UC College-Conservatory of Music » Areas of Study » Academic Units » Wind Studies

Wind Studies

The CCM Wind Ensembles rehearses in Corbett Auditorium with Maestro Kevin Holzman

CCM's Department of Wind Studies offers a number of ensembles for credit, including the CCM Wind Symphony, CCM Wind Ensemble, CCM Chamber Winds and CCM Brass Choir. The department also offers the CCM Chamber Orchestra in collaboration with the Department of Orchestral Studies.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ct5_pLBd-8I?rel=0

Each ensemble meets two to three times per week and each performs six full programs anually. Each graduate conducting student conducts all five of these ensembles each year, supervised by our full-time faculty.

Degree Programs

CCM offers both the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting. The following courses are core to both programs:

  • Survey of Wind Literature: Year-long course covering the wind repertoire from the Medieval period through today. Assessment is based on score identification, listening identification, and essay topics.
  • Seminar in Wind Conducting: Weekly meeting of graduate students to address repertoire, rehearsal techniques and other skills required for conductors. Conducting majors participate in this course each semester in residence, one two-hour session per week.
  • Applied Study in Wind Conducting: Weekly private conducting lessons with Professor Price to view videotapes of rehearsals, discuss score study, and improve technique.
Learn More About the MM Program Learn More About the DMA Program
Headshot of Thomas P Gamboa

Thomas P Gamboa, 

Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Wind Studies

513-556-5394

View Full Profile
Headshot of Kevin Michael Holzman

Kevin Michael Holzman, 

Assistant Professor and Director of Wind Studies; Interim Division Head, Ensembles and Conducting

513-556-9424

View Full Profile

CCM's admissions process begins on August 1 (undergraduate) and September 1 (graduate) for entrance in the following year's fall semester. All application materials must be submitted on or before December 1 to be considered for specific scholarship awards. Visit the CCM Admissions website for additional application instructions.

Pre-screening and Audition Requirements

Pre-screening

Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 1 in order to be considered for admissions and invited for an audition.

Pre-screening Requirements

Note: The video should be from the ensemble perspective, not from behind the conductor.

  • Choral – Video recording of a rehearsal and a performance
  • Orchestral – Video recording (no more than 15 minutes) of at least two contrasting works in performance/rehearsal; either excerpts thereof or in their entirety (may include one rehearsal video)
  • Wind – Video recording of a rehearsal and a performance 

Audition

More information about auditions coming soon.

Choral

Choral Conductors must submit performance examples of their keyboard, vocal, and ear training.  Each of these is defined below.

  • Keyboard: Submit a video example of your keyboard abilities. Demonstrate your musicianship by submitting an example of a solo piece where you feel most comfortable and musical. 
  • Vocal: Submit a video of your solo vocal abilities.  This can be any song, aria, lieder, etc. of your choosing. Consider demonstrating your musical ability, use of language, and intonation skills.
  • Ear Training: We will provide two excerpts for you to video record and submit.  One will be of yourself singing one part while playing another, and the other will be a single line that you will sing a cappella. The purpose of this excerpt is to assess your ability to learn music accurately and musically. 
  • Interview: Please prepare the following excerpts as if you were going to conduct and rehearse. The committee will have a conversation with you regarding historical relevance, musical characteristics, and pedagogy (conducting/teaching).
    • MM – Mozart Requiem, Introit and Kyrie (Süssmayer)
    • DMA – Beethoven 9th Symphony, be able to discuss the entire symphony but focus on the fourth movement.
a vibrant performance

Janelle's Notes

The CCM Wind Symphony is comprised of highly advanced performers of wind and percussion instruments. The ensemble is internationally recognized as one of the finest groups of its kind. Each semester the players are auditioned and assigned parts on a rotating basis. Following a philosophy of one player per part and adopting flexible instrumentation according to the composer’s intentions, the ensemble performs chamber music, selected transcriptions, concerti and original full ensemble repertoire spanning five centuries. The CCM Wind Symphony performs six concerts on campus per season as well as appearing regularly in local school concerts and as special guest artists for conferences, festivals and special events.

Acknowledged as "wonderful and exciting" with performances described as "powerful, moving and thrilling," the CCM Wind Ensemble draws its membership from the finest undergraduate and graduate musicians. Acclaimed for the quality of its performances as well as the diversity and originality of its programming, the CCM Wind Ensemble is dedicated to bringing the finest traditional and contemporary literature to their audiences. This organization has appeared numerous times before the Ohio Music Educators Association, the Kentucky Music Educators Association, the American Society of University Composers, and has been heard nationally through broadcasts on National Public Radio.

The CCM Chamber Winds is comprised of two double wind quintets and focuses on standard wind chamber music repertoire, including works by such composers as Mozart, Krommer, Beethoven, and Strauss, as well as more contemporary repertoire. The CCM Chamber Winds perform as part of the CCM noon-hour Atrium series.

The CCM Chamber Players have combined with the college's "Café MoMus" ensemble to form an exciting new ensemble: CCM Chamber Orchestra. Under the direction of Kevin Michael Holzman and Aik Khai Pung, this ensemble performs chamber works by iconic composers.

All graduate students in wind conducting that are in full-time residence receive a University Graduate Scholarship for full tuition. Wind Conducting majors also receive a 90% assistantship for 18 hours of work per week. Duties for the assistantship are divided among the studio and include:

  • Teaching assistant for undergraduate instrumental conducting classes
  • Instructor of first-year Introduction to Conducting class
  • Teaching assistant for Survey of Wind Literature
  • Public relations
  • Scheduling
  • Program information
  • Rehearsal and performance set-up and strike
  • Production assistant for recording sessions

Wind Conducting majors are assigned repertoire to rehearse and perform with five ensembles on a rotating basis, normally working with all ensembles each year.

News and Events

CCM's Graduate Student Association wins GSA of the year award

April 21, 2021

Earlier this month, the University of Cincinnati’s Graduate Student Government recognized the College-Conservatory of Music’s Graduate Student Association (GSA) with its GSA of the Year award. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions that the group has made to the quality of graduate student life within the CCM and UC communities. This year’s GSA consists of Maria Seffrin, president; Caitlan Truelove, vice president; Muning Wang, secretary; and Matt Coffey, treasurer. The Graduate Student Government also recognized Truelove with the Graduate Student Award for Exemplary Scholarship.
Load More
Debug Query for this