CCM Alumnus Marcus Shields Returns As Visiting Assistant Professor of Opera Directing

UC College-Conservatory of Music Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of CCM alumnus Marcus Shields (MM, 2015; AD, 2017) to the position of Visiting Assistant Professor of Opera Directing. Shields’ appointment will officially begin on Aug. 15, 2018.

Shields is a New York City-based director who specializes in the presentation and performance of classical music and opera. His experience ranges from installation/performance art to fully produced theatre, blending his artistry as a pianist, singer, visual artist and director into works that probe the boundaries of genre.

He has served on the directing staff of the Lyric Opera Chicago, Atlanta Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and the Curtis Institute of Music. Directing credits include La Vida Breve with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts, and a touring production of The Bolcom Cabaret with engagements at the Neue Galerie in New York and the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, DC.

Recently, Shields directed Bernstein’s Mass at Cincinnati’s May Festival, which attracted a sold-out crowd at Music Hall. At CCM he directed a semi-staged production of Arthur Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake and the 2017 Mainstage Opera production of Mozart’s Idomeneo, which was praised by arts reporter Janelle Gelfand as “striking” and a “rare treat.” In the fall of 2018, Shields will direct Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca at New York City’s Madison Theater.

Recipient of the 2018 Stage Directing Fellowship at San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program, Shields holds a Master of Music degree in Voice and an Artist Diploma degree in Opera Direction from CCM. In 2017 he was a recipient of the Drama League Opera Directing Fellowship in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera and Wolf Trap Opera.

On the announcement of Shield’s appointment, mcclung commented:

“CCM opera and voice students will benefit from Shields’ expertise as an opera director, visual artist and diction coach. His experience at San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program, Atlanta Opera and Chicago’s Lyric Opera promises to enrich CCM’s renowned opera program, ranked third in the country according to the most recent U.S. News and World Report ranking. I am grateful to the Search Committee Chairs Alan Yaffe and Robin Guarino for their collaborative effort on this successful search.”

Please join us in welcoming Marcus Shields to the CCM family!

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and CCM Announce 2018-20 Class of Diversity Fellows

Four outstanding string players have been selected for the next class of the prestigious diversity fellowship program.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) have selected four outstanding musicians for the next class of CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows. Born out of a mutual desire to make American orchestras more inclusive, this prestigious performance fellowship program launched in 2015 with a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Foundation approved a renewal grant of $850,000 in 2017, providing funding for the innovative program through June 2021.

With this collaborative Fellowship program, CCM and the CSO hope to provide new opportunities for under-served musicians, while simultaneously fostering a more inclusive environment in the orchestral industry.

“Orchestras must better reflect the communities they serve, and this program exemplifies our commitment,” said CSO President Jonathan Martin. “We welcome the new class of Fellows, look forward to the artistic contributions of the continuing class, and congratulate the inaugural Fellows who are now graduating.”

The incoming class of CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows is Camellia Aftahi, 22 (double bass), Yan Izquierdo, 33 (violin), Arman Nasrinpay, 23 (violin) and Alexis Shambley, 22 (violin).

“Thanks to the generosity and support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, we can continue to recruit highly qualified CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows candidates,” said CCM Interim Dean bruce mcclung. “In turn, these outstanding early-career musicians are helping inspire the next generation of multicultural young artists, which will allow us to continue making American orchestras better reflect the variety of their communities.”

These four exceptional string players will officially join the two-year fellowship program in August 2018 bringing the total number of CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows to eight for the 2018-19 academic year and performance season.

The inaugural class of Diversity Fellows, which is comprised of Emilio Carlo, Diana Flores, Vijeta Sathyaraj and Maurice Todd, have recently graduated.

“I have gained valuable experience through my work with the CSO and my graduate work with CCM,” said Flores. “This has been a wonderful experience, and I am excited for what lies ahead.”

“This program positions musicians for a bright future and wish them every success as their careers advance,” said Martin.

“It is a testament to the program’s success that the inaugural class of Diversity Fellows is moving on to next-step career opportunities,” said mcclung.

HOW THE FELLOWSHIP WORKS
The CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship Program is open to exceptional violin, viola, cello and double bass players coming from historically underrepresented populations in classical music.

The program’s tagline — “Bravos Without Barriers” — gets to the heart of its mission: eliminating obstacles that can prevent extraordinary musicians from achieving their full potential.

Fellows perform the equivalent of five weeks per season with the CSO while enrolled in a two-year Master of Music (MM) or Artist Diploma (AD) graduate degree program at CCM. Each class of Fellows is selected through a rigorous series of auditions, which saw hundreds of graduate-level musicians audition for CCM faculty members. Nineteen string players were invited back to Cincinnati for a final round of auditions judged by CSO musicians at CCM’s Corbett Auditorium on March 24, 2018.

Each Fellow receives full tuition scholarship support from CCM, in addition to a $10,000 per year graduate stipend and a one-time Graduate School Dean’s Excellence Award of $3,000. Each Fellow also receives compensation of $8,000 per season while performing with the CSO.

MEET THE INCOMING FELLOWS

Camellia Aftahi, Master of Music, Double Bass
For incoming San Diego participant, Camellia Aftahi, it was the Diversity Fellowship’s aspiration that was part of the appeal. “What drove me to apply for the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship was not only my desire to perform with and learn from a group of high caliber musicians but also to have an opportunity to bring representation to minority groups on stage,” said Aftahi.

Aftahi began playing double bass at the age of 12. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Double Bass Performance at San Diego State University where she studied with Jeremy Kurtz-Harris and Jory Herman.

An avid freelancer, Aftahi has performed with many groups in Southern California, including the San Diego City Ballet, the Opera NEO workshop, the BRAVO Festival and the La Jolla Symphony under the direction of Steve Schick. Aftahi also takes enjoyment in teaching and maintains an active private studio in addition to coaching at local public schools.

Aftahi will begin her master’s degree at CCM in the Fall of 2018 where she will study with CSO Principal Bass and CCM Adjunct Assistant Professor Owen Lee. She hopes that her studies at CCM will allow her to fuse her love for performance and scholarship with her commitment to civic and educational outreach.
Outside of performing music, Aftahi’s interests include reading 20th-century fiction and poetry, going to museums, eating vegetarian food, studying music and its various intersections with social issues, and playing board games.

