Student Compositions Showcased in CCM’s “A View from the Edge” Recital

The University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music offers a few recitals each semester called “A View from the Edge.” These free concerts showcase original works of student composers and give audiences a look over the precipice of current compositional techniques.

The first of this season’s student composition recitals is at 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26 in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. The concert program includes a set of three songs for soprano and piano inspired by the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, a freshman composer’s first piano sonata and How I Lost My Voice, a piece for flute and guitar that a student wrote in response to the Nov. 13, 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.

Daniel Harrison.

Daniel Harrison, a third-year doctoral candidate studying music composition, is one of the student coordinators for this installment of “A View from the Edge.” CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle got in touch with Harrison to get a preview of the upcoming recital.

Can you tell me a bit about “A View from the Edge” and the goals of these recitals?
The “View From The Edge” series was created as a way to showcase the newest compositions from the students in the CCM composition studio. At these concerts, you will hear premieres of chamber music, which range from solos to small ensembles and occasionally works that incorporate electronics. One of the outstanding characteristics of our composition studio is how diverse all of our compositional voices are; everyone has something different to say and their own way of saying it.

What’s it like to work with student performers to hone your pieces? Have you found that you make a significant amount of changes after rehearsals have begun?
Working with other students is great! I love it when there is a sense that we, as a team, are collaborating together to create an experience for a concert-goer. As a composer, I view my role in this as only a third of the equation; the audience and performer make up the other two thirds. I have gotten advice from performers that has led to some significant revisions, both in terms of idiomatic treatment of the instruments and notional choices.

Which three pieces on the program stand out to you, and why?
One of the three pieces on the concert that I’m really looking forward to hearing is Phillip Robert‘s Her em Iteru, which is a set of three songs for soprano and piano based on texts found in the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. Another is our incoming freshman composer Maksym Mahlay‘s first piano sonata, which looks like a fiery and virtuosic piece for solo piano. It’s also worth noting that the composer himself will be performing the piece. Lastly, my piece for flute and guitar, How I Lost My Voice, will be premiered at the recital. This piece attempts to capture the feeling of not being able to express oneself vocally and contains extended techniques in the flute and guitar that give the illusion of a voice becoming hoarse and transparent.

Did a personal experience inspire your work, How I Lost My Voice?
While I was composing this piece, the Nov. 13, 2015 Paris attacks occurred. After the initial shock, I vividly recall feeling this wave of absolute hopelessness. What could I do? As someone whose profession is to write music, in a country thousands of miles away and separated from France by an ocean, ‘not much’ is as a gross understatement. This event radically refocused my perspective and reframed the project I was working on for a reading session, which was a simple, short piece for flute and guitar.

I began asking what purpose music served in response to tragedy. I imagined that even if I screamed until I lost my voice, there was nothing that I could do to undo what happened. My only recourse was to respond through music well after the fact.

What should people who haven’t experienced much new music expect if they come to “A View from the Edge”?
I would come in to these concerts with an open mind. Our composition studio is filled with students who have different aesthetics. No two recitals will offer the same sounds. One bit of advice that I would offer to someone who is looking to experience a new music concert for the first time is to listen to the music in the same way one would taste a new dish­ – just be open to the experience!

The first “A View from the Edge” recital is at 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26 in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. Composition students will have another opportunity to showcase their new works in the second concert at 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31 in Patricia Corbett Theater.

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Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

CCM Showcases the Songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt with a World Premiere

CCM continues its popular Studio Series with the world premiere of THEY WERE YOU, a musical revue showcasing the songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. Devised and directed by Aubrey Berg, the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre at CCM, THEY WERE YOU plays Oct. 5-9 in the Cohen Family Studio Theater. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

Conceived and curated by Berg with musical arrangements by CCM faculty member Stephen Goers and choreography by alumna Katie Johannigman, THEY WERE YOU features songs from some of Jones and Schmidt’s most beloved musicals, including The Fantasticks, Celebration and 110 in the Shade. The production represents the first comprehensive revue of Jones and Schmidt’s work.

Jones, a Texas native, is widely known not only for his lyrics and librettos but also for his directing and acting chops. He directed a New York City revival of The Fantasticks in 2006, and also played the role of Old Actor in that production. He has written a screenplay for that show and a book called Making Musicals: An Informal Introduction to the World of Musical Theater.

