Meet ClevelandClassical.com's Dan Hathaway
Trinity's Music and Arts Director Spins on the Web

It always comes as a shock to music lovers to realize that church musicians (who so obviously love music!) seldom attend concerts. But, after all – when could they go? If they're not actively producing the music themselves, they're busy rehearsing or planning or securing other musicians for collaborations or solo events.

And that's the reasoning behind the launch of a a new website called ClevelandClassical.com, which offers a few features each week, but really stands as a calendar of upcoming classical musical events in the area. So far, it's mostly been a just this week and next week endeavor, but plans are to expand for 3-4 weeks in advance and possibly even farther ahead than that in the coming months.

ClevelandClassical.com is the brainchild of Daniel Hathaway, who was, for a bit more than thirty years, the Director of Music and Arts at Trinity Cathedral. He retired in June, then spent the month of July doing mostly nothing. August was spent in writing, or organizing his thoughts regarding the several books he has in his mind -- mostly how-tos for event planners and musicians.

But then, he decided it was time to start catching up on all the musical wonders that Cleveland has to offer, and that he’d mostly missed for all those years, except – how could one possibly keep up with all the musical presenters and their frequently overlapping schedules? After 30 years of trying to get listings in the various local media—not to mention finding audiences—for his events, he knew only too well, that the media world has shrunk drastically, and what little is left behind has changed its direction to covering only the most popular events. Everyone supposedly wants the 18-35 year olds. But they’re really a small proportion of the population! And probably not the biggest portion of the audience for classical music, either.

There is little media coverage available to those arts organizations with small (or non-existent) advertising budgets, and what is available is pretty much limited to the upcoming week. Period. Heaven forbid you should want to know what might be happening a month from now.

“I’ve always had an interest in the web and the internet,” Dan says, with a smile. “I thought— Cleveland needs a classical music web-site. Events listings (for a week or two in advance), highlights or previews of upcoming events, information about newly-released CDs, maybe links to stories from other sites, or even internet radio.”

He investigated other sites. “There are a few really good classical music sites on the web—if you live in San Francisco (SFClassical Voice) or North Carolina, or ArtsJournal.com (national), but virtually nothing here in Cleveland. So I thought . . . and did some digging here and there . . .”

And consequently, ClevelandClassical.com was born on September 15. For the most part, it’s all Cleveland, except for the occasional link to an item of interest to the classical music world, wherever it happens to be.

As it seemed more and more like a logical thing to do, he discussed his idea with friends at other musical organizations in town. “Tom Welsh of CMA was especially helpful, offering interviews with his visiting artists.” Dan is quick to acknowledge advice and/or interest from others.

So, how does a boy from Topeka, Kansas, end up in Cleveland, as minister of music at one of the largest Episcopal churches in the country? His music education began in Kansas, in high school. His undergrad studies were at Harvard, where he conducted operas for the several ‘houses’ that produced opera each year—Leverett and Lowell, especially. Renowned composer John Adams was clarinetist in his opera orchestra for Stravinsky’s Renard and John Lithgow was stage director! When he won the conductorship of the Bach Society Orchestra he followed Isaiah Jackson (who went on to a bigger conducting career) and preceded the aforementioned John Adams.

After graduation, Dan went on to Princeton for a Ph.D, and spent a semester transcribing a microfilm version of Beethoven’s pocket notebook. This proved to be such an exercise in futility, he abandoned that course, in favor of teaching and being a church organist, and doing some writing on the side. Then came 1968.

After the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dan decided to become an Episcopal priest, but after three years of study, he did not become ordained, after all, and focused instead on teaching in Kansas City while simultaneously serving as organist at the Episcopal Cathedral there. It was Harvard class-mate (and Clevelander) Marty Kessler who suggested Dan apply for the newly-opened position of music director at Trinity in 1977. The rest is history. (Marty was a singer then, but has since turned into a busy and well-respected orchestra conductor and teacher in his home town.)

