Alumni & Support

March 23, 2025

UC College-Conservatory of Music alumna Emma Marhefka, soprano (MM Voice ’23) has "won the Met" in the grand finals of the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. One of the most prestigious singing competitions in the world, the Laffont Competition finals took place on March 16, with singers accompanied by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Five singers won the finals including Marhefka. CCM singer Samuel Kidd, baritone (MM Voice ‘21), also competed in the final round.

February 12, 2025

Each year, the UC Alumni Association (UCAA) honors a select few of its more than 350,000 alumni based on their career accomplishments and contributions to the university and community, recognizing them during Alumni Week festivities.

February 11, 2025

UC College-Conservatory of Music alumni Leslie Jones and Dalia Sakas will retire from the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School, an institution dedicated to providing music education to the blind and visually impaired after decades of service.

February 5, 2025

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences presented the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, and several of this year's Grammy Award-winning projects featured CCM talent.

November 27, 2024

Show your school spirit this spring with official CCM apparel! New UC College-Conservatory of Music apparel is available for purchase online. CCM's latest quarter zip and crewneck sweatshirt designs can be ordered online now through Dec. 8, 2024. You can preview both items below.

November 25, 2024

Watch the next alumni guest lecture presented as part of CCM Speaks, led by the UC Alumni Association. UC College-Conservatory of Music alum Kathleen Shimeta presents "Bringing Back Branscombe: A Woman Composer Lost – Now Found."

November 19, 2024

Vocal Arts Ensemble, the region’s premier professional vocal ensemble, has announced the appointment of Joe Miller as the fifth music director in the ensemble’s 45-year history, following a search that drew national and international interest.

November 19, 2024

Watch the latest alumni guest lecture presented as part of CCM Speaks, lead by the UC Alumni Association. UC College-Conservatory of Music alum Evan Gidley presents "Inspiring Hope: Creating Connection Through Participatory Art."

November 14, 2024

UC's College-Conservatory of Music presents Broadway classic Wonderful Town later this month, and CCM faculty member Ian Axness recently appeared on WGUC's Cincinnati Spotlight to discuss the musical.

November 12, 2024

This year, four UC College-Conservatory of Music alumni and one current faculty member are among the nominees named for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be held in February of 2025. Represented across five categories, the Bearcats specifically named in the Grammy's published list of nominees include CCM Associate Professor of Voice Elliot Madore along with alumni Shoshana Bean (BFA Musical Theatre '99), Aaron Lazar (MFA Musical Theatre, ’00), Kevin McCollum (BFA Musical Theatre ’84, HonDoc ’05), Fotina Naumenko (MM Voice ‘12, DMA Voice ‘18), Jeannette Sorrell (MM Orchestral Conducting, att. ‘86-88) and Donald Nally (BM Music Education ‘82).

November 4, 2024

The UC College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) proudly celebrates the recent achievements of alumna Miranda Southwood (MA/MBA Arts Administration), who has taken on the role of Executive Director of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYPO). In this new leadership role, Miranda is excited to guide AYPO's next chapter as it celebrates its 60th anniversary.

October 17, 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus an countertenor John Holiday (MM Voice, '12) was recently featured on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. Watch his performance online.

October 16, 2024

The UC College-Conservatory of Music opened its 2024-25 concert series in epic fashion on Saturday, Sept. 21, with a sold out performance of Gustav Mahler’s colossal Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection," in Corbett Auditorium. The entire performance is now available for on-demand streaming below, including opening remarks by new CCM Dean Pete Jutras. This performance of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony features the combined forces of the CCM Philharmonia student orchestra, CCM Chamber Choir, CCM Chorale and UC Choruses, along with alumni guest artists Amanda Woodbury (soprano) and Kayleigh Decker (mezzo-soprano). CCM faculty member Mark Gibson conducts.

October 8, 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music students are lighting Cincinnati during BLINK, the nation's largest immersive art and light event. Illuminated by ArtsWave, BLINK transforms 30+ city blocks from Over-the-Rhine through Northern Kentucky on Oct. 17-20, 2024.

September 23, 2024

CCM alumna Taylor Fleshman joined "The President's Own" United States Marine Band as the harpist in July 2023. A Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps., Fleshman's role as the Marine Band's harpist includes being a featured soloist when the ensemble performs at the White House and in annual concert tours across the country.

