CCM’s Streaming Concert Series Continues on Feb. 12

Watch the Ariel Quartet collaborate with CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows Cristian Diaz and Denielle Wilson during this upcoming virtual performance.

Arts lovers from around the world are invited to tune in to the next episode of CCMONSTAGE Online at 7:30 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. The premiere will stream simultaneously on CCM’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Titled Joining Hands, this 30-minute-long virtual concert features CCM string quartet-in-residence the Ariel Quartet collaborating with master’s degree students Cristian Diaz and Denielle Wilson, who are also both second-year participants in CCM’s innovative Diversity Fellowship initiative with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

To open the concert, Wilson and Diaz – a cellist and a violist respectively – join the Ariel Quartet on the stage of CCM’s Robert J. Werner Recital Hall for a performance of the first movement of Johannes Brahms’ String Sextet in B-flat Major.

The Ariel Quartet – which is comprised of CCM faculty members Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola – then perform the third movement of Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in D Major.

For the finale of this digital program, the Ariel Quartet are rejoined by Diaz for a performance of the fourth movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s String Quintet in G Minor.

Like other episodes in CCM’s new virtual performance series, Joining Hands also features commentary from CCM students and faculty. All episodes of CCMONSTAGE Online will be digitally streamed for free. After the premiere broadcast, each installment in this ongoing series will remain available for on-demand viewing on CCM’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Video production by MasseyGreenAVP, LLC. Additional footage provided by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. This digital performance series is made possible by support from CCMONSTAGE Online Broadcast Sponsors CCMpower and ArtsWave, and CCMONSTAGE Online Production Sponsors Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer.

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The CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship

Funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship provides an unparalleled learning experience for graduate-level violin, viola, violoncello and double bass players coming from populations that are historically underrepresented in classical music.

Participants get paid to perform with the acclaimed Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra while completing your two-year graduate degree at CCM with full scholarship support plus stipend. Learn more

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Streaming Premiere

7:30 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 12, 2021

Performance Details

Repertoire

• Johannes Brahms: String Sextet in B-flat Major No. 1, Op. 18 (1860)
  • I. Allegro ma non troppo
• Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet in D Major No. 3, Op. 44, No. 1 (1838)
  • III. Andante espressivo ma con moto
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quintet in G Minor No. 4, K. 516 (1787)
  • IV. Adagio – Allegro

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Performers

The Ariel Quartet

Distinguished by its virtuosity, probing musical insight, and impassioned, fiery performances, the Ariel Quartet has garnered critical praise worldwide over the span of nearly two decades. Formed in Israel as teenagers at the Jerusalem Academy Middle School of Music and Dance and celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2020-21, the Ariel was named recipient of the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, granted by Chamber Music America in recognition of artistic achievement and career support. Since 2012 the members of the ensemble have served as the faculty quartet-in-residence at CCM since, where they direct the chamber-music program and present a concert series in addition to maintaining a busy touring schedule in the United States and abroad.

The ensemble has dedicated much of its artistic energy and musical prowess to the groundbreaking Beethoven quartets, and has performed the complete Beethoven cycle on five occasions throughout the United States and Europe. The Quartet has written a powerful and comprehensive series of program notes on the sixteen quartets, open to the public on their website. The Ariel Quartet regularly collaborates with today’s eminent and rising young musicians and ensembles, including pianist Orion Weiss, violist Roger Tapping, cellist Paul Katz, and the American, Pacifica and Jerusalem String Quartets. The Quartet has toured with cellist Alisa Weilerstein and performed frequently with pianists Jeremy Denk and Menahem Pressler. In addition, the Ariel served as quartet-in-residence for the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival, the Yellow Barn Music Festival and the Perlman Music Program, as well as the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Festival.

