In practice: A summer of performance and design for Hoffman Honors Scholars
From Chicago to Croatia, CCM students shine on stage and behind the scenes
For Hoffman Honors Scholars (HHS) students Lily Clark and Emmy Buckley, summer is a time to go above and beyond, pursuing opportunities that don’t fit neatly into the rhythm of a semester. Both are rising third-year students at the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and are devoting Summer 2026 to pursuing their respective crafts to the fullest.
The HHS program offers financial support and a tight-knit community of peers to outstanding students entering three UC colleges: CCM, the Lindner College of Business and the College of Arts & Sciences. Clark and Buckley are members of the inaugural HHS cohort. Since arriving at UC in Fall 2024, they’ve made the most of opportunities on and off campus by engaging with HHS (both have served as HHS Ambassadors), the University Honors Program (UHP) and service ranging from sorority life to local schools.
A global stage
Clark, a music education major specializing in instrumental education, is traveling internationally this summer in pursuit of further study in her major and performance in her own primary instrument: viola. In May, Clark attended a CCM faculty-led study tour to Croatia, where she sat in on choir sessions and lectures at the University of Zagreb Academy of Music and an elementary-level music class.
Lily Clark, during a previous study tour to Costa Rica. Photo/provided.
After her time in Croatia, Clark will perform at the Prague Summer Nights (PSN) festival, which runs from mid-June through mid-July in the Czech Republic cities of Tábor and — of course — Prague. PSN, currently in its eleventh season, is a prestigious festival that, by its own account, “offers aspiring young professional vocalists and instrumentalists the opportunity to perform in some of Czech Republic’s most historic and majestic venues.”
Prior to her departure, Clark looked forward to 12-hour rehearsal days and a packed schedule of performances. “The weeks in Tábor are more symphonic,” she said, “so we're really only playing pieces as an orchestra. And then when we get to Prague, that's when it becomes opera, opera, opera.” The opera performances, which conclude the festival, will include Mozart’s "Die Zauberflöte" and "Don Giovanni" and will take place in the historic Estates Theatre in Prague — the same venue where "Don Giovanni" premiered in 1787.
Closer to home
Emmy Buckley in the CCM scene shop with a piece of her artwork. Photo/provided.
For Buckley, this summer means a return to her hometown, where she’ll be working at the Opera Festival of Chicago. Buckley will assist with stage management and scenic design for the festival’s Summer 2026 season, including productions of "La Bohème" and "Adriana Lecouvreur". This is her second year with the festival, following a Summer 2025 stint assisting with stage management and carpentry. “I emailed about 50 different theaters within Chicago,” Buckley recalled of her search for work in her field leading up to that first summer. Since then, she has built on that foundation and found sustained opportunities for engagement.
Buckley is entering the festival season after an intense year of design and production work. Based in Cincinnati, she served as scenic designer for DePaul University’s Spring 2026 production of "Die Fledermaus".
During the 2025-26 academic year, she worked in capacities ranging from painting to props on four CCM productions: "Pride and Prejudice", "Rope", "The World Goes 'Round" and "Antigone". That final show, a collaboration between CCM and UC’s Classics Department that was also performed as part of the 2026 Women’s Classical Caucus, pushed the limits of Buckley’s skill set, as she worked closely on props, including a bust of Sophocles.
Being uncomfortable is the goal.
Emmy Buckley, third-year HHS and CCM student
“Being uncomfortable is the goal,” Buckley said of her process working on "Antigone". “Not in an ‘I don't know if I can do this’ way, but to question your craft. It's better to thrive in that.”
On the horizon
Clark and Buckley look forward to diving further into their majors and to exploring new realms of engagement in the year ahead. For Clark, the start of her third year at UC will mark the beginning of specialized coursework within her major, as her course load will focus on her instrumental music specialization rather than general competencies. Outside the classroom, Clark will also step into a campus leadership role as president of UC’s chapter of the Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association. Buckley’s third year will also require in-depth lab and practicum engagement alongside continued study of the history of theatre and art. In Spring 2026, she will design for the first time at CCM for the opera "Ariadne auf Naxos".
And, for both of them, HHS will continue to be a powerful source of community. “I’m in the shop all the time, and Hoffman gets me out of the building,” Buckley said, adding that the program has encouraged her to develop relationships beyond her major and to get out of her comfort zone.
Clark added that she’s especially excited to meet the incoming HHS cohort after having learned and grown alongside two additional years of new Hoffman scholars. “I’ve really been able to see [the program] grow and flourish,” she said, citing the “insight” and wide range of knowledge and experience that new students bring with them every fall.
Stay tuned
Curious about what else the Hoffman Honors Scholars are learning and doing? Take a look at the program website for more information, including highlights from this fall’s upcoming event offerings!
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