Lisa Wong, conductor

During intermission of WCLV's live broadcast of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Angela Mitchell spoke with Lisa Wong. Lisa is Assistant Director of Choruses at The Cleveland Orchestra and Director of the Youth Chorus, which joined COYO on the second half. She is also a faculty member at the College of Wooster, where she conducts the Wooster Chorus and the Wooster Singers and teaches courses in conducting and music education.

Carl Topilow, conductor and Christine Wu, violinist

During intermission of this week's Cleveland Ovations, Angela Mitchell spoke with conductor Carl Topilow and Christine Wu, violinist and winner of the concerto competition. 

Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra
Carl Topilow, conductor
Christine Wu, violin, student artist

Program: 
ELGAR   Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61
STRAVINSKY   L’oiseau de feu (The Firebird), ballet suite for orchestra   (1945 version)

Sonja Molloy, Mark Jackobs, and Martha Baldwin

This week's Cleveland Ovations was a live broadcast of a faculty chamber music recital from the Cleveland Institute of Music's Mixon Hall. During intermission, Angela Mitchell spoke with musicians Sonja Molloy, violin, Mark Jackobs, viola, and Martha Baldwin, cello.  All are members of The Cleveland Orchestra. 

Program
Bedřich Smetana: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15
Aaron Copland: Vitebsk
Antonín Dvořák: Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81

Ross Duffin and Beverly Simmons

WCLV kicked off 2016 with a recent program by Quire Cleveland. "Carols for Quire VII" explores exquisite choral music for Christmas from many lands and centuries. Christmas themes — shepherds, joy, Twelfth Night — are represented in carols dating from the early 15th century to the late 20th, sung in English, French, German, Spanish, Finnish, Latvian & Latin.

At intermission, Angela Mitchell spoke with Artistic Director Ross Duffin and Executive Director Beverly Simmons, the pair behind Quire Cleveland. 

Photo by Beth Segal

Photo by Beth Segal

Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato has just been nominated for the Grammy for best classical solo vocal performance for "Joyce & Tony: Live at Wigmore Hall," her new release with conductor-pianist Anthony Pappano. She also stars as Elena in the Metropolitan Opera's production of La Donna del Lago by Rossini, this Saturday's Met Radio Broadcast at 1:00 p.m. She spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell about these two projects, her love of sharing opera with the next generation, singing the national anthem at the World Series, and lots more. 

Alisa Weilerstein, cellist

Together with long-term duo partner Inon Barnatan, best-selling Decca cellist Alisa Weilerstein has recorded two of the giants of cello chamber music: the Rachmaninov and Chopin sonatas. Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan are two of the worlds leading instrumentalists, and this album clearly shows the benefits of a long-lasting chamber music partnership with two exceptional musicians, captured in their prime. Alisa spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell. 

photo: Decca

photo: Decca

Carlton Woods, conductor

WCLV is pleased to add the BlueWater Chamber Orchestra to the Cleveland Ovations line-up. Their season opener featured guitarist Jason Vieaux in Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. This concert is a continuation of their “Near West Neighborhood Series” with thrilling music of Spanish and Latino heritage. Artistic Director Carlton R. Woods conducted, and he spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell during intermission. 

Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer

Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer

Lucyna Migala, co-founder, artistic director and general manager of the Lira Ensemble

The highly praised Lira Ensemble of Chicago, which specializes in Polish music, song and dance, returned to Cleveland after a seven year absence, with a holiday concert celebrating the Ensemble’s 50th anniversary with the entire company of Lira Singers, Dancers and Symphony.  The event features guest artist, internationally renowned jazz singer Grazyna Auguscik. Lucyna Migala spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell.

Martin Kessler, Music Director of Choral Arts Cleveland

Music Director Martin Kessler visited WCLV to preview Choral Arts Cleveland's season opener: the oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by George Frideric Handel on Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 7:30 at Disciples Christian Church, located at 3663 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights. The soloists are Tim Culver (tenor), John Watson (bass), Diane Menges (soprano), and Sandra Ross (alto). 

Itzhak Perlman, violinist

Legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman is known the world over as one of the most recognizable and beloved classical artists today. The 16-time Grammy winning Perlman celebrated his 70th birthday on August 31; the milestone was marked with multiple releases paying tribute to his catalogue as well as Perlman's first new solo recording in 16 years. Fauré & Strauss Violin Sonatas with pianist Emanuel Ax were released on August 28 on Deutsche Grammophon/UMC. He spoke about the recording in an exclusive interview with Angela Mitchell. 

Amnon Weinstein and Joel Smirnoff

Amnon Weinstein is the founder of Violins of Hope. Played by Jewish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps, the instruments have been collected and restored by Amnon for more than two decades. The historic violins have been played in concerts from Jerusalem to Berlin and Charlotte, NC, and provide a rare opportunity to explore unique stories behind each instrument and the individuals who owned them. Now, they have come to Cleveland through Violins of Hope Cleveland, a community-wide collaboration that aims to inform, educate and inspire people throughout the Midwest. 

WCLV broadcast a Violins of Hope concert by the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra. During intermission, Amnon and Joel Smirnoff, President of CIM, spoke with Angela Mitchell. 

Photo by Mark Satola

Photo by Mark Satola