Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra Ushers in a New Era

Posted: Jun 8, 2014 - 12:00:49 PM in: news_2014

The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra has come a long way since its founding by Paul Nadler in 1974, including its debut in New York City's Town Hall, innovative programming and collaborations with other Cincinnati arts organizations. Ahead for 2014-2015 is a restructured season and the search for a new music director to succeed Mischa Santora, CCO music director since 2000.
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James Conlon at the May Festival: 35 Years Young

Posted: Apr 24, 2014 - 3:39:08 PM in: news_2014

James Conlon (photo by Dan Steinberg)

The 2014 Cincinnati May Festival promises to be a signal event. Not only does it mark music director James Conlon's 35th year with the Festival, but Conlon will lead a reprise of the May 7 opening night concert at Music Hall with a special concert at New York's Carnegie Hall May 9. Those concerts will feature R. Nathaniel Dett's oratorio, "The Ordering of Moses," premiered at the 1937 May Festival.
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Cincinnati Symphony Selects Principal Trumpet

Posted: Apr 22, 2014 - 1:07:29 PM in: news_2014

Matthew Ernst

Ohio native Matthew Ernst has been named to fill the Rawson Principal Trumpet Chair with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music has announced its 2014-2015 Mainstage Series season and the CSO welcomes pianist Orli Shaham and guest conductor David Robertson to lead an all-American program April 25 and 26 at Music Hall.
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World Premiere at Cincinnati Opera in 2015

Posted: Apr 15, 2014 - 3:28:38 PM in: news_2014

Ricky Ian Gordon

Look for a world premiere, Ricky Ian Gordon's "Morning Star," as part of Cincinnati Opera's 2015 Summer Festival. Kudos to a pair of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music graduates recently named winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, to Emmy Award nominee ThinkTV/CET for "Marco Panuccio Presents O Holy Night" and to Cincinnati Bengals assistant head coach Paul Alexander who will make his debut as a symphony conductor with the Hamilton Fairfield Symphony Orchestra in May.
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"LumenoCity" to Return to Washington Park

Posted: Mar 24, 2014 - 1:40:23 PM in: news_2014

One of the most remarkable events to take place in Cincinnati in recent years, "LunenoCity," a sound and light show to welcome the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's new music director Louis Langrée that drew over 35,000 people in August, 2013, will return in August, 2014. The show, expanded from two to three days, will again feature visuals projected onto the facade of Music Hall. Langrée and Cincinnati Pops conductor John Morris Russell will conduct, with contributions by the May Festival Chorus, Cincinnati Ballet and Cincinnati Opera. New this year is LumenoCity Village on the south side of the park, to host pre-concert performances, arts and crafts, food and drink, etc.
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Cincinnati Symphony Collaborates with 2014 MusicNOW Festival

Posted: Mar 18, 2014 - 2:37:34 PM in: news_2014

eighth blackbird

The twain have met, Cincinnati's MusicNOW Festival, founded by Bryce Dessner of the indie rock band The National, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The two will collaborate for the first time on two concerts, March 21 and 22 at Music Hall, led by CSO music director Louis Langrée. The will be world premieres by Nico Muhly and David Lang and Cincinnati premieres by Dessner, Krzysztof Penderecki and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. Guest artists include eighth blackbird, Dessner and his brother Aaron on electric guitars and baritone Nathan Wyatt.
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Cellist Chaitkin's "Bach and Boombox" Draws It All Together

Posted: Mar 16, 2014 - 11:19:39 AM in: news_2014

Cellist Nathaniel Chaitkin presenting "Bach and Boombox" at Cincinnati's Memorial Hall March 15.

