Stradivari violin captivates Collinwood

Maybe it was the spring breeze from our Lake Erie that delivered an electricity to our neighborhood when CityMusic Cleveland wowed the audience during their second visit this year.  On the evening of May 12th St. Jerome Church on Lake Shore Boulevard was transformed for the evening into an acoustically rich concert hall.  The incredible, young, award winning soloist, Tessa Lark, exhausted the range of her 1683 Stradivari violin while CityMusic Cleveland, conducted by Music Director, Avner Dorman, shared the stage in Czech composer Dvorak’s Violin Concerto in A minor, B. 108 (Op.53) for violin and orchestra.  At times Ms. Lark seemed to be lifted off her feet through the heights of the music.  She commented after the performance that she had a particularly great time playing in the gorgeous church and felt joy looking up above her.  She also shared her feeling of an appreciative audience, listeners who did not take the music for granted, and could, therefore, evoke her own lofty emotions.  Following Dvorak’s concerto, Ms. Lark, ever in touch with her Kentucky roots, kicked off her shoes and delighted everyone when she threw it down with a vivacious bluegrass song on her fiddle.  One exhilarated orchestra member congratulated Tessa backstage and expressed gratitude for the fun-filled hoedown.

Jay Mogg of Rome, Ohio, has been a dedicated associate of CityMusic Cleveland since its founding in 2004 and often assists when stage customization is needed at certain venues.  He is impressed with the orchestra’s world class musicians and supports their efforts to bring free classical music to people who might never be exposed to it.  St. Jerome School fourth grade student, Amari Totty, came to her first-ever orchestra concert that night.  Amari thought the performance was very classy.  She was, also, very impressed by the orchestra playing in unison.  Her mom, Pam, appreciated the opportunity to introduce her daughter to classical music.  Pam remembers hearing an orchestra as a youngster and is happy that her daughter had the chance to attend a wonderful concert so close to home.

One observer felt riveted to her seat as the evening’s performance closed with the flawless, majestic tympanic thunder of Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony.  If you were there you remember it well, if not mark your calendars for October 23 when CityMusic Cleveland returns to St. Jerome’s for a Sunday concert at 4 p.m.  CityMusic, we will patiently wait for October to get here, because Collinwood is feeling attached to you.