported by The Cleveland Orchestra's Center for Future Audiences. The Center, created with a lead endowment gift from the Maltz Family Foundation, was established to fund programs to develop new generations of audiences for Cleveland Orchestra concerts in Northeast Ohio.

For more information about the Family Concert Series and Musical Rainbow Concerts Series, or to order tickets, call Cleveland Orchestra Ticket Services at 216-231-1111 or 800-686-1141 or visit clevelandorchestra.com.

These concerts are part of a broad array of educational programs designed to foster a love of music and a lifetime of participation in the musical arts. For more information, call The Cleveland Orchestra's Department of Education and Community Programs at 216-231-7355.

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