Cincinnati Opera’s 2024 Summer Festival to Feature the World Stage Premiere of Paul McCartney’s LIVERPOOL ORATORIO

CINCINNATI, OH (September 20, 2023)—Cincinnati Opera’s Harry Fath General Director & CEO Christopher Milligan and Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director Evans Mirageas today announced preliminary details for the company’s 2024 Summer Festival, which takes place June 13–July 27, 2024.

The mainstage season will include the world stage premiere of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio, an uplifting epic inspired by the legendary musician’s early life. The season also includes a compelling new production of W.A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Giuseppe Verdi’s timeless and tragic romance, La Traviata. Performances will take place in Springer Auditorium at Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall.

In addition to its mainstage productions, the 2024 Summer Festival will be enhanced by an engaging variety of community programs and smaller-scale performances, including projects developed specifically for Music Hall’s intimate Wilks Studio. Details will be announced in January 2024.

“What makes opera so special is that it is living, thriving, and ever evolving, and the same can be said for Cincinnati Opera itself,” said Mirageas. “Our mainstage repertoire for the 2024 season is emblematic of the diverse voices, captivating stories, and outstanding artistry we strive to elevate and celebrate. And we look forward to expanding the festival-going experience with surprising and evocative projects suited perfectly to the Wilks.”

Continued Milligan, “When we assemble an opera season, we are always in pursuit of projects that are operatic in their essence and appeal to a broad audience. Don Giovanni and La Traviata are classics for that very reason. And Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio has it all—a relatable and inspiring story, memorable melodies written for classically trained voices, and a connection to one of the world’s truly great singer-songwriters. We’re thrilled to bring this work to the opera stage for the first time.”

Subscriptions for Cincinnati Opera’s 2024 Summer Festival start at $105 and will be available for purchase beginning September 21, 2023. Tickets to individual performances start at $36 and go on sale April 1, 2024. Visit cincinnatiopera.org for more information.

W.A. Mozart’s agelessly alluring Don Giovanni captivates with its exquisite music and riveting drama that follows the charismatic yet reprehensible title rogue. He betrays his romantic conquests with impunity, menaces all who defy him, and kills without regret. But his unbridled quest for pleasure ultimately leads to his damnation, offering a profound lesson on the inescapable consequences of hubris and the unrepentant pursuit of selfish desires.

Baritone Elliot Madore brings his “robust singing and take-no-prisoners acting” (The New York Times) and “exquisite vocal beauty” (Opera News) to his company debut as Don Giovanni. Soprano Jessica Faselt, praised for her “rich, full, and luminous” sound (The New York Times) sings the role of Donna Anna, with soprano Jessica Rivera, “a singer of uncommon vocal luster and musical intelligence” (San Francisco Classical Review), as Donna Elvira. Also featured are tenor Aaron Blake as Don Ottavio, bass-baritone Christian Pursell as Leporello, soprano Erin Keesy as Zerlina, bass-baritone Joseph Parrish as Masetto, and bass Patrick Guetti as the Commendatore. Alison Moritz directs, with scenic and costume design by Philip Witcomb, and lighting design by Thomas C. Hase. Dame Jane Glover conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with Chorus Master Henri Venanzi leading the Cincinnati Opera Chorus.

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La Traviata
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave

June 27, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
June 29, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
June 30, 2024 | 3 p.m.
Springer Auditorium | Cincinnati Music Hall

Gilda Fiume
Violetta

Santiago Ballerini
Alfredo

Anthony Clark Evans
Germont

Set in 19th-century Paris, Giuseppe Verdi’s enduring masterpiece La Traviata follows the ill-fated affair between the alluring courtesan Violetta and the ardent young nobleman Alfredo. Their love story unfolds against societal conventions in a whirlwind of passion and tragedy. With emotionally charged music, touching drama, and sensitively drawn characters, La Traviata resonates across generations and offers a poignant depiction of the indomitable force of love.

Leading the cast in her company debut is soprano Gilda Fiume as Violetta Valéry, a role she has sung frequently in Italy, Korea, and the U.S. Her love, Alfredo Germont, will be sung by tenor Santiago Ballerini, who returns to Cincinnati Opera after his triumphant company debut in last season’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Baritone Anthony Clark Evans, who also impressed audiences as Lucia’s Enrico, sings the role of Giorgio Germont. At the podium leading the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is conductor Lorenzo Passerini with Chorus Master Henri Venanzi leading the Cincinnati Opera Chorus. Trevore Ross will direct, with sets and costumes by Desmond Heeley, lighting design by Thomas C. Hase, and wig and makeup design by James Geier.

This production is owned by Lyric Opera of Chicago and is a generous and deeply appreciated gift of the Gramma Fisher Foundation of Marshalltown, Iowa. Original production staged by Frank Galati.

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World Stage Premiere

Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio
Music and libretto by Paul McCartney and Carl Davis

July 18, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
July 20, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
July 21, 2024 | 3 p.m.
July 27, 2024 | 3 p.m.
Springer Auditorium | Cincinnati Music Hall

Paul McCartney
Composer/Librettist

Carl Davis
Composer/Librettist

Andrew Owens
Shanty

Jacqueline Echols
Mary Dee

Kayleigh Decker
Miss Inkley/Chief Mourner/Nurse

Kevin Short
Headmaster/Preacher/Mr. Dingle

The 2024 Summer Festival concludes with Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio in its world stage premiere. Written by McCartney in collaboration with the late, esteemed composer and conductor, Carl Davis, Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio was commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society in honor of its 150th anniversary and premiered in 1991. The piece tells the semi-autobiographical story of a young man named Shanty, who is born during the turbulent years of World War II and grows up in Liverpool. The work follows his life journey, depicting his struggles and joys and exploring the themes of childhood, school days, love, war, and reconciliation. McCartney’s melodic pop sensibility is evident alongside stunning classical orchestration, resulting in an accessible yet intricate musical work.

Cincinnati Opera’s new production of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio will be the work’s first-ever operatic staging. In a letter to the company, McCartney said, “I am writing to express my wholehearted support for this project. I believe that the Cincinnati Opera is uniquely positioned to bring this work to life in a new way, and I have no doubt that your production will be an inspiring experience for all who see it. … I look forward to its premiere next summer.”

Directing the production is Caroline Clegg, with sets and costumes designed by Leslie Travers, lighting design by Thomas C. Hase, and choreography by Michael Pappalardo. The cast stars tenor Andrew Owens, hailed as possessing a “powerful, yet supple, tenor voice” (Der Neue Marker), as Shanty, and soprano Jacqueline Echols, praised for her “dynamic range and vocal acrobatics” (Classical Voice), as his love, Mary Dee. Mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker appears in the roles of Miss Inkley/Chief Mourner/Nurse, and bass-baritone Kevin Short will sing the roles of Headmaster/Preacher/Mr. Dingle. Conductor Joseph Young leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Chorus Master Henri Venanzi directs the Cincinnati Opera Chorus.

Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio is presented by arrangement with Faber Music in association with MPL Communications.