CCM Alumnus Marcus Shields Returns As Visiting Assistant Professor of Opera Directing

UC College-Conservatory of Music Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of CCM alumnus Marcus Shields (MM, 2015; AD, 2017) to the position of Visiting Assistant Professor of Opera Directing. Shields’ appointment will officially begin on Aug. 15, 2018.

Shields is a New York City-based director who specializes in the presentation and performance of classical music and opera. His experience ranges from installation/performance art to fully produced theatre, blending his artistry as a pianist, singer, visual artist and director into works that probe the boundaries of genre.

He has served on the directing staff of the Lyric Opera Chicago, Atlanta Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and the Curtis Institute of Music. Directing credits include La Vida Breve with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts, and a touring production of The Bolcom Cabaret with engagements at the Neue Galerie in New York and the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, DC.

Recently, Shields directed Bernstein’s Mass at Cincinnati’s May Festival, which attracted a sold-out crowd at Music Hall. At CCM he directed a semi-staged production of Arthur Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake and the 2017 Mainstage Opera production of Mozart’s Idomeneo, which was praised by arts reporter Janelle Gelfand as “striking” and a “rare treat.” In the fall of 2018, Shields will direct Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca at New York City’s Madison Theater.

Recipient of the 2018 Stage Directing Fellowship at San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program, Shields holds a Master of Music degree in Voice and an Artist Diploma degree in Opera Direction from CCM. In 2017 he was a recipient of the Drama League Opera Directing Fellowship in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera and Wolf Trap Opera.

On the announcement of Shield’s appointment, mcclung commented:

“CCM opera and voice students will benefit from Shields’ expertise as an opera director, visual artist and diction coach. His experience at San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program, Atlanta Opera and Chicago’s Lyric Opera promises to enrich CCM’s renowned opera program, ranked third in the country according to the most recent U.S. News and World Report ranking. I am grateful to the Search Committee Chairs Alan Yaffe and Robin Guarino for their collaborative effort on this successful search.”

Please join us in welcoming Marcus Shields to the CCM family!

CCM Welcomes Kathleen Kelly as New Associate Professor of Opera Coaching

CCM Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the addition of Kathleen Kelly as the college’s new Associate Professor of Opera Coaching. An accomplished opera coach, conductor, pianist and teacher, Kelly’s appointment begins on Aug. 15, 2018.

Kelly currently serves as an associate professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance. She joined the faculty in 2015 as the school’s first coach/conductor of opera. While there, she conducted performances of Giulio Cesare, Così fan tutte, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dinner at Eight, the difficulty of crossing a field and L’heure espagnole/Gianni Schicchi, which won the American Prize in Opera Performance. She also led workshops for The Dream of the Red Chamber, Kept and Black Clown and oversaw the musical preparation for the university-wide performances of the new critical edition of Porgy and Bess.

Kelly was the first woman and first American named as director of musical studies at Vienna State Opera, where she oversaw the daily musical life of more than 50 ensemble singers in more than 50 operas from 2010 to 2013. She also curated a recital series in the opera house’s famous Mahlersaal and served as the series’ principal pianist. She was the recitative accompanist for new productions of The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, and assisted Maestro Franz Welser-Möst on new productions of Kát’a Kabanová and Z mrtvého domu.

Before moving overseas, Kelly served as the music director of the Houston Grand Opera Studio as well as the company’s head of music staff from 2006 to 2010. Highlights of these years include conducting her own chamber music arrangement of Hansel und Gretel in a remarkable production by Basil Twist, serving as pianist for the Eleanor McCollum competition and curating the HGOS recital series at Rienzi.

From 1997 to 2006, Kelly served as an assistant to the music director at the Metropolitan Opera, specializing in the works of Wagner, Strauss and Berg. During that time, because of her success as a prompter and musical assistant, she was the focus of a Wall Street Journal article and a Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast feature. From 2005 to 2008 Kelly was also the music director of the Berkshire Opera, conducting two productions each summer and overseeing the young artist program.

As a conductor, Kelly has led the 2018 Schwabacher Concerts at the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, Francesca Zambello’s critically acclaimed Ariadne auf Naxos at the Glimmerglass Festival (nominated for an International Opera Award), The Marriage of Figaro at Wolf Trap, the premiere of Emmerich Kálmán’s Arizona Lady at Arizona Opera, Carmen and Madama Butterfly at Opera Columbus, Hansel und Gretel at El Paso Opera and the Alexandria Symphony in Virginia. She also conducted the West Coast premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s A Coffin in Egypt, starring Frederica von Stade.

