Category: classical music

Claire Huangci performs piano showstoppers to open Matinée Musicale

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Claire Huangci wowed in transcriptions and rarities/ photo by Gayna Bassin

The fall season is here, and on Sept. 7, I took in one of the first offerings of the classical music season. American pianist Claire Huangci stepped in on about a week’s notice to perform a recital for Matinée Musicale of virtuoso piano transcriptions by Czerny, Ravel, Earl Wild and Gershwin, and rarely heard pieces by Khachaturian and Florence Price in Memorial Hall.

Although her program seemed to be mostly all that glittered, it was a treat to hear some rarely heard works, such as Price’s Fantasie Negre No. 2 in G Minor, and familiar works in less-played arrangements — such as Rhapsody in Blue for piano solo only. And best of all, she spoke about each piece from the stage, which earned points from the audience.

She told listeners that Cincinnati has a special meaning to her, because in 1999 she participated in the (now defunct) World Piano Competition here. Since performing for Matinée twice before, in 2015 and 2017, she has developed a very busy international career. She is the winner of numerous competitions, and her technical prowess was on display in this program.

The pianist opened with Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata. I enjoyed her singing tone and wonderful way of conjuring atmosphere. Czerny’s Fantasie Brillante sur “Le Nozze di Figaro” was an enchanting journey on tunes from the opera through brilliant technical feats. She summoned orchestral sonorities in Khachaturian’s Adagio of Spartacus, a score heard in movies. And Ravel’s “La Valse” (in the composer’s piano solo version) was a mesmerizing tour de force, with impeccable voicing amidst cascades of filigree, performed with arms and hair flying.

The second half of this substantial program similarly involved spectacular feats, starting with Florence Price’s Fantasie Negre No. 2 in G Minor (she wrote 4 of them). There were four Virtuoso Etudes on some of Gershwin’s most irresistible tunes, including “I’ve Got Rhythm,” arranged by Earl Wild. Huangci finished with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, playing both the piano and orchestra parts. She took it at an extremely fast tempo, and I wondered how she had any energy left at all after what seemed to be an endurance test of a concert.

Sometime, I’d like to hear this pianist play Beethoven again. For an encore, she treated with a charming tune from the film “Amélie,” released in 2001.

Coming up, Matinée presents Cincinnati native Megan Moore, a lyric coloratura mezzo-soprano, in a wide-ranging program that you can see here. The collaborative pianist is Francesco Barfoed. It’s at 3 p.m. Oct. 12 in Memorial Hall. Ticket info: matineemusicalecincinnati.org/recitals

 

 

 

CCM-based Poiesis String Quartet wins Banff Competition

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Photo by Eden Davis

One of the world’s finest young string quartets is right here in Cincinnati. On Aug. 31, the Poiesis String Quartet, graduate string quartet-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, won the Grand Prize in the prestigious 15th Banff International String Quartet Competition. The prize includes $500,000 CAD in cash, prizes, and career development opportunities, including touring and recording and three-year custom artistic and career development program.

The quartet is currently being mentored at CCM by the Ariel Quartet. Its members are: Sarah Ying Ma on violin, Max Ball on violin, Jasper de Boor on viola, and Drew Dansby on cello.  They are graduates of Oberlin College & Conservatory.

Nine international string quartets competed this year, in what is described as “one of the most competitive in the competition’s four-decade history.” The competition reports that competitors travelled to Banff from their home bases in Asia, Europe, and North America, with players hailing from 14 different countries.

The name Poiesis derives from ancient Greek and means “to make.” The ensemble focuses on expanding the quartet repertoire with new works by emerging composers.

Competition jury members include Marie Chilemme, Jonathan Crow, Eugene Drucker, Honggang Li, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Eckart Runge, and David Ying.

The quartet will present their fall recital at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 2 in Werner Recital Hall. Free.

 

 

Artist change for opening Matinée Musicale program

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Claire Huangci will step in to perform the season opener for Matinee Musicale/ photo by Mateusz Zahora

Matinée Musicale has just announced that the Japanese pianist Manami Suzuki will not be able to perform in Cincinnati on Sunday, September 7th due to visa issues. Instead, American pianist Claire Huangci has agreed to perform this concert to kick off Matinee Musicale’s 112th season. The series takes place in Memorial Hall.

