CHECK OUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO: STORIES AND PHOTO GALLERIES
Click an image to see the complete gallery
Our May concert was bittersweet as the orchestra bid farewell to two retiring long time members (and SSO royalty!) with over 50 years of service each! We will greatly miss both of them; their leadership and contributions have set SSO up for success for years to come: Bonnie Svetlik, principal flute and steering committee chair (former president, programming committee chair and long-serving board member) and Richard Polster, French horn and finance committee (former treasurer and long-serving board member)… Read More
It was a magical afternoon as three talented young soloists took the stage and brought down the house. Max Tian, Nick Jacques and Yi-Chuan Li inspired everyone on stage (and in the audience) with their dedication and talent. The concert and season concluded with Sibelius Symphony 5 and its uplifting finale, inspired by soaring swans.… Read More
It was an eventful day before the first downbeat with a pre-concert art show and snacks from culinary artists. SSO members Kendra Lynn and Maya Uchino-Garcia captivated the audience with their stellar performances. Giving Tuesday contest winner Rei Sakurai conducted the encore (selected by online voting) and Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony provided an emotional finale that moved the audience to tears.… Read More
The planets aligned as SSO collaborated with over 200 student artists from St. Dominic School for an illustrated performance of Holst's "The Planets". Each grade did experiments and learned fun facts about their planet and then brought it to life via vibrant artwork. Sorry NASA, these images are the new gold standard! And what is a space concert without music from space movies, inspired by Holst's music? If you guessed Star Wars, good job! And finally, back on earth, everyone in the audience was invited to the front of the stage and say hello to the SSO and check out the instruments.… Read More
Nothing says October like spooky Halloween-themed music and an enchanting oboe concerto featuring Buffalo Philharmonic oboist and Beachwood native Joshua Lauretig. The fun went beyond the stage with a lobby full of decorations, a pumpkin art gallery, slide show of musician Halloween memories, Halloween trivia, a pie raffle, a Halloween memories slideshow and some fun guessing games. … Read More
A perfect summer evening and a perfect venue for epic film music under the stars! It was loud, it was brassy, it used a truckload of percussion and it was such a fun way to kick off an incredible season. We couldn't have asked for a better evening, better host or a better crowd. … Read More
What an amazing event! Nearly 250 musicians took the stage as SSO was joined by the West Shore and Western Reserve Chorales and 4 incredible vocal soloists for an unforgettable performance of Beethoven's Ninth at Severance Music Center in front of a near capacity crowd. Months of preparation, sweat, tears, extra rehearsals and donuts and pie all paid off as the crowd went wild again and again! Truly the crown jewel of our season.… Read More
What do you do when you get a last minute rehearsal space cancellation? You improvise... and follow the aroma of apple pie to Patterson's Fruit Farm Orchard Hills Event Center for a cozy picturesque morning rehearsal. The donuts and fritters at the market next door did not disappoint!… Read More
It was a full house at our first rehearsal with the Western Reserve Chorale and West Shore Chorale. With nearly 250 people in attendance, bonus points if you can find Waldo! Or Domenico.… Read More
See the spooky winners of our first ever Instrument Costume Contest. Who knew violins could be so scary! Congrats to first violinists to Kendra Frey (Doom "scroll" ing) and Bella Brandelis (Witch with Broom). Drink some warm milk before bed to ward off any nightmares!… Read More
The air was electric Saturday night as the Cleveland Chorale and SSO presented an joyous and moving evening of gospel, poetry and symphonic magic. The enthusiastic audience, the beautiful stained glass, the soaring voices, the power of the symphony created an unforgettable experience.… Read More
Another amazing end to our season! Our Young Soloist Winners Sabrina Kerze (piano), Cole Flores (flute) and Elora Kares (cello) brought down the house with their performances. The orchestra then took the audience on a wild ride through Beethoven's dramatic fifth symphony to end the season on a triumphant note. Recent retirees were also honored: Long time treasurer Gerry Beck, Flute and past president/board member Marlene Krause and Violin Joan Hartshorne. They will be dearly missed.… Read More
See all the good looking people in our professional photos taken at the Maltz Performing Arts Center during our performance of Brahms First Symphony… Read More
An afternoon for the whole family. A hilarious murder mystery with a bumbling inspector introduced the audience to the sections of the orchestra. And the amazing artists of the Rainey Institute brought music to life as projections of their visual interpretations of storms and firebirds accompanied the music of Beethoven, Rossini and Stravinsky. Following the concert, children had the opportunity to see instruments up close and learn all their secrets.… Read More
A fun and amazing concert featuring the galactic talents of Young Soloist Concerto Competitiom winners Daniel Colaner (piano), Eleanor Pompa (cello) and Fiona Tsang (cello). The second half feature John WIlliams Star Wars Suite for orchestra. What a way to end our season!… Read More
At long last, after covid and other delays, SSO and First Baptist Church performed Faure's peaceful, sublime requiem among the beautiful stained glass windows of First Baptist Church. Our collaboration with the choir of First Baptist Church and renowned vocal soloists Megan Santora and Young-Kwang Yoo was a memorable experience for all!… Read More
A lovely summer evening of broadway favorites, Star Wars and Jurassic Park. The sun was shining, the wind was wild and the conductor was encouraging the audience to buy stock in clothespins.… Read More
Artwork made by the students of Canterbury Elementary brought the music to life as it was projected behind the orchestra while they played Ravel's Mother Goose Suite. The second half featured Stookey's The Composer is Dead (with text by Lemony Snicket). Linn Obery narrated this humorous "whodunnit" that introduces and accuses the instruments of the orchestra as the inspector tries to solve a murder mystery. The orchestra wore colorful scarves and ties, correlated to their section of the orchestra.… Read More
Program included Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Bizet's Carmen Suite and Chopin Concerto No.1 featuring pianist Shuai Wang… Read More