CCM’s Mainstage Series Proudly Presents Broadway’s Timeless Musical ‘Peter Pan’ March 5-8, 2015

CCM continues its 2014-15 Mainstage Series with the classic fairytale musical Peter Pan. Directed and choreographed by guest artist Joe Locarro, with musical direction by CCM Professor of Musical Theatre Roger Grodsky, this production promises to whisk audiences away to a place where dreams are born and no one ever grows up! Peter Pan makes its CCM debut at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, in Corbett Auditorium and plays through March 8, 2015. Tickets are on sale now.

Hannah Zazzaro as Peter Pan and Nathaniel Irvin as Captain Hook in CCM’s Mainstage Series production of ‘Peter Pan.’ Photography by Mark Lyons.

Based on J.M. Barrie’s classic tale and featuring an unforgettable score by Morris “Moose” Charlap and Jule Styne with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Peter Pan is one of the most beloved family favorites of all time. This high-flying Tony Award-winning musical has been performed around the world and delighted audiences for 60 years.

Peter Pan’s enduring status comes as no surprise to Locarro, who brings years of Broadway experience to CCM’s production. In addition to providing perspective on the end of the Victorian Era, Locarro explains that Barrie’s fairy tale is also “a story of longing and the continuum of life. Although Peter Pan is the catalyst, it is really Wendy’s journey through adolescence and subsequently the journey of her daughter Jane and Jane’s daughter after that. Having a 20-year-old daughter of my own, I too see the importance of this journey for all of our children and understand why Peter Pan is popular to this day.”

While CCM is widely known for its remarkable stage productions, audiences can expect something truly remarkable for this production of Peter Pan. This is thanks to Locarro’s unique vision and also to an exciting collaboration between CCM’s faculty, student and staff talent and the expertise of theatrical flying effects and equipment industry leaders, ZFX, Inc. CCM Professor of Drama and Peter Pan fight choreographer k. Jenny Jones explains, “ZFX Flying Effects and I are creating sword fights with aerial dynamics that have never been tried before. Several years ago, I commissioned ZFX for a study of the variables of fighting while flying, and how flying may enhance the action of staged combat. The duel between Peter and Hook in this production is a perfect representation of this research and it will make CCM’s Peter Pan quite special.”

ZFX is one of the many professional industry leaders in theatre technology that will be in Cincinnati for the 55th annual United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Conference and Stage Expo, which comes to the Duke Energy Convention Center March 18-21, 2015. Expo attendees will have the opportunity to visit CCM Village to see Peter Pan‘s groundbreaking flying effects set up for themselves even after the production has closed.

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Hannah Zazzaro, a senior from Clearwater, Florida, is one of two CCM students playing the demanding part of Peter Pan. She shares the role with junior musical theatre major Clara Cox. The role of Peter Pan will alternate between Cox (March 6; March 7 matinee) and Zazzaro (March 5; March 7; March 8 matinee).

Download Peter Pan‘s cast list here.

Zazzaro’s preparation began back in November when she read and re-read the script and watched every version of Peter Pan that she could find. Her goal was to understand her part in the storytelling and to know the text forward and backward. “Peter Pan is a demanding role in every way,” says Zazzaro. “I have to run, jump, fly, dance, sing while flying, do cartwheels, and sword fight both in the air and on the ground. I started a 60-day physical training program called ‘Insanity’ that I will continue to do regularly through the end of the show… and maybe even after because I like it so much!”

In addition to her copious musical theatre experience, Zazzaro is a classically trained singer, which makes her a perfect choice for this role. “My favorite part of the show is when Peter Pan turns into a ‘lady’ and sings a short aria with Captain Hook. This show has given me the opportunity to finally show off my low notes, my high belt and my high soprano! It’s so much fun,” she says enthusiastically.

Under Jones’ guidance, Zazzaro has also learned to sword fight. “Three things that I know I have to focus on are: trusting my wrists and allowing my sword to swing rather than forcing it to, having a spacial understanding with whomever I’m swinging at, and communicating with them through body language in order to be successful and safe,” Zazzaro explains. Mastering all of these things at once has been challenging, but Zazzaro states it’s been “completely worth it.”

