Cincinnati World Piano Competition gold medal.

Cincinnati World Piano Competition Announces 2015 Finalists

After an incredible Semifinal Round on June 11, the 2015 Cincinnati World Piano Competition has its three finalists!

Congratulations to Artem Yasynskyy, Mei Rui and Nino Bakradze! You can learn more about each of these competitors below.

The final round will take place in Corbett Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The order of performance is as follows:

  • Mei Rui, United States
  • Artem Yasynskyy, Ukraine
  • Intermission
  • Nino Bakradze, Georgia

 The awards ceremony will follow immediately after the performances. Dessert and coffee with the medalists in CCM’s Baur Room will follow the awards ceremony.

Congratulations to all of our semi finalists and best of luck to our three final competitors! Order your tickets online at here.

Cincinnati World Piano Competition 2015 finalist Nino Bakradze.

CWPC 2015 finalist Nino Bakradze.

About Nino Bakradze
Nino Bakradze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, into a family of musicians. From a very early age, she has presented piano recitals worldwide including Finland, Poland, Armenia, Georgia, China, Spain, Brazil and the USA. In 2014, she was a Prizewinner in Spain’s Maria Canals International Piano Competition, and in 2012, she was awarded Third Place at the BNDS International Piano Competition of Rio de Janeiro. She won both New England Conservatory’s Concerto Competition and the Piano Honors Competition. Ms. Bakradze was a prizewinner at the International A. Khachaturian Competition in Armenia, and at the J. Flier International Piano Competition. Awards from within her home country include First Place at the N. Gabunia National Competition and the R. Rozhok and E. Gurevich Young Georgian Piano Competitions.

During tomorrow’s performance, Bakradze will perform Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30.

Cincinnati World Piano Competition 2015 finalist Mei Rui.

CWPC 2015 finalist Mei Rui.

About Mei Rui
Pianist Mei Rui’s playing has been praised as “riveting,” full of “dramatic tension and lucidity” by the Boston Globe. Dr. Rui graduated from Yale, and holds degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry and music. While pursuing her D.M.A., she taught as Visiting Professor of Organic and General Chemistry at the City University of New York.

In September 2013, Dr. Rui played to a sold-out audience with violinist Xiang Yu at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. She has appeared at Yellowbarn, Taos, and Norfolk, and has collaborated with Itzhak Perlman, George Manahan, Shinik Hahm, Paul Katz and Roger Tapping.

At age 11, she made her orchestral debut soloing with the Beijing Radio Symphony and has since played with the Beijing Radio Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and the Yale Philharmonic. Recently she recorded Eric Nathan’s solo works to be released by Albany Records in 2015.

During tomorrow’s performance, Rui will perform Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30.

Cincinnati World Piano Competition 2015 finalist Artem Yasynskyy.

CWPC 2015 finalist Artem Yasynskyy.

About Artem Yasynskyy
Ukrainian pianist Artem Yasynskyy has appeared on many international stages. He has won prizes at major international piano competitions such as the Gina Bachauer Piano Artist Competition, the Sendai and Gian Battista Viotti Music competitions, as well as the Horowitz and First German competitions.

Mr. Yasynskyy has appeared at festivals such as the Bremer Musikfest, the Maggio Piano Festival Vercelli, the Summer Night Music Festival of Kiev, the Festival “Days of Slavic Culture” in Rome and the Polish Music Festival in Hamburg.

During tomorrow’s performance, Yasynskyy will perform Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23.

Performance Time
7 p.m., Saturday, June 13

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to the Cincinnati World Piano Competition Finals Concert start at $35. Purchase tickets through the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra website at www.cincinnatisymphony.org or by calling the CSO box office at 513-381-3300.

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.

CCM News
Cincinnati World Piano Competition 2014 Finals Concert with the CSO.

24 International Competitors Take the Stage This Week for the Cincinnati World Piano Competition

CCM’s Summer Performance Series is heating up this week with the return of the Cincinnati World Piano Competition!

