48 Hours in CLE: The Classics

You understand the difference between a concerto and a sonata, never clap between movements and you’ve got the know-how to properly dress for the opera. While you love the classics, your playlist also includes some finely scored Broadway musical and big band sounds. For the classical music aficionado, here’s your music-fueled itinerary to Cleveland.

Day 1: The Classical Music Aficionado

BREAKFAST: Enter the West Side Market, a food lover's paradise, with its maze of vendors and family-owned stalls selling everything from fresh meat and vegetables to baked goods and fresh flowers.

MORNING: The internationally recognized Cleveland Museum of Art always offers free admission to its permanent collection, which includes masterpieces by Picasso, Dali, Monet and more.

LUNCH: Experience a beautiful lunch at Provenance, located inside the Cleveland Museum of Art where Chef Doug Katz designs his menu around the very works of art that are on display.

AFTERNOON: Get transfixed by an afternoon performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where students and faculty—many of whom are renowned musicians from all over the world—perform free of charge (or nearly free of charge).

DINNER: Cleveland's culinary scene is on fire and celeb chef Michael Symon has a lot to do with that. Enjoy Symon's twists on Cleveland classics (don't miss the beef-cheek pierogi) at Lola Bistro on East 4th Street.

PRE-SHOW: Whether you’re in the mood for a dark red, a fruity white or something a little sparkling, sip a pre-show drink at BIN 216 in the Playhouse Square District.

THE SHOW: Experience glitz and glamour inside of one of the 10 performance spaces that makes up Playhouse Square, where they’re hosting hundreds of concerts, Broadway blockbusters, theatrical plays, comedy shows and more.

LATE NIGHT: Take a stroll down Euclid Avenue through the theater district to the newly opened location of Cleveland’s famed Corbo’s Bakery for a massive slice of their famous cassata cake and a few scoops of gelato.

Day 2: The Classical Music Aficionado

BRUNCH: Make Sunday brunch one for the books aboard the Nautica Queen cruise ship. While on your afternoon brunch cruise, you'll get the unique opportunity to view Cleveland from Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River—all while enjoying some cut-a-rug-worthy music.

AFTERNOON: No, you likely won't hear much Mozart, Bach, Brahms or Chopin at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. You will, however, get an earful from Elvis, Ozzy, Bono and Bruce. Get next-level education on rock music and how it changed the world.

DINNER: Make it an elegant evening soiree at Chef Zack Bruell's brasserie L'Albatros, where the French cuisine adds a certain sophistication to your time in University Circle.

THE SHOW: The internationally acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra creates divine music for the ears and performs in a venue that's a feast-for-the-eyes.

We've Got An Event for That

From Classical Revolution (members of the Cleveland Orchestra perform in bars around town) to the Cleveland POPS, Cleveland has a wealth of music groups who perform around the city. Search our events calendar for "music" to learn more.