Category Archives: Press Releases

March 13, 2024 · 9:43 pm

Cincinnati Ballet Present s MECURIAL LANDSCAPES, April 5-7 at Aronoff Center

CB_Mecural LandscapesWorld premiere by Rena Butler with costumes by Cincinnati designer Asha Ama Bias-Daniels

Cincinnati, OH (March 12, 2024) – Cincinnati Ballet presents Mercurial Landscapes, April 5 –7 at the Aronoff Center. The production features contemporary work from three choreographers – Rena Butler, Jodie Gates, and Jiří Kylián. Cincinnati Ballet is proud to present a world premiere featuring the work of two dynamic African-American women with Bloom, created by Rena Butler, choreographic associate for the progressive Gibney Dance Company in New York, with costume design by Cincinnati native Asha Ama Bias-Daniels; the title work, Mercurial Landscapes, created by choreographer Jodie Gates, set to Max Richter’s ethereal re-composition of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons; and Petit Mort and Sechs Tänze, set to the music of Mozart by Jiří Kylián, world renowned artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater.

Choreographer Rena Butler, called ‘the epitome of contemporary cool’ by Dance Magazine, presents her world premiere, Bloom. “Bloom is an ode to the collective experience women have had since the beginning of time – the pressure to perpetually make ourselves smaller for societal norms: a man, a lover, our families, our peers, or our careers,” Butler said. “This work seeks to encourage our audience to reflect on the ways we dim our own light to make others more comfortable and explores the pain found within the constant search of finding our voice and the courage to break free from the confines we are put in: an ode to the women that weren’t able to acquire the freedom to be expansive and honor their sacrifice by doing what they couldn’t, bloom.” Asha Ama Bias-Daniels is a fashion designer and artist born and raised in Avondale. As a Black woman, Asha said she often found herself misunderstood, stereotyped, and misidentified. She was able to navigate the fashion world and survive because she was raised with a great knowledge of self that she tries to impart to others through her designs. As a couture designer, Asha has created pieces for a diverse range of artists from Zendaya to Little Big Town. Asha also appeared on two seasons of the hit show, Project Runway. “Working with Rena was ‘love at first sight!’ Rena has been a dream collaborator,” Bias-Daniels said. “She is a young, Black woman at the height of innovation in her industry. Like myself, she breathes meaning into her work. We came up with the concept for this original piece the last time we got together for drinks. Laughing and crying about the times we’ve conquered great mountains in our careers but found ourselves shrinking our greatness to make others comfortable and having a great accomplishment soured by an unsupportive partner. This led to a bigger conversation about how we owe it to the women that came before us, that didn’t have the freedom to be big, to honor their sacrifice by being larger than life. I have never designed from a place of practicality. I must be inspired by a greater message and then work my way backwards into how to create that vision. Designing for dance is no different. We came up with the concept and I had to feel what that looked like. The design process is always fluid for me. I will be sitting in on some of Rena’s sessions with the dancers to gain inspiration before draping the more organic pieces of my designs for this collaboration.”

Renowned choreographer Jiri Kylián created a pair of works set to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Jiri Kylián choreographed Petit Mort for the Salzburg Festival to commemorate the second centenary of Mozart’s death. For his work, he chose the slow parts of two of Mozart’s most beautiful and popular piano concertos. Kylián remarked, ‘This deliberate choice should not be seen as a provocation or thoughtlessness – rather as my way to acknowledge the fact that I am living and working as part of a world where nothing is sacred, where brutality and arbitrariness are common places.’ The choreography includes twelve dancers and six foils. The foils have the function to be actual dance partners, and at times seem more unruly and obstinate than a human partner. They visualize a symbolism which is more present than a story line. Aggression, sexuality, energy, silence, cultivated senselessness, and vulnerability – they all play a significant part. Sechs Tänze is a whimsical take on the aristocratic era also set to the music of Mozart. Filled with sophisticated precision, this fanciful romp is poetic and playful, featuring moveable set pieces made to look like 17th century ballgowns and corseted costumes with period wigs and makeup.

