CCM presents new series of free digital concerts and performing arts presentations

CCM’s “stars of tomorrow” are back on stage, and you get the best seats in the house!

The University of Cincinnati’s nationally ranked and internationally renowned College-Conservatory of Music invites arts lovers from around the world to join in the viewing party for the debut episode of CCMONSTAGE Online at 7:30 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. The premiere will stream simultaneously on CCM’s homepage and YouTube channel.

Download the concert program.

This dynamic new series of digital concerts and performing arts presentations will allow audiences near and far to experience the unparalleled artistry and expertise of CCM’s students, faculty and staff.

“The performing arts help to build and sustain a sense of community,” says CCM Dean Stanley E. Romanstein, PhD. “Now more than ever, we crave the sense of fellowship that comes through shared cultural experiences. While we may not yet be able to welcome audiences back to the CCM Village for live performances, we are excited to help you stay connected to the arts and to each other through our new CCMONSTAGE Online performance series.”

A behind-the-scenes look at the CCM Philharmonia’s video shoot.

Recorded live at CCM while adhering to strict health and safety precautions, each installment of this new performance video series spotlights a different CCM program or ensemble.

The debut installment features the CCM Philharmonia student orchestra performing a program of Classical Virtuosity that includes works by Claude Debussy/Maurice Ravel, Ottorino Respighi, Julia Perry and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Each episode also features insight into the repertoire and commentary on the process of rehearsing and performing during the era of COVID-19.

A behind-the-scenes look at the CCM Chamber Choir’s video shoot.

Future episodes will showcase performances by the CCM Ballet Ensemble, the CCM Chamber Choir, and a collaborative concert with CCM string quartet-in-residence the Ariel Quartet and members of the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship program. The performances by the CCM Ballet Ensemble and CCM Chamber Choir are further augmented by the cutting-edge artistry of students and faculty from CCM’s Theatre Design and Production programs. CCM will announce the premiere dates for these subsequent episodes later this fall.

CCM turned to the considerable expertise of its E-Media faculty and alumni to help produce this new series. Video production services for CCMONSTAGE Online are provided by MasseyGreenAVP, LLC. “Our goal was to capture the world-renowned talent that CCM has to offer through multiple cameras, providing CCM with professionally-produced videos to share with their fans virtually,” says CCM alumnus John Massey (BFA E-Media, ‘03), who directs each installment in this new series.

CCM alum John Tapogna preps his camera for the CCM Philharmonia’s video shoot.

Massey explains, “Our team is made up of videographers with decades of experience from the news, sports and entertainment industries. We were excited to be able to shoot in CCM’s beautiful facilities. We recruited E-Media grad John Tapogna (BFA Broadcasting, 1988), who has over 25 years’ experience as a sports videographer, to tackle providing tight shots. We sought to capture the energy and emotion of the performance up close while showing off the performers’ technical skill.”

All episodes of CCMONSTAGE Online will be digitally streamed for free. After the premiere broadcast, each installment in this ongoing series will remain available for on-demand viewing on CCM’s website and YouTube channel.

“Whether you’re a longtime CCM performance patron or a first-timer, we hope you’ll join us for one of our upcoming viewing parties to get a front row seat to see tomorrow’s stars today,” says Romanstein.

CCM student David Lopena participates in an interview during the CCM Dance video shoot.

This digital performance series is made possible by support from CCMONSTAGE Online Broadcast Sponsors CCMpower and ArtsWave, and CCMONSTAGE Online Production Sponsors Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer.

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Stay Connected!

Receive broadcast reminders and information on future episodes of CCMONSTAGE Online by subscribing to CCM’s YouTube channel and email newsletter.

Streaming Premiere

7:30 p.m. EST Friday, Dec. 11, 2020

Performance Repertoire

• Claude Debussy, orch. Maurice Ravel: Danse (1890)
• Ottorino Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano (1927)
• Julia Perry: Short Piece for Orchestra (1952)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201 (1774)

Orchestra Roster

The CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
Strings after principal stands are listed alphabetically

Violin I

Magdiell Antequera, concertmaster
Grace Brown, assistant concertmaster
Daniel Fields
Andrew Horak
Jade McClellan
Angkun Uabamrungit
Alayne Wegner