Schmidt, also a Texan, attended the University of Texas at Austin to study art, but began to play piano as an accompanist for Jones during his time there. In addition to composing some of the world’s most beloved musicals, Schmidt has also continued to work as an illustrator for Life, Harper’s Bazaar, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and other publications.

The duo’s work together earned them several Tony Award nominations and the 1992 Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, as well as induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

THEY WERE YOU is organized thematically, moving from “innocence” to “experience” through the course of the performance. Each song along the way showcases some universal emotion and lauds the resilience of humanity in the face of sorrow and disillusionment. The program promises favorites like “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks and “My Cup Runneth Over” from I Do! I Do! alongside other songs from throughout the celebrated duo’s oeuvre.

Admission to THEY WERE YOU is free, but tickets are required. CCM’s Studio Series productions often sell out quickly, so visit our guide to Studio Series tickets for tips on how to secure your seats.

THEY WERE YOU: The Songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics by Tom Jones
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Aubrey Berg, director
Stephen Goers, musical director
Katie Johannigman, choreographer

Cast List:

• Gabe Wrobel
• Emily Fink
• Stavros Koumbaros
• Aria Braswell
• Karl Amundson
• Michelle Coben

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7
• 2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9

Location
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Admission
Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 3. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

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.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor & Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

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Story by Alexandra Doyle and Curt Whitacre

CCM and Cincinnati Opera Co-Host Free Performance of ‘Some Light Emerges’ Tomorrow

 

CCM and Cincinnati Opera’s Opera Fusion: New Works program presents excerpts from the new American opera Some Light Emerges at 7:30 p.m on Thursday, Sept. 22, in the Cincinnati Club’s Oak Room. This free public performance provides audience members with a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creation of an original work! Tickets are available now though the Cincinnati Opera box office by calling 513-241-2742 or visiting cincinnatiopera.org.

The Broken Obelisk outside of the Rothko Chapel.

Opera Fusion: New Works is currently providing a workshop for Some Light Emerges, which is composed by Laura Kaminsky to a libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed. Inspired by the creation of Houston’s iconic Rothko Chapel by philanthropist and art collector Dominique de Menil, the opera is commissioned by HGOco, Houston Grand Opera’s community collaboration and education initiative. The chamber opera will have its world premiere in Houston in March 2017. The Cincinnati workshop is directed by Robin Guarino, CCM’s J. Ralph Corbett Distinguished Chair, and conducted by Bradley Moore, Houston Grand Opera’s head of music staff and music director for HGO Studio.

In the mid-1960s, the renowned art collector Dominique de Menil commissioned the noted American artist Mark Rothko to create a series of paintings and the ideal gallery in which to house them. Mrs. de Menil also envisioned that the resultant Rothko Chapel, which opened in 1971, would serve as a spiritual space for “those of all faiths, or no faith.” Some Light Emerges is set mostly within the Rothko Chapel and chronicles the direct and tangential intersections of five people across four decades who visit the chapel, as well as the struggles and triumphs of Dominique de Menil in realizing her dream.

Opera Fusion: New Works will also workshop Intimate Apparel, a new American opera by composer Ricky Ian Gordon with a libretto by Lynn Nottage, from November 5 to 14, 2016. The new opera is commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera/Lincoln Center Theater’s New Works Program. The workshop will be directed by Guarino and conducted by Timothy Myers, the artistic and music director of North Carolina Opera. Paul Cremo, dramaturg and director of opera commissioning programs for the Metropolitan Opera, will be the dramaturg for the workshop. This residency will culminate in a free public performance of excerpts in Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14,  in the Cincinnati Club’s Oak Room. Tickets are available beginning Tuesday, November 1 through the Cincinnati Opera box office.

About Opera Fusion: New Works
Funded by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Opera Fusion: New Works is a groundbreaking joint program of Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music created in 2011 to foster the development of new American operas. The program offers composers or composer/librettist teams the opportunity to workshop an opera during a 10-day residency in Cincinnati, utilizing the talent, personnel and facilities of both organizations. The workshops are cast with a combination of CCM students and professional artists, and each workshop concludes with a public performance. The program is led by co-artistic directors Marcus Küchle, Director of Artistic Operations of Cincinnati Opera, and Robin Guarino, the J. Ralph Corbett Distinguished Chair of Opera at CCM. In 2015, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation renewed the program’s funding, allowing for a second cycle of six workshops over three years.

