KarunaNews Story

After nearly three years on the job, Jejuana Brown, director of inclusion and community relations, is slowly but surely transforming the Cleveland Orchestra and its audience to better serve the region as a whole. Although the orchestra had long engaged in community outreach, her appointment in 2023 brought in someone with deep knowledge of Cleveland but not steeped in the traditions and culture of classical music. Rather than a negative, her musical inexperience was an asset that enabled her “to talk to people who’ve never come to the orchestra.” Already, she has helped launch a free Hispanic Heritage Month concert, arranged for recital of music by the women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance, designed a “Rhythm” subscription series featuring minority artists and composers and organized two performances of the film “Black Panther” in concert. Many of those at “Black Panther” were new to the Cleveland Orchestra. “It was a completely different kind of energy in the hall, and all of that was [Brown],” said Joan Katz Napoli, vice president of education and community programs. “They reinforce that inclusion is a core value behind everything we do.”