If you missed the coverage in yesterday’s Cincinnati Enquirer, you can find Janelle Gelfand‘s extensive report on the Competition online here. See how our new bracket format works in the video below!

The First Round of the 2015 Cincinnati World Piano Competition continues through June 10, with the Semifinal Round scheduled for June 11. On Saturday, June 13, our finalists take the stage with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the summer’s can’t-miss concert!

Tickets are still available for all rounds of the Competition and are on sale now through the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Box Office!

CCM News CCM Video

Cincinnati World Piano Competition to Draw 24 International Competitors, June 7-13

The Cincinnati World Piano Competition, an annual classical piano competition featuring top performers from across the globe since 1956, welcomes 24 competitors from nine different countries from June 7-13. At stake is over $45,000 in prize money and a debut recital in New York.

Logo for the Cincinnati World Piano Competition.For the first time in the competition’s history, the round-by-round competition, all rounds of which take place at CCM’s Corbett Auditorium, will be head-to-head as determined by a randomly selected bracket. The bracket draw will be announced to the competitors at an Opening Party on Saturday, June 6. The first and second rounds (Sunday and Monday, June 7-8 and Tuesday, June 9, respectively) consist of 15-minute solo recitals. The third round on Wednesday, June 10 consists of 30-minute solo recitals, while the semifinal round on Thursday, June 11 involves 40-minute solo recitals. Competitors will be expected to perform a variety of repertoire for all rounds.

Three finalists will be selected at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, who will then go on to perform a full concerto with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO), under the direction of rising star conductor Robert Treviño, during the final round of the competition beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 13. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony immediately following the performances.

Tickets are still available for all preliminary rounds as well as the final round with the CSO. The final performances for the 2013 and 2014 competition sold out.

The jury consists of pianists Akemi Alink-Yamamoto, Jura Margulis, Yoshikazu Nagai, Boris Slutsky and Frank Weinstock. Famed pianist and professor of piano/Artist-in-Residence at CCM, Awadagin Pratt, serves as the competition’s artistic director.

In 2013 the competition underwent an expansion with two exciting new collaborations and instituting a variety of changes aimed at enhancing the quality of the event and making Cincinnati a truly world-class destination for classical piano performance. Primary among the changes at the re-imagined Competition, already a highly respected event, are partnerships with two of the city’s cultural cornerstones – the CSO and CCM, an all-Steinway school.

This year marks the Cincinnati World Piano Competition’s 59th season. Tickets, starting at $15 for the first rounds, are available at the CSO Box Office at Music Hall, or by calling 513-381-3300. Competitor headshots and bios are available upon request.

Cincinnati World Piano Competition 2015 Schedule of Events 

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

  • First Round (Day One): Sunday, June 7, 2-5:45 p.m.
  • First Round (Day Two): Monday, June 8, 12-1:45 p.m. and 7-8:45 p.m.
  • Second Round: Tuesday, June 9, 10 a.m.-1:45 p.m., 4-5:45 p.m. and 7-8:45 p.m.
  • Third Round: Wednesday, June 10, 10 a.m.-1:15 p.m. and 5-8:15 p.m.
  • Semifinal Round: Thursday, June 11, 12-3 p.m., 6-9 p.m.
  • Final Round with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: Saturday, June 13, 7:00 p.m.

Purchasing Tickets
One Day Passes for Preliminary Rounds start at $15 One Day Pass, $11.25 Group One Day Pass, $10 Student. Tickets for the final rounds are reserved seating starting at $35. Purchase tickets to all Cincinnati World Piano Competition Events through the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra website at www.cincinnatisymphony.org or by calling the CSO box office at 513-381-3300.

