Finding aid for the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra Records


Title:
Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra Records
Repository:
Western Reserve Historical Society
Phone: 216-721-5722
http://www.wrhs.org
Creator:
Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra Records
Dates:
1937-1992
Quantity:
6.20 linear feet (7 containers)
Abstract:
The Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1938, by three musicians, Irving Klein, Alfred Zetzer, and Robert Zupnick. They envisioned the orchestra as a training ground for young musicians seeking orchestral experience towards future professional careers and as an outlet for talented amateur musicians. F. Karl Grossman, professor of music at Western Reserve University, was the first conductor and music director of the group, serving for 25 years. Affiliated with Western Reserve University in its early years, the orchestra performed at various locations. Later conductors included Zoltan Rozsnyai, Jose Serebrier, Robert Marcellus, John Ross, and William Slocum. In 1973, the orchestra first sponsored the Young Person's Concerto Competition, later renamed the Frieda Schumacher Concerto Competition. The orchestra also extended its outreach into the community, playing concerts for specific ethnic groups at the Bohemian National Hall, for the Polish-American Congress and the Lithuanian community, and at annual Martin Luther King Day concerts held at Cuyahoga Community College. Beginning in 1976, the orchestra performed under the name Cleveland Civic Orchestra, changing its name back to the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra in 1981. Throughout its history, the orchestra performed new works by local composers, including F. Karl Grossman, Leslie Adams, Ernest Miller, Robert Rollin, Daniel Shell, and Peter Ware. It featured soloists such as Josef Gingold, Daniel Majeske, Phil Myers, Eunice Podis, Linda Cerone, Jean Kraft, Richard Weiss, John Mack, Roman Rudnytsky, and many others. The collection consists of histories, articles of incorporation and constitutions, minutes, correspondence, notes, manuals and notebooks, articles, newspaper clippings, publicity materials, financial materials, grant applications, membership lists, reports, programs, and scrapbooks.
Identification:
MS 4712
Location:
closed stacks
Language:
The records are in English

History of the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra

The Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra (f. 1938) was founded by three young musicians, Irving Klein, Alfred Zetzer, and Robert Zupnick. Dr. F. Karl Grossman, professor of music at Western Reserve University, accepted their offer to become the first conductor and music director of the group. He held that post for the first twenty-five years of the orchestra's existence. The orchestra, while remaining "amateur" in the sense that no personnel (other than the conductor, concertmaster, and soloists) received monetary compensation for their participation, has since become one of the most widely respected musical organizations of Cleveland, Ohio. It has, since its inception, been both a training ground for young musicians seeking orchestral experience towards future professional careers and an outlet for talented amateur musicians.

The Cleveland Philharmonic first performed on November 13th, 1938, in a concert sponsored by the Cleveland Society for Fine Arts and held at the Carter Hotel. Its first formal concert took place at Severance Hall on February 11, 1939. Affiliated with Western Reserve University in its early years, the orchestra performed concerts several times each season in various locations. After the departure of Dr. Grossman in 1963, George Cleve served as conductor for the 1964-1965 season. With the appointment of Zoltan Rozsnyai as conductor from 1965 to 1968 and with the incorporation of the orchestra as a nonprofit institution in 1968, the orchestra regained the stability of the Grossman years. During this period, Masonic Auditorium became the site of most Philharmonic concerts.

The 1970s were a time of innovation and change for the Philharmonic. Conductors included Jose Serebrier, who served from 1968 to 1971 and then went on to become an internationally-known conductor; Robert Marcellus, principal clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra, who served from 1971 to 1977; and John Ross, who served from 1977 to 1979. In 1973, the orchestra sponsored the first Young Person's Concerto Competition, with the winner performing a concerto with the orchestra. The competition is now known as the Frieda Schumacher Concerto Competition, in honor of a local music teacher and Philharmonic supporter. The Philharmonic also sought to extend itself into the community by playing special concerts for specific ethnic groups, such as at the Bohemian National Hall, for celebrations sponsored by the Polish-American Congress, and special Lithuanian community celebrations. The Philharmonic also played special concerts for the Lake Erie Girl Scout Council (girls could earn a merit badge for attending concerts) and for groups of mentally handicapped individuals. In 1976, the Philharmonic changed its name to the Cleveland Civic Orchestra, in an effort to appeal to the community at large and to further differentiate itself from the Cleveland Orchestra. It performed under this name until 1981, when orchestra board and playing members voted to change the name back to the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Philharmonic continued its community outreach programs into the 1980s. Orchestra concert sites varied, with the orchestra at times affiliated with Cleveland State University, and eventually with Cuyahoga Community College, performing concerts at its metropolitan and western campuses. With Cuyahoga Community College, the orchestra has sponsored annual Martin Luther King Day concerts. The orchestra also continued to perform special event concerts at other venues, including Cain Park and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. In 1981, after several seasons of guest conductors, the Philharmonic appointed William Slocum its music director and conductor. With strong board and officer leadership in the 1980s, the Philharmonic received several grants from the Ohio Arts Council and other organizations, and developed a five-year plan. During the 1984, 1985, and 1986 seasons, the orchestra presented Sohio Artist-in-Residence programs through grants obtained from the Organization of Ohio Orchestras and paid for by the Standard Oil Company. The Philharmonic also continued to sponsor and perform new works by local composers, including Leslie Adams, Ernest Miller, Robert Rollin, Daniel Shell, and Peter Ware. The Philharmonic has throughout its history featured local and nationally-known soloists, including many members of the Cleveland Orchestra. Soloists have included Josef Gingold, Daniel Majeske, Phil Myers, Eunice Podis, Linda Cerone, Jean Kraft, Richard Weiss, John Mack, Roman Rudnytsky, and many others. During the 1987-1988 season, the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.


