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AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER In Concert | October 30, 2024 | Aronoff Center

CAA_AvatarAVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER IN CONCERT
COMES TO CINCINNATI

World Tour 2024-25 Launches in September and Heads to 100 Cities Across the Globe

Experience the Beloved Animated Series’ Soundtrack Performed by a Live Orchestra, as Aang’s Epic Journey Comes to Life on a Cinema Screen

October 30, 2024
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

Tickets on sale Friday, April 19

Watch the official trailer here

[Cincinnati, OH] – Get ready for an unparalleled musical odyssey as Nickelodeon, GEA Live, and Senbla proudly present Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert. The much-anticipated concert flies into the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall for one performance only on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. The show is part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2024-25 Season.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 19 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. Prices start at $30.00. For groups of ten or more, call (513) 977-4155. Applicable services fees may apply. Prices are subject to change.

The tour will kick off in the United States in September before heading to Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Boston, Cincinnati, and many more cities in 2024. The global tour continues in 2025 to a myriad of European cities across the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, among others. Additionally, the tour will make stops in various cities across Australia.

Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert will immerse audiences in a two-hour special with a live orchestra bringing the show’s iconic musical score to life, in perfect harmony with highlights and favorite moments from all three seasons of the series. Taiko and erhu will share the spotlight with violins and clarinets, while the series’ most beloved scenes play out on a full-size cinema screen, bringing viewers into the Avatar world to experience the series’ most memorable moments with Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Zuko, and more.

The creative mastermind behind the original music for the Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, Emmy Award-winning composer and musician Jeremy Zuckerman, has teamed up with show co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, as well as Jeff Adams (the show’s original editor), to expand the series original compositions for the concert series. This spectacular production not only magnifies the epic scope and high drama of the series, but also marks a thrilling first for fans, offering an opportunity to experience the captivating world of Avatar: The Last Airbender through this live orchestra concert.

“It’s been incredibly satisfying and moving to see the audiences’ emotional response to these concerts, and to be a part of that atmosphere is a uniquely beautiful experience,” said Zuckerman. “I’m overjoyed that many more people – Avatar fans both new and old – will get to experience the show during this wider tour.”

Don’t miss this extraordinary chance to relive the epic odyssey of Avatar: The Last Airbender like never before. For more information and tour dates, visit www.avatarinconcert.com and follow #avatarinconcert, @avatarthelastairbender on Facebook and Instagram, and @teamavatar on YouTube.

Honored with a Peabody Award and Primetime Emmy Award, along with multiple Annie Awards and Genesis Awards, Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender emerged from its three-season run (sixty-one episodes) from February 2005 to July 2008 as one of the most-beloved animated properties in history. In 2021, Nickelodeon announced the launch of Avatar Studios, a new division designed to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.

The animated series’ success has also spawned a companion podcast, Avatar: Braving the Elements, currently in its third season, a remastered soundtrack from series (and tour) composer Jeremy Zuckerman, now out on digital and vinyl. The property has also been translated into several bestselling book series, which continue to roll out new original stories. The graphic novel series has sold over three million copies, and the young adult novels have spent twenty-five total weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and have over 700,000 copies in print.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 45th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing, and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon is a part of Paramount’s (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA) global portfolio of multimedia entertainment brands.

About GEA Live
Since its inception in 2003, GEA Live has delivered innovative live entertainment projects in more than forty countries, becoming a global leader in the location-based entertainment sector. GEA Live has closely cooperated with the legend Maestro Ennio Morricone (representing him exclusively for all live touring) as well as icons of the music film industry such as James Newton Howard, Giorgio Moroder, and George Fenton. In addition to producing live cinematic experiences such as the Johnny Cash Official Concert Experience or Elvis Live On Screen, GEA Live has produced live screenings with orchestra and choir of major motion pictures such as Spider-ManDirty DancingThe GodfatherTitanicLa La LandTwilightThe Hunger GamesPaddington, and Amadeus. This journey has led to fruitful collaborations with renowned studios and IP giants such as Lionsgate, Viacom, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, and other global leaders in the branded entertainment landscape, earning GEA Live its well-deserved position as the most reliable and trusted partner for location-based entertainment projects worldwide.

