University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a performing and media arts college of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.[4] Initially established as the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 1867, CCM is one of the oldest continually operating conservatories in the US.[5]
Other name
CCM
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (1867–1955), College of Music of Cincinnati (1878–1955), Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (1955–1962)
Juncta Juvant ("Strength in Unity")
1867
National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), Higher Learning Commission
1,403 (Fall 2023)
883 (Fall 2023)
Red - Black - White [3]
The college is an accredited institution of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), and a member of the University/ Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA).[6][7][8] In addition, the University of Cincinnati and all regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.[9][10]
History[edit]
Early years[edit]
The Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music was formed in August 1955 from the merger of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, formed in 1867 as part of a girls' finishing school, and the College of Music of Cincinnati, which opened in 1878.[11][12] CCM was incorporated into the University of Cincinnati on August 1, 1962.[13] The college is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
Some of Cincinnati's professional performing arts organizations can trace their origins back to CCM. CCM's first opera department was established in 1917 under the leadership of Ralph Lyford, an American composer and conductor. In 1920 Lyford founded the Summer Zoo Opera at the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens, a summer performance series that eventually evolved into what is now known as Cincinnati Opera.[14][15] Cincinnati Ballet's debut performances took place at Wilson Auditorium on the University of Cincinnati campus in 1964 and 1965.[16] In 1966, the directorship of the ballet company passed on to David McLain, who at the time also headed CCM's Dance Division. Cincinnati Ballet's early connection to CCM gave the new company studio space for classes and rehearsals, access to talented students, and performance space in Wilson Auditorium.[17][18][19][20]
Present day[edit]
CCM has an enrollment of 1,403 as of the Fall 2023 academic term: 883 undergraduate students and 520 graduate students.[21][22][23][24] According to data provided by the college, students come to CCM from 41 different US states and 41 different countries.[25] International students represent nearly one quarter of the student body.[26]
The college's personnel includes 116 full-time faculty members, 151 part-time faculty members and 53 staff members.[27]
CCM is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in Ohio, with nearly one thousand performances each academic year.[28] Many of these performances are free to University of Cincinnati students and CCM now offers both a music minor and a media production minor.[29] CCM also offers a wide variety of arts elective courses that are open to all University of Cincinnati students.[30]
CCM is organized into eight academic divisions, many of which contain several different departments or programs.[31] These areas of the school offer multiple degree options – bachelor of arts (BA), bachelor of fine arts (BFA), bachelor of music (BM), master of arts (MA), master of music education (MME) master of fine arts (MFA), master of music (MM), doctor of musical arts (DMA), doctor of philosophy (PhD) and artist diploma (AD) – as follows:[32]
The college also offers many pre-college, professional development and continuing education programs through the CCM Prep and Summer Programs Office.[33]
Academics[edit]
Music[edit]
CCM offers postgraduate, graduate and undergraduate degrees in music, along with an academic minor.[34] Doctor of Musical Arts degrees are offered in all performance, conducting, and academic areas (except classical guitar and jazz studies) including Ph.D. programs in musicology, music history and music theory. Advanced degrees called Artist Diplomas are available in most performance areas as well. Master of Music degrees are available in all those programs, including classical guitar and jazz studies, as well as collaborative piano and music education. All undergraduate music programs are performance-based and attain a Bachelor of Music degree. A music BA is offered.[35]
Musical Theater[edit]
Founded in 1969, the musical theater program at CCM is the oldest bachelor's degree program of its class in the United States.[36] It is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top musical theater programs and is presumed to be the most selective undergraduate program at the University of Cincinnati.[37] Playbill reports CCM as the second-most represented institution on Broadway in the 2017–2018 season.[38] When the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of the musical theater program's annual senior showcase in New York City, CCM became the first program in the nation to produce a "virtual senior showcase" for casting agents and industry professionals.[39]
Opera[edit]
CCM Opera and vocal studies ranked second in the United States in 2017[40] and 2020,[41] and Backstage Magazine included CCM on its 2021 list of "12 College Vocal Programs You Should Know."[42] The Masters program focuses on stage experience, vocal technique, coaching and academic musicality. Masters students and recent alumni are represented in the nation's top young artist programs, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and Opera Theater Saint Louis.[43][44][45] Each March, CCM holds its Opera Scholarship Competition, a vocal competition eligible to students in CCM's graduate opera program, featuring five prizes including full-tuition scholarships plus $10,000 to $15,000 in cash prizes.[46]
Acting for Stage and Screen[edit]
CCM offers a BFA in acting designed to train students for the dramatic theater as well as for work in film and television.[47] While the majority of programs related to the school's theater departments are undergraduate, a number of Master of Fine Arts degree tracks are offered in theater design and production.[48] In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter named CCM number 12 on its list of the top 25 undergraduate drama schools in the world.[49]
Theater Design and Production (TDP)[edit]
CCM TDP is one of two schools in the country to offer an MFA program in Makeup and Wig Design,[50] and one of very few to offer an MFA in Stage Properties.[51] Featuring an 8,500 square foot scene shop, 3,000 square foot costume shop, and wig, make-up and prosthetics studios it is one of the best schools for hands-on training and learning.[52][53][54] CCM TDP offers 13 different degrees all with hands-on training for each discipline.[55] Alumni have gone on to work with Feld Entertainment, Hamilton, Cirque Du Soleil, and many other notable companies.[56][57][58][59]
Arts Administration[edit]
CCM offers both an MA in Arts Administration and a dual MBA/MA in Arts Administration in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati's Carl H. Lindner College of Business.[63][64] The program is focused on preparing students to lead and manage arts organizations.
