Cleveland Orchestra & Franz Welser-Most to Premiere New Opear & Ballet in April

On April 7-10, 2016 The Cleveland Orchestra, Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, and The Joffrey Ballet will perform a double-bill of staged opera and ballet in four performances at Severance Hall. The performances feature two works by 20th-century Hungarian composer Béla Bartók: his gritty and tragic ballet The Miraculous Mandarin and the operatic psychological thriller, Bluebeard's Castle. Chicago's The Joffrey Ballet and Artistic Director Ashley Wheater continue their long-term partnership with The Cleveland Orchestra with this production featuring newly commissioned choreography and staging for both Bartók works under the direction of choreographer Yuri Possokhov. Bluebeard's Castle features two renowned singers, bass Mikhail Petrenko and soprano Katarina Dalayman, and members of The Joffrey Ballet in this riveting drama of a man introducing his new wife to the secrets of his past. Both productions' set, lighting, and projections are designed by Alexander V. Nichols with costume design by Mark Zappone and costume construction by Mark A Zappone & Co.

A production video including interviews with Franz Welser-Möst and Ashley Wheater is now available online here:

"For this special Bartók double-bill, opera and ballet are brought together to create an evening of collaboration between dancers, singers and musicians," says Music Director Franz Welser-Möst. "The Orchestra will be incorporated into the staging of both works, allowing us to be even more creative with the use of space. It is important for us to present new productions, for the musicians to grow in their understanding of each work and for audiences to see these masterful works with fresh perspective. We remain fully committed to these art forms and the continuous creation of thrilling new productions. We wanted to do Bluebeard's Castle for a long time and this extraordinary partnership with The Joffrey Ballet enables us to present the work in an exciting new way and to present another masterpiece that Bartók has written for the stage, The Miraculous Mandarin."

"Working with Franz is a great, great honor and putting The Joffrey Ballet and The Cleveland Orchestra on stage together at Severance Hall has given us the opportunity to re-think how we use space," says Joffrey Artistic Director Ashley Wheater. "We have come to a concept that is going to be engaging for the audience, the musicians, and the dancers. The dance world in America is not so familiar with The Miraculous Mandarin, and bringing these two Bartók works together is unique. The audience will feel the absolute power of dance and the voice altogether in one space. Thinking about who would be the best person to tackle the very dark subject of these works, I thought of Yuri Possokhov as a very clear choice; he loves drama and loves to go to the dark side."

The Cleveland Orchestra and Ballet
As part of a new ongoing partnership with The Joffrey Ballet, begun in 2009, the Bartók performances at Severance Hall will be the first time a major work has been jointly commissioned by The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago-based ballet company. The Cleveland Orchestra's relationship with The Joffrey Ballet began in the 1970s when they performed at The Cleveland Orchestra's summer home, Blossom Music Center.

The Cleveland Orchestra and Opera
Under Franz Welser-Möst's direction, The Cleveland Orchestra re-established itself as an important operatic ensemble with Welser-Möst leading annual opera performances during his tenure in Cleveland. In 2008, he led five sold-out performances of a staged production of Dvo?ák's opera Rusalka with the Orchestra at the Salzburg Festival. He next brought fully-staged opera back to Severance Hall, following a four-decade absence, with a three-season cycle of Zurich Opera productions of the Mozart-Da Ponte operas. This was followed by concert performances of Strauss's Salome at Severance Hall and at Carnegie Hall in 2012, and in May 2014 Welser-Möst led an innovative new production of Leoš Janá?ek's The Cunning Little Vixen at Severance Hall. In May 2015, he led staged performances of Strauss's Daphne at Severance Hall, followed by concert performances in New York in July as part of Lincoln Center Festival 2015.

With its commitment to ambitious and innovative artistic programming, including opera and ballet presentations, The Cleveland Orchestra was awarded a special matching grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support these ongoing initiatives. The gift of $2.5 million - the largest to the Orchestra in the Foundation's history - supports programming and partnerships that expand the Orchestra's repertoire and distinguish the Orchestra as a leader in opera productions. The foundation's gift is a matching grant, helping to activate and encourage local support from a growing list of individuals.

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