CCM's Spring Choral Series Includes Collaborations, Honored Guests and Works by Iconic Figures

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) Department of Choral Studies presents a strikingly diverse and unique series of concerts this spring.

Under the direction of Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies Earl Rivers and Associate Professor of Ensembles and Conducting Brett Scott, CCM’s and UC's choral ensembles will present four major concerts from

Feb. 8 through April 19

. Tickets are on sale now for all performances.

From concert programs celebrating the lyricism of William Shakespeare and Walt Whitman to performances of the monumental works of French, Russian and American composers, CCM’s Spring Choral Series spotlights a wide range of masterpieces spanning several centuries.

The Choral Series opens on

Sunday, Feb. 8

, with an outstanding guest choir from Shanghai East China Normal University joining CCM ensemble-in-residence the Cincinnati Children’s Choir and the CCM Chamber Choir and Chorale and the UC Men's and Women's Choruses in a performance celebrating

The Shakespeare Quadricentennial.

Entitled "Music of the Bard II," the concert features choral settings of Shakespeare's texts, including Mäntyjärvi’s

Four Shakespeare Songs

and Frank Martin’s

Songs of Ariel

.

CCM’s Choral Series continues with the monumental works of French Romantic composer

Hector Berlioz

and 20th century Russian composer

Igor Stravinsky

in a unique double-bill of

Te Deum

and

The Rite of Spring

on

Friday, March 13

. CCM’s Chamber Choir and Chorale join forces with the Cincinnati Children’s Choir and the CCM Philharmonia for this concert, which also features faculty artist

Michael Unger

, organ; and student artist

Christopher Bozeka

, tenor.

On

Wednesday, March 25

, the UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses’ annual

Spring Showcase

returns, featuring students from all 13 UC colleges singing a variety of classical, popular, folk and jazz tunes. The program highlights include Jeffrey Van’s

A Procession Winding Around Me

, written for solo guitar and chorus and based on a Civil War text by Walt Whitman, along with works by Francis Poulenc, Moses Hogan, and Z. Randall Stroop.

The Spring Choral Series comes to a powerful conclusion on

Wednesday, April 19

, as the CCM Chorale and Brass Choir are joined by the Phil DeGreg Trio and the Martin Luther King Chorale for a performance of

Dave Brubeck’s The Gates of Justice

. Originally co-commissioned by CCM and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations,

The Gates of Justice

premiered in 1969 for the dedication of Cincinnati’s Rockdale Temple. The iconic work features text drawn from the Hebrew Bible, speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Negro Spirituals, the writings of Hillel and lyrics by the composer's wife, Iola Brubeck.

Please note: the venue has changed for this performance. See listing below for full details.

In addition to the Spring Choral Series concerts, the CCM Chamber Choir will also collaborate with the Ballet Ensemble, student percussionists, faculty artist James Tocco and members of his piano studio for a production of

Stravinsky's Les Noces (The Wedding)

, running

April 23 - 25

. Premiered in Paris in 1923, this remarkable dance cantata is written for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass soloists, mixed chorus, four pianists and six percussionists.

Event Information

All events listed below take place on the campus of the University of Cincinnati unless otherwise indicated. Please see individual event information for single ticket prices and ordering information.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office! Visit

ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice

for CCM Box Office hours and location.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. Visit

ccm.uc.edu

or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 for the most current event information.

Parking and Directions

Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit

uc.edu/parking

for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit

uc.edu/visitors

. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit

ccm.uc.edu/about/directions

.

____________________

2015 Spring Choral Series

3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8

• Choral Series •

MUSIC OF THE BARD – CHORAL SETTINGS OF SHAKESPEARE II
CCM Chamber Choir and Chorale, UC Men’s & Women’s Choruses, Cincinnati Children’s Choir and guest choir from Shanghai’s East China Normal University
Brett Scott, Christopher Albanese, Alexander Sutton, Daniel Blosser, Stephen Milloy, Robyn Lana and Yaru Tan, conductors

CCM’s Choral Department continues

The Shakespeare Quadricentennial

, a two-year commemoration of the playwright's legacy through choral music spanning his 450th birthday this past April 23, 2014, and culminating on April 23, 2016, the 400th anniversary of his death. Each choir offers a Shakespearean choral setting from the Renaissance through our own time. Featured works include Frank Martin's “Five Songs of Ariel” from

The Tempest

, Jaakko Mantyjarvi's “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble” from

Macbeth

and Matthew Harris’ “Shakespeare Songs” from

Measure by Measure

,

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

and

Hamlet

.

