CCM Welcomes Award-Winning Pianists Dror Biran and Ran Dank to Keyboard Studies Faculty

Dean Peter Landgren has announced two new additions to CCM’s already-illustrious roster of piano faculty members. Acclaimed performers and pedagogues Dror Biran and Ran Dank have both been appointed to full-time faculty positions with CCM’s Division of Keyboard Studies.

“Both men have distinguished themselves internationally through numerous competition wins,” Landgren commented. “Their impressive artistry coupled with their vast teaching experience will make them excellent additions to our already exceptional piano faculty.”

Incoming CCM faculty member Dror Biran.

Dror Biran’s playing has been described as “powerful, but also beautifully sensitive,” by Die Bleed magazine. He is winner of the top prizes at the M.K. Ciurlionis International Piano Competition and the Cleveland International Piano Competition (where he also received a special prize for best performance of works by Chopin), along with other competitions in Spain, Israel and the US.

Biran joins CCM as Associate Professor of Piano in August 2016 after serving as Visiting Adjunct Professor of Piano during the 2015-16 academic year. A graduate of the Givatayim Conservatory and Tel-Aviv University in Israel, Biran holds a Doctoral degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. A native Israeli, he has been the recipient of multiple scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation for Distinguished Musicians.

Incoming CCM faculty member Ran Dank.

Described as, “a strong player with technique and imagination,” by the New York Times, Ran Dank has received numerous awards, including a coveted place on the Young Concert Artists roster in 2009. He is a laureate of the Cleveland International Competition, the Naumburg Piano Competition, the Sydney International Piano Competition and was First Prize winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

Dank joins CCM as Assistant Professor of Piano in August of 2016 after serving as the Director of Piano Studies at the College of Charleston. He holds degrees from Tel Aviv University in his native Israel, as well as Master’s and Artist Diploma degrees from the Juilliard School in New York City. Dank joins his wife, Soyeon Kate Lee, who became a member of CCM’s faculty in August of 2014.

“In my opinion,” Landgren added, “the hires of Dror Biran and Ran Dank will continue to strengthen CCM’s status as a preeminent institution for the performing and media arts in the US, while also enhancing our global reputation as a leader in arts education.”

Please join us in welcoming Dror Biran and Ran Dank to the CCM family! You can learn more about both pianists below.

About Dror Biran
Dror Biran has been described by the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier as “mesmerizing in the intensity and emotionalism of his playing. His fingering in the fast passages was breathtaking, and the loving care he gave to the sweetly lyrical passages was riveting.” The Cleveland Plain Dealer added, “his fortissimos crashed and roared, but next to them came pianissimos that whispered seductively… he has technique to burn and uses it effectively.” Biran’s superb tonal control combined with interesting phrasing and voicing has won him consistent critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences.

Born in Israel, Biran is a top prizewinner of several national and international piano competitions. He is a graduate of the Givatayim Conservatory where he studied with Mrs. Lily Dorfman, as well as the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel-Aviv University where he studied with Professor Arie Vardi. Biran received his Doctoral degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Mr. Paul Schenly and Dr. Daniel Shapiro.

Biran won top prizes at the M.K Ciurlionis International Piano Competition (1995), and the Cleveland International Piano Competition (1997) where he also received a special prize for the best performance of works by Chopin. His honors include the first prize at the “Pilar Bayona International Piano Competition” in Zaragoza, Spain (1998), first prize at the Israeli Rubin Academy Piano Competition (1998) and the Rafi Goralnik prize for pianists, in the Aviv Competition (2000). Biran has been a recipient of multiple scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation for distinguished musicians.

Biran has performed widely as a soloist with major orchestras including the Lithuanian Philharmonic Orchestra, RTVE Symphony Orchestra of Spain, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He has played under the batons of Etinger, Rodan, Gueller, Gacia Asensio, Mester, Lane and others. His concert tours have taken him to the United States, Israel and South America, along with Eastern and Western Europe.

As a chamber musician Biran has appeared on a regular basis with different music ensembles such as Carmel and Aviv String Quartets. He has also performed with members of the Cleveland Orchestra in different venues. His concerts have been broadcast by WUOL, WCLV, WQXR, The Voice of Music – Israel and Classic FM South Africa, among others. Biran can be heard on the JMC (Jerusalem Music Centre) labels featuring ballades by Brahms and Chopin.