Yan Izquierdo, Master of Music, Violin
Born in Havana, Cuba, violinist Yan Izquierdo enjoys an interdisciplinary, cross-genre music career. He has extensive performance experience throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Spain. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and the College of Charleston Orchestra. In 2010, he played the national anthem for the NCAA NIT College Basketball Finals game at Madison Square Garden. He has attended the Aspen Music Festival and performed at Spoleto USA with members of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. He was the winner of the 2004 South Carolina MTNA Young Artist Performance Competition in the strings category.

As an orchestral musician, he has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of New York, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas and Symphony in C, with notable appearances at Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Kimmel Center, Kennedy Center and Meyerson Symphony Center. He participated in the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas’ “Music Without Borders” North American concert tour, which included educational outreach programs with youth symphonies in Mexico City, culminating in a joint concert televised by the Televisa network.

Equally, at home in non-classical genres, Izquierdo has appeared with Grammy Award-winning Bluegrass artist Ricky Skaggs, as well as Clay Aiken and Anne Murray. He was a founding member of Shayna and the Catch, acting as a songwriter, violinist, mandolinist and backing vocalist. The band toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada, including appearances at SXSW, CMJ Music Marathon, Summerfest and Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration. His songs have been featured in TV and film, including an international Ford Edge commercial campaign.

Izquierdo began violin studies at the age of seven in Madrid, Spain. At the age of 14, he received a full scholarship to attend the Idyllwild Arts Academy, where he studied with Todor Pelev. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Charleston, studying with Lee-Chin Siow. Additional mentors include Almita Vamos, Herbert Greenberg, and Garrett Fischbach. He currently resides in New York City.
Izquierdo will begin his master’s degree at CCM in the Fall of 2018 where he will study with Professor Kurt Sassmannshaus, the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Classical Violin.

Arman Nasrinpay, Master of Music, Violin
Arman Nasrinpay began playing the violin at the age of 10 through the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Program. He has since performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center Hall and Millennium Stage, Strathmore Music Center, the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and the Shakespeare Theatre for Performing Arts.

He has held many prestigious positions in orchestras, including assistant concertmaster of the McLean Youth Orchestra, assistant principal second violinist of the American Youth Philharmonic, Principal Second of the Londontowne Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Principal Second of the Aspen Philharmonic and Assistant Concertmaster of Indiana University’s Concert Orchestra, among others.

“Since I was a kid, I have always dreamed of playing violin in a professional orchestra, and I couldn’t think of a better way to pursue this than the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship program,” said Nasrinpay.

Nasrinpay has frequently performed — and to great acclaim — in the greater Washington, DC area, and gained recognition by winning top prizes and honors in numerous competitions. Among these are such prestigious contests as the Washington Performing Arts Society’s Feder Competition, the United States Army Young Artists Competition, the Lions of VA Bland Music Competition, the Asian American International Competition and the Gretchen Hood String Competition, among others.

Along with competitions, Nasrinpay has performed in master classes given by Aaron Rosand, Zino Bogachek, Karina Canellakis, Dmitri Berlinsky, Victor Danchenko, Itzhak Rashkovsky and Ani Schnarch.

“In my first year, I hope to continue to improve my craft and successfully compete in several auditions and competitions. I will strive to learn as much as possible and represent the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship honorably every day. I am also hoping to meet many new people, musicians and otherwise, and engage with them and the community as much as possible.”

During the summer, Nasrinpay has participated in various music programs. These have included the Indiana University Summer String Academy, the Summit Music Festival, Kent Blossom Music Festival, Chautauqua Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, as well as the Bowdoin International Music Festival where he received instruction from Almita and Roland Vamos, Victor Danchenko, Itzhak Rashkovsky, David Halen and Cyrus Forough. Most recently, he studied at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as a Premiere Young Artist under pedagogue Simin Ganatra of the Pacifica Quartet.

Nasrinpay will begin his master’s degree at CCM in the Fall of 2018 where he will study with CSO Concertmaster and CCM Adjunct Professor of Violin Timothy Lees.

Alexis Shambley, Master of Music, Violin
A native of Dallas, Texas, Alexis Shambley recently received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from CCM under the tutelage of String Department Chair Won-Bin Yim. Shambley started violin at age four and studied primarily with her mother, Xiao-mei Pelletier of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

She has previously attended the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and The National Orchestral Institute and Festival as well as performed with local orchestras including Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and Richmond Symphony Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, she enjoys doing outreach performances and participating in chamber music competitions, most recently placing second in CCM’s Annual Chamber Music Competition with her then sextet in 2016.

Shambley will begin her master’s degree at CCM in the Fall of 2018 where she will study with String Department Chair Won-Bin Yim.

“I am so honored to be a CCM/CSO Diversity Fellow and believe the program will help me achieve my goal of winning orchestral auditions,” Shambley said. “This opportunity is also particularly important to me because I aspire to one day create a studio aimed at providing music education to underrepresented youth.”

ENHANCING AND EXPANDING THE EXPERIENCE
Earlier this year, the CSO and CCM expanded the opportunities available to the Diversity Fellowship participants through a new partnership with the Chautauqua Institution of New York. Through this new partnership, as many as five CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows will be selected annually to participate in an eight-week summer residency with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, with frequent performance opportunities in the Institution’s 4,000-seat open-air Amphitheater.

The CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows will be mentored by the orchestra’s professional musicians, who come to Chautauqua each summer from a variety of home ensembles around the world. Also, the Fellows will mentor minority student musicians in Chautauqua’s Music School Festival Orchestra, and offer performances designed to engage the broader Chautauqua community. Chautauqua Diversity Fellows will be provided housing and receive a stipend to offset their expenses.

For several members of the CSO and CCM’s graduating class of Diversity Fellows, a residency at Chautauqua during the summer of 2018 will be the next valuable step in their performing careers. Carlo, Flores, and Sathyaraj will spend the summer of 2018 embedded at Chautauqua, along with current Fellows Ian Saunders and Weiyi Shao.