About Robert Treviño, final round conductor

Since his professional debut in 2003 at the age of 20, Robert Treviño has become an emerging force on the international music scene. The 2013/2014 season marks the third season as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.  Further engagements this season include debuts with the China Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra de Cámara de Bellas Artes, National Orchestra of Guatemala, California Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Cincinnati Opera, and re-engagements with the Bolshoi Theatre, Slee Sinfonietta, and Cincinnati Symphony. Maestro Treviño steps into his role this season as the Principal Conductor of the Shippensburg Music Festival following his acclaimed debut last summer.

Treviño’s past symphonic and instrumental work includes numerous engagements with orchestras, festivals, and ensembles across North America, Europe, and Asia including the Symphonies of Cincinnati, Boston, St. Louis, Tallahassee, Napa Valley, New World, California, the Philharmonics of Los Angeles, Chicago, Louisiana, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Suwon Philharmonic of South Korea, Wuppertal Symphony of Germany, Montpellier National Orchestra of France, Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico Philharmonic of Mexico, the Millennium Chamber Players, and the Jusqu’aux Oreilles Festival of Canada. Of particular note was Treviño’s month-long residency with the Helsinki Philharmonic where he has assisted Music Director Leif Segerstam on the complete symphonies of Sibelius.

In addition to his great volume of work in the instrumental realm, an important component of Treviño’s career has been his work in opera. Treviño made an acclaimed debut with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia conducting Puccini’s Tosca in the 2011/2012 season. His success with this production led to the orchestra bestowing upon him the title of ‘Honorary Maestro of the Bolshoi”. He was also immediately reengaged for two more seasons by the Bolshoi to conduct performances of Puccini’s Tosca as well as a new production and residency in the 2013/14 season for a new production of Verdi’s Don Carlos. Treviño served as Associate Conductor and Guest Conductor for the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center from 2009 – 2011, where he led the company in world premieres of five operas as part of the annual VOX: American Opera Series, in addition to his work on productions: Bernstein’s A Quiet Place and Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Additionally, in 2011 Robert conducted the Tanglewood Music Festival Opera Center’s production of Milhaud’s Trios Operas Minutes, directed by Mark Morris.

An avid advocate and performer of contemporary music, Maestro Treviño has commissioned, premiered, and worked closely with many leading composers of today such as: Augusta Read Thomas, Jennifer Higdon, Charles Wuorinen, Bernard Rands, Shulamit Ran, George Walker, David Felder, and John Zorn among others. He has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards from the Foundation for Contemporary Art, Gene Gutche Foundation, Soli Deo Gloria, the Renaissance Society, the Canadian Consular General to the USA and the University of Chicago.

Treviño has conducted the Ensemble Modern Academy Orchestra at the Klangspuren Festival (Schwaz, Austria), the Jusqu’aux Oreilles Festival, as well as the Slee Sinfonietta at the Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music.

Robert Treviño is a laureate of the 2010 Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition and was awarded the 2009 James Conlon Prize for Excellence in Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School by David Zinman.

He also won a 2010 Career Assistance Award and the 2012 Career Development Award from the Sir George Solti Foundation, and was a featured conductor at the 2011 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview.  In summer 2011, Mr. Treviño was selected by James Levine to be one of three conducting fellows at the Tanglewood Music Festival as the Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellow where he worked with artists such as Mark Morris, Kurt Masur, and Emanuel Ax.

Mr. Treviño has studied with Maestros David Zinman, Leif Segerstam, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Kurt Masur. For further information can be found at his website: roberttrevino.org.

About the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is a dynamic ensemble of some of the world’s finest musicians. The fifth oldest symphony orchestra in the U.S. and the oldest orchestra in Ohio, the CSO has played a leading role in the cultural life of Greater Cincinnati and the Midwest since its founding in 1895.