Violin II

Grace Wride, principal
Lauren Greene, assistant principal
Yasmine Bougacha
Sydney Ebersohl
Brittany Hausmann
Rachel Mancini

Viola (1st Half)

Julius Adams, principal
Murphy Combs
Javier Otalora
Aadhivan Ramkumar
Caleb Robinson

Viola (2nd Half)

Maya Fields, principal
Chloe Drake
Celeste Meisel
Nathaniel Sendi
Lucas Wardell

Cello

Maximiliano Oppeltz, principal
Marcel Bobe

Double Bass (1st Half)

Taiga Benito, principal
Zoe Heuser
Zachary Reich

Double Bass (2nd Half)

Caleb Edwards, principal
Esther Kwon
Peter McCutcheon

Flute

Vincenzo Volpe, principal
Caitlyn Lyerly

Oboe (1st Half)

Dylan Reynallt, principal
Daniel Outlaw

Oboe (2nd Half)

Yayi Senior, principal
Elena Suarez

Clarinet

Alyssa Berry, principal
Rachel Beil

Bassoon

John Robken, principal
Elizabeth Beeche

Horn (1st Half)

Sarah Yarbrough, principal
Jacob Speakman

Horn (2nd Half)

Will Morgan, principal
Sarah Palmer

Trumpet

Emery Hicks, principal
Kole Pantuso

Trombone

James Smith, principal
Jordan Rowan

Percussion

Jacob Ottmer
Ryan Thomas

Harp

Claire Greene
Madeline Arney (Debussy)
Janna Young (Respighi)

Celeste

Kara Piatt

Piano

Thomas Ryskamp

Graduate Assistants

Xiao Geng
Kara Piatt
Shimon Ohi
Sophie Mok
Kin Szeto
Caleb Glickman

Librarians

Rebecca Flank
Kristin Welke

Sponsors

Louise Dieterle Nippert Trust
Scholarship and Resident Artist Sponsor

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship Sponsor

The Corbett Endowment at CCM
Dance Department Sponsor
All-Steinway School Sponsor

H. Wayne Ferguson Family Foundation
Louise H. & David S. Ingalls Foundation, Inc.
Community Partners

The Joseph and Frances Jones Poetker Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation, Ritter & Randolph, LLC, Corporate Counsel
Visiting Artists & Thinking About Music Sponsor

CCMpower: Friends and Alumni Fueling the Future of the Arts
ArtsWave: Funding Arts, Fueling Community
CCMONSTAGE ONLINE Broadcast Sponsors

Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer
CCMONSTAGE ONLINE Production Sponsors

Elizabeth C.B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld
Musical Theatre Showcase Sponsor

Genevieve Smith
Opera Production Sponsor

An Anonymous Donor
Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander
Mrs. William A. Friedlander
Dr. Randolph L. Wadsworth
Judith Schonbach Landgren and Peter Landgren
Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen
Elizabeth C.B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman
Dr. & Mrs. Theodore W. Striker
Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer
Ariel Quartet Sponsors

Jan Rogers
Willard and Jean Mulford Charitable Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation
Choral Studies Sponsors

Robert & Debra Chavez
Three Arts Scholarship Fund
CCMpower Partners

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn
Orchestral Sponsor

Mr. & Mrs. James L. Miller
Musical Theatre Production Sponsor

Graeter’s Ice Cream
Greg Mathein
Musical Theatre Performance Sponsors

Trish & Rick Bryan
CCMpower: Friends and Alumni Fueling the Future of the Arts
The Harmony Endowment Fund: Challenging Hate and Prejudice Through the Performing Arts
The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation
KMK Law
Paula Boggs Muething & Brian Muething
PNC
Jeff Thomas Catering
Event Sponsors

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A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music offers nearly 120 possible majors, along with a wide variety of pre-collegiate and post-graduate programs.

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 stage.

For more information, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.

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All behind-the-scenes and performance photos by MasseyGreenAVP.

CCM Celebrates Class of 2020

CCM is so proud of our graduates and of the faculty and staff who helped guide their success

After investing countless hours in classrooms, practice rooms, studios, workshops and rehearsal halls, the Class of 2020 is graduating from UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. Congratulations!

Click the image to download CCM’s 2020 Graduation Convocation program. Design by Mikki Graff.