“Inclusiveness — of race, gender, sexuality, ideas — is the Chautauqua ideal. We aim to be a leading force in evolving the field of symphony orchestras by diversifying the makeup of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and investing in inclusion,” said Deborah Sunya Moore, vice president of performing and visual arts at Chautauqua Institution. “By making it a priority to help musicians from underrepresented communities early in their careers, the Institution hopes to be instrumental in their ability to compete for and win jobs in American orchestras. Diversity in the Arts changes lives not only for the artist but also for audiences.”

JOIN OUR NEXT CLASS OF CSO/CCM DIVERSITY FELLOWS
On Sept. 1, CCM and the CSO will begin accepting applications for the 2019-21 class of Fellows. The application deadline is Dec. 1, 2018.

Live auditions with CCM faculty will be held Jan. 18-19, Jan. 25-26 and Feb. 15-16 of 2019.

Finalists will audition for the CSO in Cincinnati in March of 2019.

Download the Informational Flyer (590.8 KB)

Learn more about the application process by visiting ccm.uc.edu/admissions/application.

About the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which also performs as the Cincinnati Pops, is one of America’s finest and most versatile ensembles. With a determination for greatness and a rich tradition that dates back 123 years, the internationally acclaimed CSO has performed the American premieres of works by the likes of Debussy, Mahler, Ravel and Bartók, and commissioned important compositions that have since become mainstays of the classical repertoire including Aaron Copland’s iconic Fanfare for the Common Man. With new commissions and groundbreaking initiatives like the Pelléas Trilogy, LUMENOCITY, and One City, the Orchestra is committed to being a place of experimentation. As Cincinnati’s ambassador, the Orchestra has toured extensively, most recently to Asia and Europe in 2017, and sold millions of recordings around the globe. As Cincinnati’s own, the Orchestra elevates the City’s vibrant cultural scene not only through CSO and Cincinnati Pops performances, but also through an array of education and community engagement programs and by serving as the official orchestra for the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati May Festival, and Cincinnati Opera.

About the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
Nationally ranked and internationally renowned, CCM is a preeminent institution for the performing and media arts. CCM’s educational roots date back to 1867, and a solid, visionary instruction has been at its core since that time. 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’s stage.

CCM’s faculty and staff and its state-of-the-art facilities make possible the professional training and exceptional education on which CCM believes the future of the arts relies. The school’s roster of eminent faculty regularly receives distinguished honors for creative and scholarly work, and its alumni have achieved notable success in the performing and media arts. More than 150 internationally recognized faculty members work with students from around the world, specializing in the areas of Composition, Musicology, and Theory; Electronic Media; Ensembles and Conducting; Keyboard Studies; Music Education; Performance Studies and Theatre Arts, Production and Arts Administration.

The largest single source of performing arts events in the state of Ohio, CCM presents nearly 1,000 major public performances each year, ranging from faculty and guest artist concerts to fully supported acting, dance, musical theatre and opera productions. CCM is an accredited institution of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), as well as a member of the University/ Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA).

CCM Welcomes Scott Linford as Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology

CCM Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Scott Linford to the position of Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at CCM. Linford’s appointment will officially begin on Aug. 15, 2018.

A scholar, filmmaker and performing musician, Linford has conducted fieldwork in West Africa, Central America and the United States around themes of participation and musical experience, ethnicity, gender and politics. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, he holds an MA and PhD in Ethnomusicology from UCLA and most recently served as Assistant Professor of Liberal Arts (Music History) at the Berklee College of Music.

In addition to his dissertation, “Interweaving Worlds: Jola Music and Relational Identity in Senegambia and Beyond,” Linford’s work has appeared in Ethnomusicology Review and the Yearbook for Traditional Music. He has presented papers at annual meetings of the Society for Ethnomusicology and the African Studies Association, and has presented invited lectures at UCLA, Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, and Centro Nacional de las Artes in Mexico City.

A guitarist, bassist, fiddler and award-winning banjoist, he directed the UCLA Bluegrass and Old Time String Band, which won numerous awards at regional music festivals. Linford has also directed three documentary films focusing on musical communities.

On the announcement of Linford’s appointment, mcclung commented:

“CCM students will benefit from Linford’s expertise as an ethnographic researcher, documentarian and performer. He makes an excellent addition to our Composition, Musicology and Theory Division. I am grateful to Search Committee Chair Jonathan Kregor and committee members Jenny Doctor, Stefan Fiol, Jeongwon Joe, Stephen Meyer, Matthew Peattie and Stephanie Schlagel for their collaborative effort on this successful search.”

Please join us in welcoming Scott Linford to the CCM family!

Piano Student’s Perseverance Takes Her from Hit and Run to Graduation

Jiaen Zhang.

After being seriously injured by a hit-and-run in fall 2016, Jiaen Zhang was afraid she wouldn’t be able to fully recover to become a professional pianist. Thanks to her dedication, and the support of faculty and friends, the CCM piano student overcame her injuries and walked proudly with the Class of 2018 at this year’s Graduation Convocation on April 28.

Around 10 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2016, Zhang finished practicing piano in CCM’s Memorial Hall and began her walk home. As she crossed Calhoun Street, she was struck by an SUV, which threw her 20 feet and knocked her unconscious.

She woke up with fractures in her right hand and thigh, brain trauma and bruises on her lung and liver. After multiple surgeries on her thigh and hand, Zhang remained at the UC Medical Center for 20 days in recovery. Her thigh healed rapidly, but her hand remained in a plaster cast for three months.

“The flexibility of the joints in my third finger was completely lost,” Zhang remembers. “I had to start at zero, trying to at least move my injured finger. It took me two weeks before I could move it a single inch.”

While she recovered, her classmates and teachers at CCM sent her “heart-warming” messages, including a card with more than 60 signatures. Interim Dean bruce mcclung and Piano Department Chair Michael Chertock kept Zhang’s family in China updated throughout the ordeal. CCM Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Director of Graduate Studies Scott Lipscomb and the CCM College Office staff helped her make up missed classes so she would graduate on time. Zhang says her appreciation to them all “is beyond words.”

Chertock worked with Zhang to create a “back to piano” plan for her recovery. They began with simple pieces to rebuild the muscles in her injured hand. Chertock told her that the technical problems in her playing could be fixed with the right mindset.

“When you have the imagination and passion for music, your hands will find their own way to achieve whatever you want to do,” she says.

