SERGEI BABAYAN, pianist
CARLOS FITTANTE & ROBIN GILBERT, dancers

Apollo’s Fire returns to Severance Hall for the splendid occasion of Mozart’s Ballet Music from Idomeneo – uniting the music with period dancers as the composer intended. Internationally acclaimed pianist Sergei Babayan joins Apollo's Fire performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor.

“Sorrell is an outstanding Mozartian . . .Her Mozart achieves a near-perfect combination of real dramatic cogency and the ability to sing.” (FANFARE Record Magazine)

PRE-CONCERT LECTURE: David Loebel will be giving a pre-concert lecture one hour before each performance, sponsored by the Friends of Apollo's Fire.

SERGEI BABAYAN, Making His Period-Instrument Debut

"One would be hard put to name a Bach interpreter of his standing today... His performance has tonal spectrum many orchestras would envy. Babayan is no mere pianist. He is a master-musician for whom the piano is his voice, his orchestra." (The Scotsman)

"An unequaled touch, perfectly harmonious phrasing and breathtaking virtuosity, his music seemed to speak directly to us." (La Figaro, Paris)

Acclaimed for the immediacy, sensitivity and depth of his interpretations, Mr. Babayan's performances reveal an emotional intensity and bold energy, equipping him to explore stylistically diverse repertoire. {click here to read more}

Simpatico Musicians Unite for Mozart Celebration!
(Preview article from the Heights Observer)

Last winter, Jeannette Sorrell, founder and director of Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, drove down the hill from her Cleveland Heights home to conduct an all-Mozart concert at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  The soloist that evening, along with the student orchestra, was acclaimed pianist and faculty member Sergei Babayan.

It was a special night.  “The subtlety, gesture, and blend that Jeannette drew from the ensemble were amazing” remembers Sian Ricketts, a student oboist who took part in the concert. “Sorrell is an outstanding Mozartian”, confirm the experts at Fanfare record magazine. {click here to read more}