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CINCINNATI, OH (November 30, 2021)—The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO), in collaboration with Miami University of Ohio, announced its inaugural Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute, directed by Associate Principal Trumpet for the CSO and Adjunct Professor of Trumpet at Miami University Doug Lindsay. The Institute will offer two intensive, high-level instruction programs for advanced students of brass instruments, led by musicians from the CSO brass section and Miami University brass faculty. The first Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute will take place June 6- 13, 2022 at Miami University’s Oxford campus.

The High School Scholars Program, designed for advanced high school brass players, is a week-long intensive program for students looking to refine technique, elevate musicianship, network, and perform in the region. High school students who live in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and East Central Indiana are eligible to audition for the program. Selected students will work with their professional counterparts to practice the fundamentals of high-level brass playing while exploring the world of brass chamber music. In addition to training, students will be given the opportunity to participate in other enrichment activities, such as attending live rehearsals with the CSO.

The pre-professional Orchestral Training Fellowship, designed for brass players ages 18-28, will prepare musicians to audition for positions in major orchestras around the world. The fellowship will provide high level instruction and mentoring from professional musicians, daily coaching sessions, mock auditions, masterclasses on a variety of audition and job retention topics, and ensemble performance opportunities in Oxford and Cincinnati-area venues.

“Our goal is to provide access to instruction at the highest level,” said Founder and Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute, Doug Lindsay. “For the High School Scholars Program, we want students of all backgrounds to have top-notch music opportunities. For the Orchestral Training Fellowship Program, we want fellows to leave with a clear idea of what it takes to obtain and retain a position in a major orchestra. This is how we prepare young players for success.”

Both the High School Scholars Program and Orchestral Training Fellowship are offered without cost to participants, to reduce socioeconomic barriers that may impact participation.

“This collaborative initiative with Miami University aligns with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s mission to seek and share inspiration,” said President & CEO of the CSO, Jonathan Martin. “Through the Institute's dedication to preparing the region's finest high school brass players and the world’s finest young musicians for professional opportunities—regardless of socioeconomic status—we can continue to enrich Cincinnati's cultural scene and foster the joy of music making through the generations.”

“We are honored to strengthen our longstanding relationship with the CSO through our joint work on the Brass Institute,” said Chair of Miami University’s Department of Music, Dr. Chris Tanner. “This new initiative connects Miami’s stellar brass faculty with talented young musicians, and we are happy to host participants from the region and abroad, provide opportunities to students from diverse backgrounds, and create an inclusive and welcoming community where they can learn from professionals who have achieved the highest standard of excellence.”

Applications for the 2022 Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute’s Orchestral Fellows Program and the High School Scholars Program are due February 1, 2022. In-person auditions for the High School Scholars Program will be by appointment. Video auditions for the Orchestral Fellows Program are due February 1, 2022. Additional information about the Brass Institute can be found at www.miamioh.edu/cincinnati-symphony-brass-institute.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

With a legacy dating back 127 years, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is considered one of America’s finest and most versatile ensembles. Led by Louis Langrée since 2013, the CSO’s distinguished roster of past music directors includes Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ysaÿe, Fritz Reiner, Max Rudolf, Jesús López Cobos and Paavo Järvi. Matthias Pintscher is the Orchestra’s Creative Partner, and previous artistic partners have included Lang Lang, Philip Glass, Branford Marsalis and Jennifer Higdon. The Orchestra also performs as the Cincinnati Pops, founded by Erich Kunzel in 1977 and currently led by John Morris Russell with Damon Gupton serving as Principal Guest Conductor. The CSO further elevates the city’s vibrant arts scene by serving as the official orchestra for the Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet.

The CSO has long championed the composers and music of its time and has given historic American premieres by Claude Debussy, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók, William Grant Still and other prominent composers. It has also commissioned many works that ultimately became mainstays of the classical repertoire, including two iconic works by Aaron Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man and Lincoln Portrait. The Orchestra continues to actively commission new work, amplifying new voices from a diverse array of backgrounds, most recently with the Fanfare Project, a series of solo instrument works written for CSO musicians to mark a moment in time during the COVID pandemic.

Deeply committed to inclusion, relevance, and enhancing and expanding opportunities for the children of Greater Cincinnati, the Orchestra works to bring music education, in its many different forms, to as broad a public as possible. In 2020, the CSO was the first American orchestra to create a Chief Diversity & Inclusion Office position to ensure the absorption of best DE&I practices into every facet of the organization. The CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship, a nationally recognized program in partnership with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, provides master’s degree-level education and professional development and performance opportunities for extraordinary young string players from populations historically underrepresented in classical music. The CSO is also an incubator for and partner to NIMAN, a consortium of American orchestras, professional musicians and educators established to address the lack of racial equity in the classical music field by aligning resources and collaborating to strengthen the trajectory of classical instrumentalists of color at all stages of their pre- careers.

Miami University College of Creative Arts

The College of Creative Arts (CCA) at Miami University houses five exceptional departments (Architecture + Interior Design, Art, Emerging Technology in Business + Design, Music, and Theatre) with multiple degrees and interdisciplinary programs in Fashion, Art Therapy, and Arts Management/Entrepreneurship. The College integrates creative training with emerging technology, elements of STEM, and business, making Miami a truly unique place to study the arts and design. In addition to their accredited academic programs, the CCA is also home to the Performing Arts Series and the Miami University Art Museum—both bringing world-class performing and visual artists to our campus and local community each year.

The College of Creative Arts is not just home to academic programs, it is a source of dynamic culture and energy for the entire campus and local community. The CCA hosts over 150 concerts a year in a variety of musical genres and styles; showcasing fully produced theatre in main stage and studio venues. Their galleries and the Art Museum feature up and coming American artists and international masterworks.

The College of Creative Arts advances creativity as a powerful thread to link the visual and performing arts, design, and multimedia across disciplines, bringing the voice and imagination of the arts to all corners of our diverse and global society. By integrating disciplinary expertise with the liberal arts, we will educate the next generation of architects, artists, designers, performers, teachers, and scholars for leadership in their chosen fields and in new and emerging creative industries.