The Cleveland Orchestra

The Cleveland Orchestra is widely considered one of the top orchestras in the world thanks to its long-standing strategy of touring and recording to reach the broadest audience possible. Founded in 1918 by promoter Adella Prentiss Hughes (who teamed up with the orchestra’s first conductor, Nikolai Sokoloff, to get the troupe off the ground), the organisation grew quickly, playing Carnegie Hall by 1922 and releasing a recording of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture two years later. George Szell, who was the Cleveland Orchestra’s musical director and conductor between 1946 and 1970, helped the ensemble grow internationally. With an exacting ear for sound, Szell improved the acoustics of the orchestra’s local venues, and he led the ensemble on its first European tour and, later, appearances at prestigious festivals. Szell’s successors preserved his penchant for pristine sonics and top-tier musicianship, making the orchestra’s recorded albums popular sellers, especially during the tenure of director Christoph von Dohnányi during the ’80 and ’90s. Today, The Cleveland Orchestra performs year-round, including summer concerts outdoors at the Blossom Music Center (an idyllic setting that gives the orchestra a chance to explore more pops-oriented fare such as movie scores), and continues to tour internationally. For the Cleveland Orchestra’s centennial, music director Franz Welser-Möst linked Beethoven’s music to the Greek god Prometheus, carrying on the ensemble’s knack for making powerful connections through music.