About Senbla
Senbla is part of Sony Music Entertainment and operates both nationally and internationally across music, performing arts and entertainment concert touring, festivals, family entertainment, theater, and experiential. Senbla operates in some of the most prestigious venues in the world and works with some of the world’s leading artists in their fields, as well as some of the biggest entertainment companies and studios. In recent years, Senbla has brought leading artists such as Michael Buble, My Chemical Romance, Duran Duran, The Chemical Brothers, Diana Ross, and more to unique outdoor venues across the UK.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS
The Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

SEASON SPONSORS:
AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), ARTSWAVEFIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:
21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Fairfield Inn & Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University Area, Harlan Graphics, Heidelberg Distributing, Kinley Cincinnati, Pepsi, Skyline Chili, TriHealth

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CALENDAR INFORMATION

WHAT:                Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert
WHEN:                Wednesday, October 30, 2024 – 7:30 PM
WHERE:              Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall
PRICES:               Start at $30.00. 10%-off groups of ten or more. Additional service fees may apply. Prices subject to change.
INFO:                   Immerse yourself in an over two-hour show with a live orchestra bringing this iconic musical score to life, in perfect harmony with highlights and favorite moments from the series. Taiko and erhu will share the spotlight with violins and clarinets, while the series’ most beloved scenes play out on screen, bringing viewers into the Avatar world to experience the series’ most memorable moments with Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Zuko and more.

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale Friday, April 19 at 10:00 AM

  • www.CincinnatiArts.org
  • (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
  • Aronoff Center Ticket Office
  • Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4155

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CIRQUE KALABANTE: AFRIQUE EN CIRQUE | Thu., Oct. 24, 2024 | Aronoff Center

CAA_Afrique en CirqueCirque Kalabanté:
Afrique en Cirque

October 24, 2024
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

Tickets on sale Friday, April 12

[Cincinnati, OH] – Inspired by daily life in Guinea, Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque makes its Cincinnati debut on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 7:30 PM at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall. This amazing show for the whole family shares the beauty, youth, and artistry of African culture. The show is part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2024-25 Season.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 12 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. Prices start at $20.00. For groups of ten or more, call (513) 977-4155. Applicable services fees may apply. Prices are subject to change.

Filled with color and impressive scenery, costumes, and staging, the performance vibrates with energy and represents the strength, agility, and joys of young Africans. The breathtaking production includes acrobats who execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, accompanied by the contemporary sounds of live Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora. Welcome to the universe of Kalabanté Productions and prepare for an unforgettable journey!

Kalabanté Productions was created by Yamoussa Bangoura, a multidisciplinary artist of Guinean origin. Yamoussa’s dream was the founding of a school of circus arts to direct his own multidisciplinary company specializing in the African arts.

Yamoussa first became interested in the Circus Arts as a young man growing up in Conakry, Guinea in the 1990s. He studied the circus performers he saw on European TV and practiced on the beach and dirt around his home. He also studied the Nyamakala tradition of circus, practiced by the Fula people of West Africa. He eventually joined Guinea’s original circus company, Circus Baobob, with whom he toured Africa and Europe.

In the early 2000s, Yamoussa was recruited to come to Canada with Cirque Éloize, a Montreal based Canadian cirque company.  While in Canada, he also performed with Cirque du Soleil and Cavalia (cirque with horses).  In 2007, Yamoussa realized his dream and opened his own company – Kalabanté Productions in Montreal, Canada. He recruited many of his extended family members to join the company, including his twin sisters, brothers, and cousins.

