Key Figures

In Concert

Emanuel Ax
Friday, March 24, 7:30 p.m.
Corbett Theater at the School for Creative & Performing Arts,

BCB recipients Trinity Thrasher and Morgan Olivia Reynolds will also perform.

Tickets and information at bcbscholarship.org.

“This is an inspiring opportunity to give back to the musical community,” said Emanuel Ax, one of the world’s finest classical pianists.

A Grammy-winning musician who regularly performs with major orchestras around the world, Ax will be performing in Cincinnati to benefit the Ben Carlson-Berne Scholarship Fund.

“The Ben Carlson-Berne (BCB) Scholarship Fund makes a real impact on the lives of many young students,” said Ax. “Their scholarships nurture the next generation of classical musicians and expose the artistry of classical music to new audiences.”

For the last 19 years, underserved and economically disadvantaged students at Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) have been receiving free classical music lessons through the fund.

“The single most important factor in improving a student’s music ability throughout junior high and high school is the opportunity to take a weekly private lesson with a qualified teacher,” says Dr. Isidore Rudnick, Fine Arts Manager for Cincinnati Public Schools, said. “The ability to study with, and be mentored by, a professional music teacher over the course of years can have a dramatic impact on a student’s life and future.”

The fund was created by Susan and Phil Carlson-Berne to honor their son, Ben. At 16, after realizing some youth had limited exposure to classical music, and couldn’t afford lessons, Ben made it his mission to share his love of classical music with underserved youth. He began finding instrument and providing music lessons to underserved youth.

As Ben’s began to expand his efforts, his life was cut short in a tragic hiking accident when he was 19. A short time later, his parents continued his mission, founding the BCB Scholarship Fund.

“We were inspired by our son’s capacity for giving back, and we knew we had to continue what he had started,” Phil Berne said. “Starting at 5 years old, piano lessons were a venue for Ben to express his profound love for classical music. He didn’t want anyone to be excluded from the opportunity of having classical music in their lives.”

The BCB Scholarship Fund focuses on building a strong mentorship between students and tutors. Students who receives a scholarship can extend it from middle school through high school. The scholarships considers a student’s talent, but also need and interest

Morgan Olivia Reynolds, a student at SCPA, has been a BCB piano student for two years.

“Receiving a BCB scholarship has been a wonderful entry to the path of my extraordinary journey of perfecting my craft in piano,” Reynolds says. “I am elated for the phenomenal opportunities that BCB has bestowed upon me, allowing me to express my passion freely.”

Another student, Trinity Thrasher, a junior at SCPA has been a BCB student for the past three years. She recently been accepted into the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. Lessons for both students are funded until their high school graduations.