September 2, 2020

The choral community across the country has worked to develop creative solutions to figure out how 54 million people who sing in American choruses can do so safely. Janelle Gelfand of the Cincinnati Business Courier spoke to local choral directors, including UC College Conservatory of Music alumni and CCM Director of Choral Studies Joe Miller, about how Cincinnati choirs are adapting in the pandemic.

April 14, 2020

UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Stanley E. Romanstein has announced the addition of choral conductor Joe Miller, DMA, to the college’s roster of distinguished faculty members. A leading authority in the field of choral conducting, Miller is also a two-time graduate of CCM (MM, ‘92; DMA, ‘97). His appointment as professor and director of CCM’s lauded Choral Studies program begins on Aug. 15, 2020, pending approval of the University’s Board of Trustees.

June 25, 2020

The Cincinnati May Festival has announced the appointment of CCM doctoral student Harry Cecil as its Choral Conducting Fellow for the 2020-21 season. Cecil will assist Director of Choruses Robert Porco and Associate Director of Choruses Matthew Swanson with the May Festival Chorus next season. Cecil was chosen as the May Festival’s eighth Fellow following an in-person audition with the May Festival Chorus in February.

April 11, 2022

The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum recently announced their semifinalists for the 2022 Music Educator Award, one of whom is CCM alumnus Brandon Elliot (MM Choral Conducting, ‘14). Elliot was also awarded the Chorus America Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal. Elliot is a tenure-track professor and the director of choral and vocal activities at southern California’s Moorpark College.

August 6, 2021

UC College-Conservatory of Music alum Carlos García León (MA/MBA, '16) and current MM Voice student Jaime Sharp were selected as inaugural participants in the Mentorship Program for Opera Leaders of Color. This new initiative exists to advance racial equity in the field by pairing BIPOC professionals with executive-level leaders who can support them in achieving their career goals.

February 22, 2021

In 2019, Cincinnati Opera premiered Blind Injustice, with music by Scott Davenport Richards and a libretto by David Cote. The work tells the story of Ohioans who were falsely convicted of serious crimes and later exonerated by the Ohio Innocence Project. Blind Injustice was lauded as a “powerful piece of music theater” (The Wall Street Journal) and a “masterpiece” (CityBeat) upon its premiere. Recently, Cincinnati Opera released the live audio recording of the opera through Fanfare Cincinnati, which is now available for streaming and download.

March 23, 2021

On April 5, members of the CCM classical guitar studio will join host John Carpenter (AD Piano Performance, '14) for his radio show, “Making Music Together,” on WAIF 88.3 FM. These student guitarists will perform live on the air between 8 and 10 p.m.

August 10, 2020

Congratulations to two UC College-Conservatory of Music students who are semi-finalists in the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival, which is recognized as the premier event of its kind. When the virtual competition resumes in August, rising sophomore Caroline Habig will compete in the tuba student division and second-year master’s student Xianquan will compete in the tuba artist division.

March 25, 2022

UC College-Conservatory of Music Lighting Design and Technology student Eli Suarez was selected by the ACT Academy as a runner-up winner of its grandMA3 Programming Contest, wherein designers created virtual lighting shows using grandMA3 software. For his submission, Suarez created a light show to accompany The Killers’ hit song “Mr. Brightside.” Suarez is hoping that this win will lead to a bright future ahead.

December 10, 2021

CCM Musical Theatre has a tradition of welcoming their first-year students with a showcase. However, for the class of 2024, the pandemic had other plans. Determined to make this performance happen, faculty and students adapted to create a virtual performance entitled, “Wake Up,” in which newcomers were featured monologues and performances shot in various locations across Cincinnati.