Pleatman Gives $1 Million to UC Conservatory

A retired radiologist's gift creates two funds to ease financial barriers for music students at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Philanthropy

Brass trumpet resting on a worn wooden chair beside a tall window in an empty red-brick practice room with an upright piano. — Clifford Pleatman, a retired radiologist and University of Cincinnati alumnus, gave $1 million to the College-Conservatory of Music to ease costs for music students. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you trust large donations to universities to meaningfully help local students?

Clifford Pleatman, a retired radiologist and University of Cincinnati alumnus, donated $1 million to the UC College-Conservatory of Music. The gift established the CCM Fund and the CCM Instrument Repair and Acquisition Fund for students facing financial barriers.

Why it matters

The funds are designed to remove cost obstacles that can keep talented students from auditions, lessons and performances. Pleatman said students should be able to focus on their art rather than worry about emergency needs.

The gift totals $1 million and funds a Learning Community of 12 first-year UC College of Medicine students that Pleatman teaches through their second year. The extraction does not specify how many CCM students will receive support from the two new funds.

The players

Clifford Pleatman

A retired radiologist who retired from Mercy Health-Anderson Hospital and is a University of Cincinnati alumnus, he also teaches a UC College of Medicine Learning Community.

UC College-Conservatory of Music

The music school within the University of Cincinnati that trains students in performance and music study and received the gift.

The details

The CCM Fund will cover student travel to auditions, competition fees, professional attire and meals. The CCM Instrument Repair and Acquisition Fund will help students prepare for lessons, performances and auditions.

Gift announcement published November 5, 2026 by local12.com

Market Landscape

Donor-funded aid targeting non-tuition costs such as instrument repair and audition travel addresses a gap that general scholarships often leave open. This gift places Cincinnati's conservatory within that pattern of targeted philanthropy aimed at music students.

Music students at UC who face costs for travel, fees, attire, meals or instrument repair may find new support through the CCM Fund and the Instrument Repair and Acquisition Fund. The extraction does not describe application procedures or eligibility rules for these funds.

The takeaway

Targeted gifts that cover non-tuition costs can help students keep their focus on training and performance. Students facing these expenses should look for school funding channels that address travel, fees and instruments.