Category Archives: Press Releases

CINCINNATI (June 24, 2026)—Cincinnati Opera, in partnership with The Robert O’Neal Multicultural Arts Center (ROMAC) and Soul Palette, invites the public to the Lalovavi Future Visions Launch Party. This free community celebration honors the artists and collaborators whose creativity helped bring two ambitious projects to life inspired by the company’s upcoming world premiere of the Afrofuturist adventure, Lalovavi. The event takes place on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 6:00–8:00 p.m., at the ROMAC Artpreneur Center, 1701 Race Street, Cincinnati, OH.

Next month, Cincinnati Opera presents the world premiere of Lalovavi at Music Hall (July 9 and 11), an Afrofuturist opera set 400 years in the future, with music by Kevin Day and libretto by Tifara Brown. Inspired by the setting and themes of the opera—truth, self-determination, and love—Cincinnati Opera partnered with artists and creative organizations to develop two community-generated projects: the Future Visions Community Murals and Rise of Titan, a comic-book prequel to Lalovavi.

Future Visions Community Murals
The evening will mark the official public unveiling of Future Visions Community Murals, a citizen-powered mural series inspired by the Afrofuturist themes at the heart of Lalovavi. The project grew out of a sustained engagement with more than 100 Greater Cincinnati residents, who contributed their ideas and hopes for the future to shape each panel’s imagery, and six core artists who helped bring these ideas to life.

Developed in partnership with Soul Palette, the mural series reflects the power of community voices in the artistic process. Guests at the Launch Party will be among the first to see a sample of the completed panels on display and will have the opportunity to meet some of the mural artists and project partners who brought the work to life. The complete collection of mural panels will be displayed at Music Hall during Cincinnati Opera’s performances of Lalovavi.

Rise of Titan: A Comic-Book Prequel to Lalovavi
The event also celebrates the release of the first volume of Rise of Titan, a comic-book prequel to Lalovavi, written by librettist Tifara Brown and illustrated by Michael Taylor. Developed in partnership with ROMAC’s Artpreneur Program (in which Taylor is a participant), the book expands the world of Lalovavi, offering readers a deeper look at the characters and mythology that underpin Cincinnati Opera’s groundbreaking Afrofuturist world premiere. Brown and Taylor will be on hand to greet attendees, and signed copies of the comic book will be available for purchase.

Lalovavi Community Engagement and Education sponsors are P&G, Millstone Fund, and ArtsWave Circle of African American Leaders for the Arts. 

Lalovavi Future Visions Launch Party

When:
Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Where:
ROMAC Artpreneur Center
1701 Ray Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Description:
Join Cincinnati Opera and community partners to celebrate the launch of two Lalovavi-themed community creations: the Future Visions Mural Project and the Rise of Titan prequel comic book. Mural panels and Rise of Titan copies will be available for viewing, and participating artists and partners will be in attendance.

Admission:
Free and open to the public

For information:
cincinnatiopera.org

About Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences. Founded in 1920 and the second-oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a mainstage season of grand opera every summer at Cincinnati Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark, performed with the renowned Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The company also offers year-round community programming throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.

The company’s repertoire spans beloved classics and bold new works, with a distinguished tradition of producing opera that resonates far beyond the stage. Select regional, national, and world premieres include Margaret Garner (2005), Fellow Travelers (2016), and Blind Injustice (2019), which have gone on to productions across the country. Cincinnati Opera is also the originating home of The Black Opera Project, a first-of-its-kind, multiyear commissioning initiative creating three full-length operas celebrating the Black American experience, beginning with the Afrofuturist grand opera Lalovavi (July 2026). Through Opera Fusion: New Works, its long-running creative partnership with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the company continues to shepherd new American operas from workshop to world premiere. Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of OPERA America. Learn more at cincinnatiopera.org.

Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. Our programming is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Cincinnati Opera also receives support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, and the H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, along with many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Support for The Black Opera Project has been provided by the Mellon Foundation, Susan and Joseph Pichler, Ann and Harry Santen, The David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, Michael L. Cioffi and Rachael A. Rowe, P&G, The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Liz Kathman Grubow and Jerry Kathman, The Louise Taft Semple Foundation, ArtsWave FLOW, Kari and Jonathan Ullman, H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Vilcek Foundation, Arts Midwest, and the many donors recognized as Friends of The Black Opera Project.

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