CCM Flute student wins position with United States Army Fife and Drum Corps

"This ensemble is the only unit of its kind in the armed forces, and it acts as the Army’s Official Ceremonial Unit and Escort to the President, " Volpe says. " I look forward to starting my career with this incredible ensemble!"

The audition process for the Fife and Drum Corps is demanding and highly competitive. It included a prescreening in March, and a two-day live audition in April with marching assessments, memorized piccolo playing, an interview and mere hours to learn and memorize fife music. “The audition process was easily the most intense experience of my life,” Volpe says, “It felt like such an accomplishment to make it through such a long and challenging process!”

A current member of CCM Professor of Flute Demarre McGill’s studio, Volpe received previous degrees from the University of Toronto and Case Western Reserve University. "Aside from my scholarship offer, my flute professor, Demarre McGill, was a primary reason that I wanted to attend school at CCM," he says. "He is principal flutist of the Seattle Symphony and one of the most inspirational musicians that I know."

"When I auditioned for him in 2019, I was very forthcoming about my research interests in queer musicology, which is a topic that some teachers do not embrace. He could see the personal importance of this research to me and assured me that CCM was a place where queer studies would be welcome."

A self-described "overachiever," Volpe has performed in numerous CCM ensembles, including Philharmonia, Concert Orchestra, Chamber Winds, Chamber Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble. He has also served as a Graduate Assistant in the CCM Admissions Office. Outside of CCM, Volpe has held positions with the Queen City Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra Kentucky Bowling Green, and is a substitute for the New World Symphony and the Canton Symphony Orchestra.

To fulfill the cognate requirement of his degree program, Volpe also took classes in Arts Administration and became the Program Manager of Lives United / Vidas Unidas, a small non-profit in Mount Auburn. Volpe recently organized the Cincinnati Pride Arts Showcase, presented by Lives United/ Vidas Unidas with support from Cincinnati Pride and ArtsWave. The event featured the CCM Flute Studio and alumni performing the Cincinnati premiere of a new flute choir piece by Kei Slaughter, which was commissioned by Volpe with a CCMpower grant as part of CCM’s DEI Committee Initiatives.

Volpe is also the founder and coordinator of the National Flute Association's LGBTQ+ Flute Choir, which made its debut in 2022 and performs at the organization’s convention every summer. A passionate performer, researcher and activist, Volpe spoke on the importance of infusing your identity into your work. 

"The best advice that I can give to any student or professional is to infuse your identity into everything that you do," Volpe says. "As a gay man, I pursue research that focuses on the LGBTQ+ community, stage recitals featuring music written by LGBTQ+ composers, and volunteer my time towards organizing spaces and experiences that make my community stronger. When you see yourself in the work that you do, the work becomes more worthwhile and impactful to you and those around you!"