© UC's College-Conservatory of Music
Highly regarded in the performing arts world, the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) boasts national and international accreditation for the talent developing inside its walls year after year. Students can choose one of eight areas and over 100 majors to pursue, including intense and specialized programs such as Dance, Costume Design, Dramatic Performance, Voice, Electronic Media, Ensembles and Conducting, Arts Administration, Music Education, and more. Combining lectures with workshops and opportunities for internships and professional experience, CCM enables its students to apply classroom- and studio-taught techniques, and to further their knowledge through real-world experience. CCM is the largest single source for performing arts productions in Ohio, with an annual calendar that includes nearly 1,000 events and performances available to the public. Placed third in the area of voice and fifth in conducting in U.S. News and World Report's ranking of music graduate programs, and deemed one of the best Musical Theatre programs in the nation, CCM is one of the greatest assets of Cincinnati's performing arts.
CCM's history began in 1867, when Clara Baur founded the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Starting off as a conservatory for young ladies, classes were offered in voice and piano, as well as languages, posture, and social graces. In 1930 the Conservatory became a non-profit organization when it was acquired by the Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts.
The College of Music of Cincinnati was founded in 1878, adjacent to Music Hall downtown, and directed by famed conductor Theodore Thomas. Due to steady growth, the college moved to its first permanent building in 1884, and with a 1,500-seat theatre, it became one of the first American music schools to have its own concert hall. A partnership with the University of Cincinnati's College of Education in the early 1900s proved ideal for the College of Music, as it allowed students to earn Bachelor and Master degrees in teaching public school music. In the 1930s, the College of Music added the Radio Extension, which was the first college-level broadcasting department in the U.S. With the radio industry expanding, local WKRC Radio set up a studio on campus. The College of Music created its Bachelor of Fine Arts in Radio Broadcasting in 1946 and a Radio-Television Department in 1950 (presently the Electronic Media Division). The Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the College of Music of Cincinnati officially merged to become a College-Conservatory in August 1955.
Named the 14th college at the University of Cincinnati in August 1962, CCM has seen great progression over the years. Beginning with construction costing $5 million, CCM's complex reached completion with the grand opening of the Patricia Corbett Pavilion 10 years after officially becoming part of UC. More than 20 years later, CCM underwent a renovation, and $93 million later CCM Village was born.
The heart of CCM Village is the Corbett Center, whose facilities include dance studios, rehearsal rooms, recording and editing studios, orchestral and band rehearsal halls, and more. Corbett Center also houses the Theatre Production Wing, Watson Recital Hall, Werner Recital Hall, Cohen Family Studio Theater, Patricia Corbett Theater, and the Corbett Auditorium. The Theatre Production Wing serves as the backbone of CCM's theatrical performances, boasting an 8,500 square foot scene shop, 3,000 square foot costume shop, and various labs, studios, and offices. A Balcolm and Vaughan organ sits inside the 140-seat Watson Recital Hall. Solo recitals, small chamber recitals, the annual revue performed by the Musical Theatre freshman students, and the Senior Class Showcase take place in Werner Recital Hall. The intimate 150-seat Cohen Family Studio Theater houses CCM's workshop series and lab productions, as well as various new works, classics, and experimental performances.
The Patricia Corbett Theater was the first facility built at UC for CCM. This 380-seat theater comes complete with a thrust stage, Bayreuth-style orchestra pit, and ascending seating, allowing for a closer, more personal experience between artists and audience. Ballet, musical theater, and dramatic performances take to the Patricia Corbett Theater's stage regularly, as do chamber and solo recitals and opera.
The largest venue CCM has to offer, Corbett Auditorium, is the most renowned facility in CCM Village, and one of the country's foremost college performance venues for acoustics. African cherry wood sets the mood in this 738-seat concert hall, and sleek lighting features lead the eye to the box seats floating on either side of the stage, and the balcony seating spanning the back wall. Boasting complete stage and lighting facilities, hydraulic lifts, sound circulation, connection to audio and video recording studios, and dressing rooms with adjacent warm-up rooms, this concert hall comes well equipped for the scores of large-scale performances that take place here annually. If Corbett center is the heart of CCM Village, there is no doubt Corbett Auditorium is its pulse.
Highly competitive and equally prestigious, CCM possesses prodigies of every performing arts discipline, and its world-renowned staff offers professional training to students. With its devotion to the arts, immaculate performance and teaching facilities, and recognition as a top university for performing arts both nationally and internationally, the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music proves itself a consistent source of quality performing arts productions in the city. CCM is an excellent place to see a professional show inexpensively; be sure to check out the calendar for upcoming performances.
Attraction Information
- Box Office:
- Hours: Monday through Friday: 12-5:30pm, Saturday: 12-4pm, and one hour prior to the start of ticketed performances
- Location: CCM Atrium Lobby, next to Corbett Auditorium
- Phone: 513-556-4183
- CCM Box Office Website: ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice.html
- Admission:
- Ticket prices vary, check website for details
- Contact:
- Location: Mary Emery Hall, PO Box 210003, Cincinnati, OH. (accessible via W Corry Street off Jefferson Avenue or Corbett Drive off Calhoun Street)
- Phone: 513-556-6638
- Website: ccm.uc.edu