September 20, 2024

Considered by many to be the most prestigious international opera competition, Operalia has helped launch the careers of some of the genre’s brightest stars. Each year, a select number of opera’s most promising young singers are invited from a pool of hundreds of applicants to participate. This year, three CCM alumni were among those selected to compete in Mumbai, India.

September 16, 2024

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music has once again been named as one of Playbill’s “Big 10.” Ranked as one of the top star-producing institutions in the nation, CCM was represented by at least 24 alumni performing on Broadway stages during the 2023-24 season according to Playbill's coverage.

September 2, 2024

CCM Associate Professor of Music Aik Khai Pung traveled to Beijing this summer and reconnected with a variety of alumni making names for themselves in the global music scene. Learn more about them in the round up below!

August 9, 2024

Tony nominee Dorian Harewood was honored with a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music on August 8. Harewood studied at CCM, but left the university in 1972 prior to graduating to pursue his first acting offer.

July 16, 2024

Lighting & Sound America spotlights recent graduate Riley Rowan's new position at Bandit Lites, a full-service design, management and producer of live events and entertainment.

July 16, 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus Donald Lawrence is part of the 2024 class of Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame inductees. Located at the Banks in downtown Cincinnati, the induction ceremony on July 27 will feature a parade of stars and a free concert by the Zapp Band.

June 14, 2024

Watch the first alumni guest lecture presented as part of CCM Speaks, led by the UC Alumni Association. UC College-Conservatory of Music alum Timothy O'Neill presents "A New Renaissance: AI's Future Influence on Classical Music."

June 12, 2024

Broadway.com features UC College-Conservatory of Music alumna Isabella Byrd ahead of the 2024 Tony Awards. Byrd received two Tony Award Nominations — Best Lighting Design of a Play for An Enemy of the People and Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.

June 6, 2024

Curious to know where the 2024 Tony Award nominees received their theatre education? Playbill created a list of the eight schools that contain the most Tony nominees — and UC's College-Conservatory of Music is tied for third.

June 3, 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus Micah Roberts (MM Music Theory, '24) won the 2024 Patricia Carpenter Emerging Scholar Award from the Music Theory Society of New York State (MTSNYS).

June 3, 2024

Four UC College-Conservatory of Music alumni are named nominees in the 77th annual Tony Awards, recognizing the excellent work shared in Broadway productions during the 2023-24 season. The nominees, announced Tuesday, April 30, include Isabella Byrd (BFA Lighting Design and Technology, ’09), Shoshana Bean (BFA Musical Theatre, '99), Dorian Harewood and Leslie Kritzer (BFA Musical Theatre, '99).

May 20, 2024

The United States Coast Guard Band brings its "Heartland Harmonies" concert tour to UC's College-Conservatory of Music on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The free concert is presented in Corbett Auditorium as part of the band's tour through the American South and Midwest regions for public performances and educational outreach.

May 16, 2024

A UC College-Conservatory of Music alumna recently received the 2024 Richard Tucker Career Grant and made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera. Elena Villalón (BM Voice, ’19) is one of three recipients of the $10,000 grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation.

May 6, 2024

Through the Lonely Instruments for Needy Kids (LINKS) program, you can donate your used band or orchestra instrument to a young musician who cannot afford to rent or purchase their own. The LINKS instrument donation drive is at 10 a.m.-4 p.m. this Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11 2024, at any Willis Music or Buddy Rogers Music location. A project of CCMpower in partnership with Willis Music and Buddy Roger’s Music, LINKS began in 1994 as the brainchild of CCM alumnus Bill Harvey (BM Music Education, 1971). The owner of Buddy Roger’s Music, Harvey wanted to fill the need for students whose parents were unable to buy, rent or borrow an instrument. The solution was to create a “recycling program” for musical instruments.

May 6, 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus François López-Ferrer (BM Composition, ‘12) is the recipient of the prestigious Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, awarded annually to a promising American conductor 36 years of age or younger. One of the largest of its kind, it provides essential career guidance, industry connections and a cash award of $30,000 to aid grant recipients as they further hone the skills of their craft.

May 3, 2024

TREMOR is a performance art project created in response to Brianna Matzke's essential tremor diagnosis. It features a world premiere piano concert and panel discussion at 6 p.m. on May 5, 2024 at the American Sign Museum. The project also includes an art opening, with musical responses from local new-music ensemble concert:nova on April 28 at The Well.

April 29, 2024

24-hour challenge raises more than $3.8 million to support scholarships, drive innovation, and help the UC community continue to thrive.