The company began doing shows in Quebec and over the years expanded to all of Canada and the USA, and now performs all over the world. In 2018, Kalabanté opened their own studio and school in Montreal, where they offer classes in African dance, cirque, and drumming.

Kalabanté Productions is proud to be able to share their work, achievements, and skills to inspire others and to assist with the humanitarian mission to help the Guinean community from which Yamoussa and many of his company members come.

CALENDAR INFORMATION

WHAT:                Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque

WHEN:                Thursday, October 24, 2024 – 7:30 PM

WHERE:              Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

PRICES:               Start at $20. 10%-off groups of ten or more. Additional service fees may apply. Prices subject to change.

INFO:                  Filled with color and impressive scenery, costumes, and staging, Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque vibrates with energy and represents the strength, agility, and joys of young Africans. The breathtaking production includes acrobats who execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, accompanied by the contemporary sounds of live Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora. Prepare for an unforgettable journey!

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale Friday, April 12 at 10:00 AM

  • www.CincinnatiArts.org
  • (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
  • Aronoff Center Ticket Office
  • Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4155

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS

The Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

SEASON SPONSORS:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Fairfield Inn & Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University Area, Harlan Graphics, Heidelberg Distributing, Kinley Cincinnati, Pepsi, Skyline Chili, TriHealth

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BLUEY’S BIG PLAY The Stage Show | Aug. 30 – Sept. 1, 2024 | Aronoff Center

CAA_Blueys Big PlayWACKADOO! EMMY® AWARD-WINNING PHENOMENON BLUEY
BRINGS FIRST LIVE STAGE SHOW BACK TO THE ARONOFF CENTER

August 30 – September 1, 2024
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

Tickets on sale Friday, March 29

[Cincinnati, OH] – Grab the sticky geckos, break out the duck cakes, and alert the grannies! It’s time to meet the much-loved Heeler family, who are returning to Cincinnati by popular demand with the Bluey live show, Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show!  The Emmy® Award-winning animated preschool series, which airs on Disney Junior, Disney Channel, and Disney+, will be “taking the show on the road” to Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall for five shows from Friday, August 30 – Sunday, September 1 (see full performance schedule below). The show is part of the Cincinnati Arts Associations 2024-25 Season.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 29 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org and (513) 621-ARTS [2787]. Ticket prices: $64.25 | $54.25 | $44.25. Prices subject to change. Applicable services fees may apply. American Sign Language and Audio-Description are available at select performances. To request these services, please contact us at (513) 977.4157 or ticketing@cincinnatiarts.org.

A VIP Package is available for $123.75. The VIP Package includes one orchestra seat in the first six rows, an exclusive post-show meet-and-greet session with Bluey costume characters, an exclusive Bluey VIP lanyard, exclusive Bluey VIP gift, and an exclusive photo opportunity per group. All VIP attendees must have their own VIP ticket. All children must be accompanied by an adult. 

Fans of all ages will get to see Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli as the Heelers return to Cincinnati with their live theater show featuring puppetry, actors, and iconic sets. Based on an original story written by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show also contains music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush.

“After seeing the amazing reaction the show received during its Australia run, we are delighted to bring this standout live theater show to U.S. audiences,” said director Rosemary Myers of Windmill Theatre Co. “We know how much love there is out there for Bluey and are thrilled and honored to translate these brilliant characters into the three-dimensional world and to share this special experience with fans throughout America.”

Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show is presented by BBC Studios and Andrew Kay in association with Windmill Theatre Co. The stage show enjoyed much success in the home market of Australia, where it premiered in Bluey’s hometown Brisbane and went on to perform 447 times across 65 venues, including the Sydney Opera House.

Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show Performance Schedule 

  • Friday, August 30 @ 6:30 PM
  • Saturday, August 31 @ 12:00 PM & 4:00 PM
  • Sunday, September 1 @ 12:00 PM & 4:00 PM

About Bluey
The series follows Bluey, a six-year-old Blue Heeler dog who loves to play and turn everyday family life into extraordinary adventures that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family, friends, and community into her world of fun.

