CCM Opera Presents Two One-Acts by Kurt Weill and Paul Hindemith in Free Production Oct. 24 – 26

CCM’s Department of Opera will present a mini recreation of the legendary Baden-Baden Contemporary Music Festival of 1927 with a cabaret lab production running Friday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 26 in the Cohen Family Studio Theater.

Like all Studio Series productions, admission to Baden-Baden 1927 is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 20.

During the original composer-organized summer festival, which occurred in Baden-Baden, Germany, in 1927, four one-act operas were presented in one evening. CCM’s recreation will present two of these mini-operas: Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny Songspiel and Paul Hindemith’s Hin und Zurük (There and Back). Despite being nearly 100 years old, each of these pieces will resonate with audiences today.

According to graduate student Frances Rabalais (AD Opera, Stage Directing) who is directing Baden-Baden 1927 under the guidance of CCM Assistant Professor of Opera/Directing Emma Griffin, post-Word War I Germany was a time and place of great artistic exploration as artists rejected past understanding and searched for new ways to ask, “How can we use art to better society? How can we find new ways [to involve] the audience in a fulfilling opera experience?”

“The intimacy of a smaller venue like the Cohen Family Studio Theater is thrilling and special,” says Rabalais. “The audience can experience the art in a way that’s very personal.” A single piano accompanist will compliment the talented singers in both performances. Baden-Baden 1927 features musical preparation by graduate student Levi Hammer (DMA, Orchestral Conducting), under the guidance of Junghyun Cho. Hammer and Kihwa Kim provide accompaniment.

This up-close performance is an especially unique experience because the pieces by Hindemith and Weill contrast both stylistically and narratively. Hin und Zurük is a kind of dramatic palindrome, a tragedy unfolds involving jealousy, murder and suicide. It is then replayed with the lines sung in reverse order to produce a happy ending. “Mahagonny Songspiel takes a dark approach to tackling questions about society and authority,” says Rabalais. Visually, the pieces will be styled similarly and use the same scenic elements. “I think the unified look will heighten the contrasting strengths and emphasize the stylistic impact of each opera,” explains Rabalais.

CCM Presents Cincinnati Premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Opera ‘Owen Wingrave,’ Nov. 21-24

From left to right: Edward Nelson as Owen Wingrave and Jason Weisinger as General Sir Phillip Wingrave in ‘Owen Wingrave.’ Photography by Mark Lyons.

CCM’s celebration of Benjamin Britten at 100 continues with the Cincinnati premiere of the composer’s penultimate opera Owen Wingrave, running Nov. 21-24 in Patricia Corbett Theater. CCM welcomes guest artist and alumnus Johannes Müller-Stosch to the podium for this Mainstage Series production, which features stage direction by CCM Professor of Voice Kenneth Shaw. The opera will be sung in English with supertitles.

Based on the 1893 Henry James short story of the same name and commissioned by the BBC in 1966, Owen Wingrave was completed for television in 1970. With music by Britten and a libretto by his frequent collaborator Myfanwy Piper, Shaw suggests that the opera offers “both drama and a touch of lightness, horror and hope, mystery and atmosphere, grandeur and intimacy.”

Owen Wingrave is often regarded as one of Britten’s most powerful scores. According to Shaw, the music of Owen Wingrave is exceptionally challenging, making it ideal for training students. The opera story is equally compelling and is centered on the titular Owen Wingrave, a pacifist born into a long line of military heroes who struggles to prove his inner strength to his disapproving family, even if it leads to his own mysterious end. “A secret is something that has resonance for all of us,” Shaw explains. “We keep secrets, and secrets are kept from us. For the Wingrave family, their secret doesn’t really have a full answer – it is a mystery.”

CCM Announces Fall 2013 Calendar of Major Events

Download a copy of CCM’s Fall 2013 Calendar Booklet today!

