Gifts to support the Ariel Quartet, Opera Department

CINCINNATI – November 25, 2015 – The University of Cincinnati Foundation today announced two $100,000 gifts to benefit the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

The first gift, from an anonymous donor, will support the Ariel Quartet while also creating a permanent endowment for a string quartet-in-residence at CCM. The Ariel Quartet 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 they have been playing together ever since. They have been a string quartet-in-residence at CCM since 2012.

The second gift, from UC alumna Genevieve H. Smith, will benefit the Opera Department. Smith is a 1943 graduate of UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business who is passionate about opera. Her gift will sponsor opera productions, which can cost $50,000 or more, supporting areas such as singer preparation and chorus/orchestral musicians, along with the design and development of costumes, wigs, make-up, scenery, lighting and more. The gift will also support faculty members, allowing them to complete new research, present scholarly work and participate in workshops to enhance the student learning experience at CCM.

“CCM’s Department of Opera is one of the most comprehensive and well-respected training programs of its kind. CCM’s resident string quartet, the Ariel Quartet, is one of the most talented and dynamic chamber music ensembles in the world,” said Peter Landgren, dean of CCM. “Thanks to the extraordinary support of these two donors, we can continue to present live opera performances of the highest caliber and we can continue to keep internationally acclaimed artists like the Ariels in residence at CCM, while building toward a $5 million permanent endowment to support a resident string quartet in perpetuity at CCM.”

“I’m so grateful for Ms. Smith and our anonymous donor for supporting CCM, its vibrant programs, renowned faculty and state-of-the-art facilities,” said UC Foundation President Rodney Grabowski. “Private support has played a key part in enabling CCM to become a world leader in performing and media arts, benefiting students, faculty, staff, patrons and more.”

“These two wonderful gifts allow us to maintain the artistic and educational excellence that has become synonymous with CCM, while also sustaining Cincinnati’s position as a global epicenter for the performing arts. We are eternally grateful to both Ms. Smith and our anonymous benefactor for their generosity,” Landgren said.

To learn more about how to support CCM, please visit ccm.uc.edu/support.