In 2011, Opera Fusion: New Works awarded its first workshop to composer Douglas J. Cuomo and librettist John Patrick Shanley in support of their new opera Doubt, which premiered at Minnesota Opera in January 2013. In 2012, Opera Fusion: New Works provided workshops for Champion, by composer Terence Blanchard and librettist Michael Cristofer, which premiered at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in June 2013; and Morning Star, by composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist William M. Hoffman, which premiered at Cincinnati Opera in June 2015. In 2013, the residency went to Fellow Travelers, by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Greg Pierce, which premiered at Cincinnati Opera in June 2016. In 2014, the program invited composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally to workshop Great Scott, which premiered at the Dallas Opera in October 2015. For the final workshop of the original six-workshop grant, the residency was awarded to Meet John Doe, with music and libretto by the late Daniel Catán. The first workshop of the second grant cycle was given in October 2015 to Shalimar the Clown, by composer Jack Perla and librettist Rajiv Joseph, which premiered at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in June 2016.

Opera Fusion: New Works Lab Presents
SOME LIGHT EMERGES
Composed by Laura Kaminsky
Libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed
Robin Guarino, director
Bradley Moore, conductor

Performance Time
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22

Location
The Cincinnati Club’s Oak Room
30 Garfield Place, Cincinnati OH 45202

Reserving Tickets
Admission to Some Light Emerges is free, but reservations are required. Please contact the Cincinnati Opera box office for tickets by calling 513-241-2742 or visiting cincinnatiopera.org.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Opera Department Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Rosenthal

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith

CCM and Twin Towers Partnership Grows to Embed Four Students Within 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. The program provides students with an immersive learning experience while bringing new musical talents to the Twin Towers residents.

It began as an experiment, said Twin Towers Executive Director Jim Lay, and after a successful first year, the program doubled to embed two more graduate students in the community. The four student artists reside on one of the Twin Towers campuses as they work complete their graduate degrees at CCM. They perform one recital per month and socialize with the community’s residents throughout the year in discussions and open rehearsals.

“None of us imagined the level and depth of mutual connection and personal relationships that have emerged between these individuals of different generations, nor did we imagine the potential impact that this relationship has had on the energy and vitality within our Twin Towers community,” Lay said.

The program’s inaugural artists-in-residence were second-year Master of Music students soprano Annie Barr and collaborative pianist Alyssa Griffith. This year, they are joined by harpist Anna Odell and jazz studies major Angie Coyle, both are first-year Master of Music students at CCM.

Annie Barr remembers how supportive the Twin Towers residents were during the first year of the program and said she loved performing in front of such an encouraging audience, which usually included around 200 residents.

“Making someone else’s day brighter with music makes my day,” she said. “I talk to many of the residents most days, simply from walking on community grounds or practicing in the main lounge. I’ve learned a lot about their lives and in return they’ve learned about my life as a musician.”

The two new artists-in-residence, Anna Odell and Angie Coyle, moved in to their new homes in August and were quickly invited to a welcome “block party” to meet their Twin Towers neighbors.

“When I first heard about Twin Towers, I loved the idea of automatically having ‘150 grandparents,’ “Odell said. “Living at Twin Towers has been amazing. The community is so kind and welcoming; I felt at home right as soon as I moved in.”

The program offers her a valuable opportunity to improve performance skills in monthly recitals for the residents, she said. “Performing is a skill that definitely takes practice and gets easier the more you do it, so playing at Twin Towers is a great atmosphere in which to fine-tune that skill.”

Angie Coyle added: “This program makes it easier for us to focus on our studies by helping with the financial burden and it also gives us a chance to be somewhere that our music is truly appreciated. It is nice to see people so grateful for us being here and sharing our music with them.”

All four artists-in-residence performed at Twin Towers for the first time this year on Thursday, Sept. 15, in a “meet and greet” concert for the senior living community. They will also perform short, 30-minute concerts as part of “Twin Towers Day” at the CiTiRAMA home showing event in College Hill on Friday, Sept. 16.