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is delighted to announce its fall schedule of major events. The largest single source of performing arts events in the state of Ohio, CCM presents more than 120 major public performances from Sept. 4 through Dec. 14, ranging from faculty and guest artist concerts to fully supported opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

View a digital copy of CCM’s Fall 2013 Calendar Booklet today by visiting on.uc.edu/CCMFall2013. Refer to the listings below for more details.

Event Information
All events listed here will take place in CCM Village on the University of Cincinnati campus unless otherwise indicated. Admission is free to many CCM performances, although some events do require purchased tickets or reservations. Please see individual event information for details and ordering information.

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.

CCM Announces 2013-14 Studio Series of Opera, Musical Theatre, Drama and Dance

CCM’s 2013-14 Studio Series includes a production of ‘Boeing Boeing’ presented by the Carnegie and CCM Drama this November.

CCM is pleased to announce details for its 2013-14 Studio Series of opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

This season’s Studio Series includes eight exciting productions showcasing CCM’s rising stars. The series opens in October with the newly re-imagined musical adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie and concludes in April with the irreverent Shakespearean/zombie mash-up Living Dead in Denmark.

This season’s series includes a revival of the Tony Award-winning comedy classic Boeing Boeing produced in collaboration with the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center and a public reading of the new American opera Fellow Travelers, produced in collaboration with Cincinnati Opera as part of the Opera Fusion program.

Always innovative, CCM’s 2013-14 Studio Series also includes the annual TRANSMIGRATION Festival of student-created new dramatic works and annual student choreographer’s dance showcase. Emmanuel Chabrier’s effervescent opéra bouffe L’étoileand the Tony Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee round out this year’s Studio Series.

Tickets and Parking Information
With free admission and limited seating for the six CCM-hosted productions in this series, the Studio Series remains one of the hottest tickets in town. All Studio Series performances held at CCM are free and open to the general public, but reservations are required. Reservations can be made the week of each show by visiting the CCM Box Office in UC’s Corbett Center for the Performing Arts or by calling 513-556-4183.

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 directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

Please see the individual listings below for Boeing Boeing and Fellow Travelers ticketing details.

CCM Announces Winter 2012 Calendar of Major Events

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) presents nearly 1,000 public events throughout the year and offers free admission to many of its performances. Unless otherwise indicated, all events listed here take place on the CCM campus and are free. Some events require paid admission; please see individual event information for details and ordering information.

Tickets and Additional Information:
Please visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183.

Parking:
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 ccm.uc.edu for directions.

View CCM’s Winter 2012 Calendar of Major Events

CCM is delighted to announce its winter schedule of major performances. Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 4, CCM will present over 50 events, ranging from faculty and guest artist concerts to fully supported theatre productions.

Download a copy of our Winter 2012 Calendar of Events today.

CCM Announces Full Schedule of 2011-12 Mainstage Events

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s schedule of major performances for 2011-12 is now available! This year’s season includes over 40 major events, ranging from fully staged operas and musicals to Afro-Cuban jazz concerts and holiday-themed choral extravaganzas.

You can download a digital copy of this year’s brochure here or view the brochure online via Issuu.com. Physical copies are also available at the CCM Box Office.

CCM Announces 2011-12 Mainstage Series

Today, we are pleased to announce details for the 2011-12 CCM Mainstage Series of drama, musical theatre and opera productions. This year’s unforgettable Mainstage Series features a moving drama by Helen Edmundson and a ravishing comedy by Tom Stoppard, bold and enchanting musical theatre by Rodgers & Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim and sublime operas by Mozart and Stravinsky. The series features six fully-staged works, with performances taking place Oct. 27, 2011 through May 13, 2012. Subscriptions are on sale now, single tickets go on sale later this summer.

See below for production and subscription details!

CCM Slideshows: Of Mice and Men

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Based on the classic novel by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men tells the story of George and Lennie, two displaced farm hands during the Great Depression. Chasing the American dream to someday own their own stake of land, the pair travels across the California countryside in search of work. When their journey leads them into trouble, one friend must make a tragic choice to save the other. Sung in English with supertitles. Opening night will feature special pre- and post-performance talks by Maestro Carlisle Floyd.