Cellist Nathaniel Chaitkin has always wanted to make classical music more accessible to today's audiences. He got his chance when he won a Cincinnati Arts Ambassador Fellowship in 2012 and developed "Bach and Boombox." Through live performance on the cello and snatches of boombox, he answers the question what do they all have in common?
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Washington Platform Jazz Series Expands

Posted: Mar 13, 2014 - 12:39:58 PM in: news_2014

The popular Friday night jazz series at Washington Platform Saloon and Restaurant, Court and Elm Streets downtown, has expanded to Saturday nights beginning March 1.
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Russell Renews at Cincinnati Pops

Posted: Mar 10, 2014 - 3:49:04 PM in: news_2014

John Morris Russell

Topping the news going into the second week of March, is the renewal for five years of John Morris Russell’s contract as conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. JMR, as he is affectionately known, will stay at the helm of the orchestra through the 2018-2019 season, the Pops announced Friday. - [Read more]

Langrée Leads the CSO into 2014-2015

Posted: Jan 12, 2014 - 2:18:41 PM in: news_2014

Louis Langrée

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's 2014-2015 season, first to be planned entirely by new music director Louis Langrée, promises variety, innovation and for the third year in a row, the return of the orchestra's popular "One City, One Symphony" community engagement project.
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A CSO "Listening Party" is the Place to Be

Posted: Nov 2, 2013 - 2:32:35 PM in: news_2013

CSO assistant conductor Will White conducting a CSO "listening party" at Joseph-Beth Booksellers

One of the brightest new offerings by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is its "listening parties." Designed to acquaint listeners with the music they will hear on CSO concerts, the parties, dubbed "One City, One Symphony," are hosted by members of the orchestra and the conducting staff. The 2013 edition focuses on the Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky, to be heard on conductor Louis Langree's inaugural concerts as CSO music director in November.
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For Love of Bach

Posted: Sep 30, 2013 - 4:20:20 PM in: news_2013

Carlton Monroe

Johann Sebastian Bach is alive and well in Cincinnati. Thanks to Carlton Monroe and St. Thomas Episcopal Church, you can now hear his cantatas in the context in which they were first performed. For the third year in a row, Monroe will lead his Bach Ensemble in a series of Bach Vespers, blending the Episcopal service of Evensong with performances of Bach's cantatas at the church in Terrace Park.
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CCM to Celebrate Verdi with "Don Carlos"

Posted: Sep 20, 2013 - 3:30:41 AM in: news_2013

Mark Gibson conducting "Don Carlos" at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

2013 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music is celebrating in a big way with a complete concert performance of his grandest opera "Don Carlos." Calling upon all of the forces of the Conservatory, including the Philharmonia and Concert Orchestras, Chamber Choir and Chorale, UC Men's and Women's Chorus and a cast of students, alumni and faculty, it bids to be the most ambitious work ever undertaken at the school. CCM's director of orchestral activities, Mark Gibson, will conduct. The performance is in two parts, 2 and 7 p.m., separated by a break for dinner Sept. 22 at Corbett Auditorium.
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Number Three for Constella Festival

Posted: Sep 18, 2013 - 11:14:16 AM in: news_2013

Cincinnati Scene by Andrew van Sickle

Cincinnati's Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts is in its third incarnation this year, with a host of events from Oct. 1 through Nov. 7. With 20 concerts in all, nine are being produced directly by Constella, 11 by nine partner organizations, which include Chamber Music Cincinnati, concert:nova, Linton Music Series and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. There will be art exhibitions in conjunction with all Constella-produced events, a dance concert featuring dancers of Cincinnati Ballet and a pair of free children's concerts. Guest artists include violinist Joshua Bell, former Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra music director Paavo Jarvi, pianist Stewart Goodyear and saxophonist Jimmy Heath. Composer-in-residence will be New Yorker Missy Mazzoli.
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Constella to Premiere Violin Concerto by Charles Coleman

Posted: Sep 17, 2013 - 1:08:59 PM in: news_2013

Charles Coleman

New Yorker Charles Coleman has become one of Cincinnati's favorite composers. His "Streetscape" was premiered on Paavo Jarvi's first concert as Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra music director in 2001. He returned for a five-week residency with the CSO in 2007, when his "Deep Woods" was premiered. He returns Oct. 10 with the Constella Festival for the world premiere of his Violin Concerto, to be performed by Tatiana Berman with Järvi conducting.
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