CSO Concert Master Emeritus Timothy Lees Retires

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced the retirement of Concertmaster Emeritus Timothy Lees, who had stepped down as Concertmaster, at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season in August. Mr. Lees, who began his tenure with the CSO in June of 1998, became Concertmaster Emeritus in September and remained a member of the CSO's first violin section, but a persistent injury prevented him from performing with the Orchestra.

Mr. Lees has been on leave since December of 2017 due to ongoing medical issues related to a nerve injury affecting the fingers of his left hand. He has undergone cervical spine surgery and continues with a variety of treatments including physical and occupational therapy. Mr. Lees has been on intermittent leave since the condition first arose in April of 2016, and though he was able to perform for the Orchestra's tour to Asia in March of 2017 and again for the re-opening of the renovated Cincinnati Music Hall in October of 2017, persisting symptoms resulted in his going back on leave in December of that year and he has not been able to return to the CSO stage since.

"Being part of the CSO has been a great privilege and honor," said Mr. Lees. "I have been truly blessed and inspired by being able to share the Music Hall stage with so many gifted musicians and artists. This world-class organization is something I will miss and always cherish. While the timeline for my complete recovery is still undetermined and a great chapter of my performing career has come to a close, I continue to receive treatments and eagerly look forward to exploring new paths."

Mr. Lees also teaches violin at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and continues to privately teach and actively mentor fellows as part of the groundbreaking CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship, a program that provides an unparalleled two-year learning experience for graduate-level violin, viola, cello and double bass players from populations that are historically underrepresented in classical music.

"As a musician, I look forward to shifting my focus more completely to teaching a new generation of young string players at CCM, working with the school's ensembles, teaching various classes and continuing to offer guidance and support through the important CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship program," said Mr. Lees.

"The experience one has at a leading American conservatory like CCM depends upon exceptional resident faculty - both full- and part-time," said CCM Dean Stanley Romanstein. "Tim is able to share with our students his deep knowledge of repertoire, his rich experience as the concertmaster of a major American orchestra, and his breadth of knowledge about artistic leadership."

"My private violin studio at CCM has grown exponentially in the last several years and I find myself to be consistently inspired and challenged by all of my students, both graduate and undergraduate," said Mr. Lees. His passion for teaching has also led him to serve on the faculties of various summer festivals including the Aspen Music Festival and the Sarasota Music Festival. In addition, he has been and continues to be invited to give masterclasses at numerous universities and conservatories throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

The CSO experienced two decades of artistic triumphs during Mr. Lees' tenure in the Concertmaster role including tours, dozens of acclaimed recordings and thousands of concerts in Cincinnati. He was hired at age 28 as the ninth Concertmaster in CSO history by the late Music Director, Jesús López Cobos, and won critical acclaim for his Carnegie Hall debut with the Orchestra performing Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben in 1999. Mr. Lees played a crucial and vital role in the artistic trajectory of the CSO through his service on the search committees which resulted in the appointments of subsequent Music Directors Paavo Järvi and Louis Langrée. As a soloist he has been featured in numerous performances with the CSO performing a wide variety of repertoire ranging from Bach to Korngold. In addition, as a very prolific and passionate chamber musician, Mr. Lees appeared regularly with the CSO Chamber Players, the Linton Chamber Music Series, as a CCM faculty artist and at a variety of venues in the United States and abroad. Also the Concertmaster of the Cincinnati Pops, he played under Erich Kunzel until the conductor's death in 2009 and John Morris Russell since 2011.

"In his two decades as Concertmaster with the CSO, Tim has left an indelible mark and we celebrate his years of artistry and leadership," said CSO Music Director Louis Langrée. "He remains an educator and advocate and I have no doubt he will continue to play a vital role in our community."

The CSO is hosting several guest concertmasters this season and is holding auditions for the Concertmaster position this month. The Concertmaster chair was endowed by the late Anna Sinton Taft.

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