On Feb, 7, 2018 — year and a half after the hit and run — Zhang held her senior recital in CCM’s Robert J. Werner Recital Hall. She played a Mozart sonata, Alexander Scriabin’s Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand and Brahms’ challenging Op. 118. Chertock calls the recital a “heroic conclusion to a year and half of struggle.”

“She endured surgical screws in her right hand, multiple surgeries on her leg and a great deal of pain and scarring without the slightest trace of bitterness or anger,” Chertock says. “She rebuilt her piano playing and developed a style that is more broad, deeper into the keyboard and sustained.”

Zhang came to Cincinnati from her hometown of Guangzhou, China, to study at CCM. She says she was drawn to the college by its distinguished faculty and the artistry of its students.

“Since my first year here, I’ve learned a lot from the faculty and students,” she says. “In this environment, my studying and growth are not limited to only classrooms and lessons. It’s exciting to feel myself improve every minute. The friendly atmosphere encourages and reminds me to help my peers and people who haven’t had the advantage of studying music.”

Zhang was particularly fond of the piano repertoire class she took with instructor Andy Villemez, who recently won UC’s Outstanding Adjunct Instructor Award. The class gave her a broader understanding and knowledge of piano music, which helped her become more comfortable and confident when she gives lessons and presentations, she says.

“It taught me historical facts of piano music and how to better share this knowledge with audiences,” she says. “Rather than simply teaching my students how to play a nice sound, I can lead them to think about music in a more critical way by giving them the historical context of the pieces.”

She will continue studying with Chertock over the summer to prepare for her solo recital in China in September — it will be her debut in her home country after graduating from CCM with a bachelor of music in piano. After the recital, she plans to give piano lessons at a private music school in China.

“Jiaen’s calmness, courage and perseverance were ultimately able to overcome the reckless act that injured her,” Chertock says. “I will always remember her sincere desire to heal and refusal to live in despair.”

Acclaimed Violinist Giora Schmidt is Named Assistant Professor of Violin at CCM

Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Giora Schmidt to the position of Assistant Professor of Violin at CCM. Schmidt joined CCM’s faculty on a visiting basis in 2017. His new tenure-track appointment will begin on Aug. 15, 2018.

CCM Assistant Professor of Violin Giora Schmidt.

Praised by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as “impossible to resist, captivating with lyricism, tonal warmth and boundless enthusiasm,” Schmidt has appeared with many prominent symphony orchestras including Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Detroit, Toronto, Vancouver and the Israel Philharmonic.

As a recitalist and chamber musician, Schmidt has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, San Francisco Performances, the Louvre Museum in Paris and Tokyo’s Musashino Cultural Hall. His festival appearances include the Ravinia Festival, the Santa Fe and Montreal Chamber Music Festivals, Bard Music Festival, Scotia Festival of Music and Music Academy of the West.

Born in Philadelphia to professional musicians from Israel, Schmidt began playing the violin at the age of four. He has studied with Patinka Kopec and Pinchas Zukerman at the Manhattan School of Music, and the late CCM faculty member Dorothy DeLay and Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School.

Schmidt was the first prize winner of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Greenfield Competition in 2000, the recipient of a 2003 Avery Fisher Career Grant and won the Classical Recording Foundation’s Samuel Sanders Award in 2005. He was selected to be a Starling Fellow at the Juilliard School from 2004 to 2006.

Prior to his current appointment as Visiting Assistant Professor of Violin at CCM, Schmidt was on the faculty of the Juilliard School and the Perlman Music Program. Through technology and social media, he continues to find new ways of reaching young violinists and music lovers around the world.

On the announcement of CCM’s new Assistant Professor of Violin, mcclung commented:

“Schmidt’s commitment to pedagogy and his passion for excellence make him an ideal addition to the CCM family. I am grateful to Violin Search Committee Chair James Bunte and committee members Gershon Gerchikov, Alexandra Kazovsky, Kurt Sassmannshaus, and Won-Bin Yim for their work and dedication to find CCM’s next great faculty member.”

Please join us in congratulating Giora Schmidt on his new appointment!

CCM Welcomes Thomas Gamboa as Assistant Director of Wind Studies

CCM Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the addition of esteemed conductor and educator Thomas Gamboa as the college’s new Assistant Director of Wind Studies. Gamboa’s appointment begins on Aug. 15, 2018.

Originally from San Diego, Gamboa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education and Music Performance in bassoon from UCLA. He also earned a Masters of Music degree in Conducting from Northwestern University, where he studied with Mallory Thompson. Additional conducting studies include work with Tom Lee, Donald Neuen, Victor Yampolsky, Craig Kirchhoff, Kenneth Kiesler, Neal Stulberg, Jerry Junkin, David Effron, David Loebel, Donald Hunsberger, Michael Votta, Kevin Sedatole, Gary Hill and Mark Davis Scatterday. This spring, he will complete his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Michigan, where he is studying with Michael Haithcock.

An accomplished conductor, Gamboa previously held the rank of Captain and served active duty as Conductor and Commander of the United States Air Force Band at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He later served as Associate Conductor and Flight Commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He earned his commission from Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama in February 2011.

Gamboa traveled with the Band of the Air Force Reserve on numerous national and international tours including Spain, Germany, Turkey, Qatar and Kuwait. He also helped plan, execute and edit the band’s final television broadcast Holiday Notes from Home 2011, which featured country music group Little Big Town and singer/songwriter Lee Ann Womack as guest artists. The Band of the Air Force Reserve celebrated a historic second nomination for an Emmy Award in Entertainment Programming for this broadcast, which was viewed by 1.1 million people in 174 countries.

A seasoned educator, Gamboa taught and served as the Instrumental Music Director and Music Department Chair at West Adams Preparatory High School in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Central Los Angeles. During his tenure, he founded and conducted the high school’s marching band, wind ensemble, chamber orchestra and symphonic orchestra. He was also a conducting and chamber music instructor for the National High School Music Institute, where he served as Assistant Conductor for the Wind Ensemble. Additionally, Gamboa taught drum major camps with the United Spirit Association during the summer for more than 15 years. In addition to teaching, he designed the conducting curriculum and trained instructors throughout his time with the drum major camps.