Jodie Gates originally created the title work, Mercurial Landscapes, for Ballet West in 2013. The work, which plays with precision and fluidity, is set to the iconic music of Vivaldi.

Tickets for Mercurial Landscapes are on sale now. For more information, visit http://www.cballet.org.

WHO: Cincinnati Ballet
WHAT: Mercurial Landscapes
WHEN:

  • Friday, April 5 at 7:30 pm
  • Saturday, April 6 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
  • Sunday, April 7 at 1 pm

WHERE: Aronoff Center for the Arts, Jarson-Kaplan Theater
650 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Ohio

TICKETS: Call 513.621.5282 or visit cballet.org

Cincinnati Ballet 2023-2024 Season Sponsors:
PNC, Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Foundation, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council, The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation

About Cincinnati Ballet
Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig
Academy

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March 13, 2024 · 6:55 am

DANCING FOR THE STARS 2024 | Sat., April 20 | Music Hall Ballroom

CAA_Dancing with the Stars 2024SEASON SIXTEEN

(CINCINNATI, OH) – Who will be voted Cincinnati’s best celebrity dancer?  Which stars have the right moves to rule the dance floor?  Find out on Saturday, April 20, 2024 when the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) celebrates season sixteen of its annual fundraiser Dancing for the Stars at the Music Hall Ballroom to benefit CAA’s Overture Awards – the nation’s largest locally run high school arts scholarship competition – and Arts Education Programs. 

Inspired by the hit ABC-TV show Dancing with the Stars, Dancing for the Stars will feature six Cincinnati celebrities paired with some of the area’s finest professional dancers in a competition program at which the audience will vote for their favorite celebrity dancer. The competitive dance theme will be Broadway and each dance pair will have ninety seconds to woo the crowd and the judges.

In addition, Dancing for the Stars will feature:

  • Dance music by guest on-air DJ “JD Hughes,” 103.5 WGRR-FM
  • Pre-event reception
  • Open dancing before and after the competition
  • Lite bites provided by some of Cincinnati’s finest restaurants and caterers
  • Cash bar

In addition to the winner of the dance competition, Dancing for the Stars will crown a Fundraising Champion – the celebrity dancer who raises the most revenue toward the event’s fundraising goal through table/ticket sales and donations. Fans may add a donation under their favorite celebrity’s name at the time of ticket purchase, or simply donate if they cannot attend the event. These direct donations (outside of the event ticket price) will help one of the fans’ favorite celebrities win the Dancing for the Stars Fundraising Champion award (which will be announced the evening of the event) and are 100% tax deductible.

Tickets are currently on sale at the following levels (a portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible):

  • $150 – Patron (pre-event reception and two drink tickets)
  • $200­ – Premium (pre-event reception and open bar)
  • $1,500 – Corporate Table (ten Patron level tickets and a half-page program ad)
  • $2,000 – Celebrity Circle Table (ten Premium level tickets, full-page program ad, event signage, and seating within the first two rows)

RESERVATIONS AND INFORMATION:

THE STARS:

  • Scott Allgyer (Owner, Studio 900)
  • Alex Johns (Real Estate Agent, Coldwell Banker)
  • Dr. Hali Jungers (Veterinarian, Newport Aquarium)
  • Dr. Magdalena Kerschner (Board certified Anesthesiologist and Aesthetic Medicine Physician;  Founder, Victory Wellness and Medspa – Cincinnati, OH and Naples, FL)
  • Deb Schubert (Health Care Professional Marketing, Procter & Gamble)
  • Zack Thornton (Director, Advisory Services, Fidelity Investments) 

THE PROS (WITH STAR PAIRING):  

  • James Branham (Arthur Murray Dance Studio — West Chester) – Deb Schubert
  • Bonita Brockert (Independent Dance Instructor) – Alex Johns
    Maura Garuccio (Independent Dance Instructor) – Scott Allgyer
    Jeremy Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati) – Dr. Magdalena Kerschner
    Josh Tilford (Dance Manor) – Dr. Hali Junger
    Melissa Vaughn (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati) – Zack Thornton 

