Renowned Flutist, Demarre McGill, to Perform at Benefit Concert March 22

Performance on Behalf of Benjamin Carlson-Berne Scholarship Fund

On Thursday, March 22, international renowned flutist, Demarre McGill will perform exclusively on behalf of the Benjamin Carlson-Berne (BCB) Scholarship Fund to honor the young man for whom the Scholarship is named. The performance will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Mayerson Theater at the School for Creative and Performing Arts (103 West Central Parkway, 45202). The BCB Scholarship Fund makes it possible for Cincinnati Public School students who have an interest in classical music, but would not otherwise be able to afford lessons with a private instructor, to have this opportunity.

Renowned Flutist, Demarre McGill, will perform at the Benjamin Carlson-Berne Benefit Concert on Thursday, March 22.

Ben Carlson-Berne Scholarship students performed with concert:nova musicians Ixi Chen, Ted Nelson, and Austin Smith. 

Winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, flutist Demarre McGill is acclaimed for his “richly saturated tone, spirited technique, and expressive warmth” and has quickly become one of the most sought-after flutists of his generation. He enjoys an active career as a leading soloist, recitalist, artistic director, and chamber musician. McGill has appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego, Baltimore Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, and Buffalo Philharmonic, among others." Media credits include appearances on PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center, A&E Network’s The Gifted Ones and NBC’s Today Show and Nightly News. He was recently appointed to the faculty of University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music as Visiting Assistant Professor of Flute.

McGill will perform at the School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) in a program that will also include BCB Artistic Partner concert:nova. There will be special appearances by Adanya Stephens, Ben Carlson-Berne Scholarship student, and Lee Griffith, a former Scholarship student who now teaches BCB students. A dessert reception to meet the artists will follow the performance. 

McGill is also scheduled to teach a master class for the flute students through the Mayerson Foundation Master Artist Series at SCPA on March 21.       

The BCB Scholarship Fund was created in 2004 by Susan Carlson and Philip Berne, parents of Benjamin. Their son took it as his mission to help ensure that his love of classical music could be shared with underserved youth. He volunteered his time and talents to help connect youth to classical music, to teach music lessons, and to locate instruments for students who could not afford them. When their son died at the age of 19, Susan and Phil responded by initiating the scholarship. There are unusual and distinctive features of the Benjamin Carlson-Berne Scholarship: the scholarships are interest and need-based, not solely talent-based. The teachers are of the highest professional level, and the Scholarship, once awarded, can extend over the middle-school and high-school years so that a mentoring relationship can form between the student and the tutor.

All proceeds from ticket sales to the concert will go to the BCB Scholarship Fund.  Tickets are $35 each and are available by visiting http://bcbconcert@eventbrite.com or at the door. For additional information or assistance with advance ticketing, please call Susan Carlson at 513-410-0618.

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