On the announcement of CCM’s new Assistant Director of Wind Studies, mcclung commented:

“Current and future students will benefit from Professor Gamboa’s extensive experience as a conductor and educator. He makes an excellent addition to CCM’s Division of Ensembles and Conducting, and I am grateful to Wind Studies Search Committee Chair Terence Milligan and committee members James Cully, Kevin Holzman, Ann Porter and Aik Khai Pung for their efforts with this successful search.”

Please join us in welcoming Professor Gamboa to the CCM Family!

CCM Celebrates Bernstein Centennial with Yearlong Festival

During its 150th anniversary season, CCM commemorates the 100th birthday of cultural icon Leonard Bernstein with an unprecedented series of events.

Celebration is in the air at CCM as the 150-year-old performing and media arts institution prepares to commemorate the 100^th birthday of an American icon. In 2018, CCM will stage a year-long festival memorializing the legacy of composer, conductor, educator and activist/humanitarian Leonard Bernstein. Beginning on January 26, 2018, this wide-ranging festival will span two concert seasons and include over a dozen major performances, making it one of the world’s most comprehensive Bernstein Centennial Celebrations!

CCM’s Bernstein Festival features the talents of students and faculty members from throughout the college, united in a celebration of the life and career of one monumental artist. Bernstein, who would have turned 100 years old on Aug. 25, 2018, was a towering figure of 20^th-century music and culture. He achieved international acclaim as the composer of West Side Story, Candide, On the Town and other stage and orchestral works. The celebrated conductor of the New York Philharmonic and other leading orchestras, Bernstein was equally esteemed as an educator whose televised Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic created generations of music lovers.

CCM’s festival showcases many of Bernstein’s signature works, including the iconic “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story, the monumental Age of Anxiety symphony for piano and orchestra, Songfest, the Symphonic Suite from Academy Award-winning film On the Waterfront, poignantly satirical one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti and much more.

In addition to Bernstein’s compositions, CCM’s festival also showcases music by Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, David Diamond and other composers who were championed by Bernstein through his work as a conductor and musical ambassador. According to Interim Dean bruce mcclung, “These works by Bernstein’s colleagues and the younger American composers who he promoted will help provide a cultural and musical context for CCM’s festival.”

For CCM Director of Orchestral Studies Mark Gibson, programming this festival has been fulfilling both artistically and personally. “Lenny is the reason I am on the podium today and have been in the halls of CCM every year for the past 20 years,” says Gibson, who studied with Bernstein at the Tanglewood Music Center as the Bernstein Conducting Fellow in 1986.

A college-wide celebration of Bernstein’s artistic output and ongoing influence seemed like a natural fit for CCM’s ongoing Sesquicentennial Celebration, too. “During this same year that CCM celebrates the 150^th anniversary of its founding, Lenny would have celebrated his 100^th birthday. Let’s do it for him, let’s throw him a party all year long.”

The festivities begin on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, as Gibson leads the CCM Philharmonia in a concert featuring Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story along with Lenny’s “anthem,” the beloved Overture to Candide. The concert also features CCM Eminent Scholar of Chamber Music and Piano James Tocco in Bernstein’s highly dramatic second symphony, The Age of Anxiety. Like Gibson, Tocco was mentored by Bernstein earlier in his career, working closely with him on the world-premiere recording of Bernstein’s complete works for solo piano in 1983. Tocco has performed The Age of Anxiety with orchestras around the world and recorded it with Leonard Slatkin and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

CCM’s Bernstein Festival continues through March with performances by the Opera d’Arte undergraduate opera series, Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Concert Orchestra, Chorale and much more. The festival then resumes in September with another series of events leading up to the CCM Jazz Orchestra’s performance of Stan Kenton’s West Side Story on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018.

Tune In! Enjoy a preview of the festival courtesy of WVXU’s Around Cincinnati by visiting wvxu.org/post/celebrating-together-150-years-ccm-100th-birthday-bernstein.

Some of CCM’s Bernstein Festival performances are free and open to the general public, while others require paid admission. Audiences can also purchase the “Bernstein Experience” package, which provides access to every ticketed festival event and comes with additional perks. View complete schedule and ticketing information for CCM’s Bernstein Festival below.
____________________

CCM’S BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL

SPRING 2018

8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26
BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL OPENING CONCERT
CCM Philharmonia
Featuring Eminent Scholar of Chamber Music James Tocco, piano
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
BERNSTEIN: Overture to Candide (1956)
BERNSTEIN: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
BERNSTEIN: Symphony No. 2 (The Age of Anxiety) (1949/65)
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2
8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3
2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4
TROUBLE IN TAHITI
Music and libretto by Leonard Bernstein
THE TELEPHONE
Music and words by Gian Carlo Menotti
TALE FOR A DEAF EAR
Music and lyrics by Marc Bucci
Brett Scott, conductor
Amy Johnson, stage director and co-producer
Kenneth Shaw, co-producer
Gabriela Sam, assistant stage director
The CCM Opera d’arte Series of undergraduate productions proudly presents a triple bill of one-act American operas! Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti candidly portrays the troubled marriage of a young suburban couple. Written between Bernstein’s biggest Broadway successes, Trouble in Tahiti draws upon popular song styles to deliver an uncompromising critique of Mid-century American marriage. The triple bill also includes Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Telephone and Mark Bucci’s rarely produced, but haunting, Tale for a Deaf Ear. Taken together, Opera d’arte’s triple bill offers three contrasting views into the extremes of human relationships.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available to Bernstein Festival subscribers at noon on Monday, Jan. 22. They are available to the general public beginning at noon on Monday, Jan. 29. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Opera d’arte Sponsor: Rafael & Kimberly Daniel de Acha Foundation
____

