Elliot Madore Joins Cincinnati Song Initiative
Cincinnati, Ohio — Cincinnati Song Initiative (CSI) welcomes Grammy Award–winning baritone Elliot Madore to its staff as Development & Grants Manager.
“Elliot is a marvelous match for CSI in this chapter of the organization’s story,” says Founding Artistic Director Samuel Martin. “With such a breadth and depth of knowledge, experience, and creative thinking, Elliot will fit in wonderfully with our completely artist-led staff. The very epitome of a multifaceted twenty-first century artist, I know he will significantly help CSI live out its core values of artistry, communication, collaboration, and innovation in every step we take moving forward.”
As Development & Grants Manager, Madore holds responsibility for engaging existing audience members and supporters — as well as cultivating new relationships throughout the community — and connecting them with the aspects of CSI that speak most to their passions to collectively support a robust organizational foundation.
“I’ve long admired CSI because it combines the highest artistic standards with a deep commitment to the Cincinnati community. I’m excited to bring my experience in both the performing arts and higher education to the team, and to help make CSI’s ambitious vision of becoming the most relevant song organization in the world a reality.”
Madore’s role began on August 3 alongside an active career in performing, teaching, and volunteerism.
About Elliot Madore
Elliot Madore is a Grammy Award–winning baritone and Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, with an additional faculty appointment at the Curtis Institute of Music. He brings 16 years of international performance experience and six years of faculty and institutional leadership at major conservatories.
Alongside his work as a teacher and artist mentor, Elliot has contributed to artistic planning and casting, program development, institutional partnerships, nonprofit governance, funded-project stewardship, and talent development. He is especially interested in the larger challenges facing the classical music industry and in developing thoughtful, practical solutions that strengthen its institutions, support its artists, and expand its future possibilities.
Elliot is currently pursuing an MBA and additional training in leadership and fundraising as he continues to expand his work in institutional strategy and arts leadership.
About Cincinnati Song Initiative
Cincinnati Song Initiative’s first decade has seen dozens of concerts connect diverse audiences with world-class artists in communities throughout the country. Dedicated to the promotion and innovation of the intimate genre of song, CSI creates memorable experiences that welcome seasoned arts enthusiasts, curious newcomers, and everyone in between. Garnering national attention since its earliest days, CSI is a recipient of Ovation TV and Spectrum’s Stand for the Arts award, which recognizes organizations that empower the community, build strategic partnerships, drive engagement through volunteerism, and deliver creative programming.
An organization led exclusively by artists, Cincinnati Song Initiative constantly reimagines how classical music can connect best with communities in the immediate present. With the launch of its 2025-2026 tenth anniversary season, CSI proudly joined forces with Cincinnati Public Radio at its brand new home in Evanston to live-broadcast select concerts. Complete with a studio audience and an on-air host to contextualize the music, this new era retains the up-close-and-personal nature of CSI’s live song events while reaching exciting new audiences in an effort to maximize the organization’s accessibility and impact.
