CCM Philharmonia Begins Exciting Trek Through the ‘Great Decade’ This Friday, Sept. 4

The acclaimed CCM Philharmonia begins its 2015­–16 season at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, with a performance that will inaugurate the orchestra’s adventure through what CCM Professor Mark Gibson has dubbed the “Great Decade.”

The period in question – ranging from 1900 through 1909 – is noteworthy due to the explosion of cutting edge compositional techniques and modernist composers that would completely reshape the musical landscape.

In place of the homogeny that defined previous eras such as the Classical and Romantic periods, art music at the dawn of the 20th century saw the emergence of composers with very distinct, individual voices, as well as established composers evolving in new, creative ways.

“This particular period of time may be the outstanding symphonic decade in all of western classical music,” explains Gibson, the head of CCM’s Department of Orchestral Studies and music director for the CCM Philharmonia. “From an orchestral standpoint, CCM has never had a more exciting season.”

The CCM Philharmonia’s season-opening concert on Friday, Sept. 4, focuses on composers from Russia and Austria, giving the audience a taste of these new tracts in classical music.

Igor Stravinsky, often considered the father of both Primitivism (The Rite of Spring) and Neoclassicism (Pulcinella), is represented with one of his earliest works: the orchestral suite Fireworks.

Arnold Schoenberg is also showcased with his Five Orchestral Pieces, a highly chromatic work that can be seen as a gateway into his revolutionary work with atonality (Pierrot Lunaire) and 12-tone technique (Variations for Orchestra).

Finally, the concert ends with the rich orchestral colors of famed pianist/composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 28, a work that represents the transition from the previous Romantic era to a new and different world.

This special concert event also opens with an added treat: cellists from the Cincinnati Young Artists (CYA) program will join the CCM Philharmonia in a special version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” arranged by Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music Theory and Composition Miguel Roig-Francolí. The arrangement, written for 50 cellos, represents the 50 states.

This same rendition of the national anthem will also be performed the following evening (7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5), as UC President Santa J. Ono joins musicians from both CCM and the CYA on cello to perform the work at the inauguration of the newly renovated Nippert Stadium prior to the Bearcats’ football home opener against Alabama A&M. You can learn more about this performance by visiting uc.edu/news/NR.aspx?id=22149.

The CCM Philharmonia’s Sept. 4 performance gives a small glimpse of what is to come during this season’s celebration of the “Great Decade.” Learn more about this four-concert adventure below!
____________________

THE GREAT DECADE (1900–1909): A SEASON OF EXPLORATION

8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4
WORKS FROM RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA
CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
STRAVINSKY: Fireworks
SCHOENBERG: Five Orchestral Pieces
RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 28
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

____

8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2
WORKS FROM ITALY AND ENGLAND
CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
RAVEL: Alborada del Grazioso
PUCCINI: Duetto: “Bimba, bimba non piangere” (from Madama Butterfly)
ELGAR: Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 55
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

____

8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20
MAHLER’S SYMPHONY NO. 7
CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director
Ulrich Nicolai, guest conductor
MOZART: Piano concerto TBA
Feat. the winner of the CCM Piano Concerto Competition
MAHLER: Symphony No. 7
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

____

8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29
RICHARD STRAUSS’ SALOME
CCM Philharmonia
Featuring faculty artists Amy Johnson, Kenneth Shaw and Tom Baresel, along with several student soloists
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
Robin Guarino, stage director
The capstone of CCM’s festival celebrating the “Great Decade,” Richard Strauss’ 1905 masterpiece Salome represents the epitome of pre-World War I decadence, opulence and extravagance. An adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s controversial stage work of the same name, this staging is an hour and a half of irresistible drama and ecstatic hyper-romanticism. It is a must see for opera fans, theatre enthusiasts and lovers of massive orchestral sound.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

____________________

Purchasing Tickets
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 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 & Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Community Partner: ArtsWave

Orchestral Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn
____________________

A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, CCM is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in the state of Ohio.All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.

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 Dance Presents Five Exciting Works, Including Stravinsky’s Stunning ‘Les Noces,’ During Spring Concert

CCM’s Department of Dance presents its annual Spring Dance Concert, running Thursday, April 23, through Saturday, April 25, in Corbett Auditorium. CCM Dance Professors Jiang Qi and Michael Tevlin direct this concert of mixed repertoire, which features five exciting works choreographed by CCM faculty members as well as esteemed guest artists. Tickets are on sale now.

