CCM Philharmonia features student violinist in Oct. 6 performance

The CCM Philharmonia continues its season with “Virtuosity Redux,” a concert celebrating virtuosic performances across all sections of the orchestra, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, in Corbett Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.

The centerpiece of the program is Sibelius’s monumental Violin Concerto in D Minor, featuring CCM DMA student Yue Yang, winner of this year's Violin Concerto Competition. The performance also includes Barber’s Overture to “The School for Scandal” and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. 

Often cited as the most difficult in the repertoire, the Sibelius' Violin Concerto is the only concerto written by the composer. The piece begins with a haunting melody over a shimmering cushion of sound — often compared to the serene, snow-covered landscape of the composer’s native Finland. 

“The Sibelius concerto demands the absolute highest level of artistry, both technically and musically, from the soloist,” comments Mark Gibson, CCM’s Director of Orchestral Studies. Yue Yang, who studies with CCM Professor of Violin Kurt Sassmanshaus, proved she was up for the task when she was named the winner of this year’s Violin Concerto Competition. 

The concerto is bookended by Barber’s Overture to “The School for Scandal” and Bartók’s beloved Concerto for Orchestra. His first work for full orchestra, Barber’s concert overture is inspired by the spirit of the 18th-century play The School for Scandal, a comedy by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The piece provides notable solo turns for English horn and oboe and a brilliant showcase of the string section.

Fittingly titled, Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra is a piece which is “technically virtuosic for any given section of the orchestra at any given time,” says Gibson. Bartók wrote the concerto near the end of his life, and it is often cited as his most accessible and popular orchestral work.

Audiences will be treated to the artistry of “an outstanding solo artist, and an orchestra of over 80 superb musicians playing one of the most challenging and beloved works in the repertoire,” says Gibson of the Sibelius concerto. With three selections that demand tour de force performances from all involved, CCM Philharmonia’s “Virtuosity Redux” is sure to live up to its name.

CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
Stephan Fillare, graudate student conductor 
Featuing student artist Yue Yang, violin

BARBER: Overture to “The School for Scandal,” Op. 5 (1931) 
SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47 (1904/5) 
BARTÓK: Concerto for Orchestra (1943)

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 
• Estimated run time: 90 minutes

Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village 
University of Cincinnati

Tickets: $19.50 adult, $15 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

 Experiencing the magic of CCM OnStage has never been easier! Purchase your tickets:

• Online at ccmonstage.universitytickets.com
• Over the phone at 513-556-4183
• In person at the CCM Box Office in the Atrium of UC's Corbett Center for the Performing Arts 

CCM’s Box Office hours are Tue-Fri from 1-5 p.m. and one hour prior to curtain for ticketed performances. Hours subject to change based on the University of Cincinnati calendar. Our Box Office staff is always ready to answer your questions by phone at 513-556-4183 or email at boxoff@uc.edu. 

CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. For detailed driving directions, visit ccm.uc.edu/directions.

Parking is available in UC's CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Effective July 1, 2023, all University of Cincinnati Parking Services locations will become cashless. Pay for parking securely with your credit/debit card. All major credit cards accepted.

CCM OnStage patrons can add pre-paid parking to their checkout carts when purchasing tickets. Pre-paid parking is date/performance specific. CCM Garage parking rates for a performance or special event is usually available for $10-15. Learn more about parking at UC's CCM Garage.

For additional information on parking at UC, please visit uc.edu/about/parking.

There's more to explore — view CCM's full schedule of fall major events at ccm.uc.edu/onstage. 

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All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit ccm.uc.edu/onstage.