Kelly earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in piano performance from Arizona State University and received a Fulbright Scholarship in Music to study at the Musikhochschule Lübeck in Germany.

She has performed internationally as a recital pianist, including performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Vienna’s Musikverein and Tucson’s Desert Song Festival. Her recital partners have included Jamie Barton, Thomas Hampson, Renee Fleming, Christine Goerke, Albina Shagimuratova, Valentina Nafornita, Patrick Carfizzi, Michael Kelly, Jill Grove and Troy Cook.

Kelly has taught master classes in the United States and internationally, including at Interlochen Academy, CCM, Baylor University, Vanderbilt University, Arizona State University, Western Ontario University, Peabody Conservatory and Moscow Conservatory, among others. She is also a regular guest coach for Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz program, and works regularly with young artist programs nationally, notably at the Los Angeles Opera, the Chicago Lyric Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Seattle Opera and in the CoOperative Training Program at Westminster Choir College.

Additionally, Kelly is gaining recognition as a writer of articles, translations and original texts. She has written lead program articles for Wolf Trap, Houston Grand Opera and Arizona Opera. For the Arizona Lady performances, she created a new trilingual adaptation of the libretto. She also wrote the text Texanische Liebeslieder, a song cycle by David Hanlon, which premiered in 2015.

Most recently, Kelly wrote a new English translation Hansel und Gretel for Tri-Cities Opera. She was also commissioned by Wolf Trap Opera to write the libretto for Listen Wilhelmina!, a children’s opera that premiered in May 2017.

Interim dean mcclung thanks the search committee, co-chaired by Alan Yaffe and Robin Guarino, and committee members Amy Johnson, Marie-France Lefebvre and Michelle Conda for their work on finding CCM’s new associate professor of opera coaching. He adds,

“Professor Kelly brings a wealth of experience and artistry both nationally at the Metropolitan Opera and internationally at the Vienna State Opera to CCM’s nationally ranked and internationally renowned opera program.”

Please join us in welcoming Kathleen Kelly to the CCM family!

Become a Mainstage Subscriber and See Why CCM Was Voted “Best of Cincinnati”

Photography from CCM’s Fall 2017 Mainstage Series production of ‘Seussical’ by Mark Lyons.

Audiences recently declared CCM “Best of Cincinnati,” but the best is yet to come with CCM’s 2018-19 Mainstage Series! New subscriptions are on sale now for CCM’s eight-part series of Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre and Opera productions.

Running from October 2018 through April 2019, CCM presents eight masterworks spanning the spectrum of theatre arts, including the best of comedic and dramatic acting, classic and contemporary musicals, great operas from master composers and innovative dance programs … all featuring CCM’s stars-of-tomorrow!

With new streamlined subscription packages, it’s never been easier to get the best tickets at the season’s best prices. Subscriptions are on sale now! Place your priority subscription order by Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, to take advantage of Subscriber-Only Week (Sept. 4-7, 2018).

To order subscriptions, download the new subscription order form or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or boxoff@uc.edu.

The complete 2018-19 Mainstage Series lineup is listed below. Titles and dates are subject to change – rights pending.
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CCM’S 2018-19 MAINSTAGE SERIES
Acting, Musical Theatre, Opera, Dance

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
From the original by Nikolai Gogol
Richard E. Hess, director

When the locals in a small Russian hamlet learn that an undercover government inspector is coming for a surprise visit, a case of mistaken identity sends the whole village spiraling into a world of panic and greed. Part farce, part slapstick and wholly entertaining, this timely and spirited adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s classic play exposes the corruption of a provincial town with biting hilarity.

Performance Dates: Oct. 3 (preview), Oct. 4-7, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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GUYS AND DOLLS
A Musical Fable of Broadway
Based on a Story and Characters of Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Diane Lala, director and choreographer
Roger Grodsky, musical director

Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is the perfect musical comedy and a “golden oldie” from the Broadway season of 1950. Nathan Detroit is a gambler trying to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they’ve been engaged for 14 years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafés of Havana, Cuba and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

Performance Dates: Oct. 19 and 21, Oct. 26-27, 2018
Note: A special gala performance of Guys and Dolls will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 20, in honor of CCM Musical Theatre’s 50^th anniversary; special pricing applies.
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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THE TURN OF THE SCREW
Music by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after a story by Henry James
Aik Khai Pung, conductor
Vince DeGeorge, director

Based on Henry James’ classic ghost-story novella, Britten’s compelling chamber opera presents the story of a governess charged with the care of two orphaned children at their absentee uncle’s country estate, where the ghosts of a former valet and his lover haunt the grounds. With a blend of 12-tone techniques, arresting motifs and stirring lyricism, the action moves with incredible fluidity, creating a chilling tale of sexual repression and the corruption of innocence. For mature audiences.