Highlights of this year’s concert include Igor Stravinsky’s Les Noces (The Wedding), a stunning dance cantata filled with joy and solemnity. Premiered in Paris in 1923, Les Noces captures the scenes and flavors of a Russian peasant wedding through the unique texture of four pianists, six percussionists, solo quartet and a 40 member chorus. For this piece, the Ballet Ensemble will be accompanied by the CCM Chamber Choir and student percussionists, along with CCM’s Eminent Scholar in Chamber Music James Tocco and members of his piano studio. Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies Earl Rivers conducts.

CCM Assistant Professor of Dance Andre Megerdichian.

Assistant Professor of Dance Andre Megerdichian creates an original adaptation of Les Noces using both Stravinsky and original choreographer Bronislava Nijinska’s concepts as a springboard. His cast of 18 dancers twists traditional perspectives on marriage, taking the audience on a Faustian journey of discovery.

“Stravinsky used traditional Russian peasant wedding songs and rituals as a base, and Nijinska focused on the gloom of arranged marriages. I’m looking at the idea of union in contemporary society. In a shifting landscape of gender roles, sexual orientation, alternative lifestyles and marriage opportunities, the real question is what happens when we lift the veil?” says Megerdichian.

Associate Professor of Dance Deirdre Carberry will restage excerpts from Raymonda with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Alexander Glasunov. A ballet originally staged in three acts and four scenes with an apotheosis, Raymonda was first presented at the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre on January 19, 1898, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Associate Professor of Dance Michael Tevlin displays his choreography in Prelude to Tomorrow with music by Sergei Rachmaninoff. This new ballet by Tevlin was inspired by Rachmaninoff’s Preludes and Etudes for Piano. Featuring many of the members of CCM’s Dance Department’s graduating class, Prelude to Tomorrow explores relationships and camaraderie in many forms. From bittersweet to brash, powerful to tender, Rachmaninoff’s sweeping music provides a perfect backdrop for a cast of 10 dancers.

Guest artist Anthony Krutzkamp choreographs the contemporary ballet Similar with music by Brian Crain and Chad Lawson. Based loosely on the various stages of a couple’s relationship, Similar is an exploration of movement that is different with a common theme that makes it similar.

Visiting scholar Tian Tian will choreograph Chiaroscuro. With music by Liu Sanzang, Chiaroscuro is based on the Chinese ancient philosophy, which reflects the dichotomy of the strong contrasts between darkness and light. An instructor from Beijing Dance Academy and a PhD candidate at the School of Arts at Peking University, Tian Tian is focusing on the production of dance performance at CCM.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23
• 8 p.m. Friday, April 24
• 2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to the Spring Dance 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 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.

_____

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

Community Partner: ArtsWave

The Dance Department gratefully acknowledges the support of the Corbett Endowment at CCM.

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.
____________________

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’s 2014-15 Season Brochure Now Available Online

Get swept away by CCM’s 2014-15 Performance Season.

For nearly 150 years, our performing and media arts events have served as the first steps of a journey that eventually takes our students far beyond the CCM Village. You can be a part of that journey this year as our talented young artists and accomplished faculty members present nearly 60 major concert and theatre productions designed to move your senses, your sensibilities and your soul.

Join us for a season that will set our “rising stars” on a path to some of the most renowned stages in the world. The season is yours. Get swept away.

Download a digital copy of CCM’s 2014-15 brochure, and plan your journey today. Physical copies are also available at the CCM Box Office.

Subscription and flex ticket packages are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014.

For more details about CCM’s 2014-15 performance schedule, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or visit ccm.uc.edu.

CCM Announces Initial Concert Schedule for 2014-15

CCM is pleased to announce initial details on its 2014-15 Concert Series. From J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart to Leonard Bernstein and Ray Charles, CCM’s student ensembles, faculty artists and guest performers will traverse the breadth and depth of the performing arts in this dynamic series of events.

Encompassing over 50 different concerts, this series begins with a performance by the internationally acclaimed Ariel Quartet with legendary guest artist Menahem Pressler on Sept. 9, 2014, and concludes with a number of performances by CCM’s Preparatory Department running May 1 – 9, 2015.

