The Ariel Quartet’s CCM Concert Series Continues on March 20

CCM proudly presents the Ariel Quartet in concert at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium. The performance features works by Mozart, Brahms and the regional premiere of John Harbison’s String Quartet No. 6, which was co-commissioned by the Ariel Quartet with the generous support of Ann and Harry Santen.

The concert opens with Mozart’s String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, which is part of a set of six string quartets that Mozart dedicated to his friend and mentor Joseph Haydn — who is often referred to as the “Father of the String Quartet.” Mozart’s String Quartet No. 15 in D minor is regarded as a pillar of the classical string quartet repertoire, and it is one of the most celebrated and performed works of the genre.

Next on the program is the regional premiere of Harbison’s String Quartet No. 6, which was composed in 2016 and co-commissioned by the Ariel Quartet through support from Ann and Harry Santen, the Lark Quartet, Telegraph Quartet and Tanglewood Music Center with the generous support of the Merwin Geffen, M.D. and Norman Solomon, M.D. New Commissions Fund. Harbison is a Grammy Award-nominated composer who has received multiple national and international commissions. He is also the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship and a Pulitzer Prize.

The concert closes with Brahms’ String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, which was completed in 1873 after many years of work by Brahms. He sought to exhibit the same care as Mozart while composing his quartets, and he also sought to produce something worthy of performance in a genre widely dominated by Ludwig van Beethoven’s compositions. The work closes with a movement based on a Hungarian folk dance.

The Ariel Quartet is comprised of Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The group was formed in Israel in 1998 and has served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence since 2012. Complete program information for the March 20 concert is below.
____________________

REPERTOIRE
Please note that previously announced repertoire has been updated:
MOZART: String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, K. 421
HARBISON: String Quartet No. 6 (co-commissioned by the Ariel Quartet with the generous support of Ann and Harry Santen)
BRAHMS: String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2

PERFORMANCE TIME
8 p.m. Tuesday, March 20

LOCATION
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village,
University of Cincinnati

PURCHASING TICKETS
Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 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 campus of the University of Cincinnati. 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.
____________________

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

Ariel Quartet Sponsors: Anonymous, The Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander, Mrs. William A. Friedlander, Dr. & Mrs. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. & Mrs. Frank Bloom, Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer, Mr. & Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. & Mrs. Paul G. Sittenfeld, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman, and Dr. & Mrs. Theodore W. Striker

CCM Welcomes Denise Tryon as Associate Professor of Horn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CCM’s 2017-18 Season Brochure Now Available In Print and Online

Welcome to CCM’s Sesquicentennial Performance Season!

This season, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding with an unparalleled series of performances and special events designed to highlight a tradition of innovation and excellence dating back to 1867.

The history of CCM’s success involves three institutions separate in their origins but united by a common cause: the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, the College of Music of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati. Sometimes partners and sometimes rivals, these three institutions would eventually join forces to establish one of the world’s premier schools for the performing and media arts.

In the year ahead, we will look back on CCM’s illustrious history, celebrate the careers of our impressive alumni and showcase the talents of our incredible students and faculty members. We look forward to welcoming you to the CCM Village to experience our ongoing history, the artistry of our alumni and a chance to experience the stars of tomorrow.

Download a digital copy of CCM’s 2017-18 brochure today (7.1 MB). Physical copies are also available at the CCM Box Office.

Subscription and flex ticket packages are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. For more details about CCM’s 2017-18 performance schedule, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or visit ccm.uc.edu.

Learn more about CCM’s Sesquicentennial by visiting ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/notations-ovations/sesquicentennial-celebration.

This is our story. This is your season.
Join us for a celebration 150 years in the making!

CCM Announces 2017-18 Concert Schedule For The Ariel Quartet

Ariel Quartet members Gershon Gerchikov, Amit Even-Tov, Jan Grüning and Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky. Photography by Robert A. Flischel.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) proudly presents the award-winning Ariel String Quartet in a four-part concert series, which commences on Tuesday, Sept. 26, and continues on Nov. 14, March 20 and April 26. Dubbed “rock stars of the classical scene,” by the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Ariel Quartet’s energetic performances and soulful interpretations have impressed concert goers throughout the world.

The Ariel Quartet is comprised of Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The group was formed in Israel in 1998 and has served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence since 2012.

The Ariel Quartet opens its 2017-18 concert series with a program dedicated to the memory of CCM Professor Emeritus Walter Levin at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, in the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall. A founding member and first violinist of the legendary LaSalle Quartet, Levin passed away in Chicago on Aug. 4, 2017, at the age of 92. During his 33-year tenure at CCM, Levin and his colleagues in the LaSalle Quartet greatly enhanced CCM’s international reputation while inspiring generations of future artists and scholars.

The members of the Ariel Quartet count themselves among the innumerable musicians influenced by Levin’s expertise. Prior to their residency at CCM, the members of the Ariel Quartet spent a formative year in Basel, Switzerland, studying with Levin. When the Ariel Quartet was named string quartet-in-residence at CCM in 2012, the appointment was seen as a natural extension of the LaSalle Quartet’s musical legacy. In the Chicago Sun-Times’ featured obituary, Gerchikov describes Levin as “incredibly influential, inspiring and demanding.” When Levin dispensed with a compliment, Gerchikov recalls, “You were in heaven.”