Performance Dates: Nov. 15-18, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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BIRTHDAY VARIATIONS
Jiang Qi, director

CCM Dance showcases an array of classic and contemporary works restaged and choreographed by CCM Dance faculty members. The thrilling highlight of the evening is Birthday Variations, set to music by Giuseppe Verdi and staged by guest artist Nicole Duffy Robertson, a répétiteur for the Gerald Arpino Foundation. The performance of Birthday Variations, an Arpino ballet, is presented with the permission of the Gerald Arpino Foundation and has been produced in accordance with the Foundation service standards established and provided by the Foundation.

Performance Dates: Dec. 6-9, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD
By Timberlake Wertenbaker
Based on the novel The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally
Susan Felder, director

Set in Botany Bay in 1789, Our Country’s Good is a darkly comedic tale based on the true story of Australia’s first theatrical performance. A marine lieutenant decides to put on a play to celebrate the king’s birthday. He casts the play with convicts who populate an Australian prison camp. Few of them can read, let alone act, and the play is produced against a background of food shortages and barbaric prison punishments. Our Country’s Good is as an inspiring tribute to the transforming power of drama. For mature audiences.

Performance Dates: Feb. 13 (preview), Feb. 14-17, 2019
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book by Peter Parnell
Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney film
Originally developed by Disney Theatrical Productions
Aubrey Berg, director
Stephen Goers, musical director
Katie Johannigman, choreographer

Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins as bells sound through the famed cathedral in fifteenth-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer, observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools, but he is held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo. He escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though — the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all. The musical premiered as Der Glöckner von Notre Dame in 1999 in Berlin.

Performance Dates: March 7-10, 2019
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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LA CLEMENZA DI TITO
(THE CLEMENCY OF TITUS)
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Caterino Mazzolà
Jiannan Cheng, conductor
Robin Guarino, director

Mozart’s last opera seria displays some of his most memorable and marvelous arias! The story centers on Roman emperor Titus (Tito) who must choose a wife, but is unable to find a suitable match. In his search for an empress, Tito narrowly avoids an assassination plot instigated by his protégé Sesto and the former emperor’s daughter, Vitellia, who wants the throne for herself. Caught between his duty and his heart, the emperor must choose whether to rule with mercy or with an iron fist.

Performance Dates: April 12-14, 2019
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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CINDERELLA
Deirdre Carberry and Michael Tevlin, co-directors
Karen Russo Burke, choreographer

Celebrate spring’s arrival with a fully staged fairytale ballet choreographed by guest artist Karen Russo Burke, Artistic Director of the Dayton Ballet. A poor girl wishes to escape the authoritarian rule of her evil stepmother and stepsisters, so her fairy godmother gives her a ticket to the ball! The girl meets Prince Charming and they fall in love, but she vanishes when the clock strikes midnight. Set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, Cinderella is known for its jubilant melodies, lush scenery and graceful retelling of the timeless romance by Charles Perrault.

Performance Dates: April 26-28, 2019
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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Mainstage Series Subscriptions
The 2018-19 CCM Mainstage Series of Acting, Musical Theatre, Opera and Dance productions includes subscription packages for combinations of Eight Shows, Six Shows, Four Shows or Three Shows. Newly streamlined subscription packages make this process easier than ever before. Simply choose your shows and select whether you want seats in Section A (the best views) or Section B (the lowest prices)!

Subscription packages are on sale now, with packages ranging in price from $81-$192.

Place your priority subscription order by Friday, Aug. 31, to take advantage of Subscriber-Only Week (Sept. 4-7, 2018).

Single tickets go on sale beginning Sept. 10, 2018, but subscribing is the only way to guarantee your seats and your savings for CCM’s Mainstage Series!

To order subscriptions, download the new subscription order form or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or boxoff@uc.edu.

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2018-19 MAINSTAGE SERIES PERFORMANCE TIMES

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR Performance Times: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3 (preview) 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater GUYS AND DOLLS Performance Times: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 (CCM Musical Theatre 50th Anniversary gala performance; special pricing applies) 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 Location: Corbett Auditorium THE TURN OF THE SCREW Performance Times: 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater BIRTHDAY VARIATIONS Performance Times: 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD Performance Times: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 (preview) 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Performance Times: 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7 8 p.m. Friday, March 8 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9 8 p.m. Saturday, March 9 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10 Location: Corbett Auditorium LA CLEMENZA DI TITO Performance Times: 8 p.m. Friday, April 12 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13 2 p.m. Sunday, April 14 Location: Corbett Auditorium CINDERELLA Performance Times: 8 p.m. Friday, April 26 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27 8 p.m. Saturday, April 27 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

CCM Prep Presents “Into the Woods Jr.” on May 3-5

CCM Preparatory and Community Engagement presents a miniature production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s cult-classic musical, Into the Woods. Co-directed by CCM Prep instructors Becca Kloha Strand and Becky Childs, the 60-minute junior version of the musical is presented on Thursday, May 3 through Saturday, May 5, 2018, in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater.

