Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Foundation team up to offer free tickets to gala concert
Staff report
A chance to see the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra for free would be music to the ears of many Northeast Ohioans – and this weekend, they’ll have an opportunity to score free tickets.
In celebration of The Cleveland Orchestra’s 100th season, the orchestra and the Cleveland Foundation are partnering to provide 1,000 free tickets to the orchestra’s gala concert at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at Severance Hall in Cleveland.
Under the direction of Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, themed “A Musical Journey through Italy,” the Orchestra’s one-night-only program of popular selections will include Verdi’s Ballet Music from “Don Carlo,” Respighi’s “The Birds,” Johann Strauss’s “The Carnival of Venice” and Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italien.”
The tickets will be distributed to the public on a first-come, first-served basis at 10 a.m. on Sept. 30. Tickets can be requested via the orchestra’s website using the promo code “GALA” at the checkout or via the Severance Hall Ticket Office at 216-231-1111. The orchestra recommends using the website for ticket requests due to the high volume of calls anticipated.
Ticket requests are limited to two tickets per household and will be available until all tickets have been reserved. Attendees are encouraged to use the orchestra’s mobile ticketing option, which provides electronic tickets directly in the order confirmation email for easy viewing and scanning on mobile devices.
Tickets may also be picked up in person at the Severance Hall box office Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and the day of the concert beginning at 10 a.m.
“Our 100th season represents a milestone anniversary, not just for The Cleveland Orchestra itself but for the community that created it. We are grateful for the Cleveland Foundation’s long-term partnership in expanding access to great music throughout our community,” said André Gremillet, The Cleveland Orchestra’s executive director, in a statement. “The foundation’s tremendous support inspires us daily in our commitment to fulfill the promise of this amazing community who created The Cleveland Orchestra, through quality, sharing, education and celebration.”
Inviting the Greater Cleveland community to experience the gala concert highlights the special role the Cleveland Foundation, through its donors, continues to play in supporting Cleveland’s hometown Orchestra — and its commitment to sharing more music with more people. In the past four decades, the Cleveland Foundation has granted more than $38 million to the orchestra, including a $10 million grant in 2013 as part of the orchestra’s “Sound for the Centennial” campaign — the largest single grant to an arts organization in the foundation’s history.
“The Cleveland Orchestra is a true treasure, not only here in Cleveland but throughout the world,” said Ronn Richard, Cleveland Foundation president and CEO, in a statement. “They were a wonderful partner during our centennial celebration in 2014, and now we’re delighted to be able to help the Orchestra celebrate 100 years in our community.” CV
LEAD IMAGE: The world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra performs at Severance Hall in Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood. PHOTO | Roger Mastroianni / The Cleveland Orchestra
