Orchestra to perform in NYC every 2 years; "Cleveland isn’t large enough to maintain... a full season," says exec

The Cleveland Orchestra will perform four concerts at New York City's Lincoln Center Festival every other year. It's part of the world-renowned organization's goal of reaching beyond Cleveland for an audience and donors -- a trend Andy Netzel reported on in-depth in his June 2007 Cleveland Magazine article "Harmony and Discord."

“Cleveland isn’t large enough to maintain on its own a full season of orchestra activity,” the New York Times quotes Gary Hanson, the orchestra’s executive director, as saying. (Read the New York Times story here -- registration required.)

Quotes like that can upset anxious Clevelanders. But out-of-town support is key to the orchestra's plan for future prosperity. Hence the three-week annual Miami residency Netzel reported on and the frequent trips to Austria. One-fifth of the orchestra's financial support now comes from outside of Greater Cleveland, Hanson tells the Times.

Here is the orchestra's announcement on its blog.