Bluey has won the hearts of kids and parents around the world since it first launched in Australia in October 2018, and has quickly become a global hit. In Australia, Bluey is the number one kids show on broadcast television and is the most-watched series ever on ABC iview. In June 2019, BBC Studios struck a global broadcast deal with Disney to premiere Bluey in all territories outside Australia, New Zealand, and Greater China; it now screens in over 60 countries. In the U.S. on Disney Junior since March 2021, the show has been the #1 most watched TV series with kids 2-6. In the UK, Bluey was the most watched show on CBeebies in January 2022 and is also available on Disney+.

Bluey has also won multiple awards, such as the International Emmy® Kids Award in the prestigious Preschool Category in 2020, and has picked up the AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program for three years running (2019-21). Bluey recently won four Kidscreen Awards in February 2021.

Bluey is produced by multi-Emmy® award-winning Ludo Studio for ABC Kids Australia, co-commissioned by ABC Children’s and BBC Studios, and distributed internationally by BBC Studios outside of Australia.

Notable accolades include the 2019 Venues Now #1 Top Stop of the Decade Award for tickets sold (5,000 seats or less); 2019 Billboard #2 Highest Grossing Venue Worldwide (5,000 seats or less); and 2019 Pollstar #3 Worldwide Ticket Sales (5,000 seats or less)

CALENDAR INFORMATION

WHAT:                Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show

WHEN:                Friday, August 30, 2024 – 6:30 PM

                             Saturday, August 31, 2024 – 12:00 PM & 4:00 PM

                             Sunday, September 1, 2024 – 12:00 PM & 4:00 PM

WHERE:              Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

PRICE:                 $68.75 | $58.75 | $48.75. Additional service fees may apply.

VIP PACKAGES – $123.75. The VIP Package includes one orchestra seat in the first six rows, an exclusive post-show meet-and-greet session with Bluey costume characters, an exclusive Bluey VIP lanyard, an exclusive Bluey VIP gift, and an exclusive photo opportunity per group). All VIP attendees must have their own VIP ticket. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

INFO:                   Fans of all ages will get to see Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli as the Heelers return to Cincinnati with their live theater show, featuring puppetry, actors, and iconic sets. Based on an original story written by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show also contains music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush.

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale Friday, March 29 at 10:00 AM

  • www.CincinnatiArts.org
  • (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
  • Aronoff Center Ticket Office
  • American Sign Language and Audio-Description available at select performances.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS
The Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by the Ohio Arts Council,
which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

SEASON SPONSORS:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Fairfield Inn & Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University Area, Graphic Village, Harlan Graphics, Heidelberg Distributing, Kinley Cincinnati, Pepsi, Skyline Chili, TriHealth

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Dennis Harrington to Retire From the Aronoff Center’s Weston Art Gallery

Dennis Harrington

Dennis Harrington

[Cincinnati, OH]  The Cincinnati Arts Association announced today the retirement of Weston Art Gallery Director Dennis Harrington after twenty-nine years of dedicated service. He will step down from this position at the end of the Weston’s current 2023-24 season on August 31, 2024.

The award-winning Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center) features the work of local and regional artists and is the only gallery in the Greater Cincinnati area able to commission and support site-specific works. Since opening in 1995, numerous national and international emerging and professional artists, curators, designers, filmmakers, and performers working in all media have found creative and professional support in achieving their artistic vision.

Originally hired as the Weston’s exhibition preparator, Harrington served closely with founding director Salli LoveLarkin, who laid the Gallery’s foundation and forged its early programming efforts from 1995-98. Early in her tenure, LoveLarkin was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Due to the progressive nature of the disease, she retired in May 1998, and Harrington was appointed director in June 1998.