The CCM community is inspired by the Class of 2020’s resilience during this unprecedented crisis and is proud to welcome this year’s graduates to our global network of alumni. Graduates join a network of thousands of UC alumni including artists, entrepreneurs, researchers, leaders and professionals around the world.

“I wish we could gather in Corbett Auditorium to recognize and celebrate all you’ve achieved,” CCM Dean Stanley E. Romanstein says. “I’d like nothing more than to shake your hand, to look you in the eye and say, on behalf of CCM’s faculty and staff, ‘Congratulations! Well done!’ Unfortunately, COVID-19 has relegated us to a virtual celebration.”

“Please know how proud we are of you and of what you’ve done,” Romanstein adds. “CCM’s reputation as a nationally ranked and internationally renowned institution rests with you. The faculty and I look forward to following your journey, wherever it may take you.”

In addition to CCM’s degree recipients, we also acknowledge this year’s student and faculty award recipients:

• Outstanding Undergraduate Student Achievement Award: Melinda Hunt
• Sigma Alpha Iota Scholastic Award for Outstanding Achievement: Adelaide Young
• Ernest N. Glover Award for Outstanding Teaching: Tricia Sundbeck

CCM also celebrates five retiring faculty members who have dedicated themselves to continuing the college’s legacy as a leading training center for the performing and media arts:

• Earl Rivers, professor of music and director of choral studies, 1973-2020
• Dean Mogle, professor and head of costume design and technology, 1989-2020
• Alan Siebert, professor of trumpet, 1990-2020
• Mark Williams, professor of lighting design and technology, 2009-2020
• Stephen Allee, professor of music, 2015-2020

We look forward to a time in which we can all come together again to mark these momentous milestones in person. Until then, please accept our digital congratulations on behalf of CCM’s faculty, staff, friends and alumni.

Congratulations to CCM’s Class of 2020!

View the list of CCM’s 2020 graduates.

You can also download the online version of the Graduation Convocation program booklet.

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#UCGrad2020

UC President Neville G. Pinto invites the university community to participate in a two-day virtual graduation celebration on May 1-2, 2020. To mark this important milestone, UC Student Affairs and its Commencement Office has planned the following digital activities, which will be based in their Twitter account @StuAffUC and use the hashtag #UCGrad20.

A Day of GRAD-itude

Every hour from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday, May 1, Student Affairs will share a sampling of thank you messages from graduates as they show their GRAD-itude to those who have been a part of their journey to graduation.

Celebration Saturday

Commemorate your achievement by taking a walk down memory lane. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, Student Affairs will tweet every half hour to celebrate the day with you. Follow along for fun flashbacks, interactive polls, lots of great GIFs and a chance to tell us about your memorable moments at UC. If you happen to be online at 4:30 p.m., you’ll catch a message from President Pinto and then finish the festivities at 5 p.m. with a virtual cap toss.

Until we can see one another again in person, please stay in touch and and stay connected at alumni.uc.edu

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Featured images of CCM’s 2019 Graduation Convocation by Jay Yocis 

CCM Preparatory Presents Fall Youth Ballet Concert This Weekend

CCM Preparatory and Community Engagement presents the Fall Youth Ballet Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. Directed by Jonnie Lynn Jacobs-Percer, CCM Prep’s dancers exhibit their skills by performing excerpts from the ballet repertoire and new works.

The annual dance concert features CCM Prep students from ages nine through adult performing works choreographed by CCM Prep faculty and students. Tickets are available through the CCM Box Office.

The program begins with For the Beauty of the Earth, choreographed by CCM Prep student Emilie Hatton to music by Folliott S. Pierpoint. Hatton also choreographs I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, based on the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and set to music by Casting Crowns.

CCM Prep’s Mini Ballet Company will also perform Visions of Sugarplums, with choreography by CCM Prep instructor Heather Cameron-Johnson and music by Tchaikovsky. The Adult Ballet Company will perform Orion, with choreography by Jacobs-Percer and music by Metallica.

The program also includes The Little Match Girl, with choreography by Jacobs-Percer and CCM Prep instructor Ana Bird set to Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings, and excepts of Act II of Swan Lake, based on the original choreography by Marius Petipa and restaged by instructors Thomas Bell, Isabele Elefson and Tricia Sundbeck.

You can see the CCM Fall 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 website or call 513-556-4183 for more information.

