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Dean Jutras looks back on year two at CCM
September 23, 2026
CCM Dean Pete Jutras shares a message with the college's community as he enters his third year.
Opera/Voice
Ranked No. 2 in the nation for Classical Voice/Opera Programs by InsideMusicSchools.com
Your NEXT LIVES HERE. Come be a part of CCM’s internationally acclaimed, vibrant programs. Our Opera and Voice Departments embrace artists at their current level and nurture them towards their ultimate potential. Singers work with an acclaimed faculty as well as visiting industry professionals and celebrated artists. We are proud to be a resident faculty of artist/educators who are committed to consistent tutelage. Our low faculty/student ratio yields meaningful attention and opportunities.
Six on-campus performance venues are utilized for fully staged operas, recitals, chamber music performances, and larger vocal and orchestral works. Productions are designed and built in-house, so singers collaborate with the creators shaping the future of the arts. CCM produces two mainstage operas, one studio production and one undergraduate opera per year.
Thanks to CCM’s fine facilities and high-caliber talent pool, many young artist programs and regional opera companies hold onsite auditions. Cincinnati itself has a historically rich musical community. Students at every degree level have benefitted from unique opportunities with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera.
CCM students have continued to make their way to Cincinnati Opera, singing in the chorus or entering the young-artist program and taking on supporting roles, before making significant careers in other opera houses.
Opera News
Voice Degree Programs
CCM’s Voice Department maintains its long-standing reputation for graduating singers with a technique able to serve them throughout their careers. Each faculty member is a professional performer with unique areas of expertise. The faculty is known for creating a collegial, supportive atmosphere, working with singers in lessons, studio, classroom and productions. The rich curriculum prepares artists for their next steps. CCM singers populate the top young artist programs, stages and competitions around the world. While undergraduates may participate in graduate operas, CCM is proud to have its own dedicated undergrad program, Opera d’arte.
This four-year program covers a complete range of academic and performance activities. Senior year includes a requirement for six hours a week of Opera Workshop, studying movement, acting and role preparation that culminates in a fully-staged performance of opera scenes. Advanced students audition for roles in CCM's mainstage opera productions and studio and workshop presentations.
Candidates are offered a wide range of practical and academic classes, including foreign languages and diction, oratorio and vocal repertoire. In the first year, six hours per week of opera training is required, which covers movement, acting and work on opera scenes. In the second year, students can continue with classes in opera characterization, opera coaching and opera production. Students audition for major roles in mainstage opera productions, and studio and workshop performances.
The program is designed to promote the development of superior performing musicians and teachers. It offers singers with a high degree of proficiency and artistry a comprehensive selection of classes in music literature, music history and performance practices, with electives covering a broad range of classes in the Opera Department, and numerous opportunities to perform in recital and on the opera stage.
CCM's admissions process begins on August 1 for entrance in the following year's fall semester. All application materials must be submitted on or before December 3 to be considered for specific scholarship awards. Visit the CCM Admissions website for additional application instructions.
Voice - BM
Pre-screening
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 to be invited for an audition/interview and considered for admissions.
Pre-screening Requirements
- Two Art Songs (one in English, one in another language).
- While not technically art song, arias from the 24/26 Italian Songs and Arias books are examples of permissible repertoire.
- Oratorio arias written before 1750 are permissible.
Audition
Audition Requirements
- The same repertoire selections may be used for pre-screening and live auditions
- Double Major applicants in BM (Voice Performance) and BM (Music Education) will be required to sight-sing as part of the Music Education Assessment.
- BM (Voice Performance) auditions do not require sight-singing.
Voice - MM
Pre-screening
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 to be invited for an audition/interview and considered for admissions.
Pre-screening Requirements
- 2 operatic arias of differing styles
- 4 Art Songs
- Language requirements: English and at least 2 languages chosen from Italian/Spanish, German, and French must be presented
- Upload the Opera Scholarship Competition application (if you wish to be considered)
Audition
Audition Requirements
- Four Art Songs of contrasting styles and periods in English, French, German and Italian
- Two arias (one may be from an oratorio)
- Upload audition repertoire list and music (PDF) to Acceptd.