During his long association with the Weston, Harrington was responsible for implementing 284 exhibitions and countless associated performances, workshops, and screenings involving more than 1,200 artists, performers, designers, and curators that reflected the robust visual arts tradition of the region.

“Dennis’ impact on the local and regional visual arts landscape has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Steve Loftin, President, Cincinnati Arts Association. “His authentic commitment to artists, inclusivity, contemporary issues, and high-quality exhibitions have set him and the Weston Art Gallery apart from other institutions. Dennis will leave his eternal legacy on the Weston Art Gallery and the larger Cincinnati arts scene. We wish him much happiness in his retirement.”

Throughout his tenure, Harrington took full advantage of the Weston’s unique glass enclosed street-level atrium space, which served as an incubator for new work and afforded artists opportunities for site-specific installations not available elsewhere in this prominent and highly visible space. The two lower gallery spaces, situated directly beneath the atrium space, were envisioned by Harrington as “flex space” to manipulate and transform to suit the needs of the artists working in those spaces. Providing exceptional service and support to artists became a mainstay for the Weston and its dedicated staff.

“It has been a rich and rewarding experience to be a part of the Weston since its inception in 1995,” said Harrington, reflecting on his many years with the Weston. “I am grateful for the vision of Alice and Harris Weston, who advocated for a visual arts component in the Aronoff Center dedicated to showcasing local and regional artists. The seeds they planted have flourished.  It has been my pleasure and great privilege to work with many outstanding artists and be part of the collective effort and support from CAA President Steve Loftin, the CAA Board, CAA staff, Weston Art Gallery Support Committee, many generous Weston sponsors, and a committed and hard-working Gallery staff to make the Weston such an outstanding success. I look forward to welcoming a new director to the Weston, assisting them in transitioning the Gallery to new leadership,  and continuing to build a strong and exciting future for the Weston.”

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 700,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than two million students and adults.

The Cincinnati Arts Association and the Weston Art Gallery are supported [in part] by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Overture Awards 2024 Scholarship Competition Announces Winners 

CAA_Overture AwardsCAA ANNOUNCES
2024 OVERTURE AWARD WINNERS
$38,000 Awarded for Excellence in the Arts
Arts Educator Award Winners Also Announced

[CINCINNATI, OH] – The Cincinnati Arts Association is pleased to announce the winners of its Overture Awards Competition, held on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater, and the winners of its Arts Educator Award for Excellence in Arts Instruction. The competition awarded $3,000 to six area students for education and training, $1,000 each to the 18 runners-up, and $1,000 each to two Arts Educator Award winners.

The Overture Awards recognizes, encourages, and rewards excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12 and is the area’s largest solo arts competition. Students are nominated by their schools and/or private studios to compete in one of six disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final, and Final.

The Arts Educator Award promotes and rewards excellence in arts instruction throughout Greater Cincinnati. An educator who teaches any of the following arts disciplines may be nominated: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. A nominee may be a high school arts specialist, teaching artist working with high school students, or an arts professional or educator providing private lessons or instruction. Students between the ages of 14-19 who are currently enrolled in high school submit nominations for their favorite educators. A panel of arts professionals select the Arts Educator Award finalists and winners from the nominations.

The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held virtually in January 2024. The top twenty-five percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, which were held at the Aronoff Center from February 1-3.

Now in its twenty-eighth year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a program of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber). The Overture Awards is funded and administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association and relies on hundreds of volunteers from the community who help raise funds, adjudicate, manage the competitions, and nurture the program.

2024 Overture Award Winners

CREATIVE WRITING: Hailey Hartman, grade 12, William Mason High School
HOMETOWN: Mason, OH – Hailey has been scribbling stories and poems for as long as she could hold a pencil. Her writing has won her six awards from the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. Outside of poetry, she channels her love of words into public speaking and is the President of her school’s Model UN team.

