ArtsWave’s signature singing competition, CincySings presented by Accenture, returns for a third year to leverage the power of the arts to deepen people’s connection to their coworkers and Greater Cincinnati. 

"Accenture is proud to sponsor CincySings, because we see the excitement and energy it brings to employee groups and businesses,” said Marco Ziegler, managing director - products consumer goods and services. “CincySings reflects our own insights at Accenture about how successful companies create a culture of engagement for their employees, which is critical to retaining talent."

Designed to foster camaraderie and build company pride, CincySings participating companies invite their employees to form small singing groups who then compete to represent their company in the citywide competition hosted by ArtsWave.

Because interest in the event is high, ArtsWave will have a CincySings Semi-Finals on March 20. Sixteen employee choirs from the top companies of Greater Cincinnati will compete for a chance to advance to the Finals, set for 7 p.m. April 13 at Cincinnati Music Hall. Seven teams will move on, along with one wild card entry and the two winning teams from 2015 — groups from Great American Insurance Group and Macy’s Customer and Credit Services — to perform in the final CincySings competition. 

More than 250 employees at all levels of business will participate in the individual company sing-offs that lead up to CincySings. Started in 2014 to raise awareness of ArtsWave and its annual Community Campaign for the arts, the event has wowed local crowds and gained national attention as a creative, innovative way to build positive workplace morale while connecting people with the arts. Americans for the Arts, a national nonprofit organization aimed at increasing access to the arts for all citizens, commissioned ArtsWave to create a CincySings Toolkit to share the successful arts engagement strategy with other arts service organizations around the United States. 

“We know the arts have the power to deepen people’s roots in our region, as well as spark creativity and fresh approaches that people will then bring back to their work,” ArtsWave President and CEO Alecia Kintner said. “We’re delighted to see CincySings continue to grow and inspire others, here at home and around the country.” 

The CincySings Semi-Finals competition is free and will begin at 3 p.m. March 20 at the Jarson Kaplan Theatre at the Aronoff Center. Teams competing in the CincySings Semi-Finals are:  
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
• Cincinnati Insurance Company
• Duke Energy Corporation
• Fifth Third Bank
• Freestore Foodbank
• Frisch's
• GE
• Kroger
• Michelman
• Procter & Gamble
• The Christ Hospital Network
• TriHealth
• UC Health
• University of Cincinnati
• Western & Southern
• Glee East Fourth Choir (combined choir with Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, REDI Cincinnati, Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, Partners for a Competitive Workforce and Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council)

The CincySings Finals on April 13 will be hosted again by Drew Lachey. The choirs will be judged by Local 12 anchor Bob Herzog, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conductor John Morris Russell and jazz legend Kathy Wade, who also is CEO of Learning Through Art Inc. 
 
Tickets for the CincySings Finals are on sale at the Cincinnati Arts Association website, www.cincinnatiarts.org. Tickets also can be purchased by calling 513-621-2787 or visiting the Cincinnati Arts Association box office. Regular adult admission to CincySings is $20, plus service fees. A VIP ticket costs $50, plus service fees, and includes admission to a VIP reception before the event in Corbett Tower at Cincinnati Music Hall. Premium seat and children’s tickets also are available for $30 and $10, respectively, plus fees. 

For more information about CincySings, contact Laura Boggs atlaura.boggs@theartswave.org.