Audition Dates
- January 22 (on campus)
- February 5 (on campus)
- February 6 (on campus)
- February 12 (on campus)
- February 13 (on campus)
Recorded auditions are not permitted.
Opera Scholarship Competition: MM, DMA, AD Opera (Vocal Track) Applicants Only
To be considered for the Opera Scholarship Competition, you must complete and upload the application form along with your required pre-screening materials in Acceptd.
If invited to audition for your applied degree program, applicants must also prepare the following for the preliminary round audition (the preliminary round audition occurs on the same date as your assigned degree audition date):
- Two arias (if applying for MM or DMA voice, the two required for the degree program plus two others so, a total of 4 arias should be performed during your audition)
- AD Opera (vocal track) applicants will only need to upload the Opera Scholarship Competition application in Acceptd. Your audition which is 4 arias will fulfill the requirement to be considered.
Voice - DMA
Pre-screening
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 to be considered for admissions and invited for an audition.
Pre-screening Requirements
The Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance is designed for the combination of artist, scholar and teacher. The successful DMA candidate exhibits an exceptional level of performance, has scholarly interests, and is motivated to prepare for a teaching career.
- 4 Art Songs
- 1 in English
- At least 2 languages chosen from Italian/Spanish, German and French must be presented
- 2 operatic arias in different languages
- A complete repertoire list should be uploaded. This should include art song organized by language, operatic roles, oratorio solos, and chamber music performed.
- Upload the Opera Scholarship Competition application (if you wish to be considered)
- A current resume should be uploaded. In addition to performances, please be sure it includes:
- A list of your most recent teachers and the dates when you studied with them
- Degrees earned (or to be earned) and the institution where you studied
- Master classes where you performed – please list the teacher and date
- Teaching experience (if any)
DMA applicants must submit two writing samples:
- One academic paper – papers written during MM academic tenure are acceptable. Topics should be historical and/or theoretical treatments of a musical subject. Papers should be no less than 10 pages in length. Standard formatting and footnotes are required.
- One essay – composed on current and future trends in classical vocal music. Submitted essays must be 1-2 pages in length in PDF format. Essays must address: the role of classical singing in contemporary American culture; changes that have occurred and/or should occur; and future possibilities for this art form. Considerations may include: resources of talent, finance, venue and medium; both new and standard repertoire; audience.DMA applicants need not address all of these elements. One or two topics of interest may be chosen and discussed.
Audition
Audition Requirements
- 1 Italian or Spanish Art Song
- 1 French mélodie
- 1 German Lied
- 1 English Art Song
- 2 operatic arias in two different languages
- 1 Oratorio/Cantata/Mass aria
- 1 art song or aria of your choice in any language
All pieces must be performed from memory, including the aria from an Oratorio, Mass or Cantata.
DMA applicants will have a separate interview with the Voice Faculty on the day of their in-person audition.
Audition & Interview Dates (on campus)
- January 22 (on campus) interview, coaching, and exam, will be coordinated by the Opera Department
- January 23 (on campus) audition
Recorded auditions are not permitted.
Additional Information
A cognate is declared by all DMA students at CCM. It enables students to develop a secondary field of expertise. A minimum of 9 credit hours of specified course requirements are determined in consultation with the student’s Cognate committee chair, and approved by the student’s faculty advisor, Division Head and Director of Graduate Studies. Examples of Cognate areas include, but are not limited to, Choral Conducting, Pedagogy, Opera Direction, Arts Administration, specific areas of vocal repertoire/language, Music History, etc. Applicants should be prepared to discuss a potential area of interest for a Cognate during the interview at the in-person audition.
Voice Graduate Assistantship
Application Requirements
- Experience in teaching voice required
- Email professional resume including teaching and work experience to Professor Daniel Weeks.