Prior to his CCM appointment, Biran taught at the University of Louisville, Youngstown State University and Case Western Reserve University.

About Ran Dank
Israeli pianist Ran Dank has been hailed as a “superb pianist… absolutely splendid: dashing, impetuous and full of imagination” by the Washington Post.

A favorite of New York audiences, Dank performs in New York City’s most notable venues to frequent critical acclaim by the New York Times. In recent seasons, he has been heard in recitals in Town Hall and Symphony Space. As a soloist, he has performed Prokofiev’s Second Concerto with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Alice Tully Hall and Tobias Picker’s Keys to the City at Columbia University. In September of 2013 he and fellow CCM faculty member Soyeon Kate Lee performed the world premiere of Fredric Rzewski’s Four Hands at (le) Poisson Rouge to a glowing review by the New York Times.

Dank’s other recent performance highlights include recitals at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Washington Performing Arts Society at the Kennedy Center, the Chopin Festival in Warsaw, Finland’s Mantta Festival and performances of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts’ piano concerto with the Mobile Symphony. His recent chamber music performances include appearances at the Santa Fe, Great Lakes, Maverick, Seattle, Montreal, Tokyo Chanel and Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festivals.

Last season, Dank returned to his native Israel for a double-bill concert featuring Liszt’s Concerto No.1 and Totentanz with the Jerusalem Symphony.

His upcoming engagements include a performance at the prestigious Ravinia Festival, recitals in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico and a return engagement with the Kansas City Symphony.

A recipient of numerous honors, Dank won a coveted place on the Young Concert Artists’ roster in 2009 and subsequently made his New York recital debut. He is a laureate of the Cleveland International Piano Competition, where he also won the Bach Prize, the Naumburg and Sydney International Piano Competitions, and was the First Prize winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

A graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University and the Juilliard School, he has worked extensively with Richard Goode, Emanuel Ax, Joseph Kalichstein, Ursula Oppens and Robert McDonald.

In 2014 Dank joined the faculty of the College of Charleston as the Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Professor. He also serves as Artistic Director of the College of Charleston International Piano Series.

In addition to concertizing and academic posts, Dank established a series of concerts with his wife, pianist Soyeon Kate Lee. Dubbed “Music by the Glass,” this series is held in a New York So-Ho art gallery, where young professionals mix and mingle with performing artists, who play solo pieces and chamber works. The performances are accompanied by sweet and savory treats paired with wines by the glass. Learn more about these popular events by visiting www.musicbytheglass.com.

Learn more about CCM’s preeminent piano faculty by visiting ccm.uc.edu/music/keyboard/faculty.

CCM’s Illustrious Piano Faculty Artists Celebrate Warm Music From Cold Countries on Nov. 15

Faculty performers receive the spotlight at CCM during the 11th annual Pianopalooza concert on Sunday, Nov. 15. This year’s program features CCM’s esteemed piano faculty artists performing a collection of fiery music from Russia and elsewhere.

In the spirit of the approaching winter season, this installment of Pianopalooza celebrates warm music from cold countries, including Chopin’s Winter Wind Étude, Edvarg Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King and “Waltz of the Flowers” from the classic holiday favorite, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite.

The concert’s grand finale features a stunning 12-hand piano arrangement of “Mars” from Gustav Holst’s The Planets.

“During the chilliest winters, these composers have warmed our hearts and fired our imaginations,” explains CCM Piano Department Chair Michael Chertock. “This music celebrates the season, defies the cold, longs for spring and summer, and sometimes simply shivers.”

In addition to Chertock, who also serves as the concert’s master of ceremonies, Pianopalooza XI includes performances by faculty members Dror Biran, Caroline Hong, Hitomi Koyama, Kate Lee, Donna Loewy, Sandra Rivers, James Tocco and Andrew Villemez.

CCM’s world-class pianists also welcome special guest Daniel Weeks to the stage for this concert. A critically acclaimed tenor, Weeks joined CCM’s faculty as Associate Professor of Voice this fall.

Chertock promises that the concert will be an intimate and moving affair. “CCM’s Werner Recital Hall harbors two of the most beautiful pianos in the entire state of Ohio,” Chertock observes. “It’s the perfect acoustical space to experience this warm music.”

