CCM Welcomes the Holiday Season with Choral Concerts

Santa Claus makes a guest appearance at the 2012 Feast of Carols. Photography by Dottie Stover.

Hundreds of voices will fill the stage of Corbett Auditorium this December as CCM celebrates the season with a pair of holiday-themed concert programs. The Feast of Carols returns with 2 and 5 p.m. performances on both Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8. The following Saturday, Dec. 14, CCM’s ensemble-in-residence the Cincinnati Children’s Choir presents its Holiday Concert with performances at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Only a limited number of seats remain for each of these concerts.

The annual Feast of Carols – a tradition that dates back decades – will embrace an eclectic mix of holiday songs ranging from the classic and traditional to the contemporary and even barbershop. CCM’s Chamber Choir, Chorale and Concert Orchestra, UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses, Cincinnati Children’s Choir and outstanding area guest choirs, including Anderson, Lakota East and Mason High Schools, will perform these treasures sounds. Conductors Earl Rivers, Brett Scott, Marie Bucoy-Calavan, Michael Fuchs and Robyn Lana invite audiences to sing along to favorite holiday carols during the spectacular “Fa-La-La” Finale with audience, combined choirs and CCM’s Concert Orchestra.

The Cincinnati Children’s Choir’s Holiday Concert will feature all 450 members of the Choir, including CCM resident choirs and satellite choirs from across the tri-state area, performing holiday songs from around the globe. Robyn Lana conducts.

Only a limited number of seats remain for each of these performances. Please see individual listings below for ticket prices and additional information.

Local Guest Choirs Join UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses for an Evening of ‘Psalms and Songs’ on Nov. 5

The University of Cincinnati Men’s and Women’s Choruses and Cabaret Singers, comprised of UC students from all 13 colleges, welcome honored guests Sycamore High School Select Ensemble and Cincinnati Children’s Choir (CCC) Girl Choir for a remarkable evening of “Psalms and Songs” at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in Corbett Auditorium.

Under the direction of conductors Marie Bucoy-Calavan, Michael Fuchs, Eva Floyd and Kenneth Holdt, this diverse group of singers will delight audiences. With over 120 students from the UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses as well as the remarkable talent of the two guest choirs, the multitude of voices joined together on stage promises to deliver an energetic and stirring performance.

The first half of the concert will feature the individual choirs, performing independently from one another to showcase their unique artistry. All four choirs will join forces in the second half to present Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Gustav Holst’s Two Psalms. The audience will be captivated by both of these psalms, which are magnificent in their contrast. Though Holst is primarily known for his orchestral works, including The Planets, audiences will be swept away by his Psalms, which are rich with textural variety and emotion and express a wonderful warmth.

The divine sounds of these four ensembles are sure to enrapture and inspire audiences.

CCM and Constella Festival Present Bach’s ‘St. John Passion’ This Sunday

The Cincinnati Enquirer has named CCM’s Sunday, Nov. 3, staging of J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion as its “top pick for the weekend!”

According to the preview, “it should be one of the most moving events of the entire fall season.” Tickets are still available for this unique staged performance at Cincinnati’s Christ Church Cathedral.

Learn more about CCM’s production of this cherished Baroque masterwork here.

CCM Presents a Grand Recreation of a Beloved Bach Masterpiece on Nov. 3

Graduate student Conor McDonald performs the role of Jesus in CCM’s production of J.S. Bach’s ‘St. John Passion,’ presented at Christ Church Cathedral on Nov. 3. Photography by Dottie Stover.

CCM’s Chamber Choir and Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra join forces to perform a unique staged production of Johann Sebastian Bach’s visceral rendering of the St. John Passion as the next installment in CCM’s 2013-14 Prestige Concert Series. The monumental work will be presented at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, at Christ Church Cathedral under the direction of Earl Rivers, staged by Omer Ben-Seadia, and in conjunction with the Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts.

Bach composed his St. John Passion for the congregations of Leipzig, Germany for Good Friday services in April 1724. The story is narrated by the character of the Evangelist and emphasizes the conflict of Pontius Pilate. “Bach’s interpretation provides us with a dramatic and physiological account,” explains stage director and Artist Diploma directing student Omer Ben-Seadia. “The staging will portray the drama through symbolic elements and light. The text and historical reflection are just as pungent today as ever – and the staging confronts these truths head on.” Ben-Seadia will also direct CCM’s Mainstage Series production of Don Pasquale in April 2014.

