CCM STRING QUARTET-IN-RESIDENCE SERIES PRESENTS
IN MEMORY OF SUE FRIEDLANDER
7:30 p.m. Feb. 21, 2023, Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
String Quartet-in-Residence at CCM
Gershon Gerchikov, violin
Alexandra Kazovsky, violin
Jan Grüning, viola
Amit Even-Tov, cello
Featuring guest artist Edward Arron, cello
By the Ariel Quartet
Our journey in the USA is now spanning more than two decades. We came from Israel and Germany, with roots in Russia and Eastern and Western Europe, and our path in this country was transformative — from arriving here as students to recently completing the long awaited transition from being Aliens to becoming Residents.
The question of identity is often at the heart of the immigrant’s experience, and so was the case for generations of artists, creators, and composers who settled in this country. The musical offsprings of these stories, and our connection to them, have become a central point of interest to us in the last few years, and especially during and following the difficult years of the pandemic. The disproportionate devastation COVID-19 brought upon vulnerable communities, the wave of police killings of members of the Black community, the violence towards the Asian community, all made us question our openness as a society and confront our own biases and cultural blind spots.
This program is a result of our exploration into the musical voices that evolved as a consequence of the composers’ experiences in the United States. We’ll journey into works by Americans, visitors and immigrants, representing different cultures and backgrounds, from various parts of the world. What they share is the pursuit of their unique version of an American Dream. It is the musical wonders we picked up on this journey that we want to share with you this evening.
We chose to leave the first half of the program unannounced as a metaphor for how we aspire to see others and be seen — freed from prior judgment and labels, simply experienced for who we are and what we can share with others.
Selections include works by Lera Auerbach (Russia), George Walker (USA), Béla Bartók (Hungary), Igor Stravinsky (Russia), Tan Dun (China), Florence Price (USA) and Matan Porat (Israel).
INTERMISSION
Edward Arron
Cellist Edward Arron has garnered recognition worldwide for his elegant musicianship, impassioned performances, and creative programming. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Arron made his New York recital debut in 2000 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since that time, he has appeared in recital, as a soloist with major orchestras, and as a chamber musician, throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
The 2022-23 season marks Mr. Arron’s 10th anniversary season as the co-artistic director of the Performing Artists in Residence series at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Mr. Arron tours and records as a member of the renowned Ehnes String Quartet and he is a regular performer at the Boston and Seattle Chamber Music Societies, Bargemusic, Caramoor, CityMusic Cleveland, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Seoul Spring Festival in Korea, Music in the Vineyards Festival, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, Manchester Music Festival, and the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland. He has appeared as a guest artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has performed numerous times in Carnegie’s Weill and Zankel Halls, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully and David Geffen Halls, New York’s Town Hall and the 92nd Street Y. Other festival appearances include Salzburg, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Mostly Mozart, PyeongChang, Bravo! Vail, Bridgehampton, Spoleto USA, Santa Fe, Evian, La Jolla Summerfest, Chesapeake Chamber Music, and the Bard Music Festival. He has participated in Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project as well as Isaac Stern’s Jerusalem Chamber Music Encounters. Mr. Arron’s performances are frequently broadcast on American Public Media’s Performance Today. In 2021, Mr. Arron’s recording of Beethoven’s Complete Works for Cello and Piano with pianist Jeewon Park was released on the Aeolian Classics Record Label. The recording received the Samuel Sanders Collaborative Artists Award from the Classical Recording Foundation.
In the May of 2022, Mr. Arron stepped down after 15 years as the artistic director of the acclaimed Musical Masterworks concert series in Old Lyme, Connecticut. In 2013, he completed a ten-year residency as the artistic director of the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert, a chamber music series created in 2003 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Museum’s prestigious Concerts and Lectures series.
Edward Arron began playing the cello at age seven in Cincinnati and continued his studies in New York with Peter Wiley. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where he was a student of Harvey Shapiro. In 2016, Mr. Arron joined the faculty at University of Massachusetts Amherst, after having served on the faculty of New York University from 2009 to 2016.
Described by the American Record Guide as "a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power," the Ariel Quartet has earned a glowing international reputation. The ensemble is comprised of Alexandra Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola. The group was formed in Israel in 1998 and has served as CCM’s string quartet-in-residence since 2012.
rock stars of the classical scene
Cincinnati Enquirer
Assistant Professor of Violin
Assistant Professor of Violin
Assistant Professor of Viola
Assistant Professor of Cello
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Event: November 13, 2025 1:12 PM
UC College-Conservatory of Music's 2025-26 theatre season continues with Cendrillon, playing Nov. 13-15, 2025 in Patricia Corbett Theater.
October 3, 2025
UC College-Conservatory of music celebrates Pulizter and Grammy Award-winning composer Jennifer Higdon during her residency at CCM on Oct. 16-18, 2025. Audiences are invited to experience the music of this contemporary classical composer in a variety of free and ticketed concerts; tickets on sale through the CCM Box Office.
Event: September 20, 2025 7:30 PM
UC College-Conservatory of Music Vocal Performance alumni and faculty join the CCM Philharmonia in a performance that celebrates Italian opera at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 in Corbett Auditorium.
CCMpower is a volunteer group of fans, advocates and alumni dedicated to empowering students and fueling the future of the arts through scholarship opportunities and more.
The competitive scholarships CCMpower provides help attract and retain the best and brightest students, nurture professional development opportunities and – in turn – continue CCM’s tradition of excellence for the next generation of student-artists. Join or renew your CCMpower membership today to help provide critical scholarship funds.
Join or renew your CCMpower member today to help provide critical scholarship funds. Visit foundation.uc.edu/ccmpower to learn more.
Sponsors listed as of August 15, 2025
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CCM's faculty and staff and its state-of-the-art facilities make possible the professional training and exceptional education on which CCM believes the future of the arts relies. The school's roster of eminent faculty regularly receives distinguished honors for creative and scholarly work, and its alumni have achieved notable success in the performing and media arts. More than 150 internationally recognized faculty members work with students from around the world, specializing in eight areas of study.
Performance dates and repertoire are subject to change. View CCM's current calendar of events.
The purpose of these performances is educational, and they are part of a University of Cincinnati academic program.