- Interviews will take place in conjunction with applicant’s live audition
- Preference will be given to DMA applicants
Opera Scholarship Competition: MM, DMA, AD Opera (Vocal Track) Applicants Only
To be considered for the Opera Scholarship Competition, you must upload the completed application form along with your required pre-screening materials in Acceptd.
Applicants must also prepare the following for the preliminary round audition (the preliminary round audition occurs on the same date as your assigned degree audition date):
- Two arias (if applying for MM or DMA voice, the two required for the degree program plus two others so, a total of 4 arias should be performed during your audition)
- AD Opera (vocal track) applicants will only need to upload the Opera Scholarship Competition application in Acceptd. Your audition which is 4 arias will fulfill the requirement to be considered.
Voice Faculty
Amy S. Johnson,
J. Ralph Corbett Distinguished Chair of Opera; Professor of Voice (Soprano)
267-980-3956
Daniel Weeks,
Dieterle Chair of Music in memory of George Andreas and Elsa Fischer Dieterle; Professor of Voice
Voice Department Chair
Daniel Weeks,
Dieterle Chair of Music in memory of George Andreas and Elsa Fischer Dieterle; Professor of Voice
Performance Studies Division Head and Staff
James Bunte,
Division Head of Performance Studies; Professor of Saxophone
513-556-0825
Artist Diploma in Opera
Opera, the synthesis of music, visual art, design, theater, dance and literature, is well represented by CCM’s formidable vocal, instrumental and theatrical production programs with talented students in these areas being mentored by internationally acclaimed faculty.
Our renowned faculty manages the intense curriculum which focuses on career aspects including acting, movement/dance, career development, score/libretti analysis, nuances of style and language, guaranteed performance opportunities, and regular conduits to industry professionals."
CCM’s artist diploma tracks (voice, coaching and directing) are elite refining experiences which immerse artists into one of the most comprehensive programs in the world. Our renowned faculty manages the intense curriculum which focuses on career aspects including acting, movement/dance, career development, score/libretti analysis, nuances of style and language, guaranteed performance opportunities, and regular conduits to industry professionals.
one of the continent's major music schools
The Toronto Star
The program is limited to 12 singers who will perform at least four major roles in fully-staged productions. Students receive private coaching, intensive actor training and role preparation together with movement, period dance, language, audition and career management classes, and master classes with some of the finest artists in the world of opera.
In one of the few programs of its type in the nation, students develop linguistic, pianistic and coaching skills in the context of fully prepared original language productions. Opportunities are available to study conducting and take a wide range of vocal, stylistic and interpretative classes.
Candidates of proven ability and experience have a program tailored to their individual developmental needs, covering directing theory and practice, as well as acting, musical and foreign language skills, and areas of design and technical theater production. Students work as Assistant Directors on major productions and direct three productions of their own.
CCM's graduate admissions process begins on September 1 for entrance in the following year's fall semester. All application materials must be submitted on or before December 3 to be considered for specific scholarship awards. Visit the CCM Admissions website for additional application instructions.
Opera AD - Coaching Track
Pre-screening
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 to be considered for admissions and invited for an audition.
Pre-screening Requirements
- CV or resume in demonstration of their experience working with singers, playing for opera, experience with languages, etc.
- Recordings are NOT required during the prescreening stage
Audition
Audition Requirements
Applicants must prepare one selection from each of the following categories (at least one selection must be played and sung simultaneously)
- One Mozart aria, with recitative, from the following list:
- “In quali eccessi, o numi... Mi tradi” from Don Giovanni
- “Crudele, ah no, mio bene... Non mir dir” from Don Giovanni
- “Hai già vinta la causa” from Le nozze di Figaro
- “Temerari, sortite fuori di questo loco... Come scoglio” from Cosi fan tutte
- “E Susanna non vien... Dove sono” from Le nozze di Figaro
- One Puccini aria from the following list:
- “Si, mi chiamano Mimì” from La bohème
- “Che gelida manina” from La bohème
- “Donde lieta” from La bohème
- One 20th Century aria from the following list:*
- “No word from Tom” from Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress (complete)
- “Here I stand” from Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress
- “Sein wir wieder gut” from Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos
- “Grossmächtige Prinzessin” from Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos
- *In exceptional situations, with approval of the Opera Coaching faculty, this selection could be substituted for a solo work demonstrating technical abilities.
