CCM Wind Studies Provides International Flair This Spring With World Premieres and Special Guests

CCM’s Department of Wind Studies will present an impressive series of 11 concerts this spring, several of which are free and open to the general public. Tickets are on sale now for all performances requiring paid admission.

Director of Wind Studies Glenn D. Price and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Angela Holt have organized an ambitious line-up of concerts for CCM’s four wind ensembles, with performances scheduled between Feb. 8 and April 19.

Highlights of the Spring Winds Series include the return of several familiar faces. CCM alumna Natalie Wren (MM Oboe, 2011) returns to the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall as oboist during the West Point Band’s Academy Wind Quintet’s guest artist performance on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Later on in the semester, Professor Emeritus of Music Terence Milligan, who conducted the CCM Wind Ensemble until his retirement last spring, will also return to the CCM stage as guest conductor for a concert appropriately entitled “A Blast from the Past” on Thursday, March 12.

The West Point Band’s Academy Wind Quintet, featuring CCM alumna Natalie Wren (fourth from left) comes to CCM Village for a free performance on Feb. 24, 2015.

The Department of Wind Studies will also debut new works this semester. On Wednesday, April 15, the Wind Ensemble will present two premieres: a national premiere by recent graduate Thanapol Setabrahmana (DMA Wind Conducting, 2014) and a world premiere of the first wind band piece by Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music Theory and Composition Miguel Roig-Francolí. CCM Professors Mark Gibson and Randy Gardner join the Wind Ensemble as soloists for this performance.

Student soloists will also get their chance to shine as the Wind Orchestra spotlights the winners of CCM’s annual Young Artist Concerto Competition on Wednesday, March 11.

In addition, the grandiose will be on display in two monumental performances in Corbett Auditorium. On Thursday, Feb. 12, both the Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, along with guest conductor and Dallas Wind Symphony leader Dr. Jerry Junkin will perform the works of Strauss, Mackey, Sparke and more. On Sunday, March 29, CCM’s beloved annual PRISM concert returns, featuring the Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensembles and special guests.

If more intimate performances are your forte, CCM’s Chamber Players and Chamber Winds will fill the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall with entertaining music, including a premiere of a new work by composer Scott Lindroth on Sunday, Feb. 8.

CCM Wind Studies will provide something for everyone this Spring, so come join us for a series of amazing concerts!

Event Information
All events listed below take place on the campus of the University of Cincinnati unless otherwise indicated. Some events do require purchased tickets; please see individual event information for single ticket prices and ordering information.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office! Visitccm.uc.edu/boxoffice for CCM Box Office hours and location.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. Visit ccm.uc.edu or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 for the most current event information.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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2015 SPRING WINDS SERIES

4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8
CCM Chamber Players
Glenn D. Price, music director and conductor
Presenting a world premiere of Scott Lindroth’s Starshake, along with works by CCM composers.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: FREE
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8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12
THE MUSIC OF STRAUSS, MACKEY, SPARKE AND MORE
CCM Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble
Featuring guest conductor Jerry Junkin, Dallas Wind Symphony
Glenn D. Price and Angela Holt, conductors
MACKEY: Aurora Awakes
Jerry Junkin, conductor
STRAUSS: Allerseelen
SPARKE: Dance Movements
GRAINGER: Colonial Song
WHITACRE: Sleep
DELLO JOIO: Scenes from The Louvre
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $12 general, $6 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24
West Point Band’s Academy Wind Quintet
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Admission: FREE
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4 p.m. Sunday, March 8
CCM Chamber Players
Glenn D. Price, music director and conductor
RAVEL: Introduction and Allegro
VARESE: Octandre
TAKEMITSU: Rain Spell
STRAUSS: Suite for Winds in B-flat Major, Op. 4
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Admission: FREE
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8 p.m. Wednesday, March 11
TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION
CCM Wind Orchestra
Glenn D. Price, conductor
Featuring Young Artist Concerto Competition Winners
DE MEIJ: Lord of the Rings
IANNACONE: After a Gentle Rain
COLGRASS: The Winds of Nagual
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater
Tickets: $12 general, $6 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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8 p.m. Thursday, March 12
A BLAST FROM THE PAST
CCM Wind Ensemble
Angela Holt, conductor
Terence Milligan, guest conductor
DELLO JOIO: Scenes from The Louvre
HOLST: First Suite in E-flat
WEINBERGER: “Polka and Fugue” from Schwanda the Bagpiper
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater
Admission: FREE
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4 p.m. Sunday, March 29
PRISM XVIII
CCM Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensembles and Special Guests
Glenn D. Price, music director
Angela Holt, conductor
CCM proudly presents 60 minutes of crowd-pleasing, non-stop excitement by diverse performers throughout Corbett Auditorium. An annual favorite, the PRISM concert is perfect entertainment for the entire family!
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $12 general, $6 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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7 p.m. Sunday, April 12
CCM Chamber Winds
Glenn D. Price, music director and conductor
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Admission: FREE
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8 p.m. Tuesday, April 14
THE BRITISH HERITAGE
CCM Wind Orchestra
Glenn D. Price, conductor
HANDEL: Music from Royal Fireworks
TURNBULL: African Dances
BENNETT: Morning Music
ARNOLD: “Sarabande” from Solitare
WALTON: Crown Imperial
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $12 general, $6 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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8 p.m. Wednesday, April 15
HOT OFF THE PRESS!
CCM Wind Ensemble
Angela Holt, conductor
Featuring faculty artists Mark Gibson, piano; and Randy Gardner, French horn
This showcase features CCM faculty artists Mark Gibson and Randy Gardner in a rare concert performance with the Wind Ensemble! Music will include a national premiere by recent CCM graduate Thanapol Setabrahmana plus a world premiere by CCM professor Miguel Roig-Francolí.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Admission: FREE
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4 p.m. Sunday, April 19
CCM Chamber Players
Glenn D. Price, music director and conductor
WILSON: Dancing with the Devil
VILLA-LOBOS: Quintette Instrumental
HINDEMITH: Septet
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Admission: FREE
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Community Partner: ArtsWave

