CINCINNATI YOUTH CHOIR
Ensemble-in-Residence of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory and Community Engagement.
The Cincinnati Youth Choir is an educationally based choral ensemble program. Participants learn healthy vocal technique, sight-reading, music history and music theory while experiencing performance excellence using the philosophies and techniques of Carl Orff, Zoltan Kodaly, Jacques Dalcroze and Jerome Brunner.
The learning environment is creative, explorative and fun. The children form lasting relationships with children outside of their community and develop a lifelong appreciation of music.
CYC members have toured Italy, Japan, China, Scandinavia, England, Ireland, Wales, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Canada, and the United States.
Founded in 1993, as the Cincinnati Children’s Choir, the organization updated it’s name to the Cincinnati Youth Choir in 2018 to better represent the age range of our member base.
CYC has recently received wide acclaim by winning the following awards:
- 2018 Chorus America Education and Community Engagement Award
- 2016 Chorus America ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming
- 2015 American Prize in Choral Performance for Youth Choirs
- CityBeat’s Best of 2015 & 2017 Reader Picks for Best Local Vocal Arts Group
- Gold Medal Choir, Youth Choirs of Equal Voices, World Choir Games 2012
- Winner of the 2008 Scripps-Corbett Award, Artist Category
VISION
The Cincinnati Youth Choir envisions a thriving global community strengthened and transformed by musical artistry.
MISSION
It is the mission of the Cincinnati Youth Choir to offer all children and youth the opportunity to experience musical excellence in a creative environment.
Participants demonstrate musical understanding, artistry, achievement and confidence through passionate performances and collaborations with premier ensembles and children’s/youth choirs throughout the world. The Cincinnati Youth Choir (CYC) builds stronger communities by creating a comprehensive foundation that supports music educators and develops tomorrow’s leaders.
GOALS
It is the goal of the CYC program:
• To educate singers of any background.
• To offer every child an opportunity to experience musical excellence in a developmentally appropriate, sequential setting.
• To expose singers and their audiences to superb choral repertoire including sacred, secular and world music.
• To encourage, promote and perform new compositions for children’s choir.
• To demonstrate in performance the knowledge and skills gained.
• To strengthen self-confidence in all who participate.
• To offer a venue for young musicians to create, socialize, learn and perform with others from Greater Cincinnati and the world.
• To provide opportunities to sing with musicians from other cultures to gain understanding and respect for global diversity.
• To support music educators through clinics, seminars and networking opportunities.
Contact the Cincinnati Youth Choir:
Cincinnati Youth Choir
University of Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of Music
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0236
Phone: (513) 556-0338
Email: choir@cincinnatichoir.org
CORE VALUES
Education
The Cincinnati Youth Choir provides a learning environment that is creative and nurturing. Singers are informed and reflective building upon their knowledge and musical understanding as they become independent musicians.
Confidence
Participation in the program fosters joyful fulfillment, a sense of achievement, increased independence, confidence and leadership qualities in our choristers.
Community
The Cincinnati Youth Choir provides entertaining programming of artistic and cultural merit that promotes unity and understanding between people of varied backgrounds. CYC strives to support the Greater Cincinnati community by providing training and networking opportunities for music professionals, providing choral opportunities for singers in far reaching suburbs and collaborating with various cultural organizations.
Collaboration
The Cincinnati Youth Choir enjoys collaborating with area music educators, composers and arts organizations. Joint ventures enable a greater exposure of CYC to the community and provide our singers with invaluable learning opportunities.
Integrity
The Cincinnati Youth Choir operates with responsibility and accountability to those who support and collaborate with the program whether they are stakeholders, volunteers, donors or families. We honor these relationships and realize the importance of open and honest communication.
Inclusiveness
The Cincinnati Youth Choir provides a safe haven for young singers. Through the welcoming environment, each singer is valued and accepted. Need-based tuition assistance is made available throughout the year and outreach programs are developed to meet children and youth in their communities focusing on underserved. Singers explore diversity in membership and repertoire performed providing opportunities to build personal friendships with others outside of their community, transforming young lives.