- One ensemble from the following list:
- Sextet from Don Giovanni “Sola, sola in buio loco”
- Quartet from Rigoletto
- Prepare an aria that you will coach in your audition. We ask that you send us a list of possibilities to Professor Marie-France Lefebvre (short arias are welcome – “Ach ich fuhl’s, Di Provenza”...). A singer will be provided at the audition.
- Sight-reading
Audition Date (on campus)
- January 23
Additional Information
- Applicants should already have earned a bachelor’s degree degree in piano performance or collaborative piano. The program requires at least basic knowledge of Italian, French, and German. More advanced language proficiency is advantageous.
- The program accepts no more than four students enrolled in any given year.
Opera AD - Vocal Track
Pre-screening
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 to be considered for admissions and invited for an audition.
Pre-screening Requirements
- Four operatic arias (video with high quality sound fidelity). Examples should not be sound enhanced. Videos may be from live performances (not split) of opera in which the student has recently appeared (please only send a five-minute clip cued to your specific excerpt), as well as the solo presentation of four operatic arias.
- Upload the Opera Scholarship Competition application to Acceptd.
Audition
Audition
- Four arias in total
- One in English
- One in Italian
- One in EITHER French or German
- One as the singer prefers
Audition Date (on campus)
- January 22 (on campus) interview, coaching, and exam, will be coordinated by the Opera Department
- January 23 (on campus) audition
Recorded auditions are not permitted.
Opera Scholarship Competition: MM, DMA, AD Opera (Vocal Track) Applicants Only
To be considered for the Opera Scholarship Competition, you must upload the completed application form along with your required pre-screening materials in Acceptd.
Applicants must also prepare the following for the preliminary round audition (the preliminary round audition occurs on the same date as your assigned degree audition date):
- Two arias (if applying for MM or DMA voice, the two required for the degree program plus two others so, a total of 4 arias should be performed during your audition)
- AD Opera (vocal track) applicants will only need to upload the Opera Scholarship Competition application in Acceptd. Your audition which is 4 arias will fulfill the requirement to be considered.
Opera AD - Stage Directing
The application for AD Opera Stage Directing is closed for Fall 2025 consideration.
Pre-screening
Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 to be considered for admissions and invited for an audition.
Pre-screening Requirements
- A 3 to 5-page artistic statement
- A portfolio containing visual representation (video, photographs) of your directing work
- Biography
- CV
Audition
Once the application and pre-screening materials are submitted, selected applicants will be scheduled by the Opera Department for a phone interview.
Additional Information
- The Stage-Directing program accepts no more than two students per year.
- Applicants should already have earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree or have equivalent professional experience as a stage director in the field.
- Proficiency in French, German and Italian and Music literacy is preferred.
- Applicants are expected to have already directed fully-staged theatre, music theatre and/or opera productions either with piano or orchestra.
Opera Faculty
Vincent DeGeorge,
Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre and the Joseph Weinberger Chair of Acting for the Lyric Stage
Amy S. Johnson,
J. Ralph Corbett Distinguished Chair of Opera; Professor of Voice (Soprano)
267-980-3956
Opera Department Chair
Amy S. Johnson,
J. Ralph Corbett Distinguished Chair of Opera; Professor of Voice (Soprano)
267-980-3956
Theatre Arts, Production and Arts Administration Division Head and Staff
Rebecca Bromels,
Division Head of Theatre Arts, Production and Arts Administration (TAPAA); Chair and Associate Professor of Arts Administration
513-556-5803
For an effort still in its first decade, [OF:NW has] an enviable track record.
Opera News
Opera Fusion: New Works
Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW) is a dynamic partnership between CCM and Cincinnati Opera. Created in 2011 to foster the development of new American operas, OF:NW has grown into a nationally recognized collaboration which advances new repertoire and serves as an inspiring example of a successful joint venture between an educational institution and a professional performing arts organization.