April 26, 2024

UC's College-Conservatory of Music is proud to present alumni and distinguished service awards to outstanding members of our community at the end of each academic year. The 2024 awards are presented to four accomplished alumni and one dedicated patron in a private virtual event on April 23.

April 26, 2024

New downtown artwork salutes 18 alumni award recipients who personify UC’s alumni success.

April 22, 2024

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music is thrilled to congratulate alums Titilayo Ayangade (BM Cello, ’14) and Jaime Sharp (MM Voice, ’22) on their recent wins of two MPower Artist Grants from the Sphinx Organization. Available only to alumni of the Sphinx Organization, these competitive grants are intended to “empower artists’ careers.”

March 12, 2024

In a new short film created by CCM's Production Master Class, viewers can peek backstage to see how the September 2023 production of the musical rom-com Sweet Charity was designed and run by a team of students from throughout the college's Theatre Design and Production Department. Current CCM students Kali Ashurst, Baron Leon, Clara Cavins and Claire Bonnette, along with alumni guest artist Joshua E. Gallagher, discuss how they put their education into action while creating this acclaimed production.

March 11, 2024

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) alumna Chaowen Ting (MM Orchestral Conducting, ‘11) recently won second prize at the Felix Mendelssohn Conducting Competition. Held annually Karlovy Vary, in the Czech Republic, the Mendelssohn Competition draws talent from all over the world, and past awardees hold posts at major symphonies and operas in Europe, America and Asia.

February 23, 2024

The New York Times recently featured the East Coast premiere of "Blind Injustice," an opera based on true exonerations achieved by the Ohio Innocence Project. The production opened on Feb. 16 , 2024, at Peak Performances at Montclair State University. Premiered in 2019 at Cincinnati Opera, the opera was first workshopped through Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW), a collaboration between Cincinnati Opera and UC College-Conservatory of Music.

February 16, 2024

Each year, the UC Alumni Association (UCAA) honors a select few of its more than 340,000 alumni based on their career accomplishments and contributions to the university and community, recognizing them during Alumni Week festivities each spring.

February 14, 2024

Show your school spirit this spring with official CCM apparel! New UC College-Conservatory of Music apparel is available for purchase online. CCM's Spring 2024 t-shirt and hoodie designs can be ordered online now through March 18, 2024.

April 10, 2024

Hey look moms, we're in the news! Catch up with local media coverage of UC's College-Conservatory of Music, featuring preview stories that spotlight CCM performances and feature stories about CCM alumni!

February 12, 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music celebrates the amazing successes of recent alumni, Jessica Findley Yang (MM Bassoon, ’16) and Hannah Peterson (BM Flute, ‘12), who both won principal positions with the Minnesota Opera Orchestra in the group’s most recent auditions. This GRAMMY-nominated, Pulitzer-Prize winning group is based in Minneapolis, and boasts an impressive playbill each season.

February 9, 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music undergraduate Voice student Sam Dhobhany recently won the Ana Maria Martinez Encouragement Award in Houston Grand Opera’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. Dhobhany, a bass-baritone in the studio of Professor Ken Shaw, competed in Houston on February 2 during the “Concert of Arias,” the competition’s live-broadcasted final round.

February 9, 2024

Yamaha honors the work of music educators with the "40 Under 40" list, highlighting young teachers and pedagogues who bring innovation to their classrooms. UC College-Conservatory of Music alumna Paulina Villarreal (DMA Voice ’18, MM Voice ‘15) made the 2024 list for her work as an Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Memphis. Her efforts to diversify the curriculum's repertoire brought important awareness to lesser-known composers from underrepresented backgrounds.

February 1, 2024

CCM alumna Joélle Harvey (BM Voice ‘07, MM Voice ‘09) will join the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the May Festival Chorus for three performances of Johannes Brahms' large-scale Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) at Cincinnati Music Hall later this month. Presented as part of Louis Langrée's final season as music director of the CSO, this large-scale work was written for orchestra and chorus with soprano and baritone soloists, and the CSO's Feb. 9-11 performances will feature Harvey as the soprano soloist, along with baritone soloist Will Liverman in his debut with the CSO.

January 30, 2024

The UC College-Conservatory of Music has numerous alums employed by military bands all across the nation. However, one such luminary recently made history, achieving an unprecedented honor: Adrienne Doctor (BM Music Ed, ’11; MM Trumpet, ’15), the first female drum major to lead a band at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

January 30, 2024

The UC College-Conservatory of Music is thrilled to congratulate DMA composition students Kevin Li, who was recently named the winner of the 2023 American Prize in Composition university division, and Wenbin Lyu, who was awarded 3rd place in the same competition.