This season’s highlights also include collaborations with Donald Weilerstein, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein and CCM emeritus faculty member Allen Otte. The season also features the regional premiere of a new piece by John Harbison, co-commissioned by the Ariel Quartet with the generous support of Ann and Harry Santen. Complete performance repertoire is listed below. You can learn more about the Ariel Quartet by visiting www.arielquartet.com.
____________________

CCM’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE SEASON
String Quartet-in-Residence Concert Series

8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26
BEETHOVEN, KURTÁG AND SCHUMANN
The Ariel Quartet

BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
G. KURTÁG: 12 Microludes for String Quartet, Op. 13
R. SCHUMANN: String Quartet No. 3 in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3

Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
____

8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14
JANÁCEK, MOZART AND SHOSTAKOVICH
The Ariel Quartet
Featuring guest artists Donald Weilerstein, viola, and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, piano

JANÁCEK: String Quartet No. 1 (Kreutzer Sonata)
MOZART: String Quintet No. 4 in G Minor, K. 516
SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57

Location: Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
____

8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30
8 p.m. Thursday, April 26 (date change)
HAYDN, BARTÓK AND CAGE
The Ariel Quartet
Featuring CCM emeritus faculty member Allen Otte, percussion

HAYDN: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 71, No. 2
BARTÓK: String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85
CAGE: Five (1988)
BRAHMS: String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 51, No. 1

Location: Corbett Auditorium
____

8 p.m. Tuesday, March 20
MOZART, HARBISON AND BEETHOVEN
The Ariel Quartet
Featuring John Harbison’s String Quartet No. 6, co-commissioned by the Ariel Quartet with the generous support of Ann and Harry Santen

MOZART: String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, K. 589
J. HARBISON: String Quartet No. 6 (regional premiere)
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131

Location: Corbett Auditorium
____________________

Purchasing Subscriptions and Single Tickets
Subscription packages are now available for the Ariel Quartet’s full 2017-18 concert series. Concert goers can subscribe to the entire series for $75 and save 25% off single ticket prices.

Single tickets go on sale on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID.

Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased 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.

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 campus of the University of Cincinnati. 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 Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

The Ariel Quartet’s 2017-18 CCM concert series is made possible by the generous contributions of an anonymous donor, The Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander, Mrs. William A. Friedlander, Dr. and Mrs. Randolph L. Wadsworth, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bloom, Mr. and Mrs. J. David Rosenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Santen, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman and Mr. and Mrs. Theodore W. Striker.

Acclaimed Mezzo-Soprano Quinn Patrick Ankrum Joins CCM Voice Faculty

CCM Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the addition of acclaimed mezzo-soprano Quinn Patrick Ankrum, DMA, to the college’s roster of distinguished voice faculty members. Ankrum’s appointment as Assistant Professor of Voice becomes effective on August 15, 2017.

Celebrated for her strong lyric voice, sizzling coloratura facility and engagingly sincere personality, Ankrum has performed a wide variety of repertoire spanning the centuries from Claudio Monteverdi to John Harbison. She has sung with opera companies and orchestras throughout the United States, as well as with the National Orchestra of Mexico in Mexico City.

In the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons she demonstrated her versatility as she collaborated on the operatic, recital and concert stages with musicians in Missouri, Texas, New York, Florida and Kansas, along with international engagements in Toulouse, Paris, Mondavio (Italy) and Oban (Scotland). She will return to the U.K. this May where she will appear in a recital featuring the music of American composers at East of England Organ Day at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, as well as in a concert featuring the music of Rameau with the East Anglian Academy.

Ankrum is an advocate of contemporary composers. She recently premiered Romanian composer Vlad Burlea’s chamber piece “Oglinda” (Texas and Kansas 2016) and created the role of the Mother in the world premiere of J. Todd Frazier’s opera Breath of Life (Lubbock, Texas, 2015).  In addition, she co-premiered John Harbison’s chamber work Crossroads with colleagues at Texas Tech University (2013). She is the co-creator of Living Song Project with pianist and University of Oklahoma faculty member Elizabeth Avery, DMA. This unique database project promotes the art song and vocal chamber music of living American composers.

In addition to being an active performer and teacher, Ankrum takes an interest in musicians’ health and wellness. She is an Andover Educator trainee, and will be licensed to teach the course What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body when she finishes her training.

Ankrum received degrees from Trinity University in San Antonio (BM, MAT), the University of Colorado at Boulder (MM) and the University of Rochester, Eastman School of Music (DMA), where she studied with Robert McIver. She was a Young Artist in the Glimmerglass Opera Young American Artists Program and the Baltimore Opera Studio, and participated in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Intern Program.

She has been a finalist and winner in numerous regional and national competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions (Rocky Mountain Region) and the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards competition (2nd place winner, 2006). She has served on the faculties of the State University of New York at Fredonia, Nazareth College (Rochester, New York) and Texas Tech University (Lubbock).

Please join us in welcoming Ankrum to the CCM family this fall!

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

CCM Wind Orchestra Collaborates with Xavier University Symphonic Winds for Dec. 5 Concert

UC alumnus Matthew Westgate leads the Xavier University Symphonic Winds as part of the Dec. 5 CCM Wind Orchestra concert.

The CCM Wind Orchestra will present a concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of Frederick Fennel’s founding of the modern wind ensemble at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, in UC’s Corbett Auditorium under the direction of Glenn D. Price. This performance will also feature guest ensemble Xavier University Symphonic Winds, under the direction of CCM alumnus Matthew Westgate.