Why it matters: Bird co-authored "American Prometheus," the biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer on which the Academy Award-winning film "Oppenheimer" was based.
Between the pages: The event at Mandel Concert Hall will feature musical performances from Cleveland Orchestra soloists and a panel discussion with orchestra music director Franz Welser-Most, president and CEO André Gremillet, and festival curator Elena Dubinets.
Expect Bird to expertly investigate this year's festival theme: power.