The production features the students of CCM’s Junior Musical Theatre Intensive program, who range from 9 to 14 years old. Into the Woods Jr. features beloved fairytale characters — Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk) and the Witch — in a whimsical retelling of classic Brothers Grimm fables.

Audience members familiar with the original Into the Woods will recognize most of the junior version from act one of the original. Into the Woods premiered on Broadway in 1987, where it won Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Book. It has been revived many times at major playhouses, and it was adapted for film in 2014, which received three Academy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations.

You can see the CCM Prep’s Into the Woods Jr. this weekend in Cohen Family Studio Theater. Single tickets are $15 general admission, $10 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID. Visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 for more information.
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PERFORMANCE TIMES

• 7 p.m. Thursday, May 3
• 7 p.m. Friday, May 4
• 3 p.m. Saturday, May 5

LOCATION
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

ADMISSION
Tickets to CCM Prep’s Into the Woods Jr. are $15 general, $10 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 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.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
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Story by CCM Graduate Student Alexandra Doyle

CCM Alumna Jessica Faselt Competes as Met Opera National Council Auditions Finalist

Update: Jessica Faselt is among five singers who won the 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in New York. Read more in the Cincinnati Business Courier: https://bit.ly/2KM95Jl

CCM alumna Jessica Faselt, soprano, ( MM Voice, 2016) competes in the Grand Finals concert of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions this Sunday, April 29, 2018, in New York.

The prestigious competition for young singers has four rounds: District, Regional, Semi-Final and Final. Ten of the semi-finalists were chosen to compete in the final round, where five of them will be pronounced winners. Each winner receives $15,000, and the other finalists receive $5,000 each.

CCM alumni and students frequently advance to the final rounds of the Met’s National Council Auditions. In 2017, four CCM alumni competed in the semi-finals, including Faselt; Summer Hassan, soprano (MM Voice, 2014); Andrew Manea, baritone (MM Voice, 2016); and Cody Quattlebaum, bass-baritone (BM Voice, 2015) — who was chosen as a finalist in the national competition.

In addition to Faselt, CCM Artist Diploma in Opera Performance student Brandon Russell was also a semi-finalist in this year’s Met’s National Council Auditions. He competed in the semi-final round on April 22, and was awarded $1,500.

Faselt will compete against some of the top young singers in the country this Sunday, April 29, on the stage of the Met Opera. Read more about her on her professional website and in the bio below:

Jessica Faselt.

American soprano, Jessica Faselt, is gaining stature as a promising young professional with an exciting voice. Jessica is known for her “keen expression and impressive delivery” in performance (Music in Cincinnati).

Faselt most recently sang on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera on April 22 as a semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions for the second year in a row and advanced on to the Grand Finals Concert. Jessica’s first appearance on the Metropolitan Opera stage was in March of 2017 as a semi-finalist.

Faselt was a Studio Artist with the Florida Grand Opera in Miami for its 2017-18 season covering the roles of Salome in Richard Strauss’s Salome and Florencia in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas.

​She was an Emerging Young Artist with the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices in Reno, Nevada, where she studied with internationally-acclaimed mezzo-soprano, Dolora Zajick in the summers of 2016 and 2017.

Faselt was a semi-finalist in the Elizabeth Connell Prize International Vocal Competition. She received the 2nd Place Award at the Opera Columbus Cooper-Bing International Voice Competition in 2017. She received an Encouragement Award at the Marcello Giordanni International Voice Competition in 2017. She was also a semi-finalist of the Eleanor McCollum Voice Competition with the Houston Grand Opera in February of 2016.

She was a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in the summer of 2015 and was again engaged with the company in the summer of 2016, covering the title role of Ariadne in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. In Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ 2nd annual Center Stage Concert of 2016, Faselt sang Donna Anna in the first act duet of Don Giovanni and The Marschallin in Strauss’ famous trio of Der Rosenkavalier with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Stephen Lord.

She performed the role of Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte at the McAninch Arts Center in Chicago with the New Philharmonic Orchestra in January 2016. Other roles performed include Hanna in The Merry Widow, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito and Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw.

