The Cleveland Orchestra: Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony at Blossom Music Center

The stellar Cleveland Orchestra has exceptional musicianship on show.

The orchestra consists of over 100 highly qualified members from some of the best schools and conservatories in the world. They perform all year round, touring the United States and the globe. The New York Times hailed the Cleveland Orchestra as “America’s most brilliant orchestra” and “one of the finest ensembles in the country (if not the world)," and Gramophone has rated the orchestra among the world’s top 10. They are indeed a jewel in the crown of America’s classical music scene.

The illustrious, award-winning conductor and music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, Franz Welser-Möst, is rated as one of the world’s most distinguished conductors. Praised for the orchestra’s virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of timbre, and chamber-like cohesion under his leadership, Franz Welser-Möst has gained the respect of various international orchestras. He has a close and productive relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic as a guest conductor, leading major endeavors such as opera performances at the Salzburg Festival.

The Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, one of his most popular works, was performed for the first time in 1888 in St. Petersburg, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself. The symphony contains no program, unlike its predecessors; however, Tchaikovsky described the work as “a complete resignation before fate, which is the same as the inscrutable predestination of fate.” The symphony journeys from dark inner turmoil to an unwavering celebration of life and is a spiritual experience rather than just light-hearted entertainment.

The Cleveland Orchestra will also be joined by the Icelandic award-winning master pianist, Víkingur Ólafsson, for a performance of the popular Robert Schumann Piano Concerto. He has been hailed for his “volcanic temperament, great virtuosity, and taste for challenges."

The Blossom Music Center is the summer home for the Cleveland Orchestra, where they will be entertaining up to 19,000 patrons each performance during the 2024 Blossom Music Festival season. The Ohio favorite sports 5,700 seats in the pavilion and up to 13,500 spaces on the lawn, as well as a restaurant, an art gallery, and breath-taking gardens.