click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for F. Karl Grossman

Scope and Content

The Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra Records, 1937-1992, consist of histories, articles of incorporation and constitutions, minutes, correspondence, notes, manuals and notebooks, articles, newspaper clippings, publicity materials, financial materials, grant applications, membership lists, reports, programs, and scrapbooks.

This collection is of value to researchers interested in the history of music and musical groups in Cleveland, Ohio from the 1930s to the 1980s. It also chronicles the ties of a fine arts organization to the greater community it serves. Because the collection spans a fifty year period, it would be of interest to researchers interested in the growth and development of fine arts organizations over time.

Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in seven series.
Series I: Administration is arranged in four sub-series.
Sub-series A: Historical Records is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Sub-series B: Minutes is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Sub-series C: Notebooks and Manuals is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Sub-series D: Miscellaneous is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series II: General Correspondence is arranged chronologically.
Series III: Financial is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series IV: Personnel is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series V: Performance is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series VI: Publicity is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series VII: Newspaper Clippings and Scrapbooks is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Separated Material: Separated Material

All photographs have been removed to PG 478 Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra Photographs. Reel-to-reel tapes, audio cassette tapes, and videotapes have been removed to the audio-visual collection.


Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra.
Composers -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Concerts -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Frieda Schumacher Concerto Competition.
Grossman, F. Karl.
Music -- Ohio -- Cleveland -- Performance.
Music -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Musical groups -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Orchestra.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4712 Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra, 1992

Processing Information

Processed by Deborah R. Shell in 1995.


Detailed Description of The Collection



Series I: Administration, 1940-1991; undated




Sub-series A: Historical Records, 1947-1991; undated

Box 1 / Folder 1
Histories, 1956-1991




Box 1 / Folder 2
Articles of incorporation, 1968-1985




Box 1 / Folder 3
Constitutions and by-laws, 1947-1981







Sub-series B: Minutes, 1956-1989; undated

Box 1 / Folder 4
Annual meetings, minutes, notes, and correspondence, 1966-1972




Box 1 / Folder 5-11
Board of directors minutes, notes, and correspondence, 1956-1989




Box 1 / Folder 12
Fiftieth Anniversary Committee, agenda and notes, 1985-1986




Box 1 / Folder 13
Finance Committee, minutes, notes, and correspondence, 1966-1968




Box 1 / Folder 14
Long Range Planning Committee, minutes, notes, and correspondence, 1967-1968




Box 1 / Folder 15
Nominating Committee, minutes, notes, and correspondence, 1958-1978




Box 1 / Folder 16
Women's Committee, minutes, correspondence and notes, 1958







Sub-series C: Notebooks and Manuals, 1940-1972

Box 1 / Folder 17-18
Director's manual (Jose Serebrier), 1968




Box 1 / Folder 19
Director's manual (Robert Marcellus), 1972




Box 1 / Folder 20-24
Notebooks, including minutes of board of directors, personnel lists, budget and financial statements, programs, newspaper clippings, constitution, by-laws, correspondence, membership lists, and other documents, 1940-1955







Sub-series D: Miscellaneous, 1954-1988; undated

Box 1 / Folder 25
American Symphony Orchestra League, correspondence, surveys, and meeting announcements, 1976




Box 2 / Folder 26
Articles and notes, 1976




Box 2 / Folder 27
Audience surveys, 1983-1984




Box 2 / Folder 28
Cleveland State University, correspondence and notes, 1969




Box 2 / Folder 29-30
Cuyahoga Community College, correspondence and contracts, 1976-1987




Box 2 / Folder 31
Planning, Jeanette MacNeille files, 1981-1983




Box 2 / Folder 32
Planning, long range plans, 1968-1984




Box 2 / Folder 33
Saint Vincent Quadrangle, Inc., correspondence and reports, 1984-1988




Box 2 / Folder 34
Schedules, 1954-1987





Series II: General Correspondence, 1939-1987; undated

Box 2 / Folder 35-42
General correspondence, 1939





Series III: Financial, 1946-1989; undated

Box 2 / Folder 43
Bascom Little Fund, 1977-1978




Box 2 / Folder 44-48
Budget and financial statements, 1950-1989




Box 2 / Folder 49-51
Contracts (including American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers; and Broadcast Music Inc.), 1968-1987




Box 3 / Folder 52-53
Contributions, 1946-1947




Box 3 / Folder 54-55
Contributions, mailing lists, 1980




Box 3 / Folder 56
Contributions, Standard Oil Company, 1977




Box 3 / Folder 57
Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners allocations, 1981-1986