Formerly the resident ensemble of the Professional String Quartet Training Program at the New England Conservatory, from which the players obtained their undergraduate and graduate degrees, the Ariel was mentored extensively by acclaimed string quartet giants Walter Levin and Paul Katz. It has won numerous international prizes in addition to the Cleveland Quartet Award: Grand Prize at the 2006 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Székely Prize for the performance of Bartók’s String Quartet No. 4, and Third Prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition. About its performances at the Banff competition, the American Record Guide described the group as “a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power” and noted, in particular, their playing of Beethoven’s monumental Quartet in A minor, Op. 132, as “the pinnacle of the competition.”

The Ariel Quartet has received significant support for its studies in the United States from the American-Israel Cultural Foundation, Dov and Rachel Gottesman, the Legacy Heritage Fund and the A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Family Foundation. The members of the Ariel Quartet are graduates of the Young Musician’s unit of the Jerusalem Music Centre. Visit the Ariel Quartet’s website to learn more.

Cristian Diaz

Cristian Diaz is a violist from Colombia who holds a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from Colombia’s National University-Conservatory of Music, and a master’s degree in chamber music from Kent State University. His former professors include members of the acclaimed Miami String Quartet, Keith Robinson and Cathy Meng Robinson, and his viola professor Joanna Patterson Zakany, member of the prestigious Cleveland Orchestra.

Diaz has been part of many orchestras across the globe, and was runner up in the Kent State University concerto competition (2017), he was selected to become part of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy 2018 in Dortmund, Germany, winner of the inaugural Diversity Fellowship of the CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and is also a member of the Efferus String Quartet.

He has attended the XI Cartagena Music Festival (Colombia, 2017), the first and second International Festival of String Quartets (Colombia, 2015 and 2016), III Bogota’s Viola Festival (Colombia, 2015), Santa Catarina Music Festival FEMUSC (Brazil, 2012) and also the Kent Blossom Music Festival (2019). Diaz began his master’s degree at CCM in the fall of 2019 where he studies with Professor Catharine Lees.

Denielle Wilson

Denielle Wilson is a cellist from Lithonia, Georgia. A former resident of Evanston, Illinois, she has played in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and maintains a studio of private cello students. She completed an undergraduate degree at Northwestern University in 2017, having majored in cello performance and music education.

Wilson’s musical mentors have included Hans Jørgen Jensen, Joel Dallow and Nan Kimberling. She has spent summers at the Meadowmount School of Music, Bowdoin Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Grant Park Music Festival.

Wilson plays in a piano trio with her siblings, and they enjoy sharing classical and religious music with their local community.

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About the Series

CCMONSTAGE Online is a series of free digital concerts and performing arts presentations showcasing the unparalleled artistry and expertise of CCM’s students, faculty and staff. Enjoy a sneak peek at a few of our upcoming episodes:

The series has recently been featured by Broadway World, Cincinnati Business Courier, Cincinnati CityBeat, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Magazine, Cincinnati Public Radio, Local 12 WKRC-TV, Movers and Makers, Musical America and The Violin Channel.

CCM presents new series of free digital concerts and performing arts presentations

CCM’s “stars of tomorrow” are back on stage, and you get the best seats in the house!

The University of Cincinnati’s nationally ranked and internationally renowned College-Conservatory of Music invites arts lovers from around the world to join in the viewing party for the debut episode of CCMONSTAGE Online at 7:30 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. The premiere will stream simultaneously on CCM’s homepage and YouTube channel.

Download the concert program.

This dynamic new series of digital concerts and performing arts presentations will allow audiences near and far to experience the unparalleled artistry and expertise of CCM’s students, faculty and staff.

“The performing arts help to build and sustain a sense of community,” says CCM Dean Stanley E. Romanstein, PhD. “Now more than ever, we crave the sense of fellowship that comes through shared cultural experiences. While we may not yet be able to welcome audiences back to the CCM Village for live performances, we are excited to help you stay connected to the arts and to each other through our new CCMONSTAGE Online performance series.”

A behind-the-scenes look at the CCM Philharmonia’s video shoot.

Recorded live at CCM while adhering to strict health and safety precautions, each installment of this new performance video series spotlights a different CCM program or ensemble.