January 19, 2024

Hollywood may be synonymous with the film industry and big-budget blockbusters, but you can find talented filmmakers in every corner of the country. For Clark Comstock and Claire Foley, what began as a class project turned into a major opportunity — their short film "Kayla Baby" will premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival on January 22 and 24 in Park City, Utah.

January 17, 2024

Alumni from UC College-Conservatory of Music help create the sights and sounds at The Sphere, a groundbreaking performance venue in Las Vegas.

January 16, 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) students and Broadway alumni took the stage at Carnegie Hall to present a one-night-only performance and fundraiser to help support the next generation of performing and media artists. The January 14 event honored CCM alumnus Stephen Flaherty while also raising money for CCM scholarships and educational initiatives.

January 8, 2024

The University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music is excited to introduce a new event this spring called CCM Speaks.

December 18, 2023

Following an extensive national search, the Cincinnati May Festival has announced UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus Matthew Swanson as its next director of choruses.

December 5, 2023

Each year, the BroadwayWorld Awards honor excellence in the city’s performing arts scene. This year, the faculty and students of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) are nominated 20 times in 11 categories—including Best Musical, Best Opera, Best Choreography, Best Sound Design, and more!

November 6, 2023

CCM celebrates the legacy of trailblazing trombonist Betty Glover in a tribute concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12, at St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky. Featuring the CCM Brass Choir, the performance features student and faculty artists, guest artists from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, alumni and more.

September 26, 2023

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music will celebrate the life and teaching legacy of Barbara Honn in a memorial service scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, in CCM's Robert J. Werner Recital Hall.

September 25, 2023

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music has once again been named as one of Playbill’s “Big 10.” Ranked as one of the top star-producing institutions in the nation, CCM was represented by at least 24 alumni performing on Broadway stages during the ’22-23 season.

September 18, 2023

Peter Landgren, President of the University of Cincinnati Foundation and Vice President of University Advancement, has announced his retirement. Landgren, a proud alumnus of the UC College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), has held his position since October 2017.

August 29, 2023

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music congratulates alum Sean McKay (MM Trumpet, ‘20) on his recent appointment to "The Book of Mormon" National Tour pit orchestra. Returning after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, this nine-time Tony Award winning musical adds numerous new stops for its 2023-24 season.

August 18, 2023

A faculty member and an alumna of UC College-Conservatory of Music's Media Production program won National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmys during the 2023 award cycle. Professor Joe Brackman won an Ohio Valley Emmy Award in the Director category and alumna Paula Gibson Pujol (BFA '19) won a Northwest Regional Emmy in the Sports Program, Post-Produced or Edited category.

July 25, 2023

UC College-Conservatory of Music Interim Dean Jonathan Kregor has announced the addition of Nick Photinos to the college’s roster of distinguished performing and media arts faculty members. A four-time Grammy Award-winning cellist, Photinos begins his new role as CCM’s Professor of Chamber Music and Eminent Scholar on Aug. 15, 2023.

July 18, 2023

Auditioning for a professional ensemble can be a stressful experience. It often involves mastering or memorizing difficult repertoire, travel and multiple rounds of auditions and interviews — plus countless hours spent in practice rooms to rehearse. We celebrate the CCM stars who recently won positions with professional ensembles throughout the country! These students and recent graduates show a glimpse into the college's expanding network of professionals working and thriving in the performing arts landscape.

June 20, 2023

UC College-Conservatory of Music students and alumni are taking over Music Hall during the Cincinnati Opera's Summer Festival.

June 20, 2023

UC College-Conservatory of Music Interim Dean Jonathan Kregor has announced the addition of Samuel Stricklen to the college’s roster of distinguished performing and media arts faculty members.

May 31, 2023

Newly minted University of Cincinnati alum Hayden Glasgow says the path to becoming a working artist can be challenging. Fortunately for Glasgow, CCM ’23, the generosity of others is allowing him to pursue a music career.

May 22, 2023

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Lighting Design student Natalia Carlson spent her last semester in Germany, next she'll travel to California and New York for the Hemsley Lighting internship.

May 9, 2023

UC College-Conservatory of Music alumna Christina Littlejohn (MA Arts Administration, '99) won the 2023 Governor's Arts Award for Arts Community Development. The awards program recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses for their outstanding contributions to the arts in Arkansas.

