Apollo’s Fire Presents “Ben Franklin in Paris”

Cleveland’s own internationally acclaimed, Grammy-winning ensemble Apollo’s Fire brings to life the music of the past for audiences of today. Join us for this special occasion in which the group presents its program “Ben Franklin in Paris,” created and directed by Jeannette Sorrell.

As the Founding Fathers launched the Revolutionary War in 1776, they also dispatched their most charming and skilled diplomat, Ben Franklin, on an assignment in Paris to secure crucial French military aid for the American side. As one of the most colorful geniuses in American history, the 70-year-old Franklin knew that the way to win the hearts and loyalty of the French was to immerse himself in their cultural life. He undertook his assignment with gusto, attending concerts, ballroom dances, and opera performances and meeting the great French writer Voltaire. Apollo’s Fire evokes his musical adventures in this festive program of orchestral works that were performed in Paris during his nine-year stay, including Mozart’s Paris Symphony and highlights from a Rameau opera.

Musart Society benefits do not apply to this performance.

The views expressed by performers during this event are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cleveland Museum of Art.