OF:NW offers composers or composer/librettist teams the chance to workshop an opera during a 10-day residency in Cincinnati. Residencies utilize the facilities, personnel, and talent of both CCM and Cincinnati Opera. The workshops are cast with a combination of CCM students and professional artists, and each workshop concludes with a recording of the full opera and a free public presentation of excerpts followed by an audience Q&A session. A few notable examples of this collaboration are Fellow Travelers, The Hours, Eurydice and Intimate Apparel.
Performances and Public Events
News and Announcements
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Get to know CCM’s newest faculty and staff members
September 14, 2026
UC’s College-Conservatory of Music will welcome a variety of new faculty and staff members to its roster of distinguished performing and media arts experts, researchers and educators this fall.
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CCM welcomes Jordan M. Davis as Assistant Dean of Admissions
September 8, 2026
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of Jordan M. Davis, MA, as the college's new Assistant Dean of Admissions. In this role, Davis will be responsible for the vision, strategy and execution of all undergraduate and graduate recruitment and admissions for CCM. Working in partnership with college and university leadership, Davis will work to ensure that CCM's enrollment goals continue to align with its artistic and academic priorities. His appointment begins on Oct. 1, 2026.
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CCM shares 2026-27 calendar of ticketed + free performances and events
August 20, 2026
Experience world-class performances by the next generation of performing and media artists at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). With more than 130 different performances and events, there is something happening nearly every week of the school year!
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CCM grad Chandler Johnson named artistic director of Dayton Opera
June 19, 2026
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) recently appointed CCM alumnus Chandler Johnson (BM Voice, 2016; MM Voice, 2018) as the seventh Artistic Director of the Dayton Opera. He will begin a three-year term on July 1, 2026.
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CCM announces initial schedule of performances for 2026-27
June 11, 2026
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) has announced its initial schedule of major performances for 2026-27. These 15 events include beloved titles for the stage like La bohème, RENT and Cabaret, along with concerts showcasing the works of Gustav Mahler, Duke Ellington and John Williams … just to name a few highlights! This schedule of major performances runs Sept. 15, 2026, through April 23, 2027. Tickets for all 15 concerts and shows listed below are on sale now. See individual performance listings for additional information.
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CCM welcomes Rachel Roberts as Associate Dean of Strategy and Operations
May 11, 2026
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of Rachel Roberts, EdD, as CCM's inaugural Associate Dean of Strategy and Operations. In this newly-created role, Roberts will partner with Dean Jutras and other college leaders to advance strategic, operational and academic priorities. Roberts is nationally recognized for developing leaders and advancing how musicians and arts organizations learn, adapt and lead in an evolving arts landscape. Her appointment officially begins on July 6, 2026.
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CCM Choral Conducting student receives 2025-26 Presser Graduate Music Award
April 21, 2026
UC College-Conservatory of Music is proud to announce that DMA Choral Conducting student Max Trombley, is the recipient of The Presser Foundation’s 2025-26 Graduate Music Award. Invited annually, graduate schools of music at accredited colleges, universities, and independent institutions of higher education present the Presser Graduate Music Award to an outstanding graduate music student whom they select. The Award was established to encourage and support in a special way the advanced education and career of truly exceptional graduate music students who have the potential to make a distinguished contribution to the field of music.
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Bringing deadly ‘Sweeney Todd’ to life
April 17, 2026
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” not only stars the titular “demon” barber, but is famously a monster of a show. It’s such a grand team lift across its dozens of cast members, special effects and a multistory set that most productions cut it down to a small-scale adaptation. But the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music is stepping up to the challenge of putting on a full-scale performance of the classic, gory tale. Debuting on Broadway in 1979, the show is almost 50 years old, with countless revivals and adaptations of the vengeful barber Sweeney Todd and his co-conspirator, pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett. CCM’s performance, with a double cast and three-story set, is just as huge and bloody as the original.