Wed 6/15-Sat 7/2

For classical music fans, there’s something unique about a chamber concert where an intimate group of musicians can seemingly let their hair down and, well, jam a bit. Therein lies the appeal of ChamberFest Cleveland, which takes place Wed 6/15-Sat 7/2 at various area venues (Cleveland Institute of Music, Maltz Center for the Performing Arts, Dobama Theatre, Harkness Chapel and the Transformer Station).

Billed as the region’s only festival of its kind, ChamberFest Cleveland annually creates exciting programming that allows musicians and audiences to explore and expand the chamber music experience.

The 2016 Chamberfest Cleveland includes appearances by Diana Cohen, Franklin Cohen, Julie Albers, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Yehonatan Berick, David Bowlin, Patrick Castillo, Scott Christian, Alexander Cohen, Nathan Farrington, Oliver Herbert, Hsin-Yun Huang, Benjamin Jaber, Alexi Kenney, Merima Kljuco, Michael Klotz, Jakob Koranyi, Yura Lee, Teng Li, Sivan Magen, Dimitri Murrath, Timotheos Petrin, Roman Rabinovich, Brandon Ridenour, Karim Sulayman, Fernando Traba, Orion Weiss and Itamar Zorman.

CoolCleveland talked to ChamberFest Cleveland’s Franklin Cohen, who along with his violinist daughter, Diana Cohen, created the annual affair.

Let’s start at the beginning. What are the origins of ChamberFest Cleveland?

My daughter and I founded it five years ago. I’ve been a member of the Cleveland Orchestra for 40 years as principal clarinetist. I retired last summer, and now they call me principal clarinetist emeritus, which is a title that hasn’t been bestowed before. I’m very proud. My daughter, the executive director of the Chamberfest, came to me with a proposition: She asked if I’d like to start a chamber music festival in Cleveland. I thought the idea was very interesting. I’ve been going to international chamber music festivals for many years. I taught at many over the years, and I love the energy of a summer festival.

What made Northeast Ohio the right location for a chamber music festival?

In Cleveland, between the late spring and early summer, there’s sort of a vacuum of classical music, really. The Cleveland Chamber Music Society is finished. I thought, “Wow, this is a great time of the year.” We could probably get some really well-known international artists. This year we have artists from six to eight countries coming together for three weeks to try to make the best music we can.

What is it about ChamberFest Cleveland that attracts these world-renowned musicians?

We have musicians that are internationally known for their chamber music, solo appearances and also who are concertmasters. We have first-prize winners. We have people who have distinguished themselves on the international music scene as being outstanding musicians and players, who love collaborating with like people. We run our festival in a very friendly-oriented style. We wanted it to be a family, so not overly large in number and everybody lives in the same area in nearby homes. The rehearsals are within a one-block radius of my house, or at my house, and we have a cook that feeds everyone. So we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together, as well as perform together for the pieces we’re doing in the festival.

Over the years, how has the festival grown?

It’s turning into our early mission. We started with a long extended weekend of five concerts and then went to two full weeks of eight or 10 concerts. This year is a three-week event with 13 performances. Actually it’s 14 because one performance is repeated.

What was it about the popularity of ChamberFest Cleveland that led you to believe the festival could be expanded to three weeks?

An audience that comes seems hungry. Our houses are very well full. Many performances are sold out. And we seem to have developed a larger audience with a little bit different look. Some younger people are coming. We have our various devotees of music and chamber music that are usually older but we’re getting some younger people. It seems as though those who live in Cleveland who like classical music also agree there is nothing to do in June.

Tell us about this year’s theme, “Tales and Legends?”

Every concert is built around either a tale, a legend or a theme. We have one concert built around obsessive qualities called Obsession. We’re playing music by all male composers that were pretty much obsessed by women they were not supposed to be obsessed by.

For classical music lovers, does ChamberFest Cleveland act as sort of an appetizer to the Cleveland Orchestra’s Blossom Festival?

I’d say it’s completely different. An orchestra has 100 people who are not used to playing alone that often, and they get in their own chairs facing a leader. We have no conductor. We make all of our own decisions. It’s a group effort and there’s a lot of talking, collaboration, albeit a small amount of time because we have so many pieces to put together in very short order. And if our players were not of the absolute finest quality, we couldn’t do this.

OK, how about instead of an appetizer for classical music lovers it’s more like two main courses that make up a nice summer meal?

I think that sounds pretty good. You know how they say heavy hors d’oeuvres? Well, we have a lot of concerts, some are light in nature, others are heavy, and it’s all good.

chamberfestcleveland.com

Post categories:

• Events
• John Benson
• Music: Classical
• Performance
• Festival
• Preview