Louis Langrée began his tenure as the CSO’s 13th Music Director in the 2013-2014 season with a celebrated program The New York Times said “deftly combined nods to the orchestra’s history, the city’s musical life and new music.” Over the Orchestra’s 120-year history, it has also been led by Leopold Stokowski, Eugéne Ysaÿe, Fritz Reiner, Eugene Goossens, Max Rudolf, Thomas Schippers, Jesús López-Cobos, and Paavo Järvi, among others. The CSO has built a reputation as one of the world’s foremost orchestras, determined for greatness and heralded as a place of experimentation.

A champion of new music, the Orchestra has given American premieres of works by such composers as Debussy, Ravel, Mahler and Bartók and has commissioned works that have since become mainstays of the classical repertoire, including Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. The CSO was the first orchestra to be broadcast to a national radio audience (1921) and the third to record (1917). The Orchestra continues to commission new works and to program an impressive array of music. Most recently, the CSO performed the world premieres of Nico Muhly’s Pleasure Ground, David Lang’s mountain, Caroline Shaw’s Lo and Daniel Bjarnason’s Collider as part of the groundbreaking collaboration with the MusicNOW Festival, Cincinnati’s premier new music festival, as well as the world premiere of André Previn’s Double Concerto in November 2014.

The Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra is Cincinnati’s ambassador with over 10 million units sold, many of which have received Grammy awards and nominations. In January of 2010, the CSO launched its own record label, Fanfare Cincinnati, which currently boasts six releases.

The CSO was the first American orchestra to make a world tour sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and continues to tour domestically and internationally, most recently to Europe in 2008 and to Japan in 2009, including two concerts at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall and the CSO’s first-ever nationally televised concert in Japan.

The CSO has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall 48 times since its debut there in 1917, most recently to rave reviews in May of 2014. The Orchestra will perform again in New York as part of Lincoln Center’s prestigious Great Performers series in January of 2016.

The Orchestra also performs, records and tours as the Cincinnati Pops under the direction of John Morris Russell, and the CSO is the official orchestra for the Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet and the Cincinnati World Piano Competition.

The CSO is Cincinnati’s own and committed to enhancing and expanding music education for the children of Greater Cincinnati and works to bring music education, in its many different forms, to as broad a public as possible. Education and outreach programs currently serve more than 80,000 individuals annually.

For more information about the CSO, visit www.cincinnatisymphony.org.

About the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Nationally ranked and internationally renowned, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a preeminent institution for the performing and media arts. Declared “one of the nation’s leading conservatories” by the New York Times, CCM provides life-changing experiences within a highly creative and multidisciplinary artistic environment.

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. In the most recent rankings by U.S. News and World Report, CCM was honored as the sixth top program in the country for pursuing a graduate degree in music. CCM ensembles have performed internationally, recorded for major labels and won ASCAP awards for excellence and programming.

The largest single source of performing arts events in the state of Ohio, CCM presents nearly 1000 major public performances each year, ranging from faculty and guest artist concerts to fully supported opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

In 1999 CCM celebrated the completion of the CCM Village, the renovated and expanded home of the college. Its stunning, comprehensive performance and educational facilities are unrivaled in the nation. Designed by architect Henry N. Cobb, the CCM Village received a National Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects in 2001.

In 2009 CCM received the designation of “All-Steinway School,” a distinction shared by the top conservatories in the world. CCM has also become one of the largest repositories of Steinway pianos outside of the company’s Long Island City, N.Y.-based factory.

In 2011 CCM was officially recognized by the Ohio Board of Regents as the state’s first Center of Excellence in Music and Theatre Arts.

For more information about the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.

About the Cincinnati World Piano Competition

Held annually in Cincinnati, the Cincinnati World Piano Competition attracts applicants from every corner of the world. The talented artists and young artists proceed through a series of auditions to the Cincinnati World Piano Competition to compete for over $45,000 in prize money. The Gold Medal winner in the Artist Division is awarded a debut recital in New York and numerous performance opportunities worldwide.

The Competition is sponsored by ArtsWave, the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Western and Southern Financial Group, and the Sarah Marvin Foundation for the Performing Arts.