Senior Dallas Padoven plays the role of Cecco the pirate alongside Zazzaro, but he faces his own unique challenges. Padoven is also Captain Hook’s understudy, meaning he has to be prepared to take on the iconic villain’s role on short notice. “Preparing for two characters is extremely interesting,” says Padoven. “I have to be on my toes while working at all times. While I am learning the pirate role, I also have to keep one eye on Hook to make sure I know what he is doing. I am in the same scenes as two different characters.”

Both Zazzaro and Padoven agree that working with Locarro has been wonderful. “He has a lot of experience in the field,” says Padoven. “While we are working with him we are figuring out our blocking and choreography but he also tells us about various shows he’s been in. He really teaches through personal stories, so we’ve learned a lot, especially things like what to do and not to do in audition and rehearsal situations.”

Zazzaro particularly appreciates Locarro’s attention to detail. “One of the hardest things is the Corbett Auditorium. The stage is huge, but it has seemed almost effortless for Joe to create pictures that fill out the entire stage.”

CCM’s production of Peter Pan also features scenic design by Mark Halpin, costume design by Dean Mogle and Rebecca Senske, lighting design by Chris Carter, sound design by Jeremy Lee and wig and make-up design by Kelly Yurko. With the iconic songs “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Never Never Land,” and a rousing book full of magic, warmth and adventure, Peter Pan is the perfect show for the child in all of us who dreamed of soaring high and never growing up.

About Joe Locarro
Joe Locarro is a director, choreographer and producer who has directed for stage, film and television. His film Finding Billy was nominated for two New York Emmy Awards (for best direction and best documentary) and was an official selection of the 2012 Dance on Camera Festival. Finding Billy has also been broadcast nationally on PBS for the past five years.

Locarro’s recent directing credits include two seasons of the PBS National series Intelligence Squared Debates, productions of Les Misérables for the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Department (April 2014) and Music Theatre of Wichita (August 2013), and the PBS series Vine Talk starring Stanley Tucci. Some of his PBS specials include Remember Me with Parsons Dance Co & The East Village Opera Company, A Tale of Two Cities in Concert and three specials with Deepak Chopra.

Locarro specializes in filming and editing dance, theatre and music and is currently guest director for the live web broadcasts from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room. He has also directed numerous stage productions including regional productions of Ragtime and Les Misérables.

Locarro began his career as a dancer and choreographer, dancing with the Boston, Joffrey and Hartford Ballet Companies creating and choreographing 30 works for dance companies across the U.S. After a career in ballet, he went on to perform on Broadway and first national tours in six musicals including the role of ‘Enjolras’ in Les Misérables (both on Broadway and in the first national tour), the original Broadway companies of Ragtime, Goodbye Girl and Merlin as well as the role of Munkstrap in Cats and West Side Story.

Locarro brings his many years of performance experience to his work with artists and arts organizations. He continues to film and edit for dance companies around the world, as well as create promotional videos and documentaries for arts organizations and individual artists.

About ZFX, Inc.
Founded in 1994, ZFX, Inc. is the complete service provider for Flying Effects. They don’t just handle the rigging or flying harnesses. They’re not just skilled at automation, choreography and flying design. ZFX covers every aspect of flying possibilities. From high schools to Broadway, churches to special events, ZFX zealously pursues its goal of worldwide domination of the performer flying industry. Their infectious enthusiasm comes at no additional charge. They don’t wake up and put their pants on one leg at a time like the other guys. They wrap themselves in kilts and stride boldly out into the world. ZFX offers performer flying, high speed hoists, flying of props, automated systems, stunt gags, truss equipment mounting, aerial acts, manually operated systems, corporate shows and events, custom harnesses, spectacle flying and safety consultation. Learn more by visiting www.zfxflying.com.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, March 5
• 8 p.m. Friday, March 6
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 7
• 2 p.m. Sunday, March 8

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Peter Pan are $31-35 for adults, $20-24 for non-UC students and $18-22 UC students with a valid ID.