The debut installment features the CCM Philharmonia student orchestra performing a program of Classical Virtuosity that includes works by Claude Debussy/Maurice Ravel, Ottorino Respighi, Julia Perry and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Each episode also features insight into the repertoire and commentary on the process of rehearsing and performing during the era of COVID-19.

A behind-the-scenes look at the CCM Chamber Choir’s video shoot.

Future episodes will showcase performances by the CCM Ballet Ensemble, the CCM Chamber Choir, and a collaborative concert with CCM string quartet-in-residence the Ariel Quartet and members of the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship program. The performances by the CCM Ballet Ensemble and CCM Chamber Choir are further augmented by the cutting-edge artistry of students and faculty from CCM’s Theatre Design and Production programs. CCM will announce the premiere dates for these subsequent episodes later this fall.

CCM turned to the considerable expertise of its E-Media faculty and alumni to help produce this new series. Video production services for CCMONSTAGE Online are provided by MasseyGreenAVP, LLC. “Our goal was to capture the world-renowned talent that CCM has to offer through multiple cameras, providing CCM with professionally-produced videos to share with their fans virtually,” says CCM alumnus John Massey (BFA E-Media, ‘03), who directs each installment in this new series.

CCM alum John Tapogna preps his camera for the CCM Philharmonia’s video shoot.

Massey explains, “Our team is made up of videographers with decades of experience from the news, sports and entertainment industries. We were excited to be able to shoot in CCM’s beautiful facilities. We recruited E-Media grad John Tapogna (BFA Broadcasting, 1988), who has over 25 years’ experience as a sports videographer, to tackle providing tight shots. We sought to capture the energy and emotion of the performance up close while showing off the performers’ technical skill.”

All episodes of CCMONSTAGE Online will be digitally streamed for free. After the premiere broadcast, each installment in this ongoing series will remain available for on-demand viewing on CCM’s website and YouTube channel.

“Whether you’re a longtime CCM performance patron or a first-timer, we hope you’ll join us for one of our upcoming viewing parties to get a front row seat to see tomorrow’s stars today,” says Romanstein.

CCM student David Lopena participates in an interview during the CCM Dance video shoot.

This digital performance series is made possible by support from CCMONSTAGE Online Broadcast Sponsors CCMpower and ArtsWave, and CCMONSTAGE Online Production Sponsors Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer.

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Stay Connected!

Receive broadcast reminders and information on future episodes of CCMONSTAGE Online by subscribing to CCM’s YouTube channel and email newsletter.

Streaming Premiere

7:30 p.m. EST Friday, Dec. 11, 2020

Performance Repertoire

• Claude Debussy, orch. Maurice Ravel: Danse (1890)
• Ottorino Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano (1927)
• Julia Perry: Short Piece for Orchestra (1952)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201 (1774)

Orchestra Roster

The CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
Strings after principal stands are listed alphabetically

Violin I

Magdiell Antequera, concertmaster
Grace Brown, assistant concertmaster
Daniel Fields
Andrew Horak
Jade McClellan
Angkun Uabamrungit
Alayne Wegner

Violin II

Grace Wride, principal
Lauren Greene, assistant principal
Yasmine Bougacha
Sydney Ebersohl
Brittany Hausmann
Rachel Mancini

Viola (1st Half)

Julius Adams, principal
Murphy Combs
Javier Otalora
Aadhivan Ramkumar
Caleb Robinson

Viola (2nd Half)

Maya Fields, principal
Chloe Drake
Celeste Meisel
Nathaniel Sendi
Lucas Wardell

Cello

Maximiliano Oppeltz, principal
Marcel Bobe

Double Bass (1st Half)

Taiga Benito, principal
Zoe Heuser
Zachary Reich

Double Bass (2nd Half)

Caleb Edwards, principal
Esther Kwon
Peter McCutcheon

Flute

Vincenzo Volpe, principal
Caitlyn Lyerly

Oboe (1st Half)

Dylan Reynallt, principal
Daniel Outlaw

Oboe (2nd Half)

Yayi Senior, principal
Elena Suarez

Clarinet

Alyssa Berry, principal
Rachel Beil

Bassoon

John Robken, principal
Elizabeth Beeche

Horn (1st Half)

