Musical Leadership Will Take Center Stage at CIM's 2026 Luminaries Gala
All three featured guests and the honoree at CIM's 2026 annual scholarship gala will be models of musical leadership.
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 10, 2026
Along with dinner and dessert, guests at CIM's Luminaries event this year will be served a healthy dose of inspiration. All three featured guests and the honoree at CIM's 2026 annual scholarship gala will be models of musical leadership. Two major conductors, a clarinet legend, and a trailblazing cellist: each one is an artist of exemplary accomplishment.
“Our first Luminaries gala in CIM's reimagined Kulas Hall will be an evening worthy of that spectacular new performance space,” said Scott Harrison, CIM's Executive Vice President & Provost. “Between our special guests, students, and honorees, patrons will leave with a sense of the full scope of CIM's global and local connections and impact.”
This year, Luminaries will be held at CIM Friday, May 15. It will begin with a welcome reception at 5:30pm and include a concert and open-air dinner at 6:30pm and 7:30pm, respectively. Tickets may be purchased starting March 16 at cim.edu/luminaries or by phone at 216.795.3140.
Along with the date and time of Luminaries 2026, CIM on Friday also revealed the star-studded list of the night's honoree, co-hosts, and special guests.
Firstly, the 2026 honoree will be CIM clarinet faculty Franklin Cohen, one of the longest serving faculty members in CIM history and the longtime principal clarinet of The Cleveland Orchestra. More about Cohen is below.
That's not all for Luminaries 2026. Another significant attraction will be student performances. Throughout the evening, several of CIM's many scholarship recipients will demonstrate the impact of donor support with a wide variety of music showcasing their talent.
Luminaries guests also can look forward to interacting with legendary conductor Leonard Slatkin, the recipient of CIM's 2026 Honorary Doctor of Musical Arts and the first of three special guests at this year's event.
Besides Slatkin, patrons also will meet conductor Kathryn Harsha (MM '99), winner of CIM's 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award and artistic director of Pro Coro Alexandria and Alexandria Choral Society, and cellist Rebecca Shasberger (MM '17, Robinson) a co-founder of Renovare Music and winner of CIM's 2026 Alumni Achievement Award. More information about these artists is below.
Finally, four members of the CIM community will serve as chairs for the gala. They are Trustee Ann Buescher, Governing Member Cathy Lincoln, alum Jean Furman (BM '21, MM '21, Schiller) and faculty member and alum Ariel Karas (BM '10, MM '11, D. Cerone/L. Cerone/Rose). The event's planning committee, already composed of at least a dozen trustees and other supporters, is still being recruited.
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