May 2, 2023

UC College-Conservatory of Music Interim Dean Jonathan Kregor has announced the addition of Ian Axness to the college’s roster of distinguished performing and media arts faculty members. A versatile conductor, collaborative pianist and teaching artist, Axness first joined CCM’s faculty as an adjunct and guest resident music director in 2022. His new appointment as Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre and Resident Music Director will begin on Aug. 15, 2023.

April 24, 2023

UC's College-Conservatory of Music is proud to present alumni and distinguished service awards to outstanding members of our community at the end of each academic year. The 2023 awards are presented to five accomplished alumni and one dedicated patron in a private virtual event as well as during the CCM's Graduation Convocation Ceremony on Friday, April 28.

April 24, 2023

CCM proudly celebrates Teresa Perrotta (MM Vocal Performance, ’19 and AD Opera Performance, ’21) and Chuanyuan Liu (AD Opera Performance, ’23), who have advanced through the district and regional levels of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition to reach the semifinal round, held on the Met stage in New York April 17.

April 17, 2023

Join the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Philharmonia as they celebrate the close of another fantastic season with Mahler and the Eternal at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.

April 11, 2023

Cincinnati’s Taft Museum has named Anita Graef (MM Cello ’19) the 2023 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence. The residency is designed to center the work of black artists from a variety of disciplines, and includes performances and educational events around the Cincinnati area. Graef, who was a CSO/CCM Diversity Fellow, will perform April 16, 21 and 29 as part of her Duncanson Residency.

April 7, 2023

CCM is proud to announce that Nina Agelvis (MFA Lighting Design and Technology ‘21) is among the talented emerging professionals nominated for a Parnelli NextGen of the Year Award

April 7, 2023

New downtown artwork will pay tribute to 18 extraordinary alumni award recipients, highlighting impact and excellence in the UC community.

March 27, 2023

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Alumna Dylan Mulvaney (BFA Musical Theater, 2019) triumphantly returned to the stage on Monday, March 13 in her Rainbow Room debut. Starring in her original, one-night-only show Dylan Mulvaney’s Day 365 Live!, Mulvaney presented an 80-minure cabaret-style variety show celebration that has been lauded by industry giants such as PLAYBILL and Variety.

March 24, 2023

Walking with Bubbles, a one-woman musical opening March 31 at the AMT Theater in New York, is the culmination of years of work by talented artists. There’s something special about this production, though: it’s written, directed, designed by and starring UC College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) alumni and faculty!

February 10, 2023

The Ohio Arts Council selected UC College-Conservatory of Music alumna Kathy Wade (MM Arts Administration, '81) to receive a Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio. In recognition of their impactful and visionary leadership in Ohio’s creative sector and their sustained dedication to promoting artistic excellence, awardees will be honored during a ceremony on May 17, 2023. Each of the winners will receive an original work of art by painter Brian Robinson of Dover.

February 6, 2023

Congratulations for the Time for Three ensemble on their Grammy Award-winning album, "Letters for the Future," which features the Philhadelphia Orchestra led by CCM alumna Xian Zhang.

October 21, 2022

UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus David Seitz (Theatrical Lighting, 2013) recently returned to Cincinnati to help produce one of the city's most popular events: BLINK 2022.

September 26, 2022

The UC College-Conservatory of Music is proud to share news of the appointment of alumnus Stephen Jones (MM Double Bass, ‘22) to the tenure-track position of Assistant Principal Bass in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

July 22, 2022

The University of Cincinnati is saddened to share news of the passing of CCM Assistant Dean Emeritus Paul Hillner. A pillar of the CCM community for more than 40 years, Hillner passed away on July 20, 2022, at the age of 70.

June 28, 2022

UC College-Conservatory of Music Musical Theatre alumnus Blaine Alden Krauss is the inaugural recipient of YoungArts' The Ashley Longshore Excellence in the Arts Award. In honor of musical theatre artist Patrick B. Hale, the award aims to support to artists at all stages of their careers. Winners receive an unrestricted $25,000 award and mentorship opportunities.

June 16, 2022

Conductor, arranger and CCM alumnus Avishay Shalom (MM Orchestral Conducting, ‘16) received first prize at the second edition of the Arthur Nikisch International Conducting Competition, which was held from June 6-11, 2022, in Bulgaria.

June 15, 2022

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music alumnus Max Clayton is stepping into Hugh Jackman's role in Broadway's "The Music Man" while the movie star is out sick with COVID.