The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Cleveland Orchestra
one of the foremost orchestras in the United States. It gave its first performance in 1918 under Nikolai Sokoloff, who was conductor until 1933. In 1931, the orchestra moved from the Cleveland Masonic Temple into Severance Hall. (The hall was restored and renovated in 1999 and reopened in 2000.) Sokoloff was succeeded as conductor by Artur Rodzinski (1933–43) and Erich Leinsdorf (1943–44), but the orchestra’s peak of fame was achieved under the direction of George Szell (1946–70). A perfectionist and disciplinarian, Szell brought the orchestra to international attention, leading it on several European tours and establishing its modern reputation for ascetic brilliance and commitment to serious music. He was succeeded by Lorin Maazel (1972–84), Christoph von Dohnányi (1984–2002), and Franz Welser-Möst (2002–).