The Nov. 15 concert is the first of two Pianopaloozas scheduled for CCM’s 2015-16 performance season. Next semester, CCM’s extraordinary young artists will take the spotlight for the Pianopalooza: Student Showcase on Sunday, April 3.

Performance Time
7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15

Location
Robert J. Werner Recital Hall, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to “Pianopalooza: Warm Music from Cold Countries” are $15 general admission, $10 for non-UC students and FREE for 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/concerts/piano.

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: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Community Partner: ArtsWave

CCM is proud to be an All-Steinway School

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.

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.

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.

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 Summer Concert Tickets Now Available for Purchase Online

You can now secure your seats for this summer’s hottest performances online using CCM’s new eBox Office!

Tickets for the following Art of the Piano Guest Artist Concerts can be purchased online, over the telephone or in-person at the CCM Box Office today!

7 p.m. Sunday, June 14	Jura Margulis	$15 general, $10 students	Buy Tickets
7 p.m. Tuesday, June 16	Ursula Oppens	$15 general, $10 students	Buy Tickets
7 p.m. Saturday, June 27	Yong Hi Moon	$15 general, $10 students	Buy Tickets

Tickets to our semi-staged production of Georges Bizet’s Carmen can also be purchased in advance.

8 p.m. Saturday, August 8

Carmen

$15 general, $10 students

Buy Tickets

You can learn more about our Summer Performance Series by visiting ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/save-the-date/summer-2015-performance-series.

 

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!

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.

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.

Pianopalooza Presents the Concerti of Rachmaninoff This Saturday, April 4

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 Piano Professor Soyeon Kate Lee Performs at Lincoln Center on Jan. 29

CCM Assistant Professor of Music in Piano Soyeon Kate Lee.

New York residents, mark your calendars: Assistant Professor of Piano Soyeon Kate Lee will play a concert at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29.

Lee’s performance is part of the Chamber Music Society New Music series, which champions modern composers of chamber music and invites listeners to witness musical innovation in the stunning Kaplan Penthouse.

For those not based in New York, the concert will also be streamed live at www.chambermusicsociety.org/watchlisten/watchlive.

Lee joined CCM’s faculty in the fall of 2014 and played a sold-out joint faculty artist recital with CCM Chair of Piano and Artist-in-Residence Awadagin Pratt in October. Lee’s appointment to the Department of Piano gives CCM the rare distinction of having two Naumburg Gold Medalists on faculty! Learn more about Lee’s appointment by visiting ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/faculty/soyeun-kate-lee-joins-piano-faculty.

For more information about Lee’s upcoming performance at Lincoln Center and to purchase tickets, please visit www.chambermusicsociety.org.

About the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
The Chamber Music Society is one of 11 constituents of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts complex in the world. Along with other constituents such as the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Lincoln Center Theater and the Metropolitan Opera, the Chamber Music Society has its home at Lincoln Center in Alice Tully Hall. Through its performance, education and recording/broadcast activities, it draws more people to chamber music than any other organization of its kind.

CCM Presents a Joint Recital by Faculty Artists and Naumburg Gold Medalists Soyeon Kate Lee and Awadagin Pratt on Oct. 11

CCM faculty artists Soyeon Kate Lee and Awadagin Pratt. Photo by Andrew Higley.

CCM proudly presents a one-of-a-kind joint piano recital featuring faculty artists and Naumburg International Piano Competition Gold Medalists Soyeon Kate Lee and Awadagin Pratt at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11. The performance will also serve as the CCM debut for Lee, who joined the faculty in August as an Assistant Professor of Music in Piano.

In existence since 1926, the Naumburg Competition is one of the most distinguished competitions in the world. Lee took first prize in 2010. Pratt, an Artist-in-Residence, Professor of Piano and Chair of the Department of Piano at CCM, took the first prize in 1992.

CCM’s Naumburg Gold Medalists Piano Recital will provide a rare chance for piano lovers to hear two Naumburg Gold Medalists perform together in the stunning Robert J. Werner Recital Hall. Lee and Pratt will present a program featuring works of Albéniz, Ravel, Schubert, Bach-Busoni and Brahms.