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Performance Times:

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14
• 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec.15

Location:
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets:
Tickets to CCM Prep’s Fall Youth Ballet Concert are $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

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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Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

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

CCM’s 150th Anniversary Celebration Continues with Moveable Feast Showcase and Blue-Note After Party on Friday, Jan. 19

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music commemorates 150 years of excellence in the performing and media arts when its Moveable Feast fundraising event returns on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. Featuring a special guest appearance by alumnus Brian Newman (Jazz Studies, att. 1999-2003), this year’s anniversary-themed Feast also celebrates the contributions of two CCM supporters with unique ties to the college’s history: Tom Baur and Peter Landgren.

Hosted by CCMpower — a dedicated volunteer group comprised of fans, advocates and alumni — Moveable Feast gives guests a chance to sample artistic and culinary delights throughout CCM’s newly renovated facilities. The funds raised by the event enable CCMpower to “fuel the future of the arts” by awarding student scholarships and grants.

Attendees roam through the expansive CCM Village at their leisure, socializing and enjoying dinner-by-the-bite and cocktails provided by Jeff Thomas Catering while creating their own menu of artistic experiences. Guests plan their own schedule of 20-minute samplings of student and faculty entertainment, including Jazz, Choral, Musical Theatre, Piano, Opera, Acting, Dance and Orchestra performances, along with tours of CCM’s Electronic Media facilities, Lighting Design labs and other backstage areas.

CCM alumnus Brian Newman.

New for 2018! In honor of CCM’s 150-year legacy of inspiring the stars of tomorrow, this year’s program also features a performance by alumnus Brian Newman, who will solo with the Jazz Orchestra as the “opening course” on Moveable Feast’s artistic menu. As an accomplished trumpeter and vocalist, Newman’s brand of jazz resurrects the magic of Old New York, refreshing the glamorous era with nuances of his own rock-‘n’-roll edge. Bandleader for Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Newman will also cap off the evening at the new Blue-Note After Party. Featuring performances by Newman and a rotating cast of CCM alumni and students, this exclusive after party lasts from 10:30 p.m. until midnight, allowing attendees to dance the night away after the conclusion of Moveable Feast. Tickets to the Blue-Note After Party are sold separately; complete Moveable Feast and Blue-Note After Party ticket options are below.

In celebration of CCM’s Sesquicentennial, this year’s Moveable Feast honors CCM alumnus and former dean Peter Landgren, who now serves as President of the UC Foundation and Vice President for Advancement at UC, and Tom Baur, descendant of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music founder Clara Baur.

Learn more about Baur’s unique connection to CCM in the December/January issue of Movers & Makers Cincinnati, available on newsstands now or online at moversmakers.org/2017/12/12/ccms-sesquicentennial-surprise-a-gift-from-family-of-founder-clara-baur/.

Moveable Feast and Blue-Note After Party Event Date
Friday, Jan. 19, 2018

Schedule of Events
Moveable Feast:

• Cocktails and Appetizers: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Prelude Performance feat. Brian Newman and the CCM Jazz Orchestra: 7:30-8 p.m.
• Performances and Dinner-by-the-Bite: 8-10 p.m.
• Finale Performance feat. the CCM Philharmonia: 10-10:30 p.m.

Blue-Note After Party: 10:30 p.m.-Midnight

Location
CCM Village, University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Moveable Feast and the Blue-Note After Party are on sale now and can be purchased online at ccm.weshareonline.org/ws/opportunities/MoveableFeast2018 or over the telephone at 513-556-2100. Blue-Note After Party tickets are sold separately, unless purchased through a Sesquicentennial Sponsor package.

• Sesquicentennial Sponsor Package: $600 – price includes two tickets to Moveable Feast, two tickets to the Blue-Note After Party and two tickets to CCM Musical Theatre’s “Not Famous Yet” Showcase (April 5, 2018), valet parking for Moveable Feast/Blue-Note After Party and program recognition
• Patron Package: $225 – price includes one ticket to Moveable Feast, one ticket to CCM Musical Theatre’s “Not Famous Yet” Showcase, valet parking for Moveable Feast and program recognition
• Host Ticket: $150 – price includes one ticket to Moveable Feast, valet parking for Moveable Feast and program recognition
• General Public Tickets: $100 – price includes one ticket to Moveable Feast
• CCM Alumni and Young Professional (40 and under) Tickets: $75 – price includes one ticket to Moveable Feast
• Blue-Note After Party (Sold Separately): $25 – price includes admission to after party and dance from 10:30 p.m. to midnight