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/peter-pan-mainstage.

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

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

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Mainstage Production Sponsor: Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC

Community Partner: ArtsWave

Peter Pan is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 | Phone: 212-541-4684 | Fax: 212-397-4684 | http://www.MTIShows.com

CCM Snags the Award-Winning Punk Rock Musical ‘American Idiot’ for An Exciting and Eclectic 2015-16 Mainstage Series

From left to right, CCM graduating seniors Eric Geil, Thomas Knapp, Dallas Padoven and Nate Irvin rehearsing “Holiday” from American Idiot. This song is also featured in CCM’s New York Musical Theatre Showcase later on this semester.

CCM has secured the rights to present the Tony Award-winning musical blockbuster American Idiot as part of its 2015-16 Mainstage Series. Running March 3 – 13, 2016, in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater, this will be the first local production of the acclaimed rock opera.

A critical smash on Broadway and in London, American Idiot is based on the Grammy Award-winning album of the same name by American punk rock band Green Day. The two-time Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of three disillusioned youths who are forced to choose between freedom and the safety of suburbia.

Inspired in part by such classic concept albums as The Who’s Tommy, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Jesus Christ Superstar, American Idiot premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2009 and finished its most recent national tour in May 2014. With a raucous and exhilarating punk rock score, American Idiot boldly takes musical theatre where it has never gone before. For both the students and the faculty members at CCM, the boundary-pushing nature of this contemporary musical perfectly complements the college’s educational mission.

“Our production philosophy in the Musical Theatre program is simple,” explains Aubrey Berg, CCM’s Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre and the director of this upcoming production. “During the four years a student spends with us, they will be exposed to every kind of musical theatre work. In the last few years, we have undertaken shows as varied as the groundbreaking Oklahoma!, the fancy foot-work of Singin’ in the Rain, the moving spectacle of Les Misérables and the beloved childhood fantasy of Peter Pan. And that does not include our Studio Series, which features such cutting-edge works as Carrie and Blood Brothers. Forgotten musicals are also well represented in our Musicals Redux Series, which digs into the great storehouse of musical theatre history to find some lost gems.” Chairman of CCM’s Department of Musical Theatre since 1987, Berg received the League of Cincinnati Theatres Continuing Achievement Award and was inducted into the CEA Hall of Fame in 2010.

CCM Adjunct Instructor Stephen Goers will join Berg as musical director for this production. The two have frequently collaborated on such musical productions as Into the Woods, Carrie and, most recently, Les Misérables. Over the years, their work together has garnered a large number of local arts awards, including Best Direction, Best Musical Direction and Best Musical.

Taking on a 21st century musical is already proving to be an exciting prospect for students at CCM, many of whom grew up with the original American Idiot concept album, which was released in 2004.

“I think it’s so special to be part of a program that embraces new musicals as well as the classics, in order to provide the most well rounded education possible for its students,” says third-year musical theatre major Tom Meglio. “American Idiot already has everyone in CCM’s Division of Theatre Arts rocking out and ready for some Junior High nostalgia!”

Classmate Taylor Alexander agrees: “The original Green Day album was a groundbreaking staple to our generation with its unique view on youth in America. The whole campus is going to be pumped to hear music we all grew up listening to!”

Described by the New York Times as “invigorating, moving and thrilling… a true rock opera,” American Idiot features a book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong and music by the band Green Day. The score features the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the iconic title track.

CCM will announce its entire 2015-16 Mainstage Series lineup in March of 2015. Running from October of 2015 through April of 2016, the series will include two operas, two musicals, two dramas and one story ballet.

Details on subscription packages and single ticket sales will be announced this summer. Visit ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/subscribe to register for CCM’s mailing list, and the Box Office will provide you with additional information on this year’s subscription options.

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Community Partner: ArtsWave

American Idiot is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 | Phone: 212-541-4684 | Fax: 212-397-4684 | http://www.MTIShows.com
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A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in the state of Ohio.

