Peter Landgren

Peter Landgren, incoming dean at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, aims to get CCM "off the hill," he said, and more involved in the Cincinnati community.  Former associate principal French hornist of the Baltimore Symphony, he also plans to head down to faculty member Randy Gardner's studio sometimes to sit in with the horn students. (first published in Express Cincinnati, Nov. 2011)
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October in Cincinnati will see the dawning of a brand new festival, the Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts, opening Oct. 13 at Memorial Hall with a recital by violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist Valentina Lisitsa.  Twelve other extraordinary events are scheduled through Nov. 7, including violinist Joshua Bell, pianist Alexander Toradze, saxophonist Ted Nash, male soprano Michael Maniaci and season openers by Chamber Music Cincinnati, Linton Music Series and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, among others. 
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Philip Glass

When the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announced its new season in January, 2011, the orchestra faced its first season without a music director since the death of Thomas Schippers over 30 years ago.  The solution, devised by CSO president Trey Devey, was three-fold:  three "Creative Directors," each to plan and oversee a portion of the 2011-2012 season.  The announcement, at a CSO concert January 29, caused a stir in Music Hall.  Co-creative directors for the CSO's 2011-2012 season are Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Lang Lang and Philip Glass (re-posted and revised from "Features," January 30, 2011).   - [Read more]

Here's a chance to enjoy two pleasures in one.  The newly organized Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts will hold a special pre-season benefit concert August 26 at the Plum Court Wine Room downtown.
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The 55th annual World Piano Competition, held in Cincinnati, concludes this week, with Artist Division events beginning Tuesday (July 12) in Jarson-Kaplan Theater in the Aronoff Center for the Arts.  Meanwhile, the brand new "Art of the Piano" Master Class and Recital Series at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music holds its first Liszt Competition Monday (July 11) in Robert Werner Recital Hall.  There will be live streaming of the Liszt Competition, including the winners recital July 16, and of the master class by CCM professor Awadagin Pratt on July 13.
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Paavo Järvi

The family of conductor Neeme Järvi of Estonia has enough performing musicians to build a festival around -- and they have.  The first International Järvi Summer Festival takes place in Pärnu, Estonia July 28-August 4. Artistic adviser is Paavo Järvi. Stay a little longer and hear more at Leigo Lakes Music Days in South Estonia August 6, a splashy event accompanied by bonfires and color and light effects.
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Music director Paavo Järvi at his farewell concert with the CSO, Music Hall, Cincinnati, May 14, 2011 (photo by Richie Hawley)

Reports of waning interest in classical music do not seem to apply to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which experienced an 11.5 percent increase in attendance during 2010-2011 over the previous season and the highest average attendance in the past five years.  This included three total sellouts in Cincinnati's over-sized (3,516-seat) Music Hall.
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Let's hear it for "Mozart: Composer Cats," the first in a series of interactive musical books, toys, CDs, DVDs, Internet and high tech apps published by Cheval Creative for the purpose of educating and empowering children by teaching classical music. The accompanying CD contains narration by conductor James Conlon.
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Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn, Estonia has been designated by the European Union as the 2011 European Capital of Culture.  And rightly so, with its wealth of music, art, literary and architectural treasures.  A drama has been playing out, however, around the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra which is without a music director.  Famed conductor and native Estonian Neeme Järvi resigned the post three months after taking it in November, 2010 to protest the firing of the orchestra's executive director Andres Siitan by Estonian Culture Minister Laine Jänes.  This is Siitan's story.
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Cincinnati will draw upon its rich choral tradition to benefit the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged at St. Monica-St. George Church in Clifton March 25.  Taking part in the mini-festival will be mezzo-soprano Catherine Fishlock, jazz vocalist Karry Kinley and six area choirs led by Howard Helvey.
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Paavo Järvi (statue of Music Hall patron Reuben Springer in the background)

Standing in the shadow of Music Hall patron Reuben Springer's marble statue, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra music director Paavo Järvi thanked donors Peter G. Courlas and Nick Tsimaras and artist Carin Hebenstreit for the portrait of him unveiled Feb. 17 in the lobby of the hall and acknowledged that the time he has spent in Cincinnati has been one of the "best times of my life."
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Carnegie Hall, October 2001

For the first time in 12 years, Cincinnati's May Festival Chorus will perform in New York's Carnegie Hall.  The occasion is the 2013 "Spring for Music" Festival, a new festival for symphony and chamber orchestras designed to serve as a laboratory for adventurous and creative programming and to encourage greater innovation in each orchestra's home market.  May Festival music director James Conlon will lead the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus. Repertoire will be announced at a laater date.  Conlon conducted the CSO and chorus in October, 2001 at Carnegie Hall in Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, just days after 9/11.  CSO music director Paavo Järvi led the CSO's latest outing at Carnegie Hall in February, 2010.
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John Morris Russell

Cincinnati Pops conductor John Morris Russell -- "JMR" -- will lead six of the nine Cincinnati Pops concerts during the 2011-12 season.  A renowned music educator, Russell will conduct the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's "Lollipops" family concerts, also.  The Pops' season opens Sept. 16-18 with Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell and "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee in "My American Dream."  Lollipops" concerts are Nov. 12 and Jan. 28.
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Paavo Järvi

According to the British web site Bachtrack.com, Paavo Jarvi was the eighth busiest conductor in the world in 2010.  Cincinnati didn't have to be told that.  The popular music director leaves the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra the end of this season after ten years.  With four other orchestras to shepherd, it was time (to be more exact -- no time).  Meanwhile, the countdown in Cincinnati has begun, with a message sent out by the orchestra this week that there are "five final chances" to hear him conduct as CSO music director.
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John Morris Russell

In a widely anticipated move, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra named John Morris Russell conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra at a press conference Dec. 6 at Music Hall.  Russell, the CSO/Pops innovative assistant/associate conductor from 1995-2006, succeeds legendary Pops founder and conductor Erich Kunzel, who died of cancer in September, 2009.
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