Seating is limited. Event proceeds raised by CCMpower support student scholarships for CCM’s “stars of tomorrow” and also help fund student and ensemble travel, master class opportunities and collaborative projects.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

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

About CCMpower
The result of a merger of the Friends of CCM and the CCM Alumni Governing Board, CCMpower is a volunteer group of fans, advocates and alumni dedicated to empowering students and fueling the future of the arts through scholarship opportunities and more. This new organization is a combination of people who love and support the arts along with graduates of CCM investing back in their school. To learn more, visit ccm.uc.edu/ccmpower.

Group of CCM Musicians Named Ensemble-in-Residence at Xavier

A contemporary chamber music ensemble of six CCM students and alumni is now ensemble-in-residence at Xavier University. All of the Above will offer concerts and work with Xavier students in rehearsals and beyond as ensemble-in-residence. The residency also includes outreach performances in schools and throughout Cincinnati.

CCM students and alumni in All of the Above, a chamber music group recently named ensemble-in-residence at Xavier University.

All of the Above musicians have made a name for their ensemble locally by performing with Classical Revolution Cincinnati and the MUSE concert series at the Cincinnati Art Museum. One of the goals of the ensemble is to create innovative musical experiences by challenging the aesthetics of the traditional classical concert, and the members believe that this new residency will enable their ensemble to bring their unique vision of art music to a wider audience.

The residency was in part created by the ensemble; All of the Above pianist Matthew Umphreys (MM Collaborative Piano 2014) is an adjunct professor at Xavier, and he approached the head of the music department to discuss the residency. Xavier has had ensembles-in-residence in the past, but not recently. The other members of All of the Above are CCM alumnus Walter Park (BM Violin Performance ’15) and CCM doctoral candidates Mikey Arbulu, clarinet; Caitlyn Chenault, cello; Nave Graham (MM Flute Performance ’14), flutist and David Abraham, percussion.

It can be difficult for students and young professional musicians to initiate a chamber ensemble, let alone a successful one. There are many constraints on their time, as young musicians often have multiple jobs, such as teaching lessons and freelance gigs, which lead to inconsistent availability.

The members of All of the Above have received the support of not only each other but also CCM faculty members, who coached the group on not only musical concerns but also the administrative challenges of running a music ensemble and creating cohesive artistic goals. However, Umphreys thinks that these concerns are secondary to the meat-and-potatoes of an ensemble: musical cohesion.

“I strongly believe that musical greatness is at the heart of any successful ensemble. Yes, we all are overloaded with ideas of business savvy and self-promotion, but this won’t get one very far if at the core there is an absence of intense capabilities and talent on one’s instrument,” Umphreys said.

“CCM has helped me become a better musician, no question. It has also taught me about hard work, dedication, tenacity, preparedness, how to collaborate with others, among many other skills– but this insatiable passion to be an incredible musician is the greatest thing I have taken from my time at CCM.”

All of the Above is a Pierrot-plus-percussion ensemble, which means that it uses the same instrumentation as Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire: flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano, plus percussion. In fact, there’s a good reason that All of the Above has the Pierrot ensemble at its core, aside from the broad range of contemporary music written for that instrumentation.

“One of my favorite projects as an ensemble was one of our first: we tackled Schoenberg’s famous Pierrot Lunaire,” Umphreys said. “Working on such a complex and difficult piece forced us to develop rehearsal and performance practices that we still use to this day, and we learned how to communicate effectively with each other.”

All of the Above’s first concert as ensemble-in-residence at Xavier University will take place at 4 p.m. on Oct. 30 in Xavier’s Long Recital Hall. Admission is free.

“This residency has definitely put our ensemble on the map within the (contemporary) music scene in Cincinnati,” Graham said. “Even if people aren’t familiar with contemporary classical music, they have likely heard of Xavier University. So now we have a springboard to reach out to people with our unique mission and music.

“I think the familiarity of an established academic institution will allow people to feel more comfortable coming out to our shows. If our prospective audiences believe in Xavier, and Xavier believes in us, then in some way, the Cincinnati community already believes in us.”
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Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

 

CCM Alumni Return in Concert with the US Air Force Band on Oct. 21

Several UC College-Conservatory of Music alumni will return to campus and perform as part of a community relations concert tour with the U.S. Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants at 8 p.m. Friday, October 21 in Corbett Auditorium.