Media Production[edit]
The largest and fastest growing program at CCM is media production (formerly known as "electronic media").[65] The program offers a general Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in media production, as well as an academic minor.[66] The program uses a track-based curriculum with tracks in Film and Television Production, Broadcast Media Production and Multimedia Production with focus areas in web-site design, audio production and sports media. The curriculum in each track shares a common first year experience for all students. It requires two semesters of internships, a year-long capstone, and 18 credits in a minor or certificate program in addition to general education foundation from classes across campus. Media Production student organizations include a student radio station and student-run campus television station. Media Production alumni are heavily involved in the college's "CCM Onstage Online" performance broadcast series and "School, Stage and Screen" podcast series.[67]
Ranking[edit]
Multiple departments at CCM have ranked nationally among university programs for a graduate music degree, including its opera/voice program, its conducting program, French horn, music composition and drama programs.[89] CCM holds the #2 spot on Playbill's list of "10 Most Represented Colleges on Broadway," behind New York University.[90] In 2011, CCM was recognized as Ohio's first and only Center of Excellence in Music and Theatre Arts by the Ohio Board of Regents.[91] In 2019, CCM's Jazz Studies program was named the inaugural college affiliate of Jazz at Lincoln Center, which allowed nearly two dozen students and faculty members to accompany Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on an international residency in São Paulo, Brazil, from June 22–30, 2019.[92] More recently, Backstage Magazine included CCM in its list of "12 College Vocal Programs You Should Know" and the College Gazette ranked the school 2nd in its list of the top ten performing arts universities in the US.[93][94]
Notable projects[edit]
Opera Fusion: New Works[edit]
Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW) is a long-running partnership between CCM and Cincinnati Opera.[95][96] Created in 2011, OF:NW offers composers or composer/librettist teams the opportunity to workshop an opera during a 10-day residency in Cincinnati.[97] Residencies utilize the personnel, facilities, and artistic talent of both CCM and Cincinnati Opera. The workshops are cast with a combination of both CCM students and professional artists, and each workshop concludes with a free public presentation of excerpts followed by an audience question and answer session.
OF:NW's current co-artistic directors are Robin Guarino from CCM and Evans Mirageas from Cincinnati Opera.[98] From the program's inception in 2011 through 2018, Guarino was co-artistic director alongside Cincinnati Opera's Marcus Küchle. OF:NW has fostered the development of 12 new American operas to date, including The Hours, Awakenings, Castor and Patience, Hadrian, Intimate Apparel, Some Light Emerges, Fellow Travelers, Morning Star, Champion and Doubt.[99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116][117]
CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship[edit]
The CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship is a performance fellowship program for string players co-hosted by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and CCM. Founded in 2015 with grant funding by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the program provides a two-year learning experience for graduate-level violin, viola, violoncello and double bass players coming from populations that are historically underrepresented in classical music.[118][119][120] The program accepts up to five fellows per year. Program participants receive scholarship support to complete a Master of Music or Artist Diploma degree at CCM while also receiving compensation to perform the equivalent of five weeks per season with the CSO.[121][122]
As of the 2022–23 academic year and concert season 28 musicians have participated in the program, several of which have subsequently obtained positions in professional orchestras or been featured as soloists.[123][124][125]
Sports Media Broadcasts with ESPN[edit]
In 2020, CCM's Division of Media Production launched a partnership with the University of Cincinnati's Athletics programs and ESPN, which gives students the opportunity to produce live, multi-camera sports broadcasts for ESPN's various networks and streaming platforms.[126][127] The Sports Media Production program is run by Emmy Award-winning faculty member Joe Brackman.[128] Cincinnati CityBeat named the partnership with ESPN "Best Student Program with Actual National Exposure" as part of its 2023 "Best of Cincinnati" awards.[129][130]
Blind Injustice[edit]
The Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law collaborated with Cincinnati Opera, the Young Professionals Choral Collective (YPCC) and CCM to workshop and produce the opera Blind Injustice, which premiered at Cincinnati Opera in 2019.[131][132] The production was directed by CCM faculty member Robin Guarino.[133][134] The opera was described as a "powerful piece of music theater" by the Wall Street Journal and "a powerful and moving work, as evident from the audience's enthusiastic response" by Opera News.[135]