4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11
CELEBRATING CCM’S SESQUICENTENNIAL WITH DALE WARLAND
CCM Chamber Choir and Chorale, Cincinnati Children’s Choir Bel Canto, and UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses
Earl Rivers, Robyn Lana, Kevin Coker, Molly Getsinger and Graeme Langager, conductors
CCM’s Sesquicentennial Celebration includes a choral concert featuring guest conductor/composer-in-residence Dale Warland (HonDoc, 2008), inductee in the American Classical Music Hall of Fame and founder of the Grammy Award-nominated Dale Warland Singers. The CCM Chamber Choir presents the world premiere of I Hear America Singing commissioned by the CCM Choral Department and composed by Warland in honor of the 150^th anniversary of CCM’s founding. CCM Chamber Choir also presents Leonard Bernstein’s Missa Brevis, and guest conductor and alumnus Graeme Langager leads the CCM Chorale in Brahms’ Neue Liebeslieder (New Love Songs).
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16
FUN AND GAMES
CCM Philharmonia
Featuring the winners of the CCM String Quartet Competition
Mark Gibson, music director
Annunziata Tomaro, guest conductor
CCM’s Sesquicentennial Celebration welcomes back CCM alumna and former faculty member Annunziata Tomaro (DMA Orchestral Conducting, 2014) for a can’t-miss concert featuring the CCM Philharmonia with the internationally acclaimed Ariel Quartet!
BERNSTEIN: Overture to Slava!
ADAMS: Absolute Jest
STRAVINSKY: Petrouchka (1911 version)
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25
LENNY AND FRIENDS ON BROADWAY
CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
Join us for a celebration of Bernstein’s Broadway legacy, including works by Bernstein, Loesser, Weill, Sondheim and Styne.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $20 general, $15 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

8 p.m. Friday, March 2
BERNSTEIN, KHACHATURIAN, R. STRAUSS: DANCES
CCM Wind Orchestra
Terence Milligan, music director and conductor
Leonard Bernstein was an American treasure and a larger-than-life force in music. We celebrate his 100 years with “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story and “Three Dance Episodes” from On the Town, along with Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian and Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

8 p.m. Tuesday, March 6
REMEMBERING LENNY: NEW WORKS AND OLD FRIENDS
Café MoMus
Aik Khai Pung, music director and conductor
LUKAS FOSS: Time Cycle
DAVID CLAY METTENS: In This World (World Premiere)
HSIN-LEI CHEN: Vortex•Hymn (World Premiere)
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: FREE
____

8 p.m. Thursday, March 8
BERNSTEIN’S CHICHESTER PSALMS AND SAXOPHONE CONCERTOS
CCM Concert Orchestra and Chorale
Featuring guest artists from the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Convention
Aik Khai Pung and Brett Scott, music directors and conductors
Bernstein’s most popular choral/orchestra work, Chichester Psalms, premiered in 1965 with the composer conducting. The work features a boy soprano (or countertenor), and the texts that Bernstein selected from Psalms 23, 100, 108 and 131 of the Hebrew Bible. Saxophone repertoire to be announced.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

8 p.m. Friday, March 30
BERNSTEIN’S SERENADE AFTER PLATO’S SYMPOSIUM AND STRAUSS’ ‘GROßMACHTIGE PRINZESSIN’ FROM ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
CCM Concert Orchestra
Aik Khai Pung, music director and conductor
STRAUSS: “Großmachtige Prinzessin” from Ariadne auf Naxos
            Featuring the winner of the CCM Voice Competition
BERNSTEIN: Serenade after Plato’s Symposium
            Featuring the winner of the CCM Violin Concerto Competition
BRAHMS: Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

FALL 2018

 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14
LENNY AND FRIENDS
CCM Philharmonia and Concert Orchestra
Mark Gibson and Aik Khai Pung, music directors and conductors
Concert Orchestra
CHAVEZ: Symphony No. 2 (Sinfonia India)
THOMPSON: Symphony No. 2 (1931) excerpt
DIAMOND: Music to Romeo and Juliet (1947)
Philharmonia
COPLAND: El Salón México
HARRIS: Symphony No. 3
BERNSTEIN: Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31
BERNSTEIN AND FRIENDS
CCM Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble
Terrence Milligan and Kevin Michael Holzman, music directors and conductors
COPLAND: Fanfare for the Common Man
BERNSTEIN: Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront
THOMSON: A Solemn Music
COPLAND: Incidental Music from Our Town
BERNSTEIN: Slava!
Additional works to be announced
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1
PIANOPALOOZA CELEBRATES LENNY
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Admission: FREE
____

8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2
SONGFEST AND FANCY FREE
CCM Philharmonia
Featuring CCM Voice faculty members and student soloists
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____

 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4
STAN KENTON’S WEST SIDE STORY
CCM Jazz Orchestra
Scott Belck, music director and conductor
Hear CCM jazz students perform music from Kenton’s West Side Story album, which won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Large Group (Instrumental) in 1962.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $20 general, $15 non-UC students, UC students FREE
____________________

Purchasing Tickets
Single tickets to all Spring 2018 Bernstein Festival events are now available for purchase through the CCM Box Office in person, over the phone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/bernstein-festival. Ticket prices vary; see individual event listings for additional information. Tickets for CCM’s Fall 2018 Bernstein Festival events will go on sale in August.

Experience the complete Bernstein Festival! CCM subscribers can purchase CCM’s “Bernstein Experience” package for $160, giving them access to every ticketed concert in CCM’s Bernstein Festival at a savings of over 20% off single ticket prices. Bernstein Experience package holders get first access to CCM’s Fall 2018 festival events. Package holders also receive exclusive perks for CCM’s non-ticketed Bernstein Festival events, including early access to tickets for Trouble in Tahiti!

To purchase a Bernstein Experience package, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183. Already have tickets to some of these events? Call the Box Office to upgrade to the Bernstein Experience package. The Bernstein Experience is available for purchase through January 26, 2018.

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 information on parking rates.

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

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
____________________

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
____________________

Photo of Leonard Bernstein by Al Ravenna, 1955, courtesy of the Library of Congress.
____________________

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For an updated calendar of events, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.
____________________

CCM Welcomes Denise Tryon as Associate Professor of Horn

CCM Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the addition of acclaimed hornist Denise Tryon to the college’s roster of distinguished performance faculty members. Tryon’s appointment as Associate Professor of Horn begins on Aug. 15, 2018.

An accomplished performer and educator, Tryon is a native of Roseville, MN, and has served as Horn Professor at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore since 2007. Previously, Tryon was fourth horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra (2009-17). She has also held positions with the Detroit (2003-09), Baltimore (2000-03), Columbus (1998-2000) and New World (1995-98) Symphonies as well as participated in the Colorado Music Festival and the Pacific Music Festival. A celebrated solo performer, Tryon has performed recitals in Sweden, Norway, Poland, Japan, Canada and the United States.