Sarah Yarbrough, principal
Jacob Speakman

Horn (2nd Half)

Will Morgan, principal
Sarah Palmer

Trumpet

Emery Hicks, principal
Kole Pantuso

Trombone

James Smith, principal
Jordan Rowan

Percussion

Jacob Ottmer
Ryan Thomas

Harp

Claire Greene
Madeline Arney (Debussy)
Janna Young (Respighi)

Celeste

Kara Piatt

Piano

Thomas Ryskamp

Graduate Assistants

Xiao Geng
Kara Piatt
Shimon Ohi
Sophie Mok
Kin Szeto
Caleb Glickman

Librarians

Rebecca Flank
Kristin Welke

Sponsors

Louise Dieterle Nippert Trust
Scholarship and Resident Artist Sponsor

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship Sponsor

The Corbett Endowment at CCM
Dance Department Sponsor
All-Steinway School Sponsor

H. Wayne Ferguson Family Foundation
Louise H. & David S. Ingalls Foundation, Inc.
Community Partners

The Joseph and Frances Jones Poetker Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation, Ritter & Randolph, LLC, Corporate Counsel
Visiting Artists & Thinking About Music Sponsor

CCMpower: Friends and Alumni Fueling the Future of the Arts
ArtsWave: Funding Arts, Fueling Community
CCMONSTAGE ONLINE Broadcast Sponsors

Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer
CCMONSTAGE ONLINE Production Sponsors

Elizabeth C.B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld
Musical Theatre Showcase Sponsor

Genevieve Smith
Opera Production Sponsor

An Anonymous Donor
Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander
Mrs. William A. Friedlander
Dr. Randolph L. Wadsworth
Judith Schonbach Landgren and Peter Landgren
Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen
Elizabeth C.B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman
Dr. & Mrs. Theodore W. Striker
Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer
Ariel Quartet Sponsors

Jan Rogers
Willard and Jean Mulford Charitable Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation
Choral Studies Sponsors

Robert & Debra Chavez
Three Arts Scholarship Fund
CCMpower Partners

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn
Orchestral Sponsor

Mr. & Mrs. James L. Miller
Musical Theatre Production Sponsor

Graeter’s Ice Cream
Greg Mathein
Musical Theatre Performance Sponsors

Trish & Rick Bryan
CCMpower: Friends and Alumni Fueling the Future of the Arts
The Harmony Endowment Fund: Challenging Hate and Prejudice Through the Performing Arts
The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation
KMK Law
Paula Boggs Muething & Brian Muething
PNC
Jeff Thomas Catering
Event Sponsors

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A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music offers nearly 120 possible majors, along with a wide variety of pre-collegiate and post-graduate programs.

The synergy created by housing CCM within a comprehensive public university gives the college its unique character and defines its objective: to educate and inspire the whole artist and scholar for positions on the world stage.

For more information, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.

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All behind-the-scenes and performance photos by MasseyGreenAVP.

Stream the Ariel Quartet’s Final CCM Concert of 2019

Although the theaters and concert halls at the University of Cincinnati’s nationally ranked and internationally renowned College-Conservatory of Music are temporarily silent, audiences can still experience world-class performances through CCM’s new CCMONSTAGE Online video series. This week’s release showcases the Ariel Quartet’s concert of fugues from Oct. 22, 2019.

The performance features W.A. Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546; Bartok’s String Quartet No. 1, Op.7; and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130 and 133.

The concert from Oct. 22, 2019, features Beethoven’s Große Fuge (or “Great Fugue”), which the Ariel Quartet performed in its debut Beethoven cycle at CCM in the 2013-14 performance season. Arts reporter Janelle Gelfand praised the ensemble’s performance: “From start to finish, the musicians wonderfully captured Beethoven’s emotional grit and fire, coupled with some of the most sublime music ever written.”

Described by the American Record Guide as “a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power,” the Ariel Quartet has earned a glowing international reputation. The ensemble is comprised of Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The group was formed in Israel in 1998 and has served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence since 2012.