Faselt completed her masters degree at CCM where she was the recipient of the prestigious Corbett Award and received her bachelor of music from the University of Iowa with honors.

About the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions is a program designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers. Known as the venue for the world’s greatest voices, the Metropolitan Opera holds National Council Auditions throughout the United States and Canada each year. The goal of the National Council Auditions is to discover promising young singers, give singers from around the country a chance to be heard by the major opera companies of the U.S. and Canada, and find potential participants for the Lindemann Young Artist Development program, an opera training program sponsored by the Met.

For more than six decades, this competition for exceptionally talented singers from across the country has helped launch the careers of some of opera’s greatest stars, including Stephanie Blythe, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Ben Heppner, Patricia Racette and Deborah Voigt — as well as, more recently, Lawrence Brownlee and Angela Meade.

View a full list of this year’s National Council Auditions Grand Finals Winners at metopera.org/about/auditions/nationalcouncil.

Are you a CCM Alumnus with news? Stay in touch by sharing your story with us!

CCM Prep Presents Spring Youth Ballet Concert

CCM Preparatory and Community Engagement presents the Spring Youth Ballet Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28, 2018 in Patricia Corbett Theater. CCM Prep’s young dancers will exhibit their skills by performing excerpts from the ballet repertoire and new works.

This year, five graduating high school seniors choreographed original pieces that will be presented at the concert. In addition to these student-created works, the program also features Wishes on the Wind, choreographed by Prep instructor Heather Johnson, as well as Flower Whispers, choreographed by CCM Prep ballet director Jonnie Lynn Jacobs-Percer.

The second half of the program consists of excerpts from Le Corsaire, a feature-length ballet based on Lord Byron’s poem of the same name. The excerpts to be presented include “Les Odalisques,” a pas de deux and a waltz. The choreography for these excerpts is based on that by Marius Petipa, with music by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni and Leo Delibes.

You can see the CCM Prep’s Spring Youth Ballet Concert this weekend in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater. Single tickets are $15 general admission, $10 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID. Visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 for more information.
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PERFORMANCE TIMES

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 27
• 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28

LOCATION
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

PURCHASING TICKETS
Tickets to CCM Prep’s Spring Youth Ballet Concert are $15 general, $10 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 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 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.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
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Story by CCM Graduate Student Alexandra Doyle

Alumni Showcase Spotlight: Helene Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano

CCM highlights alumni guest artists who will return to campus for the Sesquicentennial Alumni Showcase in a series of alumni spotlight stories.

Award-winning mezzo-soprano Helene Schneiderman (MM Voice, 1979; AD Opera, 1981) sings Rossini’s “Cruda sorte” from L’Italiana in Algeri in CCM’s Sesquicentennial Alumni Showcase this Saturday, April 21. She also closes the concert with fellow CCM alumna Tamara Wilson, soprano, in a performance of Strauss’ “Champagne Song” from Die Fledermaus with the CCM Philharmonia.

Schneiderman was born in Flemington, New Jersey and began her studies at Westminster Choir College.  After graduating from CCM, Schneiderman moved to Germany, where she joined the Heidelberg Opera Ensemble in 1982 and has been a member of the Staatstheater Stuttgart since 1984.

In addition to her work with Stuttgart, she has made guest performances with many major European and American opera companies, including Munich State Opera, Karlsruhe, Düsseldorf, Orlando and New York City Opera. From 1982 to 1987, she appeared regularly at the Heidelberg Schlossfestival and at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro in 1990. In 1998, Schneiderman was given the prestigious title of Kammersängerin from the City of Stuttgart, at the time she was the youngest singer ever to have been so honored. She made her debut at the Salzburg Festival as Zweite Dame in The Magic Flute conducted by Bernard Haitink. She has also worked with Leonard Bernstein, Dennis Russell Davies, Giuseppe Patané, Sir Georg Solti and Alberto Zedda.

As well as her operatic commitments, Schneiderman has developed a varied concert career and has appeared widely in oratorio and lieder recitals. Her most notable performance was at the 1989 Beethoven Festival in Bonn, Germany where she sang Arias and Barcarolles by Leonard Bernstein in the presence of the composer. She has also recorded the Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson by Aaron Copland on compact disc with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under Dennis Russell Davies.

