September is . . .

Cincinnati's September song is filled with voices -- resplendently so, with soprano Renee Fleming -- as the calendar flips into fall. Opera diva Fleming will make her Cincinnati debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Sept. 18 at Music Hall.  Spanning the month, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra's KSO Boogie Band says farewell to summer with a 1970s-1980s "battle of the bands" Sept. 1, and the 2012 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts opens Sept. 30 with clarinetist Anthony McGill. In between, find chamber music, symphony and symphonic pops, jazz, choral music and more in combos all over town.

Details:

Kentucky Symphony Orchestra
KSO Boogie Band
James R. Cassidy, conductor
Sept. 1 -- 7:30 p.m.
Northern Kentucky Convention Center
Covington, Kentucky

The KSO Boogie Band, satellite ensemble of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, closes the KSO's summer concert series at Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington with pop music of the 1970s and 80s. KSO music director James R. Cassidy conducts. Hear songs like "Joy to the World," "Saturday in the Park," "Shining Star," "Lady Marmalade," "Call Me," "Express Yourself," "I Will Survive," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," "Somebody to Love," etc. Admission free. Suggested donation $5. Information at www.kyso.org
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Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Ballet
May Festival Chorus
John Morris Russell, conductor
Sept. 6 -- 7:30 p.m.
Greenacres Arts Center
8400 Blome Rd., Indian Hill

This joint concert celebrates philanthropist Louise Dieterle Nippert, who died July 23 just short of her 101st birthday (Aug. 27).  Cincinnati Pops conductor John Morris Russell conducts four of the Cincinnati arts organizations that have benefited from her generosity over the years at the idyllic spot she left to become an arts and education center for the region. Tickets are $25 at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3754501816
For information, visit www.green-acres.org  Note: The June 7 repeat of this concert is sold out.
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Nancy James

Xavier University Music Series
Nancy James, vocalist
"Rosemary Clooney Tribute"
Sept. 9 -- 3 p.m.
Gallagher Student Center Theater
Xavier University

Xavier Music opens its Swing Series with a tribute to the legendary Rosemary Clooney. Vocalist Nancy James will review Clooney's major recordings accompanied by Hank Mautner's Masterworks Jazz Orchestra. Carmon de Leone will narrate.  Admission is $25, $22 for seniors, $3 for students. Call (513) 745-3161, send an e-mail to heim@xavier.edu or visit www.xavier.edu/musicseries
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Black Brigade flag

Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
John Morris Russell, conductor
Sept. 9 -- 5:30 p.m.
Smale Riverfront Park

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra led by conductor John Morris Russell joins the Cincinnati Park Board in newly-constructed Smale Riverfront Park to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Cincinnati Black Brigade, an African-American military unit formed during the Civil War to construct barricades to defend Cincinnati from Confederate attack. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a ceremony at the Black Brigade Monument in the park's south Tree Grove and continues with a concert at 7 p.m. on Schmidlapp Event Lawn. The entire event is free and open to the public.
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Classical Revolution
Sept. 9 -- 8 p.m.
Northside Tavern
4163 Hamilton Ave.
Northside
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This month's Classical Revolution features the Noyse Merchants performing early Sephardic melodies in a program dedicated to Bonia Shur, composer/director of liturgical arts emeritus at Hebrew Union College, who died August 30. Also performing will be the clarinet/accordion duo Licorice Squeeze, the Ohio River Brass Quintet and capping the evening, the Revolution String Quartet. Admission is free. For me about Noyse Merchants visit http://www.cincinnatiearlymusic.com/  For more about Classical Revolution, see their page on Facebook.
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The Ariel Quartet

The Ariel Quartet
Sept. 11 -- 8 p.m.
Werner Recital Hall
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

CCM's new string quartet-in-residence, The Ariel Quartet, opens its inaugural season with a program comprising Haydn's Quartet No. 30 in E-flat Major ("The Joke"), Beethoven's Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135, and Benjamin Britten's Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36.  The Tickets are $20, $15 for non-UC students, UC students free. Visit www.ccm.uc.edu/calendar or call the CCM box office at 513-556-4183.
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Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
John Morris Russell, conductor
"Ballroom with a Twist"
guests from "Dancing with the Stars"
Sept. 14-15 -- 8 p.m.
Sept. 16 -- 2 p.m.
Music Hall