Titles and dates are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.

CCM’s Lonely Instruments for Needs Kids Program Announces 2015 Instrument Collection Dates: March 14 and 15

CCM holds its annual LINKS (Lonely Instruments for Needy Kids) Collection Days on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15, at Joseph-Beth Booksellers (2692 Madison Rd., Rookwood Pavilion, Cincinnati). The hours for the collection drive are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday and noon – 5 p.m. Sunday.

LINKS, a project of the Friends of CCM with support from Buddy Roger’s Music, Joseph-Beth Booksellers and WGUC 90.9 FM, began in 1993 as the brainchild of CCM alumnus Bill Harvey (BM Music Education, 1971), Vice President of Buddy Roger’s Music.

Harvey, well-respected by music teachers in the Greater Cincinnati area, wanted to fill the need of getting instruments into the hands of students whose parents were not able to buy, rent or borrow an instrument. The solution was somewhat simple — a “recycling program” for musical instruments.

Since 1993, LINKS has placed more than 2,000 instruments into the hands of children unable to purchase or rent instruments of their own. LINKS accepts donations of new and used instruments from the Greater Cincinnati community, then places them with students in local elementary, middle and high school bands and orchestras, as well as with students in the CCM Preparatory Department. Students are qualified by the recommendation of their music teacher, and a LINKS scholarship application is submitted in the student’s name.

Even if the instrument is not in perfect condition, donations are gladly accepted. Buddy Roger’s Music generously contributes the time to carefully restore, tune and clean each instrument. All of the donations are tax deductible, and Joseph-Beth Booksellers will donate 20% of store purchases back to LINKS during the collection days (learn more here). Entertainment during the collection will be provided by local music students of all ages.

If you do not have an instrument, you can still assist young musicians who need a helping hand by making a contribution to the LINKS fund at https://ccm.weshareonline.org/ws/opportunities/LINKS.

In addition to the March 14 and 15 collection days, instruments are accepted year-round at any Buddy Roger’s Music Store. Call 513-729-1950 for store locations.

For more information on LINKS or to make a monetary donation, call the CCM External Relations Office at 513-556-2100.

CCM Welcomes Video Game Composer Chance Thomas for Public Lecture and Master Class on Feb. 18

CCM’s Division of Composition, Musicology and Theory hosts award winning video game composer, educator and entrepreneur Chance Thomas for a one-time-only event next week.

Thomas will present a public lecture on “Composing Music for Games: The Art, Tech and Commerce of Video Game Scoring” from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., which will be followed by a master class from 4:30 – 6 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in room 3240 of the Corbett Center for the Performing Arts. These events are free and open to the general public.

This special guest lecture will offer students an extraordinary opportunity to learn vital music design principles, revolutionary adaptive scoring techniques and powerful entrepreneurial strategies from one of the game industry’s most innovative and successful composers.

How does music change seamlessly to follow the action in popular online multiplayer video games like Defense of the Ancients 2? What is the single most powerful piece of technology available to video game composers today? What should every composer take into every single business pitch? Come and discover answers to all of these questions and many more as Thomas delves into the complex and fascinating world of music scoring for games!

CCM alumni are already making names for themselves in this dynamic field. After working on the major motion picture Star Trek: Into Darkness, alumnus Michael John Mollo (MM Composition, 2005) found himself working on his very first interactive score for a video game: Strider HD. Read more about his experiences in the video game industry here.

About Chance Thomas
Chance Thomas is an American composer, educator and entrepreneur. He helps students and professionals navigate the intersection of music scoring, technology and business.

His music has underscored blockbuster commercial success and critical acclaim, including an Oscar, an Emmy and billions of dollars in video game and film sales worldwide. Just last year, more than four million people bought Thomas’ original music score for Defense of the Ancients 2 (otherwise known as DOTA 2) as part of the T14 compendium.

Thomas’ top video game credits include DOTA 2, Lord of the Rings Online, James Cameron’s Avatar, Heroes of Might and Magic, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Peter Jackson’s King Kong and many more.