On October 14, the students will perform in the Twin Towers “A Musical Feast” fundraising concert. Event details for “A Musical Feast” will be available on the Twin Towers website within the month.

“When you attend an evening concert, it is inspiring to see the genuine affection shared between those who perform and their audience of neighbors and dear friends,” Jim Lay said. “I cannot envision a future at Twin Towers that would not include these beloved artists.”

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.

CCM Hosts Grammy-Winning Polish Jazz Pianist and Composer in Concert Sept. 18

On Sunday, Sept. 18, the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music will host Polish pianist and composer Włodek Pawlik for a 7 p.m. concert in the Corbett Auditorium. Pawlik will be joined by the CCM Jazz Orchestra and Faculty Jazztet in a concert of his compositions and arrangements, conducted by Director of Jazz Studies, Scott Belck. The concert is part of CCM’s Polish Festival, a month-long celebration of Polish music from the Romantic era to the present day.

Włodek Pawlik http://www.wlodekpawlik.com/

Pawlik was the first Polish jazz musician to ever win a Grammy; his album with Randy Brecker and the Kalisz Philharmonic, Night in Calisia, won the 2013 award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Marc Myers of the Wall Street Journal described one of Pawlik’s compositions for Brecker as “a jazz-classical work of the highest order… Think Thad Jones-Mel Lewis meets Stravinsky.”

Pawlik’s piano playing has also garnered high praise. Tomasz Hanzlik of the Gazeta Wyborcza (a Warsaw newspaper) reviewed Pawlik’s album of improvisations, Grand Piano, calling it “a masterpiece of total improvisation suspended between jazz and contemporary classical music… His music enraptures with its complexity, richness of color and moods. In Pawlik’s improvisations, one can sense traces of Bach, Chopin, Debussy and Ravel.”

The Polish Festival was organized by CCM Director of Orchestral Studies Mark Gibson, who envisioned a festival that would not only celebrate Polish music and performers but also create opportunities for students and faculty to experience Polish music firsthand, perform alongside award-winning Polish musicians and learn more about the arts in Poland through presentations by guest lecturers.

Other events in the Polish Festival include a concert of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 by the CCM Concert Orchestra, led by Aik Khai Pung, on Saturday, Sept. 17, and the Polish Festival Closing Concert on Oct. 2, featuring the CCM Philharmonia, CCM Chamber Choir, Xavier University Concert Choir and tenor Daniel Weeks, all under the baton of Mark Gibson.

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Polish Festival Event Information

8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17
• Orchestra Series •
CHOPIN AND GÓRECKI
CCM Concert Orchestra
Aik Khai Pung, music director and conductor
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 1
Featuring the winner of the CCM Piano Competition
GÓRECKI: Symphony No. 3 (“Symphony of Sad Songs”)
Featuring the winner of the CCM Voice Competition
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18
• Jazz Series •
POLISH FESTIVAL
CCM Jazz Orchestra and Faculty Jazztet
Featuring guest artist Włodek Pawlik, piano
Scott Belck, conductor
Join us as we celebrate the stunning music and musicians of Poland and feature Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Włodek Pawlik as he performs his original compositions and arrangements.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
CCM Season Presenting Sponsor & Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Polish Festival Sponsor: Judith Heiny and Piotr Chomczynski
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4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2
• Orchestra & Choral Series •
POLISH FESTIVAL CLOSING CONCERT
CCM Philharmonia, CCM Chamber Choir and Xavier University Concert Choir
Featuring faculty artist Daniel Weeks, tenor
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
MONIUSZKO: Overture to Halka
PENDERECKI: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
SKROWACZEWSKI: English Horn Concerto
SZYMANOWSKI: Symphony No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 27 (“Song of the Night”)
Featuring Daniel Weeks, soloist
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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Purchasing Tickets
Concert flex ticket packages and single tickets are on sale now!

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice.

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 Opens 2016-17 Mainstage Series with a Retelling of “Romeo and Juliet”

The University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music opens its 2016-17 Mainstage Series with a preview performance of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet on Wednesday, Sept. 28 in Patricia Corbett Theater.  With this modern production of the Bard’s beloved tragedy, director Brant Russell aims to preserve Shakespeare’s intentions and give CCM students the opportunity to bring these iconic roles to life.