The Cincinnati Pops led by conductor John Morris Russell (JMR) opens its 2012-13 Music Hall season with guests from TV's "Dancing with the Stars."  The pros will tango, swing, samba and generally dance the night away to live vocals, accompanied by the Pops.  Tickets begin at $25, $20 for children.  Order at www.cincinnatipops.org or call (513) 381-3300.  Note:  The Pops is offering four concerts for the price of three for three this season, including Amy Grant, Judy Collins, The Chieftains, Mandy Patinkin, "Patty Austin Sings Ella Fitzgerald," "Superheroes," "The Music of Michael Jackson" and "Bond and Beyond." Packages begin at $75. Details at www.cincinnatipops.org/freeconcert
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Renee Fleming
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
"Bella Notte"
Sept. 18 -- 7:30 p.m.
Music Hall

Opera diva Renee Fleming makes her first-ever appearance in Cincinnati with this pre-season gala for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Arguably, the world's reigning soprano, she will sing arias such as “The Jewel Song” from Gounod’s “Faust,” “Piangea cantando” and “Ave Maria” from Verdi’s “Otello,” “Song to the Moon” from Dvorak’s “Russalka” and “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s “Tosca"; also music theater favorites from “The Sound of Music” (title song), “The King and I” (“Hello Young Lovers”) and “My Fair Lady” (“I Could Have Danced All Night”). Sebastian Lang-Lessing will conduct the CSO. Tickets begin at $45, available at the CSO web site, www.cincinnatisymphony.org, or call (513) 381-3300. Note: Admission to this concert or the Sept. 21-22 concert by Joshua Bell (your choice) is free to subscribers who purchase two packages of five concerts each to the CSO season (at least 10 concerts).  Information at www.cincinnatisymphony.orgwww.cincinnatisymphony.org
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Moscow String Quartet

Chamber Music Cincinnati
Moscow String Quartet
Sept. 20 -- 7:30 p.m.
Werner Recital Hall
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

The Moscow String Quartet, graduates of the Moscow Conservatory and Gnessin Musical Institute in Moscow, open Chamber Music Cincinnati's new season with the Quartet No. 2 in D Major by Alexander Borodin, Quartet No. 3 by Sofia Gubaidulina and Shostakovich's Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 68. Tickets are $25 at www.cincychamber.org or call (513)342-6870.
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CCM Concert Orchestra
Mark Gibson, conductor
"Beethoven Festival"
Sept. 21 -- 8 p.m.
Corbett Auditorium
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

CCM's "Beethoven Festival" continues with the CCM Concert Orchestra conducted by Mark Gibson performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 1, his Violin Concerto in D Major (with the winner of the CCM Violin Competition) and Overture to "The Creatures of Prometheus." Tickets are $12, $6 for non-UC students, free for UC students. Visit www.ccm.uc.edu/calendar or call the CCM box office at 513-556-4183.
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Joshua Bell

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Joshua Bell, violin
William Eddins, guest conductor
Sept. 21-22 -- 8 p.m.
Music Hall

Violin superstar Joshua Bell opens the CSO's 2012-13 Music Hall season with Max Bruch's romantic Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor and Ravel's splashy "Tzigane." Also on the program, to be led by guest conductor William Eddins, are the Overture to "Donna Diana" by Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek and Ravel's "Valses nobles et sentimentales" and "Rapsodie espagnole."  Tickets begin at $10. Order at www.cincinnatisymphony.org or call (513) 381-3300.  Note: Admission to this concert or the Sept. 18 pre-season gala by Renee Fleming (your choice) is free to subscribers who purchase two packages of five concerts each to the CSO season (at least 10 concerts).  Information at www.cincinnatisymphony.org
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Gaella Solal

Xavier University Music Series
Gaella Solal, classical guitar
Sept. 23 -- 2:30 p.m.
Gallagher Student Center Theater
Xavier University