In 1990, Schneiderman appeared as Smeaton in Anna Bolena at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and repeated her interpretation of the role at the Vienna Konzerthaus in 1994 alongside Edita Gruberová. For the 1994-95 season, she returned to the Concertgebouw to sing Queen Henrietta in I Puritani conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig. In Stuttgart she has had much success, most notably as Penelope in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno D’ulisse in Patria, as Rosina in The Barber of Seville and the title role of Carmen. In the 1995-96 season, she made her debut at the Royal Opera House performing Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, with a cast that included Cheryl Studer and Barbara Bonney, conducted by Bernard Haitink. She also sang Suzuki in Madama Butterfly for the New Israeli Opera Tel Aviv and made her role debut as Isabella in L’Italiana in Algieri in Stuttgart.

In the following seasons, Schneiderman returned to the Salzburg Festival, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for Dorabella in Jonathan Miller’s acclaimed production of Così fan tutte. In Stuttgart she sang Meg Page in Johannes Schaaf’s new production of Falstaff, Bradamante in Jossi Wieler’s new production of George Frideric Handel’s Alcina, Ottavia in The Coronation of Poppea and a highly successful role debut with the title role of Giulio Cesare. She made her debut at the Opéra National de Paris in two runs of The Magic Flute. She also returned to the Royal Opera House for further performances of Dorabella in Così fan tutte conducted by Sir Colin Davis as well as to the Salzburg Festival for a highly acclaimed Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro. She made successful debuts with Seattle Opera as Olga in Eugene Onegin and with San Francisco Opera, where she sang Bradamante in Alcina and returned for a much acclaimed Rosina in The Barber of Seville.

In 2008, she was honored with the Otto Hirschfeld Medal, and in 2010 she was awarded the Baden-Württemberg Order of Merit. Her repertory includes Annina (Der Rosenkavalier), Teresa (La sonnambula) and Ottavia (The Coronation of Poppea). She is also known for her performances of Jewish song.

Learn more about the Sesquicentennial Alumni Showcase concert and view a complete list of guest artists at ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/save-the-date/sesquicentennial-alumni-showcase.
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SESQUICENTENNIAL ALUMNI SHOWCASE CONCERT

REPERTOIRE
STRAUSS: Overture to Die Fledermaus (1874); featuring the CCM Philharmonia led by Christopher Allen
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 82 “Emperor” (1811); featuring Anton Nel, piano
WALLER: Ain’t Misbehavin’; featuring Janelle Reichman, saxophone
WARREN: There Will Never Be Another You; featuring Janelle Reichman, saxophone
WAGNER: “Mild und leise,” from Tristan und Isolde (1859); featuring Tamara Wilson, soprano
-Intermission-
ROSSINI: “Cruda sorte,” from L’Italiana in Algeri (1813); featuring Helene Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano
SCHUMANN: Konzertstück for Four Horns, Op. 86 (1849); featuring Allene Hackleman, Julie Beckel Yager, Nathaniel Willson, Jennifer Paul, soloists
BROWN: “A Summer in Ohio,” from The Last Five Years; featuring Betsy Wolfe, vocalist, with Roger Grodsky, conductor
BAREILLES: “She Used to Be Mine,” from Waitress; featuring Betsy Wolfe, vocalist, with Roger Grodsky, conductor
SCHWARTZ: “Meadowlark,” from The Baker’s Wife; featuring Betsy Wolfe, vocalist, with Roger Grodsky, conductor
SAINT-SAENS: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61; featuring Yang Liu, violin
STRAUSS: Champagne Song from Die Fledermaus; featuring Tamara Wilson, soprano, and Helene Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano

PERFORMANCE TIME
8 p.m. Saturday, April 21

Please note: UC’s Nippert Stadium will also host an FC Cincinnati game at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, 2018. The full FC Cincinnati Soccer game schedule can be found at www.fccincinnati.com/2018-schedule.

LOCATION
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

PURCHASING TICKETS
Tickets for CCM’s Sesquicentennial Alumni Showcase Concert are $20 general, $15 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 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 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.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

CCM Piano Instructor Wins UC’s Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award

Andy Villemez, CCM Adjunct Instructor of Piano. Photo by Andrew Higley.

Distinguished faculty members were recognized in UC’s university-wide Faculty Awards Celebration on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. They were each nominated by students, staff or other faculty members in December and given awards during Tuesday’s ceremony in Tangeman University Center’s Great Hall.

Along with the other award winners, CCM Piano Instructor Andy Villemez was honored in this year’s ceremony, where he was presented with the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award. Visit the Faculty Awards website to read profiles on each of the recognized faculty members.

Villemez is praised by his CCM colleagues for going above and beyond for students. The adjunct instructor of piano carries a full course load, teaching undergraduate and graduate classes, while mentoring students outside of the classroom.

“He uses his position as an adjunct instructor to better prepare his students for life as professional musicians rather than just fulfilling his duties as an instructor,” says one current student.