CCM’s retelling of Romeo and Juliet weaves the familiar story of ill-fated young love with a modern comedic twist. “It’s a comedy…until it’s not,” said Assistant Professor of Acting Brant Russell.

“What I’m hoping the audience will take away from this is everything that CCM does so well; lavish production values and excellent young actors coming together to tell a story that means something to everyone,” Russell said. “Everything an audience has come to expect from CCM and its eye-popping productions will be present in this show.”

Photography by Mark Lyons.

CCM Acting seniors Spencer Lackey and Katie McDonald play the title roles — an experience that would be a dream come true for many young actors. Russell is happy to showcase fresh faces, which is what the script actually calls for. According to the play’s text, Juliet is almost 14 years old and Romeo’s age is never explicitly mentioned.

“This production puts the beauty and eloquence of Shakespeare’s language front and center, but, in the mouths of these young actors, you’ll hear the language like you’ve never heard it before,” Russell said.

Romeo and Juliet opens on Wednesday, Sept. 28 (preview) and runs through Sunday, Oct. 2 at the CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater.
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Creative Team
• Brant Russell, director
• Whitney Glover, scenic designer*
• Nick Saiki, lighting designer*
• Jeremy Lee, sound designer
• Sean K. Tingle, sound designer*
• Raphael Regan, costume designer*
• Erin Schwob, wig and make-up designer*
• Hope Rice, dramaturg*
• Brianna Latrash, choreographer*
• Hamilton Moore, choreographer*
• k. Jenny Jones, fight choreographer
• Andi Radujkovic, stage manager*
* CCM student

Cast List
• Owen Alderson as Capulet
• Carissa Cardy as Montague
• Jabari Carter as Gregory
• Clare Combest as Lady Capulet
• Jacqueline Daaleman as Lady Montague/ Chorus 1
• Gabriella Divincenzo as Friar Lawrence’s Assistant/ Watchman
• Sarah Durham as Watchwoman
• James Egbert as Friar Lawrence
• Ryan Garrett as Paris
• Annie Grove as Mercutio
• Landon Hawkins as Tybalt
• Carter La Cava as Sampson/ Watchman
• Spencer Lackey as Romeo
• Katie Langham as Nurse/ Actor
• Katie McDonald as Juliet
• Julia Netzer as Abraham/ Apothecary/ Watchman
• Josh Reiter as Balthasar
• Mickey Tropeano as Benvolio
• Emily Walton as Prince

Performance Times
• 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 (preview)
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29
• 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Romeo and Juliet are $27-31 for adults, $17-20 for non-UC students and $15-18 for UC students with a valid ID. Tickets to the Sept. 28 preview performance are just $15.

Student rush tickets will be sold one hour before each performance to non-UC students for $12 or $15, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid ID, based on availability.

Customizable subscription packages are also available for CCM’s 2016-17 Mainstage Series.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/romeo-and-juliet.

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

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

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

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Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

Professor Aik Khai Pung Gives Inside Look into Polish Festival Experience

With more than 700 audience members in attendance, the Sept. 9 opening concert of CCM’s Polish Festival was a great success! Far from being over, the Polish Festival events continue on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. with a performance by CCM’s preeminent modern music ensemble, Cafè MoMus, in Cohen Family Studio Theater.

For more information on Polish Festival events, click here.

Led by CCM Assistant Professor of Music Aik Khai Pung, the Cafè MoMus concert features an evening of exciting new sounds, including a world premiere by Artur Słotwiński and a grand finale performance of the first movement of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Sextet (2000). Audience members can meet with Słotwiński and Café MoMus after the performance for coffee and conversation.

Also as part of the Polish Festival, Professor Pung will direct the CCM Concert Orchestra in a performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Górecki’s breathtaking Symphony of Sad Songs on Saturday, September 17 at 8 p.m. in Corbett Auditorium.

CCM graduate student Charlotte Kies had the pleasure of speaking with Professor Pung about his experience participating in the Polish Festival so far.

Why is it important that CCM produce a festival of concerts and lectures devoted to Polish music?
Most of our students spend about two to four years at CCM. All teachers will try to squeeze in as much materials to the students as possible during this short amount of time. These materials are important of course, but not necessarily connected. When we learn a piece of music, it is crucial that we know the background and be able to connect it with visual arts, cultures and related artists, etc. By producing such a festival, the students get an opportunity to learn about a specific topic in depth.

