Cleveland Women's Orchestra

05/10/2026

Feel like reliving our spring concert? 🌸 Check out Daniel Hathaway's review for ClevelandClassical.com.

Highlights include our "exquisite performance" of Ravel's Pavane pour en infant defunte and special recognition for two of our players: Jennifer Ledyard and Anna Shelow. 👏🏻

"CWO has grown artistically during [Eric Benjamin's] two years at the helm, and he leaves the orchestra in good hands for his successor."

🔗 Read the full review here: https://clevelandclassical.com/cleveland-womens-orchestra-at-severance-music-center-apr-19/

04/24/2026

We are still buzzing from our concert this past Sunday! 🎶 Thank you to everyone who joined us at Severance Music Center as we wrapped up our wonderful 91st season. More photos to come!

📸 by Roger Mastroianni

04/18/2026

We've made the weekend lists! Thank you to Ideastream News and Cleveland Magazine for shouting out our concert among the many exciting things you can do this weekend in Cleveland.

🎟️ See you tomorrow afternoon at Severance? Don't forget your tickets: https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/events/cleveland-womens-orchestra

04/17/2026

Thank you to Zachary Lewis and cleveland.com for this feature ahead of our concert on Sunday!

As mentioned in the article, we will soon be saying a fond farewell to our music director Eric Benjamin, who plans to put more energy into his composing career. We will be welcoming Victor Anstine as his successor — a NE Ohio native and the current director of the Akron Pops Orchestra.

Please join us on Sunday to say a big thank you to Eric for three great years with our organization!

Benjamin’s tenure with the CWO pales in terms of length next to predecessors Robert Cronquist and Hyman Schandler, but the impact has still been quite significant.

04/15/2026

It's concert week! Before you come hear us in Severance Hall on Sunday, meet our featured soloist, Angelin Chang.

A Grammy-winning pianist on faculty at Cleveland State University, Angelin will be performing Saint-Saëns' beautiful and virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 2.

🎟️ There's still time to get your tickets for April 19 at 3:30 pm! Click here: https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/events/cleveland-womens-orchestra

04/06/2026

Meet composer Sarah Hegenderfer! We are so excited to premiere her piece "Blood Moon" on our April 19 concert.

A composition student at the University of Akron, Sarah creates music with a focus on storytelling and cinematic flair. You may recognize her piece "Clearing of Snow," which the Akron Symphony Orchestra premiered in January.

🎟️ Don't miss this chance to hear her music at our Severance Hall performance! Tickets: https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/events/cleveland-womens-orchestra

03/31/2026

We welcomed our wonderful piano soloist Angelin Chang and composer Sarah Hegenderfer at last night's rehearsal!

Angelin will be performing Saint-Saëns' beautiful and athletic Piano Concerto No. 2, while Sarah has written a piece for us called "Blood Moon," inspired by the phenomenon of a total lunar eclipse.

🎟️ Hear both of these pieces (and more) on April 19 at 3:30 pm. Tickets: https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/events/cleveland-womens-orchestra

03/23/2026

Rehearsals are underway for our April 19th performance in Severance Hall! For our 91st annual concert, the orchestra will return to this fabulous venue with music by Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Franck, and Hegenderfer.

We’re especially excited to feature pianist Angelin Chang in Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 and to premiere a piece by a local young composer, Sarah Hegenderfer.

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/events/cleveland-womens-orchestra

📸 by Roger Mastroianni

03/29/2025

On Sunday afternoon, March 30 at 3:30, the Cleveland Women's Orchestra will continue its long tradition of performing in Severance Hall. The ensemble’s 90th Anniversary Concert in what is now known as the Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center will be conducted by music director Eric Benjamin. Tickets are available online.

The main work on the program will feature violinist Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler, cellist Eleanor P***a, and pianist Emanuela Friscioni, in Ludwig van Beethoven’ Triple Concerto.

Read the full concert preview by Daniel Hathaway at the link: https://clevelandclassical.com/cleveland-womens-orchestra-at-severance-chatting-with-conductor-eric-benjamin/

03/28/2025

It's not too late to join us in celebrating this historic milestone! 🎻🎉

The Cleveland Women’s Orchestra is proud to present our 90th Anniversary Concert—a tribute to nearly a century of incredible music, community, and history. As the oldest women’s orchestra in the country, we’ve upheld our founding mission: creating performance opportunities for talented women musicians, showcasing gifted young soloists, and sharing the gift of music through our concerts.

📅 When: Sunday, March 30 at 3:30pm EST
📍 Where: Severance Hall
🎫 Tickets: https://bit.ly/CWO90thAnnivConcert

Let’s honor the legacy of Hyman Schandler and the passionate musicians who’ve made Cleveland’s music scene richer for generations. 🎶