News

The Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) proudly announces a five-year contract extension for Eric Otto, who will continue his role as Artistic Director and Head of Curriculum for Toledo Ballet. The new contract begins July 1, 2025, and extends through June 2030.

Since joining the organization in 2020, Otto has led a vibrant artistic renaissance, expanding educational and performance opportunities while deepening collaborations between Toledo Ballet and the Toledo Symphony.

TOLEDO, OH – The Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) invites audiences to a powerful evening of music and milestones on Friday, May 30, 2025 at 8:00 PM at the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle. Part of the Rita Barbour Kern Masterworks Series, the concert will feature Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan,” and Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo, performed by internationally acclaimed cellist Julian Schwarz. The evening will also include a special celebration of three longtime TSO musicians: Concertmaster Kirk Toth, Principal Cellist Martha Reikow, and Third Horn Alan Taplin. Each retires from the orchestra after decades of dedicated service.

The Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Ballet, and Toledo Jazz Orchestra, together as the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts, announces their dynamic 2025–2026 performance season. Season subscriptions are now available, with exclusive subscriber benefits including discounted pricing, priority seating, and free concert exchanges. The deadline to subscribe and retain 2024–2025 seats and pricing is June 10, 2025. 

It is with deep sorrow that the Toledo Symphony and the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts mourn the passing of Robert “Bob” Bell, beloved colleague, visionary leader, master timpanist, and the heart and soul of our institution for nearly 70 years.

“Bob was the heart and soul of the Toledo Symphony for most of its existence and for most of his life,” shares TAPA Board Chair Marna Ramnath. “It is safe to say that his dedication to the music, the musicians, and the community never wavered. The gift of his life plays on in the orchestra that he loved.”

The Toledo Symphony has announced Matthew Shirey, Northwood Local Schools Band Director, as the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Music Educator Award. This is the sixth consecutive year the TSO has honored current, full-time, K-12 music educators who teach music in public and private schools in the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan region. 

The Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) proudly anticipates the Phase 1 opening of the Toledo Center for Live Arts, a dynamic new hub for arts education and collaboration on Heatherdowns Boulevard, adjacent to the Stranahan Theater. This moment marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for TAPA and its commitment to enriching the cultural fabric of the region.

TAPA is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Whittaker as its new Vice President of Finance. Jessica brings a wealth of experience in financial governance, strategic planning, and operational transformation to the organization. Her arrival marks an exciting new chapter for TAPA as it continues its vision to bring the community together through the performing arts.

Toledo Ballet announces the hiring of professional dancer Liza van Heerden as a member of Toledo Ballet faculty and Principal Dancer for Toledo Ballet productions. 

“Liza’s arrival is the beginning of our dream to create a small professional company here at Toledo Ballet,” says Eric Otto, Artistic Director and Head of Curriculum at Toledo Ballet.

Toledo Ballet has spread Christmas cheer for over 80 years with its top-tier production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Eric Otto, the ballet’s artistic director, wants to establish a new tradition: spreading Halloween fear.

“I'd like to start a new holiday family tradition here in Toledo, where people can get excited about Halloween and go and see a Halloween show and a big Halloween ballet,” Otto said.

The Wolfe Family Foundation has established a new endowment to support the Toledo Symphony - the Frederic D. Wolfe Endowment Fund. This new $1M endowment was created with a $500,000 donation from the Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation and a $500,000 gift from the estate of Frederic “Fritz” Wolfe.