In Sunday’s (3/1) Plain Dealer (Cleveland), Zachary Lewis notes the difference between a typical Cleveland Orchestra tour and its Miami residency. “Unlike other cities that host the orchestra frequently, Miami is home to a dedicated network of staff and volunteers whose job it is to embed the ensemble in South Florida. What’s more, these people are active all year round, not just when the orchestra happens to be in town, as it will be next weekend to reprise the Beethoven program concluding Sunday at Severance Hall with conductor Kurt Masur and pianist Louis Lortie. … [Miami residency director Sandi] Macdonald is one of two full-time employees of the Cleveland Orchestra based in Miami. The other is Montserrat Balseiro, patron development associate, who was hired in part for her ability to speak Spanish in a city where 62 percent of the population is Hispanic.” The Miami team aims to make sure the orchestra’s $4 million budget for the residency is covered. “Sources affiliated with the residency proudly note that the project not only pays for itself but also benefits the institution as a whole. Indeed, in a recent strategy document, the orchestra states that it may be planning to ‘materially increase’ the amount of time it spends in Miami.”
Photo: Soprano Measha Brueggergosman with Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra at the Arsht Center in Miami.
Credit: Roger Mastroianni