CCM News

Pianopalooza Presents the Concerti of Rachmaninoff This Saturday, April 4

Celebrate 10 years of Pianopalooza at CCM on Saturday, April 4, 2015!

Celebrate 10 years of Pianopalooza at CCM on Saturday, April 4, 2015!

Help us celebrate 10 years of Pianopalooza this Saturday, with a program featuring CCM’s spectacular student and faculty pianists performing with the incomparable CCM Concert Orchestra!

CCM Professor Michael Chertock will perform Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Concerto. Student artist Jaesung Kim will play Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43. Student artist Patrick Lechner will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30. CCM Professor Aik Khai Pung conducts.

Performance Time
8 p.m. Saturday, April 4

Location

Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets

Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office! Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice for CCM Box Office hours and location.

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

Community Partner: ArtsWave

CCM is proud to be an All-Steinway School

CCM News
CCM's Steinways. Photography by Jay Yocis.

CCM Celebrates Keyboard Mastery with the Annual Bearcat Piano Festival and Pianopalooza Events

CCM explores the world of classical piano this spring with the sixth installment of its annual Bearcat Piano Festival, starting on Monday, March 23, and culminating with the 10th edition of Pianopalooza on Saturday, April 4.

Guest artist Stephen Hough. Photo copyright Andrew Crowley.

Guest artist Stephen Hough. Photo copyright Andrew Crowley.

Launched in 2010 by CCM Professor of Piano Awadagin Pratt, this year’s festival features an exciting new joint collaboration with Xavier University, which brings internationally renowned pianist Stephen Hough to CCM’s Corbett Auditorium at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 30. This special occasion will also serve as Xavier’s inaugural Father John Heim Concert. An extraordinary pianist, composer, writer, teacher and painter, Hough was a 2001 MacArthur Fellowship recipient and received the honor of being named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the art of music in 2014. His performance will include works by Debussy and Chopin.

Hough is not the only internationally renowned performer to grace the CCM stage during the Bearcat Piano Festival this year. Russian pianist Sergei Babayan (Artist-in-Residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music) will perform in CCM’s Robert J. Werner Recital Hall at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25. A Laureate of Belgium’s Queen Elisabeth Music Competition and multiple time first-prize winner in competitions such as the Casadesus (Cleveland) and Hammamatsu (Japan), Babayan will showcase the works of Pärt, Liszt, Vladimir Ryabov, J. S. Bach, Chopin and Rachmaninov.

Additionally, the Festival will serve as a homecoming for another associate from Xavier. Polina Bespalko, Director of Xavier’s Classical Piano Series and a CCM alumna (AD Piano, 2005; DMA Piano, 2014), will return to Robert J. Werner Recital Hall at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 27, for a free performance highlighted by Franz Liszt’s monumental Sonata in B Minor.

Guest artists for this year’s Bearcat Piano Festival will also come from across the northeastern United States. New York will be on display at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 23, in the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall as Professors Jerome Lowenthal of the Julliard School and Ursula Oppens of CUNY and Brooklyn College give a free joint performance of diverse piano works. Also, University of Michigan doctoral student pianists will make a second consecutive trip to CCM for a free concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 29.

This series of performances ultimately leads to the tenth-annual installment of Pianopalooza, which takes the stage in Corbett Auditorium at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. Under the direction of CCM Associate Professor of Piano Michael Chertock, the event is a diverse cornucopia of CCM’s piano faculty and students as well as the CCM Concert Orchestra conducted by Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Aik Khai Pung. This eclectic event will focus on Sergei Rachmaninoff, showcasing three of his masterworks: the Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 1; Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43; and the Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30.

The Bearcat Piano Festival and Pianopalooza events never fail to excite and intrigue, and this year is no exception. Make sure to not miss out on seeing a plethora of local and international talents showcase the entire breadth of the keyboards!