The concert is free and open to the general public but ticket reservations are required. Tickets are available online at https://bit.ly/USAFBandTour or in person at UC’s Veterans Programs and Services Office.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force Band, the premier musical organization of the U.S. Air Force, which includes the Concert Band, Singing Sergeants and four additional ensembles. For three consecutive years, the Concert Band and Singing Sergeants have been the featured performing ensemble of Macy’s nationally broadcast Fourth of July fireworks show in New York City.

The tour is part of the Air Force Band’s “Advancing Innovation Through Music” (AIM) educational outreach program; students will be invited to perform on stage during each concert of the tour. Band members will also host master classes and a panel discussion for CCM students.

CCM alumni in the USAFB. Photo provided by the U.S. Air Force Band.

Eight members of the Concert Band and Singing Sergeants are former CCM students who look forward to return to the stage of their alma mater — three other CCM alumni in the Air Force Band are not part of this tour.

“I am thrilled to be playing at CCM again after almost 17 years,” says Senior Master Sgt. Julianna Arnold (MM Clarinet Performance, 1999). “My experience there as a graduate student enriched my life in many ways and prepared me for a career in music in the Air Force.”

Also represented is an alumnus of CCM Preparatory and Community Engagement. Master Sgt. Adam Green attended the preparatory program between 1980-1985, which he credits for helping him to become a professional musician.

Technical Sgt. Kaitlin Taylor (BM Oboe Performance, 2010) remembers her years at CCM fondly. “I found myself surrounded by inspiring professors with high standards and student peers very committed to their studies,” she says. “The environment was, and is, constantly striving for creative excellence.”

Join us in welcoming the U.S. Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants in concert at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium. Performance details and ticketing information are listed below.

*There is a University of Cincinnati Homecoming Kickoff Party on Sigma Sigma Commons from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 21. Please be aware there may be heavier-than-normal traffic in and around campus.

About the U.S. Air Force Band (USAFB)
The U.S. Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants are two of the six performing ensembles within the United States Air Force Band, the premier musical organization of the U.S. Air Force. Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Air Force Band honors those who have served, inspires American citizens to heightened patriotism and service and positively impacts the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States of America.

CCM Alumni in the USAFB:
Technical Sgt. Kaitlin Taylor (BM Oboe Performance, 2010)
Technical Sgt. Jilian McGreen (MM Vocal Performance, 2014 and DMA Vocal Performance ABD, anticipated 2017)
Technical Sgt. Benjamin M. Bowers (BM Clarinet Performance, 2003)
Technical Sgt. Val Lukashuk (BM Trumpet Performance, 1999)
Master Sgt. Christian Pagnard (MM Trumpet Performance, 1999)
Chief Master Sgt. Erica Ann Montgomery (MM Percussion Performance, 1990)
Master Sgt. Brooke Emery (MM Clarinet Performance, 2003)
Senior Master Sgt. Julianna Evans Arnold (MM Clarinet Performance, 1999)

Alumni in the USAFB not on tour:
Kathleen Leigh Fitzpatrick (French Horn, 1997-1998)
Technical Sgt. Jess Lightner (MM Tuba Performance, 2003)
Technical Sgt. Will Timmons (MM Trombone Performance, 2009)

Performance Time
8 p.m. Friday, October 21

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Admission
Admission is free and open to the general public but ticket reservations are required. Tickets are available online at https://bit.ly/USAFBandTour or in person at UC’s Veterans Programs and Services Office. Call 513-556-6811 for more information.

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 & Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
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Story by CCM graduate student Charlotte Kies

Photography provided by the U.S. Air Force Band

Freshmen Acting Students find Bill Clinton during CCM Scavenger Hunt

Bill Clinton’s surprise visit to Graeter’s Ice Cream shop will likely leave a lasting impression on a few CCM Acting students who found him during an annual scavenger hunt Monday afternoon.

Each year, CCM “Acting I” students are sent on a Labor Day weekend scavenger hunt to explore Cincinnati staples such as Findlay Market, Washington Park and Fountain Square. The student teams will create original theatrical compositions to present to the rest of the class based on their scavenger hunt experiences this week.