Hopefully this will influence and inspire them to discover more about the music they will play in the future, rather than merely playing all the right notes and rhythms. For this Polish festival, we have living scholars, artists, soloists and composers all gathered here at CCM to help our students understand more about Polish music, which is extremely valuable.

How did you pick the repertoire for the Concert Orchestra’s Sept. 17 performance? What can you tell me about your decision to pair Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Górecki’s Symphony No. 3?
For the piano concerto, it is an opportunity for a piano student to play with a real orchestra. This year we have eight participants who competed to be featured in the concert. Piano students practice in a tiny room most of the time and rarely have a chance to play with an orchestra so it is important for us to create these types of opportunities. Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 is gorgeous and very much appropriate for training a young orchestra, especially the string section. The work requires over 50 minutes of playing with a very disciplined bow. We all know that playing slow bow exercises is essential, but how many of us really practice that daily? By programming Górecki’s Symphony, we kind of force the young string players to play beautifully and with a well-controlled bow.

In addition to directing the CCM Concert Orchestra, you also direct Café MoMus, CCM’s modern music ensemble. What can you tell me about the unique experience that MoMus will bring to this festival?
Exploring new sound is fun and exciting. I enjoy working with living composers and exploring the world of sound with them. For this festival, Café MoMus is presenting three Polish composers from different generations and backgrounds. Although all three of them were born in Poland, Krzysztof Penderecki became the professor at Yale School of Music around the mid-1970s and Bettina Skrzypczhak spent a lot of time in Switzerland and some time in Germany. Artur Słotwiński has remained in Poland for most of his life. They received different influences of cultures, which affects their compositional styles.

Instead of programming all works of well-known composers, the goal of Café MoMus is to discover young talents as well. I find Artur Słotwiński’s works energetic, well-crafted and effective. The student musicians have enjoyed playing it, but of course there are some tricky passages. Słotwiński will be here to coach us himself for the world premiere of his Piano Quintet. Bettina Skrzypczhak’s Mirrors is one of the most difficult pieces I have ever conducted — not only the complexity of construction, but also the philosophical idea behind each poem. I would say the music matches the texts and poems 100%, as if you could see the words in the music. Penderecki of course is very well-known and the Sextet is one of his few chamber works. Some scholars consider this to be one of his finest works. This is a very unique pairing and I hope it will create some sort of chemistry.

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The Polish Festival runs Sept. 9-Oct. 2 throughout the CCM Village. You can learn more about the festival’s future events below or by visiting ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/concerts/orchestras/polishfest.

8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13
• Orchestra Series •
PENDERECKI, SKRZYPCZAK AND SLOTWINSKI
Café MoMus
Aik Khai Pung, music director
As part of the Polish Festival, Café MoMus will present works of Polish composers from three different generations: Krzysztof Penderecki, Bettina Skrzypczak and Artur Słotwiński. Join us for coffee and conversation with Artur Słotwiński and the musicians after the performance.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: FREE
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8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17
• Orchestra Series •
CHOPIN AND GÓRECKI
CCM Concert Orchestra
Aik Khai Pung, music director and conductor
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 1
Featuring the winner of the CCM Piano Competition
GÓRECKI: Symphony No. 3 (“Symphony of Sad Songs”)
Featuring the winner of the CCM Voice Competition
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18
• Jazz Series •
THE MUSIC OF VIRTUOSO JAZZ PIANIST AND COMPOSER WLODEK PAWLIK
CCM Jazz Orchestra and Faculty Jazztet
Featuring guest artist Wlodek Pawlik, piano
Scott Belck, conductor
Join us as we celebrate the stunning music and musicians of Poland and feature Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer Wlodek Pawlik as he performs his original compositions and arrangements.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2
• Orchestra & Choral Series •
POLISH FESTIVAL CLOSING CONCERT
CCM Philharmonia, CCM Chamber Choir and Xavier University Concert Choir
Featuring faculty artist Daniel Weeks, tenor
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
MONIUSZKO: Overture to Halka
PENDERECKI: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
SKROWACZEWSKI: English Horn Concerto
SZYMANOWSKI: Symphony No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 27 (“Song of the Night”)
Featuring Daniel Weeks, soloist
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.