Celebrating a Milestone

The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank is excited to be named the lead­ing sponsor of Music Director Carmon DeLeone of Cincinnati Ballet. "We couldn’t be more thrilled with the new corporate partnership. By establishing association with an institution of the caliber of The Reserve, Cincinnati Ballet anticipates a continuation of the enrichment, reputation and impact live music and ballet have on Cincinnati audiences," says Mis­sie Santomo, Chief Operating Officer at Cincinnati Ballet.

"The Ballet is such an important community jewel. It is our honor and particularly apropos to be able to support the Ballet in this way for Carmon’s anniversary," says Michael Bailes, Personal Trust Managing Director at The Reserve, "When we work with our clientele there are so many concepts we must carefully coordinate. Wealth management decisions cannot be made in a vacuum. Every decision must be thoughtful as to how it affects each member of the family, tax issues, long and short term cash flow and other professional family interactions."

Through U.S. Bank’s corporate citizenship initiative, Bailes has joined Cincinnati Ballet’s board of trustees and was recently appointed to the organization’s executive board as the Treasurer. Corporate citizen­ship is an important part of the culture at U.S. Bank. Each employee is given a lapel pin on their first day that reads, "Serving You." The pin is a daily reminder to serve their customers, their fellow employees, and the community in which they live and work.

"We use our vast resources to creatively engage with our clients to provide them our best expertise to ultimately honor their unique goals. Similar to Carmon, he must gently guide the ballet dancers, or­chestrate the individuals of the symphony and creatively interact with every detail to make beautiful music and art. It is the 45th anniversary of Carmon being here; he isn’t only a creative genius who brings it all together, but a great member of our community and a wonderful man – people love Carmon."

"Just last month we celebrated my 50th anniversary of conducting," says DeLeone. "It all started at the University of Cincinnati, and just five years later, I was hired by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Conductor. Very soon after, I became the Music Director of the Ballet, so it’s been 45 years and looking to the future."

DeLeone possesses an impressive list of accomplishments and has been recognized not only for his work locally, but throughout the world. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1995 for the original score he created for the full-length ballet, Peter Pan, based on James M. Barrie’s tale of the boy who didn’t want to grow up.

"Last season we presented a brand new full-length ballet, King Arthur’s Camelot, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Cincinnati Ballet. The last time our company did a completely original ballet was 20 years earlier in 1994 when we produced the Peter Pan ballet, and I was asked to compose the music. Since then the piece has been very successfully produced na­tionally and internationally," says DeLeone.

"Each year several ballet companies perform the music to Peter Pan, and I am very happy that this November we are doing it again here in Cincinnati. It’s the first full-length production of the season, and it’s the very first time that the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will be playing the piece. I am very excited about that. The music is lots of fun from beginning to end, and I hope it puts a smile on your face."

The ballet dancers are away during the off-season, but Cincinnati Bal­let is still a bustling place. During the off-season the company focuses on promoting subscriptions, raising funds and energizing the public about the upcoming season. For DeLeone, this is his time to prepare the music for the next season. This includes transferring music, obtaining licensing and publishing rights, and developing rehearsal schedules.

"When the dancers do come back in August it seems like everyone is on a fast track from that moment until the day the season ends," says De­Leone. "So we try to get as much planning done as we can in the summer months while the dancers are on leave."

Cincinnati Ballet will kick off the 2014-2015 season with The Kaplan New Works Series. This intimate fan favorite will run from September 11-21. This performance will be followed by Peter Pan from November 7-9, Frisch’s Presents The Nutcracker from December 19-27, and ALICE (in wonder­land) from February 13-15. The music for these three productions will be played by the CSO. Cincinnati Ballet’s season will also include Mozart’s Requiem on March 20-21, Ballet Toybox on March 22, and Director’s Choice: Chasing Squirrel, Classical Symphony and Feast of the Gods on May 8-9 with music performed by the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra.

"Cincinnatians should be very proud of the fact that their ballet com­pany dances to live music throughout our season, and we’re very lucky to be doing so," says DeLeone. "This means, though, that we have to raise lots of money to maintain our live music, because there are two produc­tions with orchestras we need to hire, and many other musical expenses above and beyond."

As Cincinnati Ballet prepares for another exciting season, it is clear that the support of generous corporate and individual donors, such as The Bank Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank, are instrumental in keeping beloved artists like Maestro DeLeone in our city.

"Our ballet company is one that appeals to all citizens of the area," says DeLeone. "When people who are unfamiliar with ballet come to us for the first time, we find that it’s easy to get them back in the door because they see the beauty and athleticism of our dancers. That has always been an inspiration to me as well. I love my job with the Ballet!"