THE HOSTS:  Chris O’Brien & Janeen Coyle 

THE JUDGES:   

  • Douglas Beal (Independent Dance Instructor)
  • Sebastian Castillo (General Manager, Prime Cincinnati; Dancing for the Stars 2022 Dance Champion)
  • Bret Schneider (Owner, WOW Windowboxes; Dancing for the Stars 2022 Fundraising Champion)
  • Britton Spitler as Brock Leah Spears (Project Manager – ADM; Dancing for the Stars 2023 Dance Champion)

EVENT COMMITTEE:  Doreen Beatrice, Michael Betz, Amal Daoud, Terry Foster, Jill Jansen, Ginger Loftin, Rosemary Schlachter, and Dr. Tracey Skale

EVENT SPONSORS:  TriHealth (Presenting Sponsor), Arthur Murray – Cincinnati, Arthur Murray – West Chester, Bonita Brockert, Maura Garuccio, Josh Tilford 

FIFTEEN SEASONS OF DANCING FOR THE STARS WINNERS:

  • 2007:    Dr. O’dell Owens (former Hamilton County Coroner)
  • 2008:    Jenell Walton (former WCPO-TV9 Anchor and Reporter)
  • 2009:    Phil Schworer (past President, Cincinnati Bar Association; Environmental Lawyer, Frost, Brown and Todd)
  • 2010:    Donna Speigel (Owner, The Snooty Fox)
  • 2011:    Dr. Tracey Skale (Chief Medical Officer, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services)
  • 2012:    Regina Russo (former Director of Marketing and Communications, Cincinnati Art Museum)
  • 2013:    Chris Seelbach (Cincinnati City Councilman)
  • 2014:    Neal Schulte (Founder & President, Schulte Financial Group, LLC)
  • 2015:    Johnny Chu (Owner, AmerAsia Kungfood Restaurant)
  • 2016:    Jay Lame (Financial Analyst, Lenox Wealth Management)
  • 2017:    Rohan Hemani (Procter & Gamble Fabric Care Intrapenuer)
  • 2018:    Dr. Marcia Bowling (Gynecologic Oncology, Oncology Hematology Care, Inc.)
  • 2019:    Halle Quinn (Community Volunteer)
  • 2022:    Sebastian Castillo (General Manager, Prime Cincinnati)
  • 2023:    Britton Spitler as Brock Leah Spears (Project Manager – ADM)

NOTE:  There was no event in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION’S ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS
CAA’s Education Department promotes life-long learning through its programs, which are diverse, multidisciplinary, and accessible to all ages and cultural groups. SchoolTime presents a series of programs that feature nationally recognized artists at CAA’s two venues (the Aronoff Center and Music Hall), and Artists on Tour brings the finest local artists in the region to Tri-state schools for interactive arts experiences aligned with the curriculum.

The Overture Awards Scholarship Competition is the largest locally run arts scholarship competition in the country. The program annually provides a $3,000 scholarship to six area high school students for education and training, with eighteen finalists each winning a $1,000 scholarship. Each year, students from across the Tri-state region are nominated by their schools to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, or Vocal Music. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Finals, and Final.

The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. It also provides students an opportunity to share their talents and interests among their peers in a supportive environment outside of their individual schools.  Now in its 28th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation and Leadership Cincinnati (a Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce program).

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves more than 600,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies, including Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony/Pops Orchestras, May Festival, and Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati, presented by TriHealth. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than million students.

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March 13, 2024 · 6:54 am

Xavier University Theatre Announces Show Your Pride, March 18-24

cover prom - 1(CINCINNATI, March 11, 2024) – Xavier University Theatre announces a week of LGBTQIA+ pride-centric events in support of its upcoming production of the hit comic musical The Prom, which runs March 22-24.

Leading up to The Prom’s opening and throughout the weekend of performances there will be a series of seven events to educate about the themes of the show at a deeper, more currently contextual level.