DANCE: Isabella Shearer, grade 12, School for Creative and Performing Arts / Just Off Broadway
HOMETOWN: Mt. Washington, OH – Isabella started her artistic journey at age nine, under the direction of Daryl Bjoza and Sara Swinehart at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. She has performed numerous lead roles at SCPA. Her dream is to pursue a BFA degree in college and share her talents with the world.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: Christy Kim, grade 12, William Mason High School
HOMETOWN: Mason, OH – Christy has been playing the violin since the age of six and now plans to pursue music professionally. She has won top prizes in numerous competitions, most recently the 2023 Sejong Music Competition, the 2023 Matinee Musicale Scholarship Competition, and the 2023-24 Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition. Christy has been featured on National Public Radio’s From The Top radio show with host Peter Dugan.

THEATER: Natalie Hudepohl, grade 12, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy / The Musical Arts Center / Cincinnati Music Academy
HOMETOWN: Montgomery, OH – Natalie’s favorite roles include Portia in Something Rotten, Evie in Disney’s Descendants, Annie in Annie, and Molly Aster in Peter and the Starcatcher. For four years, Natalie was in the Young Artist Preparatory Program for young opera singers. She was an Overture Awards Semi-Finalist in Vocal Music in 2021. Natalie plans to attend the Honors College at Clemson University and major in Nursing.

VISUAL ART: Ellen Zhang, grade 12, William Mason High School
HOMETOWN: Mason, OH – Ellen has enjoyed creating art for over six years in many different media, including painting and sculpture. As an artist, she received a perfect score on the AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio and a Gold Key on the Scholastics Art Portfolio. Ellen’s dream is to be an installation artist. Outside of art, Ellen enjoys Chinese traditional dance, calligraphy, and reading.

VOCAL MUSIC: Ella Clark, grade 12, Dixie Heights High School / Talia Zoll Studio of Music
HOMETOWN: Independence, KY – Ella recently placed first in the regional Schmidt Vocal Competition and third in the 2023 Matinee Musicale competition and is a two-time Overture Awards finalist. She loves participating in her school’s musicals, the May Festival Youth Chorus, and Dixie’s chamber choir. Ella hopes to double major in music education and vocal performance. She would like to thank her voice teacher, Talia, for the support and guidance throughout the years.

2024 ARTS EDUCATOR AWARD WINNERS

Lincoln Chapman, Musical Arts Center (posthumous winner)
Discipline: Vocal Music
Nominated by Sabine Huhn and Alice Pooley

John Ingram, Private Instructor
Discipline: Instrumental Music
Nominated by John Paul Shannon


The Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by the Ohio Arts Council,
which receives support from the State of Ohio, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Overture Awards are endowed by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.

Overture Scholarship Sponsors:  Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.; Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; Punky’s Pixels; Summerfair Cincinnati; TriHealth

Printing Sponsor:  Harlan Graphics

THANK YOU to the following generous supporters of Dancing for the Stars and The Overture Awards:
A Catered Affair, Accent on Cincinnati, Arthur Murray – Cincinnati, Amanda Barraza, Douglas Beal, Bonita Brockert, Chris O’Brien & Janeen Coyle, Lane Glick, Heidelberg Distributing Company, JD Hughes, David Kapor, Jon Lawhead, Jeremy Mainous, Frank Marzullo, Metropolitan Club, Diana Nguyen, Amanda Orlando, Morgan Angelique Owens, Tom Parker, Party Source, Pepsi, Prime Cincinnati, Primo Italian Steakhouse, Punky’s Pixel’s, Erin Rolfes, Skyline, Litsa Spanos, Britton Spitler (as Brock Leah Spears), Andrea Stefano, Street City Pub, That’s So Sweet, Josh Tilford, Rostislav Toporski, Melissa Vaughn, Vonderhaar’s Catering.


Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 700,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than two million students and adults. 

CAA is proud to be a member of Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Cincinnati USA Regional

Chamber, Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts Education, Visit Cincinnati (formerly Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau), Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce. 

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