His music can be heard on hit television shows like Pawn Stars, The Bachelorette and America’s Most Wanted. His movie scores include an Academy Award-winner, Columbia Pictures’ delightful animated short film, The ChubbChubbs!

Thomas is a director of the Game Audio Network Guild and serves on several advisory boards. His business interests range across studios, publishing and audio services, successfully supporting an active composing career spanning more than 20 years.

For complete credits, awards and music samples, please visit www.chancethomas.com.

CCM Slideshows: The Heidi Chronicles

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CCM’s 2014-15 Mainstage Series continues TONIGHT with Wendy Wasserstein’s groundbreaking comedy The Heidi Chronicles, playing through Sunday, Feb. 15, in Patricia Corbett Theater. See a complete list of performance times below.

Winner of the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, The Heidi Chronicles is directed by CCM’s A.B., Dolly, Ralph and Julia Cohen Chair of Dramatic Performance Richard Hess.

Rick Pender takes a closer look at The Heidi Chronicles and the legacy of playwright Wendy Wasserstein for CityBeat. Read the story online here.

David Lyman previews the production for the Cincinnati Enquirer. Read the story online here.

Sexuality, feminism, education, gender equality, marriage, women’s rights – there’s no hot-button issue the play doesn’t touch. Learn more about this poignant comedy here.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12
• 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to The Heidi Chronicles are $27-31 for adults, $17-20 for non-UC students and $15-18 for UC students with a valid ID.

Saturday matinee student rush discount tickets are available beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 and are $12-15.

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/heidi-chronicles-mainstage.

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

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

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Community Partner: ArtsWave

CCM’s Studio and Undergraduate Opera Series Celebrate the Baroque Era with ‘The Coronation of Poppea’ and ‘Alcina’

Molly Hanes (DMA candidate, Voice Performance) as Poppea in CCM’s studio opera production of ‘The Coronation of Poppea.’ Photography by Adam Zeek.

CCM will present the operatic works of Claudio Monteverdi and Frideric Handel this spring with L’incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) running Feb. 20-22 and Alcina running Feb. 27-March 1 both in the Cohen Family Studio Theater.

As part of CCM’s Studio Opera Series and Opera d’arte-Undergraduate Opera Series, respectively, these productions offer free admission but reservations are required.

Associate Professor of Ensembles and Conducting L. Brett Scott conducts both productions.

Despite both focusing on royalty, these masterworks’ themes couldn’t be more different. Directed by Assistant Professor of Music in Opera and Directing Emma Griffin, The Coronation of Poppea is one of the first operas based on real-life historical figures. Monteverdi focuses on the infamous Roman emperor Nero and his affair with a married woman named Poppea Sabina, who, through betrayal, banishment and murder, becomes the emperor’s new wife.

By comparison, Alcina, with direction by Professor of Voice Kenneth Shaw, weaves a lighter, more magical tale. A warrior king is whisked away to a magical island where the sorceress Alcina seeks to place him under her spell of love, and possibly transform him into an animal or tree when she becomes bored of him. Mistaken identities, star-crossed lovers and light-hearted episodes are plentiful in Handel’s opera, which will take the CCM stage for the first time since 1985!

Monteverdi continues to be recognized (due in part to his 1607 masterpiece L’Orfeo) as the first truly renowned opera composer. His Vespers of 1610 is performed often, including CCM’s own presentation this past November by the Chamber Choir and Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra. Meanwhile, Handel’s monumental oratorio The Messiah remains highly popular in its own right and is a Christmas staple for numerous choirs and orchestras across the world.

Both productions will provide an intimate experience for audiences and performers alike inside CCM’s cozy Cohen Family Studio Theater. Tickets will become available for reservation the Monday before each opening–Feb. 16 for The Coronation of Poppea and Feb. 23 for Alcina. Mark your calendars to see two of the greatest works of the Baroque by two of its greatest composers!