Location:

Corbett Auditorium

Tickets:

$12 general, $6 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

____

8 p.m. Friday, March 13

• Choral and Orchestra Series •

MONUMENTAL: BERLIOZ AND STRAVINSKY
CCM Philharmonia, Chamber Choir, Chorale and Cincinnati Children’s Choir
Mark Gibson and Earl Rivers, conductors
Featuring faculty artist Michael Unger, organ and student artist Christopher Bozeka, tenor

CCM’s Mighty Harrison pipe organ and Philharmonia Orchestra dialogue as “Pope” and “Emperor” in Berlioz’s monumental

Te Deum

, featuring two mixed choirs, children’s choir and tenor soloist.

Te Deum

originally premiered in 1855 in Paris’ Saint-Eustache Church. This concert program also features Stravinsky’s monumentally influential

The Rite of Spring

.

Location:

Corbett Auditorium

Tickets:

$12 general, $6 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

____

8 p.m. Wednesday, March 25

• Choral Series •

SPRING SHOWCASE
UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses
Christopher Albanese and Alexander Sutton, conductors

The UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses and Cabaret Singers, comprised of students from all 13 UC colleges, perform a variety of classical, popular, folk and jazz tunes. UC Women's Chorus presents "Oceania and the Ocean; Americana and Devotion," featuring works of William Billings from

The New England Psalm Singer

, Irving Fine from

Alice in Wonderland

, and Jussi Chydenius, Craig Hella Johnson, Stephen Leek and Annea Lockwood. UC Men's Chorus offers Grieg's

Brothers Sing On

. Combined Choruses perform Jeffrey Van's

A Procession Winding Around Me

for solo guitar and chorus on a Civil War text by Walt Whitman.

Location:

Corbett Auditorium

Tickets:

$12 general, $6 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

____

3 p.m. Sunday, April 19

• Choral Series •

DAVE BRUBECK’S THE GATES OF JUSTICE

CCM Chorale and Brass Choir
Featuring the Phil DeGreg Trio and guest choir The Martin Luther King Chorale

Brett Scott, conductor

Originally premiered in 1969 for the dedication of Cincinnati's Rockdale Temple, Dave Brubeck’s

The Gates of Justice

was a co-commission by CCM and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, with a premiere conducted by Erich Kunzel. The text is drawn from the Hebrew Bible, speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Negro Spirituals, the writings of Hillel and lyrics by the composer's wife, Iola Brubeck.

Location:

St. Francis de Sales Parish, 1600 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH

New venue: Knox Presbyterian Church, 3400 Michigan Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208
Tickets: $12 general, $6 non-UC students, UC students FREE. Tickets will also be available beginning at 2 p.m. on the day of the performance at St. Francis de Dales Parish Knox Presbyterian Church; cash and check only at the door.

Sponsored by The CCM Harmony Fund: Challenging Hate and Prejudice through Performing Arts

____

8 p.m. Thursday, April 23
8 p.m. Friday, April 24
2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25
• Special Event Series •
SPRING DANCE CONCERT – FEATURING STRAVINSKY’S LES NOCES (THE WEDDING)
CCM Ballet Ensemble
Jiang Qi and Michael Tevlin, directors
Earl Rivers, conductor
Featuring the CCM Chamber Choir, Percussionists and faculty artist James Tocco, along with members of his Piano Studio
Premiered in Paris in 1923, Stravinsky’s Les Noces captures the scenes and flavor of a Russian peasant wedding through the unique texture of four pianists, six percussionists, solo quartet and chorus.
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

The Dance Department gratefully acknowledges the support of the Corbett Endowment at CCM
____________________

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Community Partner: ArtsWave