The Ariel Quartet’s 2019-20 CCM concert series was made possible by the generous contributions of an anonymous donor, The Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander, Mrs. William A. Friedlander, Dr. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. & Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Elizabeth C. B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman, Dr. & Mrs. Theodore W. Striker and Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer.

Receive updates on future CCMONSTAGE Online performances by subscribing to our mailing list.

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Featured image at top: Ariel Quartet members Jan Grüning, Amit Even-Tov, Gershon Gerchikov and Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky. Photo/Marco Borggreve

CCM faculty featured in CSO’s grand return to Music Hall

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s “Live from Music Hall” performance is available to stream online

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra mounted its first live performance in Music Hall since the outbreak of COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the remainder of its season. The Live from Music Hall performance, initially streamed on Saturday, May 16, is available to watch online.

The performance featured the launch of the CSO’s Fanfare Project, which commissions new music from more than a dozen composers to “inspire and uplift and to help us make sense of this moment in our shared history through the universal language of music.” CCM Professor and CSO Principal Oboe Dwight Parry gave the world premiere of the Fanfare Project’s first composition vitres (fragment…) by CSO Creative Partner Matthias Pintscher in the opening of the live-streamed concert.

CSO pianist and CCM Professor Michael Chertock with CSO principal cello and CCM Professor Ilya Finkelshteyn.

Following the world premiere, four CSO musicians took the stage to perform Mahler’s Piano Quartet in A Minor — while maintaining social distances and wearing face masks. The performance featured CCM professors Michael Chertock, piano, and Ilya Finkelshteyn, cello; as well as CSO concertmaster Stefani Matsuo and principal viola Christian Colberg.

“The event was one step forward to the time when theaters will reopen, and we won’t be afraid to share a live communal experience,” wrote arts reporter Janelle Gelfand in her review for the Cincinnati Business Courier. “It was a message of hope that eventually our arts and culture will re-emerge.”

Watch the full performance online.

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Images captured from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s concert video.

CCM E-Media professor and student help UC Emeriti Center launch new website

The University of Cincinnati Emeriti Association and Center, headed by College-Conservatory of Music E-Media Professor Peter DePietro, unveiled a new website in April that showcases the work of recent graduate Jonathan Kilberg (BFA E-Media, ’20). As the center’s multimedia intern, Kilberg’s work included web design/development, user experience design, videography and audio production — a grouping of disciplines that are unique to CCM’s E-Media program.

Peter DePietro.

DePietro is the first non-interim executive director of the Emeriti Center, which advocates for the interests of emeriti, provides intellectual and social opportunities and strengthens ties between emeriti and the university, local, national and international communities. The new website includes videos from the Center’s YouTube channel as well as helpful resources for the university’s retired faculty members.

Since having a major role in the Center, DePietro has worked on creating connections between UC and community leaders as well as connecting deans from different colleges across campus. He is also focused on growth and expanding membership. At CCM he continues to educate his students through experience-based learning, which is why he recruited a student to help build the Center’s new website. DePietro enlisted the help of Kilberg because he believes that engaging students in practical learning is important.

“It was an amazing opportunity to be able to work for the Center,” Kilberg says. “I jumped at the opportunity. Every single member is supportive and kind and sociable. It was amazing to meet all these people from campus life and beyond campus life.”

Creating the UC Emeriti website was no small feat. The task required both Kilberg and DePietro to take classes and tests in order to train on the university’s web content management system and to meet the standards of UC’s Digital Communications office. In addition to the website, Kilberg and DePietro created a YouTube channel with original video content. The crown jewel of the YouTube channel is the EmeriTALKS series which Kilberg noted as one of the best parts of working on this project. The EmeriTALKS videos include a joint-venture between the Center and CCM, featuring the leadership of Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park, and another featuring former UC President Nancy Zimpher.

As an E-Media student at CCM, Kilberg has enjoyed multiple opportunities to participate in hands on learning experiences. In October 2019, Kilberg traveled to Germany and Poland with CCM E-Media Professor Hagit Limor’s multi-disciplinary Media Topics class. The group of 15 students set out to create “Hope After Hate,” an immersive play and virtual reality experience that shares Limor’s father’s experience during the Holocaust with lessons to inspire action against future acts of hatred.

