As many of you undoubtedly know my dear friend and colleague Franz Welser-Möst has had to cancel quite a few recent engagements. Happily, he is back in business, and when he asked me, for artistic reasons, whether I might give up my upcoming guest week with his mighty Cleveland Orchestra so he could reunite with them sooner than planned I of course said yes. I have long treasured my close ties to the Cleveland Orchestra, and eagerly look forward to making music with them very soon. I wish Franz, the Orchestra and Leonidas Kavakos all the best in what I am sure will be a magnificent week of music making.