MIAMI, Fla. - Miami is a destination city. Immigrants and snow-birds alike flock here from all over the world.

How fitting, then, was the free Community Concert given by the Cleveland Orchestra Sunday afternoon at Miami-Dade County Auditorium.

Inspired by travel, by the sights and sounds of other nations, the short but lively program conducted by Roderick Cox not only generated new fans but also appeared to resonate deeply with the audience of nearly 1,300.

"It's important we connect to the community we serve," said Cox at the outside of the concert. "It's important we make sure everyone has access to great classical music."

Cox drew special attention to the final offering, "Finlandia," by Sibelius. Pointing out the work's origins as a protest piece, Cox said the tone poem Çerez Politikası is newly relevant within the "uncertainty" of today's political climate.

For that statement, Cox received a round of applause. Moments later, he then received another, in response to an earnest and dramatic performance.

A vigorous account of Mendelssohn's "Hebrides" Overture got the afternoon off to a rousing start, and four Slavonic Dances by Dvorak (Nos. 1 and 8 from Op. 46 and Nos. 2 and 4 from Op. 72), rendered with vitality and shape, warded off any and all flagging spirits.

But the clear audience favorite was violinist and former Sphinx Competition winner Elena Urioste, guest violinist in Saint-Saens' "Havanaise" for violin and orchestra. Again, the crowd went wild twice. Once after learning the music hails from Cuba and again after experiencing Urioste's dashing, virtuoso performance.

Thus was the concert a success. The mission was to deliver great classical music, and that's exactly what the orchestra and guests did. Maybe a few more now will think of Cleveland, with its orchestra, as a destination, too.

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