“Our students come to Cincinnati from across the U.S., and, rather than sitting in their dorms on their first holiday weekend, I want them to conquer Cincinnati together and learn that it is a place in which to play,” said CCM Professor of Acting Richard Hess. “A student who immerses herself in our city learns that artists must draw from the life that surrounds us.”

This year, students found an unexpected surprise and completed an unassigned stop on their scavenger hunt: Find a former U.S. President.

CCM Acting students Paige Lindsay Jordan and Matt Fox with former president Bill Clinton.

Freshmen Acting students Paige Lindsay Jordan, Nick King, Will Clark and Matt Fox found former U.S. President Bill Clinton at Graeter’s Ice Cream shop while he was in Cincinnati to support his wife Hillary Clinton’s local presidential campaign efforts.

Hess said the encounter was a shock to the students, who may incorporate the chance meeting in their original work to share with classmates.

CCM AfterSchool Accepting Applications for Student Leaders

CCM students can now apply to participate in the CCM AfterSchool arts education program for the 2016-17 academic year.

The program partners with City Gospel Mission’s Whiz Kids initiative to unite college students with elementary students in furthering an appreciation and understanding of the arts. For six months during the school year, children are guided through a variety of creative lessons and activities by trained CCM student leaders after school each week.

“This program allows our college student to make a direct impact on the community by connecting them with children in local schools,” said CCM Director of Community Engagement Anne Cushing-Reid. “CCM AfterSchool fosters an appreciation for music, acting, and dance at a young age while also strengthening the professional development and leadership skills of the CCM students.”

The program focuses on providing access to the arts in hands-on lessons that support 21st century learning skills including creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. Professional development sessions are provided each semester to familiarize CCM students with curriculum materials and activities as well as techniques for working successfully with elementary school aged children.

Interested CCM students must be at least a second year undergraduate or graduate student in any discipline. Email Anne Cushing-Reid at anne.cushing-reid@uc.edu for more information on the application process.

CCM student leaders are placed into teams and matched with a participating Cincinnati Public School where they lead weekly after-school sessions on topics including: the basics of rythm and beat, singing, instrument making and creative movement.

Potential student leaders will complete a survey that matches their availability to school needs and will also undergo an interview with program coordinators before they are officially hired. Once selected, student leaders receive a small payment for their time. Cincinnatus Scholars may use the program to fulfill service hour requirements in lieu of payment.

The Second Annual Back to School Charity Concert, a student-led fundraiser to support CCM AfterSchool, will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight on Friday, Aug. 19, at the Urban Artifact craft brewery. Organized by CCM jazz student James Tillman, the fundraising concert features performances from four bands made up of current CCM students and alumni.

The concert is open to the general public and admission is free but organizers will accept donations to the CCM AfterSchool program in cash or checks, made to the University of Cincinnati Foundation/CCM Whiz Kids. Proceeds go toward curriculum and professional development, materials, on-going assessment and coaching.

For more information visit the concert’s event page.

CCM Students Talya Lieberman and Reilly Nelson Win Top Prizes in 2016 Lotte Lenya Competition

We are delighted to report that current CCM students Talya Lieberman and Reilly Nelson took home top prizes during the final round of the 2016 Lotte Lenya Competition. Sponsored by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, the prestigious competition was held on April 16 in Kilbourn Hall of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Lieberman won a Third Prize, which includes a cash award of $7,500. Nelson received a Carolyn Weber Award in recognition of outstanding creativity in the design of a diverse program and exceptional sensitivity to text/music relationships, which includes a $3,500 prize.

Nine awards and a total prize purse of $79,000 were given in the competition’s most competitive year yet. Foundation President and founder of the competition Kim Kowalke said of this year’s competition:

“The total amount and number of prizes awarded reflects the high level displayed at this year’s contest. It is a testament to the competition’s growth over nearly two decades.”

You can learn more about all of this year’s winners by visiting www.kwf.org.

Winners of the 2016 Lotte Lenya Competition, including CCM student Talya Lieberman (second from right).

Both Lieberman and Nelson also made strong showings in last year’s Lotte Lenya Competition. Nelson advanced to the semifinal round of the competition (along with three other CCM-trained singers), while Lieberman won the Lys Symonette Award for Outstanding Performance of an Individual Number during 2015’s final round.

