Cincinnati Ballet announced a new music director via social media today. Alyssa Wang will succeed music director emeritus Carmon DeLeone, who served more than 50 years and still conducts the ballet on occasion. She is a “triple threat” — a conductor, composer and violinist. Alyssa is the recipient of the 2024 New Music USA Creator Fund, the 2023 Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award, and the 2022 St. Botolph Emerging Artist Award.
An accomplished violinist, she is the newest member musician of the Boston Chamber Music Society, and has been featured in numerous contemporary recording projects, such as Carlos Simon’s Grammy-nominated album, Requiem for the Enslaved (Decca).
As a composer, she premiered her own violin concerto, Swept Away, with the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, who commissioned the work, in February 2023. Her latest composition project is a string octet for Boston Chamber Music Society that will premiere in May 2026.
Alyssa earned her bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University under the tutelage of Andrés Cárdenes, and a master’s degree at the New England Conservatory where she studied with Malcolm Lowe. Read more here.
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music welcomed two new faculty members to succeed two of the eight who are retiring by the end of this semester.
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has just announced the appointment of Jose Maria Condemi, who earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in direction at CCM, as CCM’s new Associate Professor of Opera. His faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15.
“Jose Maria Condemi brings inspiring creative vision to CCM, along with a long and distinguished record of directing at the worlds’ major opera houses. He is no stranger to Cincinnati, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the CCM Opera Department,” said Jutras, in a statement. “I am grateful to our search committee chair Amy Johnson and committee members Thomas Hase, Kirill Kuzmin and Kenneth Shaw for their efforts with this successful search.”
Condemi has been a director and producer of opera and theater of exceptional artistic quality for over two decades, both in the United States and internationally. Upcoming directing engagements include Rigoletto for San Francisco Opera, Tosca for Cincinnati Opera and Alcina for the Trentino Music Festival.
In Cincinnati, you may also recall his work in Ainadamar, Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Tosca and Lucia di Lammermoor for Cincinnati Opera.
He has a long relationship with San Francisco Opera, where he has directed several mainstage productions and two world premieres, and he’s directed at other major opera houses across the country and internationally. Please click here to read more about him.
In addition, violist Brian Hong is CCM’s new Assistant Professor of Viola. His appointment begins on Aug. 15.
“Brian Hong’s extensive performance experience, chamber music career, and innovative work in the non-profit and community arts sectors will bring great value to CCM’s esteemed String area,” said Dean Jutras. “I am grateful to our search committee chair Rachel Calin and committee members Aik Khai Pung and Catharine Lees for their efforts with this successful search.”
As the violist of the Grammy-nominated Aizuri Quartet from 2023-2025, he premiered major new works on nationally renowned chamber music series and conducted residencies at universities across the United States. He has performed as soloist with many orchestras and has participated in festivals such as Marlboro and the Perlman Music Program. Prior to his CCM appointment, Hong served on the viola and chamber music faculties at Bard College Conservatory of Music.
Hong is a graduate of Juilliard’s Artist Diploma program. He also holds a master’s degree from the Juilliard School, where he was awarded a prestigious Kovner Fellowship. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. He’s also a successful music administrator. He is the program manager for the Vital Sounds Initiative of Project: Music Heals Us, a nonprofit dedicated to providing musical education, access and healing to marginalized populations. He is also a co-artistic director of NEXUS Chamber Music Chicago in Illinois, an artist-driven collective of musicians. Read more about him here.
Brahms’ Sonata Op. 120, No. 2 in E-flat Major was the perfect introduction to this duo. (The work was originally written for clarinet and piano.) I was instantly struck by the rich, compelling tone of Pajaro-van de Stadt’s instrument. The warmth was palpable in her phrasing, and she took her time to allow the music to breathe in this wonderful, autumnal work.