Huangci performed for

Matinée in 2015 and 2017 and she has gone on to enjoy an impressive international performance career. Her program includes Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 27, No. 2, “Moonlight,” Ravel’s “La Valse,” Florence Price’s “Fantasie Nègre” No. 2 in G minor, and lots of Gershwin, include Earl Wild’s Gershwin-inspired Virtuoso Etudes.

It was to have been Suzuki’s U.S. debut, and the organization hopes to be able to present her next season.

Tickets and more information: matineemusicalecincinnati.org/

 

Music in the Museum series

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Vincent Dubois comes to Cincinnati Museum Center in October

Many of us were riveted when the great organ of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, was rescued after the fire, refurbished and rededicated at the reopening. Cincinnati Museum Center’s Music in the Museum series will open its season on Oct. 29 with Vincent Dubois, titular organist at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, where he serves alongside Olivier Latry and Philippe Lefebvre.  He is also Professor of organ interpretation and improvisation at the Hochschule für Musik (University of Music), Saarbrücken, Germany.

He has performed in major concert venues throughout Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific. Dubois’ program will include: Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582, J. S. Bach; Choral No. 1 in E major, Franck; Prelude in C sharp minor Op.3, Rachmaninoff; Menuet and Rigaudon from Le Tombeau de Couperin, Ravel; Sonata on the 94th Psalm in C minor, J. Reubke; and Carillon de Westminster, Op. 54, No. 6, Vierne.

He’ll also collaborate with University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Professor of Percussion, Russell Burge in Boléro sur un thème de Charles Raquet, P. Cochereau; Fanfare for the Common Man, A. Copland; and Les sauvages from Les Indes galantes by Rameau.

The 1929 Grand E.M. Skinner Concert Organ is the centerpiece for Music in the Museum, a concert series hosted three times a year at Cincinnati Museum Center.

The rest of the series looks great, too:

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Presenting Johannes Skoog, Organist. Johannes Skoog is winner of the First Prize and the Bach Prize at the 2024 Canadian International Organ Competition and he is one of Sweden’s brightest young organists. He will collaborate with the combined Choirs of Christ Church Cathedral, Stephan Casurella, Director and St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Carlton Monroe, Director.

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Presenting Isabelle Demers, Organist. Isabelle Demers is Associate Professor of Organ at McGill University. Her programs includes arias and other numbers in collaboration with University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Professor of Voice, Tenor, Daniel Weeks. You don’t want to miss “Nessun dorma”!

The concerts are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: visit cincymuseum.org/music-in-the-museum. For questions, call (513) 287-7036

CCM fills more positions: Violinist Kenneth Renshaw and Tyler Ehrlich, wind studies

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Kenneth Renshaw, photo by Yang Bao

UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has been busy announcing new faculty members to fill many vacancies that have occurred this year at CCM. He’s just announced the appointment of Kenneth Renshaw as CCM’s new Assistant Professor of Violin.

In addition, the dean has announced Tyler Ehrlich, DMA, as CCM’s new assistant professor and Assistant Director of Wind Studies.

Both faculty appointments officially begin on Aug. 15, 2025.Read More »

New musical hires at Cincinnati Ballet and CCM

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Alyssa Wang. Photo by Robert Torres Photography

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.

Jose Maria Condemi

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.

Brian Hong

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.

What a weekend and — CCM faculty departures

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As usual, the spring season is packed with concerts, events and exhibitions. Last weekend, Jaap van Zweden made his first visit to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and wowed attendees with his interpretation of Mahler’s Sixth. Here’s my review of that concert on April 25.

On Sunday, I visited the new home of Cincinnati Public Radio. It was inspiring to see its halls, airy offices, performance spaces and grounds packed with people and many families enjoying food trucks and instrument petting zoos. Outside, Cincinnati Public Radio President, GM and CEO Rich Eiswerth was directing traffic. Inside, I heard Matthew Swanson lead members of the May Festival Chorus in “Everything’s Coming up Roses,” and indeed, it was.

Also last weekend, I heard a farewell concert on April 26 in Corbett Auditorium at CCM in honor of two CCM faculty members, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music Theory and Composition Miguel Roig-Francoli and Professor of Voice and Dieterle Chair of Music Karen Lykes, both retiring after careers of some 30 years each.