CCM’s BFA E-Media program encompasses the integrated media arts of film and digital cinema, television and broadcast media news, audio production and new media design. Students are given the opportunity to study in the track of their choosing, including Broadcast and Media Production, Multimedia Production and Film and Television Production. Internships are a key part of the curriculum and take advantage of the professional resources in Cincinnati and other areas across the country. With its emphasis on experiential learning, students acquire the hands-on skills and a digital portfolio necessary to transition successfully into the professional world.

Kilberg plans on going into the film industry and feels that one of the biggest skills E-Media has taught him is how to effectively work with a team. “E-Media pushed me to work with other people, which is so necessary in the field that I want to go in. The program taught me the importance of working as a team.”

“The professors are talented and they work hard at creating community,” Kilberg says. “They also offer great resources and there is support from the alumni of E-Media. Going forward they are going to continue to do an amazing job preparing students.”

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Story by CCM Graduate Student Kelly Barefield

Featured image at top: An aerial view of CCM Village. Photo/Jay Yocis

Music at Home: Recent CCM graduates share senior recital performance video

The University of Cincinnati’s transition to remote learning put in-person public performances at the College-Conservatory of Music on pause, including senior recitals that graduating students typically present during the spring semester. However, harpist Anna Dunlap didn’t let that stop her from sharing a piece she planned to perform during her recital online.

Dunlap, who recently graduated with a Master of Music in Harp, planned to perform Marcel Tournier’s La lettre du Jardinier with fellow CCM student Sean McKay, who just graduated with a Master of Music in Trumpet. They were disappointed to lose the opportunity to perform the piece that they had already spent time practicing, so McKay suggested they present it digitally.

“Music, as it always does, provides comfort, joy and an escape from the more difficult times in life,“ says Anna Dunlap (MM Harp, ’20). “The arts are a vitally important part of everyone’s lives, so by sharing our music we are able to stay connected to our audiences, friends and colleagues.”

Dunlap, who studied with CCM Professor Gillian Benet Sella, is thankful that McKay was as excited about the performance video as she was. She was introduced to La lettre du Jardinier by her former teacher Kathleen Bride while she was an undergraduate student at Eastman School of Music.

“I never had the chance to program it there, so I was really happy about finding a friend to perform this piece with me here at CCM,” Dunlap says.

McKay, who studied with CCM Professor Alan Siebert, created the initial click track that the musicians used to record, then recorded the performances and edited the video. He says the recording part only took a couple of hours but that he probably spent around 4 hours editing the audio.

McKay is a self-taught video editor and used his experience as a performer, as well as the advice of experienced friends, for the audio recording and editing. He is using his free time during the pandemic to build a larger digital presence for himself as a freelance musician and educator.

“One of the biggest ‘silver linings’ that has come from this quarantine has been that I am moving in the right direction to expand my digital footprint, and that I have had a few opportunities to make music with friends,” McKay says. “I think that as musicians and students of music, we take for granted the simple and yet highly complex phenomena that is the experience of making music with other people.”

“I think that it is so very important for musicians to stay connected during this time, because each of us has a fire burning inside of us which drives our passion to make music; and when that fire is told to stay inside and stay healthy, that fire needs fuel to stay alive,“ says  Sean McKay (MM Trumpet, ’20). “These types of projects and collaborations with friends are what fuels our inner fire.”

Dunlap is using her time in quarantine to explore old hobbies like drawing and painting and she is staying connected with friends through video chats and virtual game nights. She is also working on new repertoire, updating her website and planning a virtual harp camp with a mentor.

She enjoys seeing the variety of creative ways musicians are continuing to perform and share music during this uncertain time. Dunlap is inspired by the orchestra videos, like the New York Philharmonic’s performance excerpt from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 “Adagietto” and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Ravel’s “Le jardin féerique” (The Fairy Garden) from Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite).