Event Information

All events listed below take place on the campus of the University of Cincinnati unless otherwise indicated. Some events do require purchased tickets; please see individual event information for single ticket prices and ordering information. Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/bearcatpianofestival for the most current information.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office! 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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2015 BEARCAT PIANO FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

8 p.m. Monday, March 23
BEARCAT PIANO FESTIVAL GUEST ARTIST RECITAL
Jerome Lowenthal and Ursula Oppens, piano

The Big Apple comes to CCM as esteemed artists Jerome Lowenthal (The Julliard School) and Ursula Oppens (CUNY and Brooklyn College) visit for an evening of diverse piano works, with a program featuring:
RZEWSKI: Four Hands
SCHUBERT: Four Impromptus, Op. 90
FAURÉ: Nocturne No. 6 in D-flat Major, Op. 63
FRANCK/CORTOT: Sonata for piano and violin (arr. for solo piano)
FAURÉ: Dolly Suite, Op. 56
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Admission: FREE
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8 p.m. Wednesday, March 25
BEARCAT PIANO FESTIVAL GUEST ARTIST RECITAL
Sergei Babayan, piano

Artist-in-Residence at CIM, Sergei Babayan is acclaimed for the immediacy, sensitivity and depth of his interpretations. His philosophy that a recital should reveal a spiritual dimension results in playing that sustains a captivating intensity. A student of such legendary musicians as Gornostayeva, Naumov, Pletnev and Vlasenko at the Moscow Conservatory, Babayan won consecutive first prizes in several major international competitions, including the Casadesus and Hammamatsu. Since that time, he has appeared in recital internationally in the most important venues, and with the world’s best orchestras. Additionally Babayan is a frequent two piano collaborator with Martha Argerich.
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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8 p.m. Friday, March 27
BEARCAT PIANO FESTIVAL GUEST ARTIST RECITAL
Polina Bespalko, piano

Pianist and Xavier University professor Polina Bespalko returns to her alma mater to present the works of Prokofiev, Kapustin, Gubaidulina, Pärt and the monumental Liszt Sonata.
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Admission: FREE
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4 p.m. Sunday, March 29
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PIANISTS
Guest artists from the University of Michigan perform as part of the sixth annual Bearcat Piano Festival!
Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Admission: FREE
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8 p.m. Monday, March 30
BEARCAT PIANO FESTIVAL GUEST ARTIST RECITAL
Stephen Hough, CBE, piano
Presented in cooperation with the Xavier University Classical Piano Series
The Inaugural Father John Heim, S.J. Concert

CCM’s Bearcat Piano Festival welcomes extraordinary pianist, composer, writer, teacher, painter and 2001 MacArthur Fellowship-recipient Stephen Hough to the stage for the inaugural Father John Heim Concert. Hough’s program will include Debussy’s La plus que lenteEstampesL’isle joyeuxand Children’s Corner and Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23, Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38, Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47 and Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52. Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2014 for his services to the art of music, Hough’s concert appearance is being presented in cooperation with the Xavier University Classical Piano Series, directed by Polina Bespalko.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $25 general, $15 non-UC/Xavier University students, $10 for UC and Xavier University students.
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8 p.m. Saturday, April 4
PIANOPALOOZA X
Michael Chertock, director
Featuring the CCM Concert Orchestra
Aik Khai Pung, conductor

Celebrate the art of the piano with the tenth installment of this popular concert, showcasing CCM’s most spectacular student pianists, with special appearances by CCM’s faculty artists. In honor of the tenth annual Pianopalooza, the Concert Orchestra will join CCM’s pianists for performances of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 1; Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43; and Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.
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Programs and dates are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.

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

Community Partner: ArtsWave

All-Steinway School Sponsor: The Corbett Endowment at CCM

CCM is proud to be an All-Steinway School.

CCM Alumni Applause CCM News
Cincinnati World Piano Competition gold medal.

Tickets Still Available For Tonight’s World Piano Competition Finals!