“Performances of Bach’s Passions, particularly in light of the attention that Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ received, present an opportunity for Christians and Jews to confront issues of religious intolerance, and the role of the arts and how the arts might, advertently or inadvertently, promote intolerance,” explains conductor and Director of Choral Studies Earl Rivers. “By exploring these issues, we will know the music better and we will know each other better.”

The concert will be performed at the magnificent setting of Christ Church Cathedral, which enjoys a long tradition of great choral music and is hosting the collaboration between CCM’s Chamber Choir and Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra and the Constella Festival for a second year. In 2010, the CCM Chamber Choir and Philharmonia Orchestra presented the 400th Anniversary of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 at the downtown location, and the Cathedral presents a wide variety of performances throughout the year.

CCM alumnus and Joseph and Frances Jones Poetker Visiting Artist Jeffrey Thompson, tenor, will sing the role of the Evangelist. CCM graduate voice majors Conor McDonald and Jeffrey Byrnes, baritones, perform the roles of Jesus and Pilate, respectively. The roles of aria soloists will be sung by CCM graduate voice majors Danielle Adams, soprano; Laurin McAlister, mezzo-soprano; Alec Carlson, tenor; Jonathan Cooper, baritone; and Stefan Egerstrom, bass. Guest Artist Adriana Contino, cellist, plays continuo cello and Michael Unger, Assistant Professor of Harpsichord and Organ, is featured as harpsichordist. Student obbligato soloists include Haoli Lin and Yang Liu, violin; Xue Su and Carol Joe, flute; and Katelyn Kyser and Martha Peck, oboe.

CCM Student Matthew Phelps Places Third in National Pipe Organ Performance Competition

Choral Conducting DMA Student Matthew Phelps.

We are happy to report that Choral Conducting DMA candidate Matthew Phelps has placed third in the Rodgers North American Classical Organ Competition. Finals were held at the Rodgers Instruments Corporation on Friday, Oct. 4, in front of a live audience.

Phelps was also featured on this week’s episode of NPR’s Pipe Dreams. He and trumpeter Lorraine Cohen performed “Trumpets of Light” by Dan Locklair at the Reformed Church of Bronxville.

At CCM, Phelps studies Choral Conducting with Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies Earl Rivers. He is also director of the Xavier University Concert Choir and is the Minister of Music at Assumption Church in Mount Healthy. In 2012 he was a finalist for the American Prize in Choral Conducting, and his Chancel Choir at the Reformed Church of Bronxville was a finalist for the American Prize in the Ensemble division.

As an organist, Phelps is regularly engaged across the eastern United States. He is the Artist-in-Residence at Saint Frances Xavier Church in New York, NY, and is a regular guest recitalist at Saint Mary the Virgin Times Square, in New York, NY. He is currently studying with CCM Assistant Professor of Organ and Harpsichord Michael Unger.

CCM Doctoral Student Named Artistic Director of Dayton’s Musica Chamber Choir

CCM student Michael Fuchs will serve as new artistic director for Dayton, Ohio’s Musica.

Congratulations to CCM doctoral candidate Michael Fuchs on being named new artistic director of Musica, a Dayton-based professional choral ensemble.

Pam McGinnis recently profiled Fuchs for the Dayton Daily News. You can read her feature online here.

Fuchs is pursuing a doctoral degree in choral conducting at CCM, where he also conducts the UC Women’s Chorus and is co-director of the Collegium Vocale.

The UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses open their season on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with a concert of traditional and contemporary choral works featuring Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Gustav Holst’s Two Psalms.

Learn more about Choral Studies at CCM here.

CCM Announces 2013-14 Mainstage Concert Series Schedule

Photography by Dottie Stover.

CCM is pleased to announce initial details on its 2013-14 Mainstage Series of concert performances. Encompassing more than 40 different concerts, this series begins with a production of Verdi’s grand opera Don Carlos on Sept. 22 and concludes with the annual concerto competition-winners concert on April 11.

