VC INTERVIEW | Jaime Laredo Discusses Music For Food's Cleveland Chapter Concert

The concert will be streamed on The Violin Channel's Facebook on Tuesday, March 2, at 5 PM EST

The Violin Channel recently caught up with conductor and violinist Jaime Laredo, who will lead the Cleveland Chapter's Music for Food concert.

The Music for Food events are donation–based fundraising concerts, where the presenters and artists pledge to give all proceeds and fees to local food banks and pantries.

Tell us about your association with this fantastic organization, Music for Food?

In 2015, my wife, cellist Sharon Robinson founded the Cleveland chapter of Music for Food. I have agreed to perform in most of the concerts that she has produced these last seven years to raise much-needed funds to help feed hungry families in Northeast Ohio.

Why is this project so important to you?

The need to help the food-challenged is huge and greater than ever during these COVID times.

Tell us about your upcoming concert event? What is on the program? And who can we expect to hear perform?

This concert is co-sponsored by the Student Government Association of the Cleveland Institute of Music and is being performed at lovely Mixon Hall at CIM in front of a small, socially-distanced audience.

The performers are a mix of faculty and student artists, including a trio in Sharon’s Advanced Piano Trio Program at CIM, and two string quartets in CIM’s Advanced String Quartet program.

The repertoire includes works by Ravel, Florence Price, Samuel Barber, Schubert, Shawn Okbepholo, and Brahms.

Who will the funds raised be supporting? And why did you choose this particular charity?

Sharon loves supporting the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry, a small all-volunteer food bank operating out of a home in Cleveland. Their reach is amazing, and many families get food delivered directly to their homes. 

How have you been able to pull this event together despite the pandemic?

Sharon has had amazing support from the Cleveland Institute of Music, plus the Boston-based Music for Food Headquarters. Another wonderful aspect of this fundraiser is the silent-auction of 12 works of art created by student artists at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

If we want to tune in how can we watch?

Tuesday, March 2nd at 5 pm Eastern, tune in to the Violin Channel!

And if we want to support the cause, how can we donate?

Go to musicforfood.net and click on DONATE, choosing the Cleveland concert.