CCM Alumna Marie Speziale to Receive Pioneer Award at International Women’s Brass Conference

CCM alumna Marie Speziale (BM, 1964).

We are thrilled to report that CCM alumna and former faculty member Marie Speziale (BM, 1964) will be presented with a Pioneer Award at the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, at Northern Kentucky University’s Greaves Hall.

Acknowledged as the first woman trumpeter in a major symphony orchestra, Speziale served as Associate Principal Trumpet with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for 32 years, from 1964 until her retirement in November of 1996. At this year’s conference, she will be honored as a musician whose career and spirit exemplifies the goals and traditions of the IWBC. Congratulations!

At each IWBC, beginning with the first in 1993, the IWBC has recognized women who have been pioneers in the top levels of brass performance, breaking down barriers and living their lives effecting change for those who followed. A full list of past award recipients may be found on the IWBC web site at myiwbc.org/about/iwbc-pioneers.

CCM Alumni Amanda Woodbury and John Holiday Named 2014 Sara Tucker Study Grant Recipients

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We are delighted to report that two CCM alumni – Amanda Woodbury (MM, 2012) and John Holiday (MM, 2012) – have been named 2014 Sara Tucker Grant Recipients by the Richard Tucker Music Foundation!

Soprano Amanda Woodbury, 25, is a member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program at LA Opera and was a winner of the recent Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. She made her LA Opera debut as Micäela in Carmen and also appeared as Papagena in The Magic Flute. This summer she will make her debut at the Cincinnati May Festival as a soloist in the Mahler 8th Symphony and will join the Merola Opera at San Francisco Opera to sing Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. She was a second place winner at the McCollum Competition in Houston and received degrees from Indiana University and CCM.

Counter-tenor John Holiday, 29, has been heard recently as Radamisto at the Juilliard School and will debut with Wolf Trap Opera this summer in the title role of Giulio Cesare and be heard this fall as the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas with LA Opera. He will also return to the St. Paul Chamber Festival in concert. Other recent engagements include Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” at Carnegie Hall with the Atlanta Symphony, covering Nereno in Giulio Cesare at the Met, and Glass’ Galileo Galilei at Cincinnati and Portland Opera. Holiday was an apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera and holds degrees from SMU and CCM.

CCM Alumnus Stuart Skelton Named Male Singer of the Year at 2014 International Opera Awards

CCM alumnus Stuart Skelton. Photo by John Wright.

We are thrilled to report that CCM-trained tenor Stuart Skelton has been named male singer of the year at the 2014 International Opera Awards!You can view the full list of this year’s award recipients here.

As previously reported, both Skelton and alumna Joélle Harvey were announced as finalists this year.

The mission of the International Opera Awards is to promote excellence in international opera and provide funding for the operatic community through the Opera Awards Foundation. You can learn more about the awards by visiting www.operaawards.org.

CCM Alumni Yi Li and Amanda Woodbury Named Grand Finalist Winners of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2014 National Council Auditions

From left to right, CCM alumni Yi Li and Amanda Woodbury.