He graduated from CCM with a DMA in Piano in 2015 and incorporates his experience as a recent graduate into his teaching methods. In order to better prepare students for life after graduation, Villemez began the “Big Picture” lecture series, a professional development initiative that is open to all CCM students of any major.

The lecture series falls outside of Villemez’s typical responsibilities as an instructor. It includes mentoring students on community engagement, finance management and even how to build a professional website.

He is also the faculty advisor for CCM’s Chapter of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), where he works with students on research projects and conference proposals. Earlier this year, one student presented research at the MTNA Collegiate Symposium in Austin, Texas, and thanks Villemez for helping her develop an engaging presentation in her nomination letter.

Villemez recently presented two of his own research papers at the Ohio Music Teachers Association Annual Conference: “Building Arts Ambassadors Through Private Music Instruction” and “Teaching to Everyone: The Basics of Universal Design for Learning.” He has also written multiple scholarly articles focused on piano pedagogy for the MTNA Electronic Journal and Clavier Companion.

“What distinguishes Dr. Villemez is his commitment to research, pedagogical leadership and mentorship of students,” says CCM Interim Dean bruce mcclung. “Simply put, he is one of CCM’s most valuable adjunct faculty members for the model he sets and his deep engagement with student learning and career development.”

Alumni Showcase Spotlight: #CCMstars in Horn Quartet

CCM highlights alumni guest artists who will return to campus for the Sesquicentennial Alumni Showcase in a series of alumni spotlight stories.

Nearly a dozen CCM alumni return to the college on April 21 to perform with current students in a special concert, including four horn soloists who enjoy successful careers as orchestra musicians and as players in U.S. Military bands. Allene Hackleman (BM, 2002), Julie Beckel Yager (att. 2004), Nathaniel Willson (MM, 2005) and Jennifer Paul (MM, 2003) reunite to play Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück for Four Horns, Op. 86, in CCM’s Sesquicentennial Alumni Showcase.

Learn more about these four CCM alums in their bios below:

Allene Hackleman has been principal horn of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since 2004. A native of Vancouver, Hackleman began studying the horn under the tutelage of her father, Martin Hackleman. She later attended the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, from which she graduated with honors. Hackleman earned her bachelor of music degree summa cum laude from CCM, as a student of Randy Gardner. Hackleman has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.), the Montréal Symphony, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Evansville Philharmonic. She has also performed concerti with the Edmonton Symphony and the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, as well as the Red Deer Symphony and the Victoria Symphony.

In 2004, she completed a long-term career development residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Since 2007, Hackleman has been a member of the prestigious Summit Brass ensemble, and as such has recorded, taught and performed as a faculty member at the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute in Denver. She has performed at the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, Ontario and at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. She was also a featured guest artist at the International Women’s Brass Conference in Toronto in 2010. Hackleman is privileged to be a member of the Canadian National Brass Project, a large brass ensemble made up of some of the finest brass players from across Canada. She pursues an avid interest in chamber music and has performed for the Edmonton Recital Society and the University of Alberta’s Music at Convocation Hall series, as well as in British Columbia for the Pender Harbour Music Festival. Hackleman is instructor of horn at the University of Alberta

Julie Beckel Yager, horn player with the Indianapolis Symphony, is a native of Indianapolis and the daughter of Indianapolis Symphony principal trombone James Beckel. Before attending CCM under the instruction of Randy Gardner, Beckel Yager studied with ISO members Jerry Montgomery and Richard Graef.

She was a member of the Honolulu Symphony prior to returning to Indianapolis in 2006. She also performed for three summers with the Verbier Festival Orchestra, touring throughout Europe, Asia and South America. At the festival, Beckel Yager performed in a piano quintet with conductor and pianist James Levine. Her horn was made locally by Darin Sorley.

Musician 1st Class Nathaniel Willson joined the Navy Band as a French hornist in 2014, after serving more than four years with the U.S. Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Maryland. Willson was born in Bowling Green, Ohio, but was raised overseas in Japan and India, graduating high school in 1998 from the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India. He holds a bachelor of music from the Juilliard School and a master of music from CCM. His primary teachers include Randy Gardner, Duane Dugger, Jerome Ashby, Julie Landsman and Bryan Kennedy.

Prior to joining the Navy, Willson was a member of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra and the Sarasota Orchestra. He has also performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Opera and the Washington National Opera. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, studying history and spending time
with his family.