In 1989 Tryon graduated from the famed Interlochen Arts Academy and in 1993 received her Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) in Boston. She received the Presidential Scholarship while in the Artist Diploma Program at NEC with the Taiyo Wind Quintet, which won the Coleman Chamber Competition and worked with renowned composers such as Luciano Berio, Elliott Carter, John Harbison and György Ligeti.

An active and esteemed educator, Tryon is sought out for her master classes. She has taught extensively in the United States, Scandinavia, Europe, Asia and South America. Beth Graham of the Warsaw Philharmonic and founder of the Warsaw Horn Workshops explains, “In just a few seconds of listening to a student she can diagnose deep-seated problems and give immediate fixes, often with a healthy dose of humor as well. The transformations she can accomplish in just a short time are truly remarkable.”

Tryon released her debut solo album, SO•LOW, in 2015. As a part of this album, she commissioned four new pieces for low horn and piano. A review by Gramophone Magazine observed, “Tryon plays these works with sonorous fluidity and dexterity, ending with a bit of captivating acrobatics.” SO•LOW received a Global Music Award, Bronze Medal.

In 2009 Tryon founded yearly horn seminar Audition Mode with Karl Pituch. In 2010 she was an International Horn Society (IHS) Northeast Workshop Featured Artist. She was a contributing artist at the IHS Symposium in San Francisco in 2011, as well as one of the Solo Artists at the Nordic Hornfest in Norway in 2012. Tryon was on the horn faculty at BIBA (Blekinge International Brass Academy) in Sweden in 2013. She has been the Featured Artist at the Warsaw Horn Workshops in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Tryon was a Featured Artist at the IHS MidNorth Horn Workshop in 2014 and 2016, and in 2015 she was a Featured Artist at the IHS Symposium in LA. In 2016, Tryon was on faculty during the brass weeks at Domaine Forget. Tryon was the Featured Artist at the IHS NorthWest Horn Workshop in 2017.

On the announcement of her appointment, mcclung commented, “Tryon is a superb addition to our faculty and a most appropriate successor to Professor Randy Gardner, who retires this spring after a distinguished 22-year tenure at CCM. Tryon’s expertise as a performing artist, orchestral musician and pedagogue will help us continue to prepare future generations of performing artists for positions with leading orchestras and on the world’s stage. I am grateful to Horn Search Committee Chair James Bunte and committee members Timothy Anderson, Timothy Northcut, Sandra Rivers and Alan Siebert for their work and dedication to find CCM’s next great horn professor.”

You can learn  more about Tryon by visiting http://denisetryon.com.

Please join us in welcoming Professor Tryon to the CCM family!

CCM and Twin Towers Partnership Embeds Six Student Artists in Senior Living Community

In 2015, CCM and Twin Towers partnered to create a new artist-in-residence program, which provided two CCM graduate students with free housing as they lived and performed in the senior living community. After two successful years, the program has grown to include six graduate students.

The program provides students with an immersive learning experience while bringing new musical talents to the Twin Towers residents. All six students reside on one of the Twin Towers neighborhoods as they work to complete their graduate degrees at CCM. They perform in monthly recitals and socialize with the community’s residents throughout the year in discussions and open rehearsals.

Twin Towers’ partnership with CCM has exceeded all expectations, says Executive Director Jim Lay:

“The personal connections that have developed between these exceptional young men and women and the Twin Towers residents have blossomed to levels and depth that were never anticipated. The student residents are part of the essential fabric of our community, and we are blessed to have this unique connection to the arts and to the aspiring artists. We can no longer imagine a Twin Towers without our beloved artists.”

Lay thanks the inaugural artists-in-residence, Master of Music student soprano Annie Barr and recent graduate Alyssa Griffith (MM Collaborative Piano, 2017), for being the “trailblazing artists” in the program.

Griffith’s connection to Twin Towers moved her fiancé to propose to her in front of two hundred residents and guests during a concert at the senior living community. The couple also held their wedding reception at Twin Towers.

This fall, Barr returns for her third year as an artist-in-residence. Second-year Master of Music students Anna Odell, harp, and jazz studies major Angie Coyle are also returning as artists-in-residence.

“I have met a majority of the residents and know many of them well,” says Barr. “Being here reminds me of one of the main reasons I love to perform — music is absolutely necessary for expression. So often I will practice or perform music the residents recognize from their past, or music that moves them to reflect on their life currently. Whether its a remembrance of sorrow or happiness, it is important. I’m glad that I can be a part of their lives in this small way.”

Barr’s fiancé Matt McAllister (BM Jazz Studies, 2013), who studies composition at CCM, is joining the program as an artist-in-residence this year. He is joined by Shu-Li Cheah, an Artist Diploma student studying cello, and Bryan Banowetz, a Master of Music student studying collaborative piano.

Banowetz was intrigued by the concept of sharing music with a senior living community and living among its residents. He moved into Twin Towers on Aug. 10 and says he can tell it will be an inspiring place with its quiet atmosphere and natural surroundings.

“Twin Towers offers free housing to its artists, and this was a big burden off of my shoulders as a young artist and as a student,” says Banowetz. “Now, I can really focus on my studies and my development as a musician.”

He says he also looks forward to the monthly recitals at Twin Towers, which will give him the opportunity to share repertoire that he may not typically get the chance to perform.

The artists-in-residence will hold their first recital at 6:30 p.m. on September 28 at Twin Towers. Visit lec.org/twin-towers for more information.

“We wait with excitement to see how this diverse array of young artists will collaborate to delight audiences with their creativity and immense talents,” Lay says. “The arts are alive and performances are live every month at Twin Towers. We are committed that this program will be part of our resident experience for years and years to come.”

Meet the new 2017-18 Artists-in-Residence

Bryan Banowetz grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He graduated magna cum laude from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and English in May 2017. He was the winner of Luther College’s Concerto Competition and performed part of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with the Luther College Symphony Orchestra in the spring of 2016. He is also a two-time winner of the Luther College Distinction in Accompanying and Collaborative Piano Award in 2015 and 2016. In August 2017, Bryan began to pursue a Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano at CCM. He was awarded a vocal studio accompanying assistantship and the Artman Straub Scholarship.