Staff
Board of Directors
Michael Spresser, President ~ Marc Katz, Vice President ~ Timothy Lana, Treasurer
Lauren Morris, Vice Treasurer ~ Rebekah Mabalot, Secretary ~ William Caldwell, Member
Paula Goschke, Member ~ Connie Graham, Member ~ Cheryl Gruenberg, Member
Eric Oliver, Member ~ David Sherrard, Member ~ Ron Stoerker, Member
Geneva Woode, Member ~ John Martin, CCM Liaison ~ Cheryl McElroy, Parent Liaison
Tim Lana
Treasurer
Operations Manager, Ohio ~ CE Power Engineered Services
Ronald Stoerker
Vice Treasurer
Business Manager, Wyoming Presbyterian Church
Paula Goschke
Secretary
Pediatric Nurse, St. Luke Hospital
Connie Graham
Member
Global Privacy Compliance Manager, Procter & Gamble (retired)
Cheryl Gruenberg
Member
CCC Alumni Parent
John Martin
Non-Voting Member
Assistant Dean, Preparatory and Community Engagement, CCM
Cheryl McElroy
Parent Liaison
Eric Oliver
Member
Director of the Loretta C. Manggrum Chorale, & Minister of Music at Zion Baptist Church
Advisory Board
Dr. Earl Rivers
Director of Choral Studies
University of Cincinnati
H. Jane Gavin
Member
Retired Music Educator
Henry Leck
Founding Director
Indianapolis Children’s Choir
Jack Lee
Ta Fong Children’s Choir
Taipei-Hsien, Taiwan, R. O. C.
Lori Lobsiger
Consultant
Isidore Rudnick
Cincinnati Public Schools, Fine Arts Curriculum Manager
Teacher Advisory Board
If your school district is not yet represented and you would like to serve on the board, please contact us.
TAB will offer 4 complimentary professional development and networking sessions during the year. Full details TBD for 2018-2019.
Crescendo Project – Promoting Growth Together
Want a CYC staff specialist to come to your school? CLICK HERE for full details
Resources:
CYC’s Teacher Advisory Board (TAB) consists of a committee of educators representing many school districts from across the Tri-State. Through our work with TAB, we hope to better connect CYC with the Greater Cincinnati community of music educators.
The Cincinnati Youth Choir is pleased to welcome the following teachers onto the Teacher Advisory Board:
| TAB Member | School | School District | |
| Brett | Albright | Taylor HS | Three Rivers |
| Karen | Allen | Batavia | |
| Sarah | Baker | Little Miami HS | Little Miami |
| Wesley | Barnfield | North Avondale Montessori | CPS |
| Patrick | Bauer | one of the Norwood elementary | Norwood |
| Joe | Beal | Lebanon HS | Lebanon |
| Julia | Bethune | Sycamore | |
| Katie | Blasing | Clermont Northeastern | West Clermont |
| Alice | Bohn | Indian Hill Elementary | Indian Hill Exempted Village |
| Patty | Bolender | Milford | |
| Dawn | Bruestle | Retired – Fairfield | |
| Michelle | Burkey | Nagel Middle School | Forest Hills |
| Tim | Carpenter | Milford | Milford |
| Allison | Corbin | Elda Elementary | Ross |
| Andrew | Critzer | St. Bernard-Elmwood Place | |
| Jeremy | David | Maddux Elementary | Forest Hills |
| Ligaya | DeLeon | Princeton Elementary | Princeton |
| Jennifer | Dietsch | Lakota | |
| Della | Enns | CHCA | |
| Tim | Fuchtman | CIncinnati Public | |
| Richard | Goist | Bethel-Tate HS | Bethel-Tate |
| Rick | Hagee | Good Shepherd | |
| Leslie | Hagen | Campell County KY | |
| Bethany | Hamann | Lindeman & Miles Elementary Schools | Erlanger Public School |
| Dee Dee | Hamlin | Retired | Retired – Forest Hills |
| Katie | Hayward | Dixie Heights HS | Northern Kentucky |
