About CityMusic Orchestra

CityMusic Cleveland is a professional chamber orchestra dedicated to making music accessible through free concerts and innovative programming. Since its inception in 2004, CityMusic has built partnerships with communities across Northeast Ohio, bringing exceptional performances to longtime music lovers and first-time audience members alike. CityMusic is proud to showcase today’s top soloists in our concerts, including violinists Gil Shaham, Jennifer Koh, Kyung Sun Lee, Rachel Barton Pine, Tessa Lark, Sayake Shoji, and Adele Anthony; cellists Edward Arron and Jan Vogler; singers Sasha Cooke, Chabrelle Williams, Joshua Blue, and Raymond Aceto; clarinetists Franklin Cohen and Daniel Gilbert; and saxophonist Timothy McAllister.

In 2022 the orchestra transitioned to a democratic leadership model, an innovative structure that values the creative voice of every player. Through a dynamic process of collaboration and attunement, democratic musicians work together to achieve a unified artistic vision without a conductor. However, there are times when guest conductors are intvited. The deep bonds between CityMusic musicians, developed over years of working closely together, are conveyed to the audience in uniquely present and sensitive performances.

Explore CityMusic

Accessible and InclusiveMusic

CityMusic is committed to representing the full diversity of the canon, showcasing well-known composers alongside newly commissioned works and overlooked historic treasures. Programs intentionally highlight pieces by BIPOC composers and women, groups historically underrepresented in music. By presenting music of diverse composers and performing contemporary works that fuse classical and popular styles, CityMusic aims to make concerts relevant and exciting for diverse audiences.

CityMusic has a strong history of using music to explore social issues, through both commissioned works and concert programming. New music written for the orchestra has addressed a wide range of topics, from a chamber work by Margaret Brouwer tackling bullying, to an orchestral piece depicting the plight of Cleveland refugees by Dan Visconti, to a musical commentary on the struggle for African American equality by jazz artist John Clayton. Concert programs are also built around current issues and meaningful events, such as a 2019 Holocaust Remembrance Day performance of Verdi’s Requiem commemorating the 1943 performances of the work at Theresienstadt.

CityMusic also creates expansive experiences by connecting music to other art forms. The organization commissions program artwork from local artists, such as the 2021-22 series of visual representations of Lady Justice that complemented 12 new chamber works commissioned on the theme “Justice, Equality, and Freedom.” Performances also tie in local dance and spoken word, such as a recent video collaboration with GroundWorks Dance Theater to accompany Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, or the performance of the two new works setting the poetry of Cleveland-born activist King Weatherspoon.

In addition to presenting free concerts across the region, CityMusic is also committed to advancing arts education access. The Clurie Bennis Children’s Outreach Series presents interactive arts programs that tell unique cultural stories, performed in schools and libraries in underserved Cleveland neighborhoods.

Our Mission Statement

CityMusic Cleveland is a professional chamber orchestra, founded to perform free concerts throughout Northeast Ohio.
Our mission is to develop audiences and build communities through the arts by:

  • Presenting the finest quality performances,

  • Eliminating the twin barriers of high ticket prices and unfamiliar venues,

  • Working with neighborhood leaders to enrich the cultural offerings of their communities, and

  • Providing quality arts education programs in underserved Cleveland neighborhoods.

In so doing, CityMusic Cleveland builds audiences for both the musical and visual arts organizations in Northeast Ohio and beyond.