Other highlights of CCM’s 2014-15 concert series include:

• a performance of Brahms’ Concerto for Violin and Cello featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Timothy Lees and Ilya Finkelshteyn,
• choral concerts celebrating the Shakespearean Quadricentennial,
• a Wind Orchestra tribute to Leonard Bernstein,
• a guest artist recital by renowned German countertenor Andreas Scholl,
• a joint faculty artist recital by CCM’s two Naumburg gold medalists Awadagin Pratt and Soyeon Kate Lee,
• a rare stateside performance by the Cambridge-based Academy of Ancient Music,
• jazz concerts celebrating the music of Ray Charles and Duke Ellington,
• a guest artist recital by renowned pianist Stephen Hough co-presented with the Xavier University Classical Piano Series,
• a CCM Ballet Ensemble production of Stravinsky’s Les Noces,
• and much more!

Several perennial favorites are also returning this season, including the Feast of Carols holiday concert, the Steel Drum Band’s annual performance, the 18th PRISM showcase and the 10th installment of PIANOPALOOZA, which celebrates the piano concerti of Rachmaninoff.

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

 

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

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

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

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

Introducing the World Piano Competition’s 2014 Finalists

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

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

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

CCM’s Bearcat Piano Festival Presents 2013 World Piano Competition Gold Medalist Marianna Prjevalskaya in Concert on Feb. 8

World Piano Competition : Gold winner Marianna Prjevalskaya of Spain performs during The World Piano Competition in the final round in the Corbett Auditorium Theater at the College Conservatory of Music on the University of Cincinnati campus. Courtesy of Enquirer Media.

CCM proudly presents 2013 World Piano Competition Gold Medalist Marianna Prjevalskaya in concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, as part of the fifth annual Bearcat Piano Festival. Tickets for this performance are on sale now.

This concert marks the first time in the history of the World Piano Competition that the winner is presented in a public recital. You can listen to CCM Piano Department Chair Awadagin Pratt speak to the novelty of this exciting performance courtesy of Cincinnati Public Radio here.

Prjevalskaya will perform Debussy’s Preludes Book II, along with the following works by Rachmaninoff:

• Etude-Tableau in D Minor, Op. 33, No. 4
• Variations on a Theme by Corelli, Op. 42
• Etude-Tableau in C-sharp Minor, Op. 33, No. 8
• Prelude in D-flat Major, Op. 32, No. 13

CCM Presents a Plethora of Piano Performances This February

CCM will celebrate the art of the piano with a series of special events this February. The fifth annual Bearcat Piano Festival presents master classes and guest artist concerts from Feb. 6 – 11 in the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall and the Mary Emery Hall Master Classroom, followed by the ninth edition of CCM’s Pianopalooza showcase at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16, in Corbett Auditorium.

Launched in 2010 by CCM’s Piano Department Chair Awadagin Pratt, the Bearcat Piano Festival has grown into a veritable piano spectacular with several days of master classes and recitals by piano greats. This year’s Festival will feature a “Friends, Family and Favorites” theme:

• Performances by “friends” include Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Louisville Dror Biran and University of Michigan doctoral student pianists.
• The festival celebrates “family” as Professor Emeritus Frank Weinstock returns to the CCM stage, while Momoro Ono – Juilliard graduate and brother of UC President Santa J. Ono – makes his CCM debut.
• As for “favorites,” CCM presents performances by acclaimed pianist Boris Slutsky and 2013 World Piano Competition Gold Medalist Marianna Prjevalskaya (who also studied with Slutsky). This will mark the first time in the history of the World Piano Competition that the winner is presented in a public recital.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Pianopalooza IX, directed by CCM’s Division of Keyboard Studies Head Michael Chertock, will include songs of love and romance. The program showcases spectacular student pianists and features special appearances by CCM faculty artists including Awadagin Pratt, James Tocco and Chertock himself. Pratt will perform music by Rachmaninoff, Tschaikovsky, Schumann and celebrated jazz pianist (and Cincinnati native) Fred Hersch. Tocco and Chertock will present selections from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.

Pianopalooza IX and the Bearcat Piano Festival promise to excite audiences with the beautiful sound and versatile styles that this popular and complex instrument has to offer — the perfect listening opportunity for music and keyboard enthusiasts of all ages.

Event Information
Please see individual listings below for additional information. The Boris Slutsky, Marianna Prjevalskaya and Pianopalooza IX concerts require paid admission. All other Bearcat Piano Festival events are free and open to the general public. All dates and programs are subject to change.