Imposing over the end of the Binary Walkway at Case Western Reserve University is Severance Hall, which houses the Cleveland Orchestra, one of Cleveland’s crown jewels. In the rest of its 2022-2023 season, Jen Steer, the Cleveland Orchestra’s media relations manager, notes there will be three new show concerts within the next month.

The Cleveland Orchestra just wrapped up a series of concerts led by Franz Welser-Möst, its music director. Steer explains that his compositions “juxtapose two works by Franz Schubert with Alban Berg’s ‘Lyric Suite’” along with “extremely talented vocalists, as well as the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus,” led by Lisa Wong. 

In addition, Lauren Menke, a student ambassador for the Cleveland Orchestra, notes, “Sometimes the performances are more than just the orchestra—one time, two opera singers were featured. I realized I had never heard opera singing in person and that the two amazing soloists had traveled across an ocean to perform on a stage in Cleveland. The descriptor ‘a voice like an angel’ is overused, but I have no better way to describe the soprano soloist.” 

In mid-February, Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä will conduct six performances in Cleveland. Steer notes he is the principal conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic and “one of classical music’s young rising stars.”

Between the two performances, the Cleveland Orchestra will wrap up its residency in Miami with two performances of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique and Violin Concerto.

Lastly, from Feb. 16-18, the Cleveland Orchestra will present Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and the Mozart and Strauss program from Feb. 23-25. Steer notes that these concerts are great if you are “new to classical music” and that “you don’t have to be an expert on classical to appreciate the music.” 

Going to the Cleveland Orchestra is something that many CWRU students have experienced. Menke explained that she originally got into orchestra music because her SAGES First Seminar professor took her class to see a Cleveland Orchestra performance. She expresses, “I have always liked music (especially live music) and it was amazing to me that such a great performance takes place every week practically on campus!” 

The vibe of going to the Orchestra is different, as Menke explains, “Though Severance Hall is next door to Kelvin Smith Library, it feels completely different.” It allows concertgoers to escape the stresses of university life, as the attendees enter the Art Deco and Egyptian Revival style Severance Music Center.

And even then, not only has she seen CWRU students every time she has attended, but Menke notes now that you do not have to dress up and “that other concertgoers are happy to see young people attending orchestra concerts. Plus, no one really cares who is sitting next to them; it is all about the music!”

To access these experiences, Steer says that students may either purchase a Frequent Fan Card for $35 to get unlimited access to the season’s performances or obtain a Student Advantage Membership, which enables them to buy $15 performance tickets. You can sign up at any time either by email or in person at their box office, and the perks start instantly.