From Broadway stars to prestigious professional orchestras to student musicians, performing artists across the world are determined to share their work in new ways. Recently on May 16, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra presented “Live from Music Hall,” which featured a performance of Mahler’s Piano Quartet and the world premiere of the first piece for The Fanfare Project by CSO Creative Partner Matthias Pintscher. The performance featured CCM professors Dwight Parry, oboe; Michael Chertock, piano; Ilya Finkelshteyn, cello; and CSO concertmaster Stefani Matsuo and principal viola Christian Colberg.

“Music is a beautiful thing. Music heals. Music sparks creativity and passion. Music helps people in so many ways. Music can change the outcome of a person’s whole day,” McKay says. “My favorite quote about music is from Aldous Huxley: ‘After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.’ When words fail, music speaks. When people are hurt, music is there to heal and soothe.“

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Musical Family Gives Living Room Performance of Beethoven String Quartet

A family of musicians stuck at home during the pandemic found a perfect venue for a chamber music performance — their living room. The four string players, including two UC College-Conservatory of Music students, performed the first movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3 and shared it online for music lovers everywhere to enjoy.

The home concert features Cleveland Orchestra violinist Kathleen Collins and her children: Daniel Fields, a student violinist at CCM; Matthew Fields, a student cellist at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University; and Maya Fields, a student violist at CCM.

The performance received rave reviews from the family’s live-audience member, Cleo the dog. Tune into the performance on CCM’s YouTube channel.

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Video provided by Maya Fields

CCM Acting Class of 2020 Presents Virtual Senior Showcase

Watch a collection of five scenes showcasing the talents of CCM Acting’s Class of 2020

The Acting Department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM Acting) proudly presents its first Virtual Senior Showcase. Although the COVID-19 novel coronavirus prevented CCM Acting from holding its customary Senior Showcases for agents and casting directors in New York and Los Angeles this spring, the program’s new Virtual Senior Showcase allows industry insiders and the general public to see this year’s seniors in action.

The video showcase includes five scenes showcasing the talents of CCM Acting’s Class of 2020. Directed by Professor D’Arcy Smith, the A.B., Dolly, Ralph and Julia Cohen Chair in Acting at CCM, the showcase features students performing excerpts from TV programs, films and plays including “227,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “Pysch” and “Embers” along with an excerpt of “My So-Called Gay Life” written by CCM Acting student Abby Palen. A collaboration with CCM’s Electronic Media program, the CCM Acting Virtual Senior Showcase features the work of E-Media majors Caleb Smiley and Carlos Herriott II. Viewer discretion is advised; this video features strong language and mature content.

“Although we’ve transitioned to remote operations, we remain committed to our ongoing academic and artistic missions,” says Smith. “Our senior Acting students have put in countless hours preparing for their industry debuts in this year’s Senior Showcase and they deserve to have their time in the spotlight. They should be very proud of everything that they have accomplished, and we are happy to present this video snapshot of their talent for the entire world to enjoy.”

Get to know the graduating seniors by reading their professional summaries!

CCM Voice Student Advances to Lotte Lenya Competition finals

CCM is delighted to announce that first-year artist diploma student Teresa Perrotta (MM Voice, ’19) reached the finals of the Lotte Lenya Competition, one of the most prestigious vocal competitions for young artists.

Composer John Corigliano and Teresa Perrotta at the French premiere of “The Ghosts of Versailles.” Photo/Gail Luna

A rising soprano, Perrotta won the Seybold-Russell Award at CCM’s 2019 Opera Scholarship Competition and advanced to the Upper Midwest Regional Auditions in this year’s Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In December 2019, she made her international debut as Marie Antoinette in the French premiere of John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles at the Château de Versailles Royal Opera. She studies with CCM Voice Professor Gwendolyn Coleman.

Perrotta is one of 12 finalists in the 2020 Lotte Lenya Competition. These finalists were selected out of 282 applicants from 24 states after a preliminary video round and a semi-finals round in New York City. The finals were initially scheduled for May 2 at the Eastman School of Music, but the Kurt Weill Foundation, which holds the competition, is exploring other options in light of the current global health crisis.

