Music Programs

The Power of Music

Music programs have been the foundation of Heights Arts since the first summer concert in 2000. We celebrate the robust talent and exceptional musicians in Northeast Ohio – offering a variety of opportunities to connect, engage, and experience this art form in new ways.

“When you attend concerts at Heights Arts, our other supported disciplines enrich your experience – whether viewing the current exhibition during a Gallery Concert or listening to concurrent live poetry an ARTbar show. The Close Encounters series is the crowning touch with intimate chamber music in the city’s most stunning private homes and local venues.” – Rachel Bernstein, Executive Director

 

View our 2025-2026 Music Program 

2025-2026 Music Programming   

Renaissance music reimagined through modern voice and percussion

Close Encounters Performances

This highly popular Sunday afternoon chamber music series features members of The Cleveland Orchestra and other world-class performers. Presented in intimate settings, such as historic homes and unique local venues, these concerts offer audiences a rare opportunity to experience exceptional music in intimate, inspiring settings.

Gallery Concerts

Heights Arts brings a dynamic mix of musical genres to our gallery, showcasing the exceptional talent of local musicians. At the heart of this program is our commitment to supporting Northeast Ohio artists by providing paid opportunities to share their music with the community.

All performances begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Arrive early and experience the rotating exhibitions in the gallery or explore locally made goods in our store.

ARTbar: Music and Cocktails

Launched in 2022, ARTbar transforms the Heights Arts gallery into an intimate cocktail lounge, where guests can enjoy dynamic music performances across genres — from jazz and Latin to spoken word — alongside curated cocktails and rotating exhibitions of local art.

The first ARTbar featured Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate Ray McNiece and Sounds of Jazz, whose dynamic performance blended jazz with improvised poetry. The program was a wild success and propelled forward with fiery Latin jazz by Jackie Warren, Sammy DeLeon, and Patricia Bussert. ARTbar continues to elevate the standard for concert experiences by offering quality events surrounded by Cleveland area art.

  • February 12, 2026: Burning River Swing
  • April 9, 2026: Tongue in Groove
  • June 25, 2026 Tony Cuda’s Jazz Cats 

Community Partner Concerts

As a non-profit committed to connecting arts and community, Heights Arts often partners with No Exit, Future Heights Community Development Corporation, the City of Cleveland Heights, and others to help remove barriers to access local music that showcases the exceptional talent living in and around Northeast Ohio.

Upcoming Music Events

Gallery Concert with Mud Window Mud Mirror
Music

Gallery Concert with Mud Window Mud Mirror

Saturday 3/7/26
7:00pm
Mud Window Mud Mirror - Saturday, March 7th, 2025 | 7:00-8:30pm Soprano Naomi Columna and percussionist Katalin La Favre, known as Mud Window Mud Mirror, blend early music, folk, pop, and contemporary music through bold experimentation. Their new project, Wanderings, reimagines Medieval and Renaissance works with modern percussion and voice, featuring marimba, drums, bells, and shifting vocal textures. Framed by the four seasons and multiple versions of Machaut’s Puis qu’en oubli, the program explores time, texture, and unexpected sonic worlds. Learn more about Mud Window Mud Mirror HERE   Click here to see the Heights Arts 2026-2026 Music Season Special thanks to our Winter Season Sponsor: No Exit Music Ensemble
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Close Encounters: Bach and Beyond
Music

Close Encounters: Bach and Beyond

Sunday 5/17/26
3:00pm - 5:00pm
The final concert in this year’s series, Bach and Beyond, celebrates J.S. Bach’s profound and expressive chorales, arranged for string quartet, alongside Haydn’s inventive String Quartet Op. 76 No. 5 and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 10, nicknamed the “Harp” Quartet. Close Encounters is Heights Arts’ signature Sunday afternoon chamber music series, and the fourth concert in this season's series features the Taplin Quartet, made up of musicians Katherine Bormann, violin, Zhan Shu, violin, Gareth Zehngut, viola, and Martha Baldwin, cello   J.S. Bach: Chorales To be announced from the stage Joseph Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76 No. 5 in D Major Allegretto Largo – Cantabile e mesto Menuetto – Allegro Finale – Presto Intermission J.S. Bach: Chorales To be announced from the stage Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 74 in Eb Major, "Harp" Poco adagio – Allegro Adagio ma non troppo Presto – Più presto quasi Prestissimo Allegretto con variazioni   This concert is generously sponsored by Rachel Rawson and Charles Cowap
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No Exit at Heights Arts: Songs, Soundscapes, and Sonnets
Music

No Exit at Heights Arts: Songs, Soundscapes, and Sonnets

Saturday 5/30/26
7:00pm
No Exit will conclude their 2025-2026 season by delving into an array of dynamic and compelling works for voice and ensemble. Songs, Soundscapes, and Sonnets will feature the extraordinary talents of soprano Anika Kildegaard and will include world premiere music be Robert Honstein and Timothy Beyer. . As always, No Exit’s concerts are free and open to the public, but RSVPs are requested. Adventurous listeners are welcome!
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Call for Musicians

Heights Arts provides a unique setting for live music: the acoustics are warm, the audience is close, and the surrounding artwork creates a rich, multi-sensory experience.

If you are a professional ensemble of any genre in Northeast Ohio, we welcome your application to perform in the Heights Arts Gallery Concert or ARTbar series.

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