| Doug | Heflin | New Richmond | |
| Leslie | Hicks | Middletown | |
| Elena | Ivanova | Mt. Washington Elementary | Cincinnati Public |
| Jeanine | Jason | Dater Montessori | Cincinnati Public |
| Matthew | Jenkins | Kings Mills Elementary | Kings Local |
| Marie | Kramer | Deer Park | |
| Chelsea | Lamping | Delhi Middle School | Oak Hills |
| Charlotte | Loflin | St. Ursula Villa | |
| Liz | McGahey | Mariemont High School | Mariemont |
| Jason | McKee | Wm. Mason HS | Mason |
| Claire | Miller | Lakeside Presbyterian Church | |
| Hope | Milthaler | Kings HS | Kings Local |
| Everett | Moore | Mt. Healthy | |
| Jocelyn | Moses | Mason Intermediate | Mason |
| Stephanie | Nash | Lakeside Presbyterian Church | |
| Angie | Pendleton | Lockland | |
| Brian | Potts | Wyoming MS/HS | Wyoming |
| Sara | Potts | CHCA | |
| Amanda | Purdy | Southwest | |
| Mary | Scaggs | Fort Thomas KY | |
| Ben | Schneider | Maple Dale Elementary | Sycamore |
| Deb | Shawver | Talawanda | |
| Holly | Trenkamp | Kenton KY | |
| Kay | Tyler | Lynchburg-Clay Elementary School | Lynchburg-Clay |
| Megan | Weaver | Winton Woods Elementary | Winton Woods |
| Robin | Wilson | Lotspeich | Seven Hills |
Alumni
We want to get back in touch with as many alumni as possible! Please take a moment to fill out this form and let us know what you’re up to. You can also tell us what kinds of alumni events you’re interested in and if you’d like to volunteer.
Alumni Updates
See what your fellow CCC alumni are up to!
Want to share or update your story? Click HERE.
2017 Updates:
Caitlyn Lana (1999-2011)
Caitlyn moved back to Ohio after teaching for two years in Texas! She will be teaching 6th grade orchestra and assisting at with middle school and high school orchestra in Mason City Schools. “I am so excited to be back in Cincinnati and working with CCC again on the Alumni tour.”
Lauren Morris (1996-2000)
Lauren is now a financial Planner, and a managing member of Retirement Plan Advisors, Ltd. She is a proud dog mom, and she finally learned how to poach eggs!
Jennifer Hadley (2011-2014)
Jennifer is currently applying to medical schools!
Tara Traxler (2004 – 2010)
Tara will be getting married on October 7th of this year! She just finished her Masters in Music at the University of Oklahoma, and is hunting for a teaching job at a local college or university.
Jillian Phillips (2001 – 2004)
Jillian will be graduating with her Master’s in English Literature in May 2018.
Rebekah Mabalot (1995 – 2000)
Rebekah got married in 2013. Since leaving CCC she has sung in many other choirs including MUSE, St John’s Choir, Voices of the Commonwealth, and is now a member of Young Professionals’ Choral Collective (YPCC)
Ted Rosenberry (1998-2002)
Ted has launched his own blog and podcast website, tedtalksports.com, a dream that he has had for quite some time. He and his wife, Eileen Parry, have recently bought our first home in Lebanon, Ohio where we live with their dog, Scrappy Doo.
Kaylaya Crutcher (1998-2002)
Kaylaya got married in 2013, and had a daughter, Shyanne, in 2014, and a son, Gideon, in 2016. 
Past Tours
The Cincinnati Youth Choir has performed to international audiences with tours of Japan, Italy, China, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, England, Wales, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Canada, and the United States.
Sights & Sounds
2016-2017 Season in Review