Xavier University's Classical Guitar Series opens with prize-winning French guitarist Gaella Solal. Admission is $15, $12 for seniors (60 and older), $3 for students. Call (513) 745-3161, send an e-mail to heim@xavier.edu or visit www.xavier.edu/musicseries
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Bach Vespers at St. Thomas
The Cincinnati Bach Ensemble and Bach Choir
Carlton Monroe, director
Dwight Parry, oboe
Sept. 23 -- 4 p.m.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
100 Miami Ave.
Terrace Park

Bach Vespers at St. Thomas, which combines evening worship with the sacred cantatas of J.S. Bach, opens its second season with the Cantata No. 86, "Wahrlich, wahrlich Ich sage euch," BWV 86. Soloists will be soprano YoonGeong Lee, alto Sarah Jackson, tenor James Onstad and bass William McGraw with the Cincinnati Bach Ensemble and Bach Choir, directed by Carlton Monroe.  Dwight Parry, principal oboist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Bach Ensemble will perform Vivaldi's Concerto for Oboe, RBW 462. Admission is free. A free-will offering will be taken during the service. For more information visit bachvespers.wordpress.com and www.stthomasepiscopal.org
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Stevie Wonder

CCM Jazz Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab Band
Scott Belck, Dominic Marino, conductors
Clyde Brown, vocalist
Sept. 23 -- 7 p.m.
Corbett Auditorium
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Vocalist Clyde Brown recalls Stevie Wonder in this tribute to the great Motown star, "Songs in the Key of Life -- The Music of Stevie Wonder." Scott Belck and Dominic Marino lead the CCM Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab Band.  Admission is $12, $6 for non-Uc students, UC students free. Visit www.ccm.uc.edu/calendar or call the CCM box office at 513-556-4183.
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Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, conductor
Jorge Federico Osorio, piano
Sept. 28 -- 11 a.m.
Sept. 29 -- 8 p.m.
Music Hall

CSO Creative director Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos conducts the CSO in a sure-to-please concert evoking Spain and Italy.  Pianist/guest artist Jorge Federico Osorio conjures Iberia in Manuel de Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain."  Fruhbeck and the CSO follow suit with Falla's "El amor brujo" and visit Italy in Ottorino Respighi's popular "Fountains of Rome" and "Pines of Rome." Tickets begin at $10. Call (513) 381-3300 or visit www.cincinnatisymphony.org.
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Anthony McGill

Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Sept. 30 -- 2 p.m.
Werner Recital Hall
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

This opening concert of the 2012 Constella Festival features clarinetist Anthony McGill in a program entitled "Queen City Connections." Principal clarinet of New York's Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, McGill was formerly associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony. (He became known to millions in 2008 through his performance at the inauguration of President Obama with Itzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma and Gabriela Montero.) McGill will perform the Cincinnati premiere of "Soliloquy" by John Corigliano. Also on the program are Mozart's Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, the Suite for Clarinet and String Quartet by Ferruccio Busoni and flutists Randy Bowman and Nina Perlove in the world premiere of "August Moon" by Mark Adamo. There will be an open reception afterward in the Reed Gallery of UC's College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning. Tickets available through the Constella Festival at www.constellafestival.org
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Elmer Thomas

CCM Choral Series
Celebration of the Life of Elmer Thomas
Sept. 30 -- 3 p.m.
Corbett Auditorium
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

A gathering of choruses pays tribute to Elmer Thomas, founder of the choral studies program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, who died June 13 at the age of 81. Participating will be the CCM Chamber Choir and Chorale, U.C. Men's and Women's Choruses, Cincinnati Children's Choir and Cincinnati's Vocal Arts Ensemble, also founded by Thomas. The program of choral classics and remembrances will be led by CCM faculty conductors Earl Rivers (director of choral studies at CCM), Brett Scott, Michael Fuchs, Olga Artemova and Robyn Lana and VAE music director Donald Nally. Admission is $12, $ for non-UC stens, UC students free.  Tickets may be obtained at the CCM box office (online at www.ccm.uc.edu) or call (513) 556-4183.
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Ubi Caritas
Music from England and Germany
Sept. 30 -- 4 p.m.
Christ the King Lutheran Church
7393 Dimmick Rd, Cincinnati

Hear music from England and Germany for flute/recorder, oboe, bassoon and harpsichord by the Cincinnati baroque band Ubi Caritas (visit them on Facebook). Telemann, Purcell, Handel and others. Admission free.
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