Rodziński was named the second music director of The Cleveland Orchestra in 1933, following the departure of Nikolai Sokoloff. Although demanding, Rodziński propelled the Orchestra forward. He would frequently endear himself to the public by conducting without a music score or baton. One of his main contributions to Cleveland's music scene was integrating opera into The Cleveland Orchestra's repertoire. In addition, Rodziński sought to feature more contemporary music in Orchestra performances, including Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Alban Berg, Dmitri Shostakovich, Jerome Kern, and the first Cleveland performances of Stravinsky’s "Le Sacre du Printemps".