MfTWR Mission
Music from The Western Reserve seeks to meld the great wealth of musical talent found in Northeast Ohio with the rich, historic tradition of the area.
“Music enriches our lives and stirs our souls.”
–Vision Statement–
Our History
The history of Music from The Western Reserve began with a wistful idea of John E. Perry over 40 years ago. Perry was the manager of the National Public Radio affiliate WKSU-FM when he toured Akron, Ohio’s most famous residence, Stan Hywet Hall. Built by Goodyear founder F.A. Seiberling, the manor house and its gracious Music Room became a destination for grand dinners and performances attracting marquee artists of their day.
Stan Hywet Music Room, 1930
Perry soon began to explore the idea of reviving the grandeur of the Music Room by staging chamber concerts there and broadcasting the performances on WKSU-FM. He consulted a group of music enthusiasts that included Robert Henke, manager of the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Lola Rothmann, concert manager of the Tuesday Musical series and others from Stan Hywet and WKSU-FM. In less than six months, a board was formed headed by Dr. Bruce Rothmann to advance the music series that became known as Music from Stan Hywet.
The first concert of Music from Stan Hywet was held in September 1983. The Music Room became a cultural destination for chamber music lovers for the next nineteen years. The last concert at Stan Hywet was held in the spring of 2002 after 115 exquisite performances.
The board of Music from Stan Hywet voted unanimously to move the series to the chapel on the campus of Western Reserve Academy in picturesque Hudson. The series was soon renamed Music from The Western Reserve (MfTWR).
Beginning with the 2010/11 season, MftWR added Christ Church Episcopal as its performance venue. The first concert at Christ Church Episcopal was held in September 2010 featuring a chamber ensemble from Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra. Quality programming has continued each season featuring first class performances from Northeast Ohio musicians and artists.