The Cleveland Orchestra

Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Möst began his tenure as the seventh music director of The Cleveland Orchestra in September 2002.  He first conducted the Orchestra in 1993, and returned to Severance Hall as a guest conductor on a regular basis, leading the Orchestra in more than 70 concerts in a wide-ranging repertoire.  The Cleveland Orchestra has begun a new era under Welser-Möst's guidance, while maintaining a steadfast commitment to its long-held traditions of artistic excellence, educational outreach, and community service.

The Cleveland Orchestra was founded in 1918 under the direction of Russian-American conductor Nikolai Sokoloff, who initiated an extensive domestic touring schedule, educational concerts, commercial recordings, and radio broadcasts.  Concerts were given at Grays Armory during the Orchestra's first season, after which they moved to Cleveland's Masonic Auditorium.  In 1931, the Orchestra moved to its new permanent home, Severance Hall.  This magnificent facility was primarily the gift of John L. Severance as a memorial to his wife.  Severance Hall was among the first concert halls in America designed and built with radio broadcasting capability.

Since its founding, the Orchestra has enjoyed the leadership of seven music directors: Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodzinski, Erich Leinsdorf, George Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Welser-Möst.  Each of these individuals has placed his own unique stamp on the Orchestra and contributed to its ever-growing reputation.