CCM alumni Yi Li (AD, ’13) and Amanda Woodbury (MM, ’12) have been named Grand Finals Winners of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2014 National Council Auditions.

A tenor, Li is a member of the Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program.

Woodbury, a soprano, is in her second year at the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program at LA Opera.

Li and Woodbury were among nine singers competing in the Met’s prestigious and highly competitive Grand Finals Concert this past Sunday, March 30. The finalists were accompanied by the Met Orchestra led by Marco Armiliato. You can learn more about all of the 2014 National Council Winners here.

This marks the second consecutive year that CCM trained singers have won the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions: bass-baritone Thomas Richards was named a Grand Finals Winner in 2013.

WQXR, New York’s Classical Music Radio Station, will broadcast performances and interviews with all of this year’s winners at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1. Learn more by visiting www.wqxr.org/#!/story/video-webcast-metropolitan-opera-national-council-award-winners.

Learn more courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer here.

CCM Alumni Stuart Skelton and Joélle Harvey Named 2014 International Opera Award Finalists

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We are delighted to report that CCM alumni Stuart Skelton (MM ’95) and Joélle Harvey (BM ’07, MM ’09) have been named 2014 International Opera Award finalists!

Skelton, a tenor, is a finalist in the Male Singer category, while Harvey, a soprano, is a finalist in the Young Singer category! Congratulations to you both! You can view a full list of finalists here.

The mission of the International Opera Awards is to promote excellence in international opera and provide funding for the operatic community through the Opera Awards Foundation. After the success of the inaugural awards last year, the International Opera Awards return in 2014 and will be held on Monday, April 7, at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London. You can learn more about the awards by visiting www.operaawards.org.

CCM Alumna Audrey Luna Wins Grammy for Best Opera Recording

Audrey Luna (center) as Ariel in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of ‘The Tempest.’

Congratulations to CCM alumna Audrey Luna (MM ’03, AD ’05), soprano, on her Grammy win last night! Luna received a Grammy for Best Opera Recording for singing the role of Ariel on the Metropolitan Opera recording of Thomas Adès’ The Tempest.

Born in Salem, Oregon, the soprano studied with Barbara Honn during her time at CCM. You can read more about her Grammy win courtesy of Janelle Gelfand and the Cincinnati Enquirer here.

You can read Luna’s recent Opera News “Sound Bite” spotlight here.

CCM Alums in NBC’s Live Broadcast of ‘The Sound of Music’

The hills will be alive with the sound of CCM alumnae during this evening’s live television broadcast of The Sound of Music on NBC! The Carrie Underwood-starring musical features a number of former CCM students in its cast, including Ashley Brown, Nikki Renee Daniels and Adrienne Danrich!

The Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Janelle Gelfand recently spoke with Danrich about her role in the TV event. Read the interview online here.

Read about The Sound of Music‘s other Cincinnati connections courtesy of the Enquirer‘s John Kiesewetter here.

The Sound of Music airs live at 8/7c tonight (Thursday, Dec. 5) on the NBC network. You can learn more about the broadcast by visiting NBC.com and view the complete cast list courtesy of Broadway World.

CCM Alumna Profiled by ‘Opera News’ Magazine

Composer (and CCM alumna) Jennifer Jolley.

Congratulations to CCM alumna Jennifer Jolley (DMA, 2012) on her profile in the August issue of Opera News.

Classical music critic Kyle MacMillan interviewed Jolley about the North American New Opera Workshop, or NANOWorks, which she co-founded last year.

NANOWorks is based in Cincinnati, MacMillan observes, “partly because Jolley and her collaborators live there and partly because of the rich pool of vocal talent there, due to the presence of the respected University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.”

You can read the entire article online here.

UC Alumnae Bring Visual Effects and Costumes to New Oz Movie

UC Magazine reports on the roles that two UC alumni played in the success of the recent feature film Oz: The Great and Powerful:

• Debbie Denise, CCM ’73, visual effects executive producer
• Jessica Peel-Scott, DAAP ’93, assistant costume designer.

CCM alumna Debbie Denise is executive vice president of production at the Academy Award-winning visual effects and animation studio Sony Pictures Imageworks, which Disney hired for the film. Considered one of the country’s most experienced visual-effects production executives, Denise oversees production of all the company’s films, which have included Harry Potter, The Amazing Spider-Man and Men In Black 3. She is particularly an expert on 3-D Stereoscopic Production.

You can read the entire UC Magazine feature here.