French horn player Gunnery Sergeant Jennifer Paul joined “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band in August 2004. She was appointed assistant section leader in January 2016. Paul began her musical training at age 10. Upon graduating in 1996 from Jacobs High School in Algonquin, Illinois, she attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where in 2000 she earned a bachelor’s degree in music education. In 2003, she earned a master’s degree in music from CCM. Paul also received a professional study certificate in 2004 from Temple University in Philadelphia. Her notable horn instructors include Kazimierz Machala of the University of Illinois, Randy Gardner of CCM and Adam Unsworth of Temple University.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Paul was the CCM graduate teaching assistant for the horn studio from 2001-03 and a freelance musician in Philadelphia.

Learn more about the Sesquicentennial Alumni Showcase concert and view a complete list of guest artists at ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/save-the-date/sesquicentennial-alumni-showcase.
____________________

SESQUICENTENNIAL ALUMNI SHOWCASE CONCERT

REPERTOIRE
STRAUSS: Overture to Die Fledermaus (1874); featuring the CCM Philharmonia led by Christopher Allen
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 82 “Emperor” (1811); featuring Anton Nel, piano
WALLER: Ain’t Misbehavin’; featuring Janelle Reichman, saxophone
WARREN: There Will Never Be Another You; featuring Janelle Reichman, saxophone
WAGNER: “Mild und leise,” from Tristan und Isolde (1859); featuring Tamara Wilson, soprano
-Intermission-
ROSSINI: “Cruda sorte,” from L’Italiana in Algeri (1813); featuring Helene Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano
SCHUMANN: Konzertstück for Four Horns, Op. 86 (1849); featuring Allene Hackleman, Julie Beckel Yager, Nathaniel Willson, Jennifer Paul, soloists
BROWN: “A Summer in Ohio,” from The Last Five Years; featuring Betsy Wolfe, vocalist, with Roger Grodsky, conductor
BAREILLES: “She Used to Be Mine,” from Waitress; featuring Betsy Wolfe, vocalist, with Roger Grodsky, conductor
SCHWARTZ: “Meadowlark,” from The Baker’s Wife; featuring Betsy Wolfe, vocalist, with Roger Grodsky, conductor
SAINT-SAENS: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61; featuring Yang Liu, violin
STRAUSS: Champagne Song from Die Fledermaus; featuring Tamara Wilson, soprano, and Helene Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano

PERFORMANCE TIME
8 p.m. Saturday, April 21

Please note: UC’s Nippert Stadium will also host an FC Cincinnati game at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, 2018. The full FC Cincinnati Soccer game schedule can be found at www.fccincinnati.com/2018-schedule.

LOCATION
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

PURCHASING TICKETS
Tickets for CCM’s Sesquicentennial Alumni Showcase Concert are $20 general, $15 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 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 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

CCM Acting Students Devise New Work for International Fringe Festival

H2O: A Play about Water will debut in Cincinnati on April 19, 2018, as part of CCM Acting’s Studio Series. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, April 16 through the CCM Box Office. 

CCM students have devised a new work to be presented this summer at Scotland’s Edinburgh International Fringe Festival. Before the production travels overseas, H2O: A Play about Water will premiere in Cincinnati as the final installment of CCM’s 2017-18 Studio Series on April 19-21 in Cohen Family Studio Theater.

The play is an original 60-minute piece of theatre that was created by 30 students from the Acting, Musical Theatre and Technical Production Departments at CCM. Admission to the CCM performances is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, April 16 through the CCM Box Office.

CCM Acting Department Chair Richard Hess conceived the show and directed the students as they crafted the new work. The play is a theatrical collage of scenes that explore the abundance, scarcity and restorative powers of water.

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“Water is life,” Hess says. “Seventy-one percent of our planet is water. Oceans rise. Droughts kill. Water soothes and water heals. H2O is an epic theatrical journey. Are you thirsty? Come have a drink of H2O.”

Faculty and students will travel to Scotland to present H2O: A Play about Water in four performances at the 71^st Edinburgh International Fringe Festival on August 4-8, 2018. This is the first time CCM Acting students have presented an original work in the most prestigious Fringe Festival in the world.

“Some dreams can last 37 years, and when they come true, they are more vivid and more magical than expected,” says Hess about this opportunity. “In 1981 when I was a junior in college, I traveled to Scotland for a study abroad experience and stayed for the year studying drama and English at the University of Glasgow. I have dreamed of taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival since I first set foot in Scotland 37 years ago. Taking 30 CCM students to Scotland is a dream come true.”

You can see the Cincinnati premiere of H2O: A Play about Water in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater from April 19-21. Visit CCM’s guide to Studio Series tickets for tips and tricks to secure your seats.
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Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, April 19
• 8 p.m. Friday, April 20
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 21

Location
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Admission
Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, April 16. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

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

Acting Studio Series Sponsor: Neil Artman and Margaret Straub