It’s a family affair. Raised on quartets and intimate music-making, the Cohen children Diana (violin and concertmaster of the Richmond Symphony) and Alexander (Principal Timpani in the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra) learned to love chamber music in their own family room, playing with their father Franklin, who’s been principal clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra since 1976, and their late mother, bassoonist Lynette Diers Cohen.
As they discuss in this exclusive Cool Cleveland video interview, Diana and her father Franklin sensed that the Cleveland area was lacking a quality chamber music festival, so they concocted ChamberFest Cleveland, the first installment of which kicks off on Wed 6/27 and runs through the weekend to Sun 7/1/12.
Explosive Beginnings on June 27 at Mixon Hall showcases masterpieces written by composers in their youth, such as the Mendelssohn Octet, created when he was 16. Brazilian music livens the after-party.
Movie Night on June 28 at The Wine Spot on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights brings an improvised score to accompany the 1924 silent Buster Keaton flick, “Sherlock, Jr.”
Big Bang on June 29 return to Mixon for percussion and gypsy music such as Bartok, and features brother Alexander, and an after-party with Cleveland’s gypsy legends Harmonia.
Rule Smashers on June 30 is set in the ethereal Harkness Chapel at CWRU with a pre-concert talk and a program that shines the spotlight on Haydn, Stravinsky & Schoenberg.
Origins & Revelations on July 1 at Dunham Tavern offers timeless masterpieces from Beethoven, Mozart & Shostakovich, again featuring a pre-concert talk.
Shot live at Cleveland Institute of Music’s Mixon Hall, where many of ChamberFest’s events take place, Franklin and Diana bring out their clarinet and violin and have a little fun before and after their interview.
View the VIDEO here.
http://www.ChamberFestCleveland.com