3 Chances to See Apollo’s Fire This November

Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s baroque orchestra, brings performances of “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Rediscovered” to Akron and Lakewood in November. The group, which performs classical compositions in an orchestral style popular during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, will also take the stage at the Cleveland Museum of Art for a performance of “Echoes Across the Atlantic,” featuring acclaimed soprano Jeanine De Bique.

Violinist Alan Choo and Apollo’s Fire director Jeanette Sorrell present the Vivaldi program in which the baroque orchestra brings to life the beloved composition in unexpected ways, performing sound effects that range from bird calls and a storm to a barking dog and flies. The show is a favorite of the group and its fans, with the ensemble having performed it dozens of times over the years to sold-out audiences. The Akron performance is Nov. 6 at The Bath Church, while the Lakewood program is Nov. 13 at Lakewood United Methodist Church. Both shows are set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $85 and can be purchased in advance online.  

The group’s Nov. 12 performance of “Echoes Across the Atlantic” at the Cleveland Museum of Art is part of a larger tour that will take the orchestra and De Bique to Chicago and New York City’s Carnegie Hall as well as Brussels, Paris, London, Lisbon and Dusseldorf during the month of November. Tickets for the Cleveland program start at $30. 

“Echoes Across the Atlantic” delves into the historical connections between Europe and the Caribbean colonies during the 18th century. Sorrell, who designed the program that examines themes of love, suffering and resilience, said in the Oct. 19 press release announcing the show that she hopes the concerts inspire audiences to take a new look at history. 

“We hear music from the palaces of Europe alongside music rooted in the soil of former Caribbean slave plantations, in the same period,” Sorrell said in the press release. “In the 18th century, opera and the arts in France and Britain were funded largely by the transatlantic slave trade and colonial expansion, which generated vast wealth.” 

For more information about these and other Apollo’s Fire programs, visit apollosfire.org.

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