Box 3 / Folder 58
Foundations, 1952




Box 3 / Folder 59-60
Fund-raising (includes 1985 fundraising seminar), 1965-1983




Box 3 / Folder 61
Internal Revenue Service, 1952




Box 3 / Folder 62-64
Ohio Arts Council, grant applications, correspondence, and reports, 1973-1986




Box 3 / Folder 65
Ohio Arts Council, technical assistance consultancy grant, applications and correspondence, 1983-1985




Box 3 / Folder 66
Organization of Ohio Orchestras, correspondence, 1978




Box 3 / Folder 67
Organization of Ohio Orchestras, membership directories, 1977




Box 3 / Folder 68
Organization of Ohio Orchestras, newsletters and reports, 1979-1988




Box 3 / Folder 69
Organization of Ohio Orchestras, Sohio Artist-in-Residence (Jean Kraft), applications, correspondence, publicity, and reports, 1980




Box 3 / Folder 70
Organization of Ohio Orchestras, Sohio Artist-in-Residence (Phil Myers), applications, correspondence, publicity, and reports, 1984-1985




Box 3 / Folder 71
Organization of Ohio Orchestras, Sohio Artist-in-Residence (Clive Lythgoe), applications, correspondence, publicity, and reports, 1984-1986





Series IV: Personnel, 1938-1988; undated

Box 4 / Folder 72
Attendance records, 1966-1967




Box 4 / Folder 73
Board of directors membership lists, 1968-1986




Box 4 / Folder 74
Composers, Leslie Adams, 1976-1983




Box 4 / Folder 75
Composers, Stanley Sussman, 1980-1983




Box 4 / Folder 76-85
Concerto Competition, 1974-1987




Box 4 / Folder 86
Conductors, 1964




Box 4 / Folder 87
Conductors, F. Karl Grossman, 1938-1954




Box 4 / Folder 88
Conductors, Robert Marcellus, 1973




Box 4 / Folder 89
Conductors, John Ross, undated




Box 4 / Folder 90
Conductors, Jose Serebrier, 1966-1971




Box 4 / Folder 91
Conductors, William Slocum, 1980




Box 4 / Folder 92
Job descriptions, 1960




Box 4 / Folder 93
Membership information questionnaires (arranged alphabetically by name), 1978-1979




Box 4 / Folder 94
Miscellaneous personnel correspondence, lists, and notes, 1967-1969




Box 4 / Folder 95
Orchestra membership lists, 1948-1988




Box 4 / Folder 96
Personnel policies, 1968-1973




Box 4 / Folder 97
Recruitment, 1968-1969




Box 4 / Folder 98
Resumes (arranged alphabetically by name), 1968




Box 4 / Folder 99
Soloists, biographies and resumes (arranged alphabetically by name), 1970-1984




Box 4 / Folder 100
Ushers, 1985-1986





Series V: Performance, 1938-1992; undated

Box 4 / Folder 101
Concerts, attendance and ticket revenue, 1986-1987




Box 4 / Folder 102
Concerts, Bohemian National Hall, 1977




Box 4 / Folder 103
Concerts, Cain Park, 1984-1985




Box 4 / Folder 104
Concerts, chamber music groups, 1982-1983




Box 4 / Folder 105
Concerts, Cleveland Heritage Program, 1982-1983




Box 4 / Folder 106
Concerts, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Sohio Amphitheater, 1984




Box 4 / Folder 107
Concerts, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Sohio Amphitheater, 1985




Box 4 / Folder 108
Concerts, Cleveland Public Schools, 1969




Box 4 / Folder 109
Concerts, Heather Hill (proposed), 1982




Box 4 / Folder 110
Concerts, Lake Erie Girl Scout Council, 1970-1971




Box 4 / Folder 111
Concerts, mentally handicapped children, ca. 1970




Box 4 / Folder 112
Concerts, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, 1982-1983




Box 4 / Folder 113
Concerts, Polish-American Congress, 1975




Box 4 / Folder 114
Concerts, Sammy Davis Jr. Concert (proposed), 1970




Box 4 / Folder 115
Concerts, Summer Arts Festival, 1968




Box 4 / Folder 116
Concerts, Young Audiences, 1982-1983




Box 5 / Folder 117
Program notes, 1975




Box 5 / Folder 118-128
Programs, 1938-1991




Box 5 / Folder 129
Programs, autographed by conductor, composer, and/or soloist, 1983-1992




Box 5 / Folder 130
Repertoire, 1937-1966





Series VI: Publicity, 1939-1991; undated

Box 5 / Folder 131-133
Publicity, 1939




Box 6 / Folder 134-135
Publicity, 1980-1991




Box 6 / Folder 136
Publicity posters, (stored in Oversize Container 1), 1964





Series VII: Newspaper Clippings and Scrapbooks, 1938-1987; undated

Box 6 / Folder 137-143
Newspaper clippings, 1938-1987




Box 6 / Folder 144-148
Scrapbook, containing programs and newspaper clippings, 1955-1961