In addition to his diverse accompanying experience at Luther College, Bryan has also served as a collaborative pianist at Interlochen Arts Camp and the Cedar Rapids Czech School. He remains active as a freelance pianist. Bryan has given recitals in Iowa and in Vienna, Austria, where he studied German and music in Fall 2015. He has performed such works as Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy and J.S. Bach’s Italian Concerto. His teachers have included Dr. John Strauss (Luther College), Carol Morgan (Vienna), Dr. James Martin (Cornell College) and Matthew Burrier. He also studied collaborative piano with Dr. Jessica Paul and Dr. Nicholas Shaneyfelt at Luther College.

Bryan is a member of three honor societies: Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts), Pi Kappa Lambda (music) and Sigma Tau Delta (English). His academic interests include feminist literary criticism as well as use of the body at the piano and in performance. More generally, he enjoys languages, literature and the occasional crossword.
____

Matthew McAllister, percussionist & composer, graduated from CCM in 2013 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in composition at CCM. During his time as an undergraduate, Matthew was a part of the FIPSE International Study Abroad Program and lived in Brasília, Brazil for six months. While there, he studied cultural rhythms, Brazilian percussion and learned to speak Portuguese.

Since graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Matthew has been an active performer, composer and educator. His performance styles range from big band jazz, traditional New Orleans jazz, original rock, Brazilian folk music and experimental music. Matthew also works with a variety of musical theatre companies and has performed in over ten pit orchestras.

As an educator, Matthew has worked in a multitude of environments with students of varying ages and experience levels. Since 2013, he has held a consistent studio of over fifteen students. Matthew also teaches group percussion classes. This year he created, developed and lead his first drum set camp. Matthew has taught master classes at Loveland High School, Middletown Middle School, Cincinnati Country Day and Xavier University.

In addition to performing and teaching, Matthew is very passionate about composition. Many of his compositions are written for and performed by his jazz trio, Animal Mother, which consists of tenor saxophone, electric bass and drum set. They have recorded two studio albums, both of which feature Matthew’s original music. Animal Mother has been reviewed by major news publications, such as The Washington Post, and they have performed in over 25 cities.
____

Cellist Shu-Li Cheah is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at CCM. A native of Malaysia, she was a member of Orkes Praise Malaysia and a founding member of the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Since she began her studies at CCM in 2012, Shu-Li has performed with Cincinnati singer-songwriter Allan Pray at the Midpoint Music Festival and was featured on several pop songs and feature films both in Asia and America, including Lead the Way by Matt Bierwagen, Confession by Mariah Mu, Question in the Rain and Love Confession. As cellist in the Queen City Opera Orchestra and the CCM Philharmonia, she has played for operas like Siegfried, Don Giovanni, Alcina and The Magic Flute, as well as musicals such as Carousel, Les Misérables and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

A strong believer in the importance of engaging communities through music, Shu-Li’s desire to share the gift of music with others has brought her to unique performance locations such as the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Seacrest Studio. She also played in the music video of rEVOLUTION CINCY, a project by Liz Wu that challenges Cincinnati residents to “be the change” through their actions, donations, volunteer work and by remaining educated on current events. During the summer of 2014, Shu-Li interned with MYCincinnati, an El Sistema-inspired free orchestra program for children in the Price Hill area. Her experiences there have allowed her to witness how music can truly be a vehicle for social change. She continues to volunteer at MYCincinnati whenever possible and constantly searches for more opportunities to bring music, art and communities together.

Shu-Li recently received her Master of Music from CCM under the tutelage of Ilya Finkelshteyn, principal cellist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, she graduated summa cum laude from CCM with a Bachelor of Music in cello under the direction of Lee Fiser, cellist of the LaSalle Quartet.
____

About the Twin Towers Senior Living Community
Located on Hamilton Avenue between Cincinnati’s Northside and College Hill neighborhoods, Twin Towers is committed to enhancing adult lifestyles through a philosophy of whole-person wellness. Specializing in both residential and assisted living, the community consists of patio and apartment homes throughout their Towers, Greeno, North and Parkview areas. Twin Towers provides a full neighborhood experience including an extensive dining area, full gym and pool, and multiple other locations for residents to meet, interact and partake in the arts.

Twin Towers is owned and operated by Loveland-based Life Enriching Communities, Inc. (LEC), a private not-for-profit corporation, offering an integrated family of lifestyle communities and senior living services in greater Cincinnati. Best known for their Twin Towers and Twin Lakes senior living communities, they deliver exceptional everyday experiences to everyone they serve. With a focus on quality living options and healthcare services, and a commitment to whole-person wellness, LEC has become one of the area’s leading senior living providers. Life Enriching Communities is affiliated with the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church and welcomes people of all faiths. For more information, please visit http://www.lec.org.

Acclaimed Musician Demarre McGill Joins CCM Faculty as Visiting Assistant Professor of Flute

CCM Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of lauded flutist Demarre McGill as Visiting Assistant Professor of Flute. Winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, McGill is a leading soloist, recitalist, and chamber and orchestral musician.

A native of Chicago, McGill began playing the flute at age seven. He attended Chicago’s Merit School and was a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. At age 15, he appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony.

McGill received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner. He continued his studies with Baker at The Juilliard School, where he received a Master of Music degree.

McGill has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Dallas Symphony, San Diego Symphony and Baltimore Symphony.

In September 2017, McGill will return as principal flute of the Seattle Symphony. He previously served as principal flute of the Dallas Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Florida Orchestra and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He recently served as acting principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, McGill is a founding member of The Myriad Trio and is a former member of Chamber Music Society Two. He has participated in the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Music@Menlo, Marlboro Music, La Jolla Music Festival, Seattle Chamber Music Festival and Stellenbosch Chamber Music Festival in South Africa, among others.

McGill is the co-founder and artistic director of the chamber music organization Art of Élan. In 2014, he founded the McGill/McHale Trio with clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Michael McHale. The trio’s first CD, Portraits, was released by Cedille Records on August 11.

Media credits include appearances on PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center, A&E Network’s The Gifted Ones and NBC’s Today Show and Nightly News. McGill also appeared on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood with his brother when they were teenagers.

Please join us in welcoming Professor McGill to the CCM family!

Learn more about CCM’s illustrious faculty by visiting ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/faculty.