Once a year, the CCM Chamber Players, a professional-level, graduate ensemble at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, goes "in-house," by featuring compositions by CCM composers conducted by CCM conducting students. This year's select crop included works by four CCM students, Danielle Gaudry, Lauren Heller, Angela Holt, Boon Hua Lien and Thanapol Setabrahmana and CCM faculty member Ellen Ruth Harrison's "Seven Devilish Pieces."  Further enhancing the program was CCM countertenor Eric Jurenas in an extremely moving performance of composition student Marko Bajzer's "2011 "Zrikovac."  It was a good year.
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Lang Lang

Pianist Lang Lang has been credited with inspiring 40 million Chinese children to study the piano.  This "Lang Lang Effect" came to Cincinnati Jan. 27 at Music Hall, where his performance of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 drew a near capacity crowd to 3,400-seat Music Hall (the repeat on Jan. 28 was and sold out).  Guest conductor Jun Märkl was a standout, too, in his CSO debut, leading a clockwork accompaniment to the Liszt Concerto and a fine performance of Brahms' Symphony No. 4. (first published at www.cincinnati.com)
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Thom Mariner alias

Express Cincinnati co-publisher Thom Mariner reviews "Shut Up and Play Zappa," presented by Cincinnati's cutting-edge chamber ensemble concert:nova January 22 at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley Square.  It was SRO he said, for this collaboration by c:n artists with some of Cincinnati's rock elite, including guitarist Roger Klug.  In addition to Zappa, the program included music by Edgard Varèse and Igor Stravinsky, two of Zappa's influences. (first published at www.expresscincinnati.com)
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Critic Charles H. Parsons caught the imagery brilliantly in his review of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra's concert performance of Saint-Saëns' "Samson et Dalila" Jan. 20 at Florence Baptist Church at Mount Zion in Florence, Kentucky.  With mezzo-soprano Stacey Rishoi singing Dalila, Samson "didn't have a snow ball's chance in the Negev."  KSO music director led the "sizzling" performance, with tenor Michael Hendrick as Samson, singers from University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and the KSO Chorale. 
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Juanjo Mena

Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe" Suites No. 1 and 2 are not often heard together or with chorus.  The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus did both Jan. 20 in Music Hall in Cincinnati under guest conductor Juanjo Mena.  To use everyday language, it was a performance "to die for."
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Los Angeles Piano Quartet

The Los Angeles Piano Quartet opened the New Year for Chamber Music Cincinnati January 10 in Werner Recital Hall at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.  Their program of Mozart, Steven Stucky and Gabriel Faure was well chosen and making it even more of an occasion, was the return to Cincinnati of violinist Yehonatan Berick, violinist of the Quartet and a graduate of CCM.
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Emanuel Ax

Veteran Emanuel Ax and newcomer Pablo Heras-Casado opened the New Year for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with a well chosen program spanning the 18th to the 20st centuries January 5 at Music Hall.  For guest conductor Heras-Casado, 34, it was a CSO debut. (first published at www.concertonet.com)
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Costume design by Carrie Robbins

Cincinnati Ballet's "New Nutcracker" is exactly that.  New sets, new costumes, new choreography, new characters,  Produced and choreographed by Ballet artistic director and CEO Victoria Morgan, the $2 million production, ten years in the making, is spectacular, no less.  Helping put it over the top during its world premiere run, Dec. 15-24 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, was the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. (first published at www.ConcertoNet.com)
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George Frideric Handel

Handel's "Messiah" is a hardy perennial, both at Christmas time and Easter, when parts of the oratorio tend to be heard instead of the entire three-hour work. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus led by James Bagwell joined forces Dec. 18 at Music Hall to present "Messiah" complete.
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Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, John Morris Russell conducting, with guest artist Sandi Patty

Gospel diva Sandi Patty filled the hall at Music Hall Dec. 9, in more ways than one.  Singing with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra led by conductor John Morris Russell, she drew a near capacity crowd. And in selections from "Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child to "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee," she filled every crevice with sound, too.  Appearing with Patty, Russell and the Pops were the May Festival Chorus and Winton Woods High School Varsity Ensemble. (first published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Dec. 11, 2011)
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Cincinnati's Vocal Arts Ensemble led by music director Donald Nally knows how to conjure Christmas without familiar carols in familiar settings.  Their holiday show, "A Candlelit Christmas," Dec. 11 at Summit Country Day Chapel in Hyde Park, did it with selections representing the music of our time. 
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Sergei Prokofiev

The chamber ensemble concert:nova presented the third in its series of theater pieces illustrating the lives of the great composers with Prokofiev and Shostakovich, "Pieces in the Key of Silence," Dec. 5 at the Know Theater in Cincinnati.  Dancer/choreographers Stephen Jacobsen and Jimmy Cunningham were riveting as Prokofiev and Shostakovich, respectively.  The music ranged from Prokofiev's early "Sarcasms" for piano to Shostakovich's autobiographical String Quartet No. 8.
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Ray Chen

There were three debuts on the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's Dec. 3 concert at Music Hall.  One was guest conductor Andrew Grams, who led a program of Rimsky-KKorsakov, Dvořák and Tchaikovsky.  Another was violinist Ray Chen, who bowed in with Dvořák's Violin Concerto.  The third was Rimsky-Korsakov's Suite from "The Snow Maiden." Rounding out the program was the Suite from Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" Ballet, Op. 20a.
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Roberto Abbado (photo courtesy of the CSO)

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's pension fund concert Nov. 21 at Music Hall provided an opportunity to hear guest conductor Roberto Abbado in a return visit to the CSO.  Abbado, who impressed on his first visit in April, 2011, cemented that impression in a program of Mozart, Schumann and to end the concert, the Overture to Rossini's "William Tell."  It was only fitting.
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Bsch, "St. Matthew Passion," St. Peter in Chains Cathedral (William McGraw, Jesus, center in white)

  The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music's staged "St. Matthew Passion," premiered Nov. 20 in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral was proof positive that even the most sublime music can be visually enhanced.  The cast included CCM faculty artist William McGraw as a powerful Jesus and two fine young tenors from the graduate program in voice at CCM sharing the role of the Evangelist.  Conducting with great sensibility, including adherence to baroque performance practice, was Earl Rivers, director of choral studies at CCM.
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