Dan not only took over the music for all the services, playing and conducting the choir and/or soloists, but there were a multitude of other musical events at Trinity, too. Bach’s Birthday Bash (usually around March 21) featuring then-WCLV radio host Albert Petrak as the be-wigged and costumed JS himself, in an informal recital of various Bach works (sometimes including those of the prodigal son—PDQ.) Anyone who ever attended any of these evenings will probably never forget them.

There was a chamber orchestra in residence—Opus One—which became the fore-runner of the Trinity Chamber Orchestra. They performed in other spaces as well as those of Trinity. Then, too, there were the noon-day concerts. It was Wilma Salisbury, then music critic at the Plain Dealer who named them ‘Brown-Bag’ concerts, a name that lives on. As do the programs here and elsewhere.

Dan also began Trinity’s Medieval Feasts, and while he didn’t originate the concept, there were also the Boar’s Head Festival with several presentations each during the month of December every year. These were costumed, festive occasions with music and other revelry suitable for a Cathedral setting. In 2003, The Food Network came to Cleveland to do a feature about the feasts, which is occasionally shown again.

In 1989, Dan was planning and producing all these events, when an added benefit occurred. A personal one. Mike Telin appeared as a shawm player for the feast, and stayed on to become Executive Director of Music and Arts at Trinity, while Dan assumed the title and responsibilities of Artistic Director. They’ve been partners since, although Mike left the Trinity post after 2004’s International Opera Experience. Mike is now a consultant and agent for Latitude 45 in Montreal, but with his own organization as well – Telin International Arts, based in Lakewood, but with an international presence, thanks to the internet.

The international opera experience was extraordinary by any reckoning. The Ohio Arts Council, then headed by Wayne Lawson (who has since retired) cooperated with the City of Buenos Aires to foster an exchange of commerce and culture with Cleveland. Ana Massone, Director of the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón, was brought here (along with other Argentine officials), took one look around the vast spaces of Trinity and said, “I see an opera in here.” And so it came to pass.

In January, 2004, 25 Argentines came to Cleveland for a joint production with the Opera Department of Oberlin. Purcell's Dido & Aeneas was presented with mixed student casts from Oberlin and the Teatro Colón, staged by Jonathon Field with Dan conducting. Puccini's Gianni Schicchi featured a student cast from the Teatro Colón, staged by Jorge de Lassaletta and conducted by Bruno D'Astoli. Both operas were accompanied by Trinity Chamber Orchestra.

Teatro Colón is not only a world-famous opera house, (nick-named The Metropolitan of South America) but also the site of Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón, a well-regarded school for performing artists, with courses offered in stage directing, singing, ballet, set design, lighting and costume design among other such necessary components of artistic staging. The opera company specializes in the Italian bel canto style, and was primarily funded by the great Argentinian composer/conductor Alberto Ginastera. (For more information, or to see what you missed, go here: http://www.mandpa.org/international/index.html) If you attend (or listen to) Cleveland Orchestra concerts, you may recall mezzo Bernarda Fink who sang here last season, as well as on tour. Ms. Fink is an alum of the Instituto, and will be in Cleveland again on January 11. Although her appearance is part of the CMA series Viva and Gala Around Town, her recital will be at Reinberger Chamber Hall in Severance Hall.

Following the successful Cleveland performances, the entire production was then taken to Buenos Aires for a repeat performance. Again, Dan conducted. Shortly after this venture, Dan and Mike were again approached by the Ohio Arts Council for another joint venture, this one to the opposite side of the world—Japan. This was with Taiko drummer Eitetsu Hayashi in a musical event titled God of Thunder, God of Wind. During the three-year residency, there were performances at Trinity, CSU, Dublin, (Ohio) and other places as well. Dan shakes his head, sadly, as he says, “Wayne Lawson’s creativity and adventuresome spirit will be greatly missed, now that he’s retired from the Ohio Arts Council.”

Next up for Dan is “to learn HTML, so I can expand ClevelandClassical.com and perhaps change the format a bit, to include other things.” His last words of wisdom were “People who complain about not getting enough publicity should send it in (instructions on the web-site) and help make the site be complete. Be sure to include the w’s: Who, what, when, where and how much! We have so much wonderful music in Cleveland – why not make it easy to find?”

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com

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