Each artist will perform individual repertoire – including the pieces by Ravel and Bach-Busoni that they played during the Naumburg finals – followed by a special program for two pianos.

Lee’s appointment to the Department of Piano this fall now gives CCM the rare distinction of having two Naumburg Gold Medalists on faculty. Learn more by visiting ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/faculty/soyeun-kate-lee-joins-piano-faculty.

Repertoire
Soyeon Kate Lee

• ALBENIZ: Iberia, Book 1
• RAVEL: La Valse

Awadagin Pratt

• SCHUBERT: Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 1 in C minor
• J.S. BACH: Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1004 (arr. BUSONI)

Plus surprises for two pianos!

Performance Time
8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11

Location
Robert J. Werner Recital Hall, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets for this concert 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 at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/naumburg-gold-medalists-concert.
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About Soyeon Kate Lee
Korean-American pianist Soyeon Kate Lee has been hailed by the New York Times as a pianist with “a huge, richly varied sound, a lively imagination and a firm sense of style,” while the Washington Post has lauded her for her “stunning command of the keyboard.” Her recent recital appearances include New York City programs at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall and Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Art’s Alice Tully Hall, Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Cleveland’s Severance Hall, the Ravinia Festival’s “Rising Stars” series, Auditorio de Musica de Nacional in Madrid – part of a 13-city tour of Spain, tour of the Hawaiian Islands, Krannert Center and Finland’s Maanta Music Festival.

Lee earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and the Artist Diploma from the Juilliard School. While at Juilliard, she won every award granted to a pianist including the Rachmaninoff Concerto Competition, two consecutive Gina Bachauer Scholarship Competitions, Arthur Rubinstein Prize, Susan Rose Career Grant and the William Petschek Piano Debut Award. Learn more about Lee here.

About Awadagin Pratt
Born in Pittsburgh, Awadagin Pratt began studying piano at the age of 6. Three years later, having moved to Normal, Illinois, with his family, he also began studying violin. At the age of 16 he entered the University of Illinois where he studied piano, violin and conducting. He subsequently enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he became the first student in the school’s history to receive diplomas in three performance areas – piano, violin and conducting. In recognition of this achievement and for his work in the field of classical music, Pratt recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Johns Hopkins.

In 1994 Pratt was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since then, he has played numerous recitals throughout the US including performances at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles and Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. His many orchestral performances include appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra and the Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Baltimore, St. Louis, National, Detroit and New Jersey symphonies among many others. Summer festival engagements include Ravinia, Blossom, Wolftrap, Caramoor and Aspen, the Hollywood Bowl and the Mostly Mozart Festival in Tokyo.

In November 2009, Pratt was one of four artists selected to perform at a White House classical music event that included student workshops hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and performed in concert for guests including President Obama. He has performed two other times at the White House, both at the invitation of President and Mrs. Clinton. Learn more about Pratt here.

About the Naumburg Competition
Established in 1926, the Naumburg international competitions have been described by the New York Times as “in its quiet way, the most prestigious of them all.” The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation continues in the pursuit of ideals set out by Walter Naumburg. His desire to assist the young gifted musician in America has made possible a long-standing program of competitions and awards in solo and chamber music performance, composer recordings, conducting and commissions. It was Mr. Naumburg’s firm belief that such competitions were not only for the benefit of new stars, but also very much for those talented young artists who would become prime movers in the development of the highest standards of musical excellence throughout America. The solo competition disciplines rotate from year to year, encompassing piano, violin and voice.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Community Partner: ArtsWave

Art of the Piano Concert Series Continues Tonight With Awadagin Pratt and Dennis Thurmond Joint Recital

CCM faculty member and World Piano Competition Artistic Director Awadagin Pratt.

CCM’s Art of the Piano summer festival and concert series continues at 7 p.m. this evening with a joint recital featuring Tai Chi of Improvisation author Dennis Thurmond and World Piano Competition Artistic Director (and CCM Artist-in-Residence) Awadagin Pratt.

Thurmond and Pratt’s program promises to be a true blending of genres, as the duo present the world premiere of “VII Structures” for two pianos, bass and percussion, which has influences from Bill Evans to Sergei Prokofiev to Keith Jarrett to Olivier Messiaen.

Pratt also promises that the concert will feature a rousing Fourth of July encore!