Teresa Perrotta. Photo/Caitlin and Kevin Photography

CCM is often well-represented at the Lotte Lenya Competition. In 2017, Paulina Villarreal (DMA Voice, ‘18; MM Voice, ’15) won third prize, while Jasmin Habersham (AD Opera, ‘15; MM Voice, ‘13) and Lisa Marie Rogali (MM Voice, ’18) each received prizes of $3000. Talya Lieberman (AD Opera, ‘16) took Third Prize in the 2016 installment of this prestigious international theatre singing contest, while Lauren Roesner (BFA Musical Theatre, ‘13) won Third Prize in 2013 and alumna Caitlin Mathes (AD Opera, ’10, MM Voice, ‘09) won First Prize in 2011.

About the Lotte Lenya Competition

More than a vocal competition, the Lotte Lenya Competition recognizes talented young singer/actors who are dramatically and musically convincing in repertoire ranging from opera/operetta to contemporary Broadway scores, with a focus on the works of Kurt Weill. Since its inception in 1998, the Lotte Lenya Competition has grown into an internationally recognized leader in identifying and nurturing the next generation of “total-package performers” (Opera News) and rising stars in both the opera and musical theater worlds. The roster of prizewinners has likewise grown to over 100, many of whom have gone on to major performing careers. Visit kwf.org for more information about the Kurt Weill Foundation or the Lotte Lenya Competition.

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Story by CCM Graduate Student Alexandra Doyle

CCM Named ‘Best of Cincinnati’ by CityBeat Readers and Staff

Three productions with CCM connections were voted “Best of Cincinnati” by CityBeat readers and staff. CityBeat’s Best of Cincinnati 2020 issue is available online now!

CCMONSTAGE Play Series presented “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” in October 2019. Photo/Richard Hess

CCM’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time won “Best Play (Student/Community)” in the magazine’s readers poll. Directed by CCM Acting Professor Richard E. Hess, the play was presented in October as part of the CCMONSTAGE Play Series.

Blind Injustice, CCM’s co-production with Cincinnati Opera and UC College of Law’s Ohio Innocence Project, received a special Best of Cincinnati staff pick award as “Best World Premiere Opera to Open Your Eyes.” Directed by CCM Opera Professor Robin Guarino, the opera featured stories of six wrongly incarcerated people who were aided by the OIP.

Blind Injustice, CCM’s co-production with Cincinnati Opera and the Ohio Innocence Project, was presented in July 2019 at Music Hall’s Wilks Studio. Photo/Philip Groshong

CityBeat staff wrote: “Robin Guarino’s terrific staging of the sold-out series of shows in the Wilks Studio in Music Hall in July 2019 drew excellent performances from a gifted cast that included members of Cincinnati’s Young Professionals Choral Collaborative. The five performances sold out months in advance, as did a free presentation at Allen Temple A.M.E. Church in Bond Hill. Blind Injustice is proof positive that opera can bear powerful witness to the social issues of our time, as well as to the strength of the human spirit in the face of mindless injustice. May it be seen again and again and again, here and throughout the country.”

CCM students self-produced “The Flick” at Clifton’s Esquire movie theater in July 2019. Photo/Ella Eggold

CityBeat staff also recognized CCM students who produced and acted in a unique presentation of The Flick, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Annie Baker, at Clifton’s Esquire movie theater. The production was dubbed “Best Play Held in an Unconventional Setting.” CCM Acting alumni and current students Ella Eggold, Gabriella DiVincenzo, Graham Rogers, Leonard Peterson and Kristina Steinmetz acted and produced the play, which was stage managed by CCM Theatre Design and Production student Jennelle John-Lewis. CityBeat staff praised the production team’s efforts as “spectacular” and “outstanding.”

Congratulations to all of our friends and partners also featured in this special issue of CityBeat! Read more on CityBeat’s website or view a digital version of the issue.

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Featured image at top: Best of Cincinnati graphic by Taylor Speed/CityBeat