UC Professor Lauren Ginsberg from McMicken College’s Department of Classics will host a free talkback session on the historical origins of The Coronation of Poppea immediately following the Sunday, Feb. 22, performance of the opera. The talkback session will also take place in the Cohen Family Studio Theater and will last approximately 30 minutes.

Rafael de Acha provides an in-depth preview of CCM’s upcoming productions of The Coronation of Poppea and Alcina for Seen and Heard International. Read the preview online here.

Ray Cooklis examines the “otherworldly appeal” of early music – including both of CCM’s opera productions –  in the February edition of ExpressCincinnati. Read the story online here.

The Catacoustic Consort provides an overview of all of the Early Music performances happening in Cincinnati this February here.

Event Information
All events listed below take place on the campus of the University of Cincinnati unless otherwise indicated. Tickets can be reserved in person at the CCM Box Office or over the telephone at 513-556-4183. Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice for CCM Box Office hours and location.

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

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

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

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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SPRING 2015 STUDIO OPERA AND OPERA D’ARTE SERIES:

8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20
8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21
2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22 (a talkback session will immediately follow this performance)
• Studio Opera Series •
L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA (THE CORONATION OF POPPEA)
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
Libretto by Francesco Busenello
Brett Scott, conductor
Emma Griffin, director
Love, power, morality, corruption… Monteverdi’s final masterpiece, The Coronation of Poppea, is often described as his greatest achievement, combining mythic and very human themes and featuring some of his most glorious music. One of the first operas to use historical events and people, it tells the story of Nero’s infatuation with the young and beautiful Poppea as she tries to make him divorce his wife Ottavia and take her as his new queen and empress of Rome. The Coronation of Poppea is a rich, complex and thoroughly modern work; a world populated by ruthless and all-too-human characters where lust and ambition ultimately triumph over virtue.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Feb. 16. Visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.
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8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27
2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 (the previously announced Saturday matinee performance has been canceled)
2 p.m. Sunday, March 1
• CCM Opera d’arte – Undergraduate Opera Series •
ALCINA
Music by George Frideric Handel
Libretto by Riccardo Broschi
Brett Scott, conductor
Kenneth Shaw, director
Amy Johnson, producer
A sorceress, an enchanted island, disguised lovers and mistaken identities are woven together beautifully with some of Handel’s most memorable melodies.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Feb. 23. Visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Community Partner: ArtsWave

CCM Piano Professor Michelle Conda Performs with the Cincinnati Community Orchestra This March

CCM Professor and Coordinator of Secondary Piano and Piano Pedagogy Michelle Conda.

Next month, CCM Professor of Piano Michelle Conda will join the Cincinnati Community Orchestra (CCO) for a performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26. The free concert will take place on Saturday, March 7, and is open to the general public.

Of the five piano concertos written by Prokofiev, his third piano concerto has garnered the greatest popularity and critical acclaim. The CCO’s March 7 program will also include Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70, B. 141.

Under the musical direction of Gerald R. Doan, the CCO performs a broad range of works representing composers of all eras in music. The orchestra consists of more than 80 amateur and professional musicians. This upcoming concert marks Conda’s eighth invitation to perform with the CCO.

Conda is an Associate Editor for Clavier Companion magazine with her specialty in the field of andragogy (adult learning). She is a founding member and on the Steering Committee of the National Group Piano/Piano Pedagogy Forum (GP3). Last August, Conda coordinated and hosted the GP3’s forum at CCM.

Her national conference participations include the Steering Committee of the Adult Learning session of Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA), Steering Committee of the Carnegie Hall Achievement Program and Steering Committee member of The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NMCP). She lectures locally and nationally, including MTNA National Conference, GP3 and NMCP.

In addition to her editorship, Conda’s articles have appeared in Keyboard Companion, Clavier Companion, Yamaha Key Action, American Music Teacher and Piano Pedagogy Forum. Her pedagogy studies were with Jane Magrath and E.L. Lancaster.

At UC, as well as heading the Secondary Piano and Piano Pedagogy programs, she heads the Communiversity piano program.