 

The Final Round of the 2014 World Piano Competition opens in less than two hours! Tickets are still available, so don’t miss your chance to see 2014 finalists Reed Tetzloff, Feng Bian and Moye Chen each perform with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra! Who will take home the gold? Find out tonight!

This evening’s program includes Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

Visit www.cincinnatiwpc.org/get-tickets for more information.

Pay-on-entry parking for this event is available on the University of Cincinnati campus in the CCM Garage for $8 (cash only).

CCM News

Introducing the World Piano Competition’s 2014 Finalists

From left to right, WPC Executive Director Mark Ernster with this year's finalists: Reed Tetzloff, Feng Bian and Moye Chen.

From left to right, WPC Executive Director Mark Ernster with this year’s finalists: Reed Tetzloff, Feng Bian and Moye Chen.

Without further ado, we are delighted to introduce you to this year’s World Piano Competition finalists! Reed Tetzloff, Feng Bian and Moye Chen will each take the CCM stage with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra during the Finals Concert this Saturday, June 28. Learn more about all three finalists by visiting www.cincinnatiwpc.org/index.

Tetzloff, Bian and Chen will compete for a total of $45,000 in prize money as well as a debut recital in New York City. These are sure to be some of the most impassioned and inspiring performances of the summer. Last year’s WPC Finals Concert sold out, so don’t miss out; purchase your tickets today!

CCM News

CCM’s Orchestra Series Closes the Season with its Annual Concerto Concert on Friday, April 11

The CCM Philharmonia

Photography by Jing Huan.

CCM’s Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra proudly presents its Annual Concerto Concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 11, in Patricia Corbett Theater.

Under the direction of Professor of Music Mark Gibson, the concert will feature the winners of CCM’s 2014 Concerto Competition: Xue Su, Patrick Sykes and Travis Peplinski.

The concert’s program will include three pieces: Leonard Bernstein’s Halil, conducted by Mercedes Diaz García; Richard Strauss’ Duet-Concertino for Clarinet, Bassoon, Strings and Harp, conducted by Michael Goist; and Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 102 in B-Flat Major, conducted by Yael Front.

CCM News Student Salutes

Two CCM Prep Violinists to Perform with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Left to right: Christina Nam, Robert Treviño and Skye Park.

Left to right: Christina Nam, Robert Treviño and Skye Park.

On Tuesday, Feb. 19 and Wednesday, March 20, two students from the CCM Preparatory Department (CCM Prep) will perform the first movement of Bach’s concerto for two violins on the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s A Family of Strings program!

The students, Skye Park of Lexington, KY and Christina Nam of West Chester, OH, are from CCM’s Starling Preparatory String Project and are studying with CCM faculty member Kurt Sassmannshaus.

The concert is part of the CSO’s Young People’s Concerts series, and will feature CSO musicians under Associate Conductor Robert Treviño. Park and Nam performed the same work last summer at the Great Wall International Music Festival in Beijing and the performance was broadcast in November on NPR‘s From the Top.

CCM News Student Salutes

‘CityBeat’ Reviews CCM’s Nov. 29 American Voices Concert

CCM Master of Music candidate Kris Rucinski.

First year Master of Music in Piano Performance student Kristofer Rucinski.

Steven Rosen shares his thoughts on the Nov. 29 conclusion to CCM’s month-long Cage Centennial Celebration in a recent CityBeat blog post, writing:

I attended the crowded event to see the group I had featured, Percussion Group Cincinnati, perform Cage’s Music for Three while the CCM Philharmonia played Cage’s Renga. It was as charming and strange, as enigmatically mysterious, as one expects of Cage.

But what was completely unexpected — and absolutely, breathtakingly, thrilling — was the performance before that, CCM student Kris Rucinski’s mastery of the four movements of Lou Harrison’s Piano Concerto.

You can read Rosen’s review of the concert here and his original feature here.

CCM News Student Salutes