Lieberman and Nelson are the latest in a long line of CCM students and alumni who have reached the final rounds of the Lotte Lenya Competition. CCM alumna Lauren Roesner (BFA Musical Theatre, 2013) took Third Prize in the 2013 installment of this prestigious international theatre singing contest. CCM alumna Caitlin Mathes (MM Voice, 2009; Artist Diploma in Opera, 2010) earned First Prize in 2011 and fellow alumna Alisa Suzanne Jordheim (BM Voice, 2008; MM Voice, 2010; DMA candidate) progressed to the final round of the competition that same year.

For this year’s competition, each finalist presented a 15 minute program of four selections in the daytime round. An evening concert followed, in which contestants sang only a segment of their programs.

All finalists received a minimum cash award of $1,000, with additional discretionary awards of $3,500 each, and top prizes ranging from $7,500 to $15,000.

The panel of judges included international opera star Teresa Stratas, Rodgers & Hammerstein President Theodore S. Chapin and Broadway music director and conductor Andy Einhorn. Finalists were selected from an initial pool of 224 contestants later narrowed to 31 semi-finalists, who were adjudicated and coached in the semi-final round by Tony Award-winners Jeanine Tesori and Victoria Clark. Clark, who last judged the competition in 2012, noted:

“I can feel the leap in overall talent from the last time I judged.”

Now in its 19th year, the Lotte Lenya Competition recognizes exceptionally talented singers/actors, ages 19-32, who are dramatically and musically convincing in a wide range of repertoire, with a focus on the works of Kurt Weill. Since 1998, the Kurt Weill Foundation has awarded more than $750,000 in prize money and continues to support previous winners with professional development grants.

Previous Lenya Competition winners enjoy successful careers performing in major theaters and opera houses around the globe.

About the Kurt Weill Foundation
The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc. is dedicated to promoting understanding of the life and works of composer Kurt Weill (1900-50) and preserving the legacies of Weill and his wife, actress-singer Lotte Lenya (1898-1981). The Foundation administers the Weill-Lenya Research Center, a Grant Program, the Kurt Weill Book Prize and the Lotte Lenya Competition, and publishes the Kurt Weill Edition and the Kurt Weill Newsletter. Learn more by visiting www.kwf.org.

CCM student Talya Lieberman.

About Talya Lieberman
Originally from Forest Hills, New York, soprano Talya Ilana Lieberman is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at CCM as a student of Professor William McGraw.

Recently described by Opera News as “poetically compelling,” “delectably stylish” and “technically refined,” Lieberman is equally at home with operatic, art song and musical theatre repertoire. Starting in September 2016 she will be seen frequently on stage at Komische Oper Berlin, where she will be assuming the soprano position in the Opernstudio. Her upcoming performances include debuts with Cincinnati Opera and Opera Columbus, as well as the title role in CCM’s Mainstage Series production of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen.

Lieberman returned to Cincinnati this fall after completing a summer as a Filene Young Artist with Wolf Trap Opera, where her ability to “make a point with the merest flick of a finger” (Washington Post) shined in a highly lauded run as Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. She also appeared in concert with Steven Blier at Wolf Trap in a program celebrating the Broadway legacy of the Rodgers family (The Rodgers Family – A Century of Musicals).

Lieberman is a convert from the orchestra pit and started singing after receiving her master’s degree in trumpet performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the tutelage of Judith Saxton. She completed her BA at Duke University with highest distinction in linguistics (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude). She is a two-time winner of full tuition and stipend—winning the Russell-Seybold and Italo Tajo Awards, respectively—at CCM’s Opera Scholarship Competition.

CCM student Reilly Nelson. Photography by Kate Lemmon (http://www.katelphotography.com).

About Reilly Nelson
Born in the coastal town of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, Canada, Reilly Nelson attended the Eastman School of Music where she received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and CCM where she completed a Master of Music in Vocal Performance.

Nelson is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at CCM.

At CCM she performed Hansel in Hansel and Gretel and Mary in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning Star. She also performed Hansel, as well as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, at Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center.

The mezzo-soprano was a vocal fellow at the renowned Tanglewood Music Festival for the summers of 2014 and 2015, performing Les nuits d’été, Op. 7 and Folk Songs by Bernard Rands.

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Story by Curt Whitacre