The opening work was Red River Variations, consisting of a theme penned by Roig-Francoli, followed by eight variations written by his colleagues and current and former students, in his honor. I marveled at the inventive and varied contributions, performed by the CCM Concert Orchestra conducted by its music director Aik Khai Pung.  It was fun to see the fine work by this orchestra, which featured in the concertmaster chair Roig-Francoli’s son, Rafael.

And how inspiring it was to hear opera soprano Joélle Harvey return to perform Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, in honor of Karen Lykes. Harvey’s reputation has soared since graduating from CCM, with performances on the world’s most important stages, from the Met to Teatro La Fenice. I enjoyed her beauty of phrasing and expressive power. It was a sublime tribute to her teacher.

The evening ended with the orchestra’s performance of Roig-Francoli’s own Sinfonia, “De profundis,” in its North American premiere. Its four well-crafted movements ranged from highly dramatic to light and gleaming with color.

Earlier this year, I enjoyed another farewell performance. Professor of Opera Robin Guarino directed her final production at CCM, Benjamin Britten’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” before retiring at the end of this semester. Here’s the review of that enchanting performance.

In fact, eight CCM faculty members, plus one staff member, will be retiring this academic year. I’m assured that searches are currently taking place for their successors.

Here’s the list, with thanks to these superb artist-teachers, and all that they have given to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, their students and the arts community.Read More »

Louisville Orchestra’s new Principal Harpist to perform at NKU

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Grace Roepke, the newly-appointed Principal Harpist of the Louisville Orchestra, is coming to Greaves Concert Hall at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) to perform a solo recital on Wednesday, April 2 at 7:00 p.m.

Her program will include standard solo classical harp material, including J.S. Bach, Jean Cras, Marcel Grandjany, as well as contemporary Canadian composer Caroline Lizotte and more. The concert is free and open to the public.

Roepke’s playing has been described as “Impeccable fingering and footwork” by Classical Voice of North Carolina, the statewide arts journal.

Equally at home as an orchestral harpist or a soloist, Roepke has received top prizes in the Dutch World Harp Competition, The American Harp Society National Competition and the Lyon & Healy Awards.

As a soloist, she has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra and The Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, among others. She has appeared as a Guest Principal Harpist with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Roepke also champions contemporary music. She has premiered a number of contemporary works with renowned artists, such as Yo Yo Ma and Anne Sophie Mutter. Roepke has served on the faculty of the Brevard Music Center, and has given master classes at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Suzuki of the Americas Conference.

Her concert is co-sponsored by Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts (SOTA), the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Harp Society,  the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), and the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA).

The recital will take place at Greaves Concert Hall, Northern Kentucky University (NKU), 141 Fine Arts Building, 1 Louie B Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41076.

Admission is free, and no advance reservations are required. For more information, please visit https://www.nku.edu/academics/artsci/about/SchoolOfTheArts/news-events/music.html.

For parking options and a good campus map, please visit https://nku.edu/sotaparking

Questions can be addressed to boxoffice@nku.edu, or by calling the box office between 12-4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 859-572-5464.

Rick Steves, Cincinnati Pops show to premiere April 3 on CET

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Rick Steves hosted the Cincinnati Pops, and even picked up the baton once/photos by JP Leong

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra anounced this week that Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey, co-produced by local public television station CET and based on Rick Steves’ performance with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra last September, is scheduled to premiere Thursday, April 3, at 8 pm on CET, ThinkTV16 and the PBS App.

The concert will also be distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT) starting on April 1.

The original show was performed and filmed in Music Hall in Sept. 2024. Here’s my review, free to read on bizjournals.com.

“Hosting this event — combining three of my loves: travel, history and music as a tour guide on stage with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and maestro John Morris Russell — has been one of the creative highlights of my career. It’s a one-hour celebration of live classical music like none other,” said the popular public television host and guidebook author.

Show goes on, but network outage reported at Music Hall

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The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has reported a network outage at Music Hall. Saturday’s Classical Roots in-person performance in Music Hall will continue as planned. However, the digital premiere will now take place on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (instead of live) on the CSO’s YouTube channel and website.

Also, the box office is closed, but the website, cincinnatisymphony.org, is fully operational.

The orchestra said in a statement that it is working quickly to resolve the issue.