Caroline Oltmanns, Head of the Piano Department at the Dana School of Music, Youngstown State University, will help you put the piano into the context of different time periods and musical styles.

The Cleveland International Piano Competition takes place July 26 through August 9. To help get you get keyed up for the Competition (pun intended), join us for our new listening series, Prelude to Piano. This free three-part series is designed to help both serious and casual classical music fans take their interest and knowledge to a higher level in a fun, low-key environment.

Each session will be offered three times in different locations and features an engaging expert musician who will introduce basic musical structures, present historical and performance contexts, and demonstrate how to listen for different interpretations of piano classics. Each session will include demonstrations and time for questions and discussion. Sessions will be held at: Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Praxis Fiber Workshop in the Waterloo Arts Neighborhood, and Bop Stop in Hingetown. Light refreshments will be served.