Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland

The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is regarded as one of the "Big Five" American orchestras, a designation that signifies its status among the top-tier orchestral ensembles in the United States. Founded in 1918 by the visionary pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra has maintained an international reputation for artistic excellence and innovation.

Hughes, along with businessman John L. Severance, Father John Powers, music critic Archie Bell, and Russian-American violinist and conductor Nikolai Sokoloff-who became the Orchestra’s first music director-established the ensemble with the mission of bringing world-class orchestral performances to Cleveland. The Orchestra’s inaugural concert was held on December 11, 1918, at Grays Armory, marking the beginning of its illustrious journey.

The Cleveland Orchestra performs most of its concerts at Severance Hall, an iconic venue known for its Art Deco architecture and outstanding acoustics. As of 2020, the Orchestra is led by Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Möst, who has served as its music director since 2002. Under his direction, the Orchestra has continued to receive widespread acclaim for its refined sound and dynamic programming.

The Cleveland Orchestra has been praised by leading publications such as The New York Times, which, in 2020, hailed it as "America's finest, still." In 2012, Gramophone Magazine ranked it as number 7 on its list of the world’s greatest orchestras, solidifying its place among the global elite of classical music.

The Orchestra's origins date back to Hughes’s role as a local music promoter. In 1915, she co-founded the Musical Arts Association, bringing prestigious acts like the Ballets Russes in 1916 and Wagner’s Siegfried in 1917 to Cleveland. Her efforts paved the way for the creation of The Cleveland Orchestra, now a cultural icon renowned worldwide.