Cleveland Orchestra Cancels Severance Hall Concerts Through June

Today, The Cleveland Orchestra announced that due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, in order to best ensure the health and safety of musicians, staff, volunteers, and all guests (including subscribers and ticket-buyers) the Orchestra will not have audiences in Severance Hall from March to June, as originally planned.

Subscribers and ticket-buyers will receive complete details by mail regarding options for exchanging, donating, or carrying forward credit for concert tickets recently delivered to them for affected performances beginning in March and details are included below.

"Performing live concerts for our community, has been our goal throughout this unusual season, but only when we could guarantee the health and safety of everyone involved - onstage and off," said André Gremillet, President & CEO of The Cleveland Orchestra. "Until recently, we had been optimistic that we could welcome audiences back to live performances at the beginning of March. However, with uncertainty around case numbers, the introduction of new virus variants, and extended vaccination schedules, we have concluded that we must make different plans for the months ahead.

"Therefore, after much thought and consideration, and through ongoing consultation with our partners at the Cleveland Clinic, we have come to the conclusion that, with the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, we will not be able to go forward with ticketed live audiences for scheduled concerts this March through June 2021. We are disappointed, as we know all of our subscribers and friends are, too.

"In Focus broadcasts will continue, streaming online at Adella.live and the Adella app. We expect to continue to offer new streaming concerts in the months ahead, created from performances filmed at Severance Hall without audiences. New broadcast episodes will continue to be released, offered free to subscribers who, as of today, hold tickets to the 2020-21 season, as well as qualified donors of $300 or more. Programming and broadcast details will be announced later this winter and spring.

"Looking ahead, in the coming weeks, we plan to announce a concert season at Blossom Music Center this summer. Ten concerts in July and August will feature The Cleveland Orchestra onstage and be open for limited capacity, socially-distanced audiences. In addition, later in the spring, we will announce our 2021-22 Season at Severance Hall to begin in the fall, when we fully expect to welcome you back for the in-person concert experiences we have all been missing.

"If you are a ticket holder for John Williams Conducts, originally scheduled for April 26, 2020, we are still actively looking to schedule Mr. Williams to perform with The Cleveland Orchestra at a future date. However, we believe it is best to cancel this concert until we can announce a new date for the event. Should we reschedule this appearance, those who held tickets to this concert will be offered a priority presale opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the general public. Right now, ticket holders can receive a refund according to the terms outlined below. We will be back in touch when we have a new concert date, and we appreciate your understanding and patience.

"Despite current challenges and everything we have all encountered in the past year, Music Director Franz Welser-Möst and all of us at The Cleveland Orchestra remain committed to our mission to provide extraordinary musical experiences through live performances of great music. I believe that human determination, ingenuity, and compassion will carry us past the current crisis. At this exceptional moment in history, please let me say that the continued commitment and support of our subscribers, single ticket buyers, and donors - has never been more important. With your help and dedication, The Cleveland Orchestra will rebound successfully, to continue creating unforgettable live musical memories for generations to come."


The following is an update to the March In Focus premiere broadcast schedule. Information about the April, May, and June In Focus programs premiere broadcast schedule will be announced in the coming months.

CARMEN-SUITE In Focus Episode 6 premiere on Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
Bizet's colorful and flamboyant opera Carmen, with its eye-popping portrayal of on-the-street living filled with smoking, fighting, and drinking women scandalized Parisian audiences but became wildly famous for its music and emotional intensity. Franz Welser-Möst offers a different look at this beloved work through a brilliant arrangement for string orchestra and percussion, created as a ballet score by Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin for his dancer wife, prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya. The intense passions of this famously tune-filled opera are revealed in unexpected detail across thirteen movements, just begging you to dance.

LYRICAL CELLO In Focus Episode 7 premiere on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
This program stars Cleveland Orchestra's principal cello Mark Kosower, showcasing the cello's wide-ranging lyricism and virtuosity in a concerto by one of Johann Sebastian Bach's most prolific sons. Next comes Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony, adapted from his Eighth String Quartet. This is a piece layered in meaning - filled with fascinating self-references and musical allusions, and dedicated to "in memory of victims of fascism and war." The program concludes with a transformative vision by Olivier Messiaen.

In addition to the concert performances, each episode of The Cleveland Orchestra: In Focus includes behind-the-scenes interviews and features about the music and music making.


For 2020-21 Cleveland Orchestra subscribers and John Williams Conducts ticketholders, we offer the following options:

Donate your tickets. Please consider donating tickets back to The Cleveland Orchestra to help defray the costs of offering the In Focus broadcasts. Your support can lessen the huge impact of this unprecedented financial crisis for the Orchestra, and you will receive a tax receipt for the total ticket value. Thank you in advance if you are able to support us with your generosity. Ticket donations can be made online by visiting: clevelandorchestra.com/donatetickets.

Apply your balance to your 2021-22 Season subscription.

Receive a refund for the value of your ticket.

Ticket Office Information: To ensure the health and safety of everyone involved, Severance Hall ticket office staff members are all currently working remotely, and Severance Hall is currently closed to the public, until further notice. To reach a member of the Ticket Office staff, email boxoffice@clevelandorchestra.com or call 216-231-2111 and leave a message. A staff member will reply to you as quickly as possible, usually within 24 hours or by the end of the next business day. The Orchestra appreciates your understanding as the team works through all of your requests and questions.

Adella is The Cleveland Orchestra's new digital streaming service. Premiering in October 2020, the Adella app and digital media offering is named after the Orchestra's founder, Adella Prentiss Hughes. Adella is free to download and access, and includes free content from the Orchestra's Archives, On A Personal Note podcast, and other performance highlights. For more information, visit clevelandorchestra.com/attend/adella/ and adella.live/.

To view premium content, such as the Orchestra's new In Focus concert series, guests will need access to Adella Premium. This service can be purchased for $34.99/month. Adella Premium is also automatically available to all Cleveland Orchestra subscribers (including Members Club, The Circle, and Frequent Fan Card holders) and donors who contribute more than $300 annually. Those interested in purchasing a subscription or membership can contact the Cleveland Orchestra Ticket Office by phone at 216-231-1111, e-mail boxoffice@clevelandorchestra.com, or at clevelandorchestra.com.