The internationally acclaimed Ariel Quartet will present a complete tour of Beethoven’s string quartets as part of CCM’s upcoming season, with six concerts scheduled for January, February and March.

CCM’s 2013-14 concert series also features a rare staged performance of Bach’s St. John Passion presented in conjunction with the Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts, a year-long Britten Centennial Celebration, a jazz tribute to the Rolling Stones, a concert dedicated to Richard Wagner’s 200th birthday, a performance of John Adams’ opera-oratorio El Niño and much more.

Several popular concert productions are also returning, including the annual Feast of Carols, Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite featuring CCM’s Jazz Ensembles and Musical Theatre Dancers, the annual PRISM concert and the latest installment of Pianopalooza.

Event Information
All events listed below take place on the campus of the University of Cincinnati unless otherwise indicated. Please see individual event information for single-ticket prices and ordering information.

New subscription and flex ticket packages go on sale Monday, June 17, 2013. Single tickets go on sale beginning Monday, Sept. 9.

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

ON SALE NOW: Subscription and Flex Ticket Packages For CCM’s 2013-14 Season

CCM presents a “must-see” series of performing arts events in 2013-14. Subscription and flex ticket packages are on sale now!

Subscriptions and flex ticket packages for what the Cincinnati Enquirer has dubbed CCM’s 2013-14 “mega-season” go on sale at 12 noon today!

Featuring over 50 major concerts and theatre arts productions, CCM’s 2013-14 season spans the spectrum of the performing arts.

Learn more about our Mainstage Series of Opera, Musical Theatre, Drama and Dance here.

Learn more about our schedule of Chamber Music, Choral, Jazz, Orchestral, Winds and Special Event Concerts here.

Secure your seats before these must-see performances sell out!

For more information, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or boxoff@uc.edu. You can also visit us online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice.

Download a copy of our 2013-14 Season-at-a-Glance now!

Stay tuned to this site for more information about the exciting things we have planned for 2013-14!

CCM Student Marie Bucoy-Calavan Named As Inaugural May Festival Choral Conducting Fellow

Marie Bucoy-Calavan has been named the inaugural recipient of the May Festival Choral Conducting Fellowship. She will enter her third year of studies in CCM’s DMA in Choral Conducting program this fall.

We are delighted to report that DMA candidate Marie Bucoy-Calavan has been named the inaugural recipient of the May Festival Choral Conducting Fellowship. This new position was established thanks to the incredible foresight and generosity of Ginger Warner and was created as part of an ongoing collaboration between the May Festival and CCM’s Department of Choral Studies. Each year, a May Festival Fellow will be selected from CCM’s pool of Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting students and will serve as the Assistant Conductor of the May Festival Chorus.

“The new May Festival Choral Conducting Fellowship provides unique professional training for CCM’s doctoral choral conducting students,” explains Director of Choral Studies Earl Rivers, “providing them opportunities to conduct rehearsals, as well as to attend May Festival Board and Artistic Planning meetings to learn how a world-renowned Choral Festival is successfully produced.”

Bucoy-Calavan will begin her duties with the May Festival Chorus next fall. As Assistant Director she will be responsible for running select rehearsals and smaller sectional rehearsals. In addition Bucoy-Calavan will conduct some concerts within the community. Commenting on her appointment, Bucoy-Calavan says, “I am very excited and honored at the chance to have a mentorship with [May Festival Director of Choruses] Robert Porco. I attended the Conducting Masterclass that the May Festival held a year ago, and was inspired by his musical insights and skill for teaching conducting. I look forward to the fall and to the prospect of working with the May Festival Chorus.”

Learn more about the May Festival Choral Conducting Fellowship.

Under Direction of CCM Alumnus David Morrow, the Acclaimed Morehouse College Glee Club Performs in Cincinnati Next Month

CCM alumnus David Morrow.

The Glee Club and Vocal Quartet from Morehouse College in Atlanta, whose voices have serenaded Olympians and Presidents, will make their biennial appearance in Cincinnati on Saturday, March 9. The Morehouse Glee Club is directed by CCM alumnus David Morrow, who received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from CCM in 1995.