When asked about the purpose behind event programming, Darnell Pierre Benjamin, who directs the show, said, “The Prom was originally conceived with the tangible realization that the lives of people within the LGBTQIA+ community are in danger with the passing of bills threatening to negatively affect people’s lives, access to healthcare, and more. It’s apparent to me that the experience of really seeing queerness alive and well needs to exist off the stage as well as on.” He continued to emphasize each event’s individual importance by saying, “The programming leading up to the opening and past the closing of The Prom is vital. It’s an opportunity to connect the dots between real people and these real issues. The purpose is to ensure that people realize that what’s happening in The Prom isn’t all fiction. These events will uplift those within the community, educate those who aren’t aware, and continue the conversation on the necessity of visibility.”

On Monday, March 18, from 3:00-4:00 pm, Xavier Theatre will host Walk with Pride throughout Xavier’s campus. In collaboration with LGBTQIA+ Alliance, students will hand out pamphlets with information about the history of LGBTQIA+ representation and discrimination on college campuses. The pamphlets will also include on-campus and local resources in support of those who identify with the community.

On Tuesday, March 19, from 2:30-4:00 pm, Xavier Theatre will host a Clothing Swap event in Gallagher Student Center’s Clocktower Lounge and start its Clothing Charity Drive, which will last until Sunday, March 24. Interested parties will have an opportunity to donate or swap their clothes; any remaining items will be donated to TreeHouse Cincinnati or Kaleidoscope in Columbus. Donations will be accepted after 4:00 pm throughout the week and during performances at the Xavier Theatre box office, in the GSC’s lower level.

On Wednesday, March 20, from 3:30-4:30 pm, Xavier Theatre will host Blooming with Pride in GSC’s First Floor Atrium in collaboration with Alpha Psi Omega, the program’s honor society. Interested parties will have an opportunity to arrange bouquets with flowers symbolic of love and learn more about the meanings behind flowers and their significance to the LGBTQIA+ community. Bouquets have the option to be kept or donated to Caracole, “an AIDS service organization providing comprehensive HIV prevention, housing and care management services” based in Cincinnati.

On Thursday, March 21, from 10:00 am-3:00 pm, Xavier Theatre will host Independently Queer, a film festival, in GSC’s Arrupe Overlook in collaboration with the Digital Innovation Film and Television (DIFT) program. The event will feature local and student films created by those who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community.

On Friday, March 22, following the opening night performance, audience members will have the opportunity to participate in a LEWK Show event in the GSC Theatre. Up to fifteen audience members will wear their best attire and have the opportunity to strut their stuff across the Xavier Theatre stage. With the help of our audience judge, the final two contestants will Lip Synch for their Lives on the spot. Audience members can sign up to participate outside of the Gallagher Student Center Theatre before the performance.

On Saturday, March 23, starting at 6:00 pm and following the evening performance, local LGBTQIA+ organizations and charities will offer an educational look at issues within the community. The evening will start with a Pre-Show Education event in the GSC Studio Theatre, which will provide historical context of the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community and the various specialties of these organizations. Following the performance, these same representatives will respond to the show in the GSC Theatre and offer their perspectives on what the show meant to them, as members of organizations who interact with many who identify within the queer community.

The clothing drive will conclude following the final performance on Sunday, March 24. Additionally, during the intermission of all the shows there will be an LGBTQIA+-themed quiz. Winners will receive two tickets to a show in Xavier Theatre’s soon-to-be-announced 2024-2025 season.

Performances of The Prom take place at 7:30 p.m. on March 22 and 23 and 2:00 p.m. March 23 and 24. Tickets are available now. They are $20 each for adults and $15 each for Xavier students, faculty and staff. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/76147 or call 513-745-3939.

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March 8, 2024 · 10:05 am

Cincinnati Ballet Announces 2024-2025 Season

Cincinnati Ballet proudly presents four world premieres for The Kaplan New Works Series; Devon Carney’s GISELLEe; Septime Webre’s THE WIZARD OF OZ; Director’s Vision: No Boundaries, which includes the regional premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s DELMIRA, Alexander Ekman’s CACTIi, and David Morse’s OUR STORY — PLUS THE NUTCRACKER presented by Sheakley Family and the annual Family Series

CB_The Wizard of Oz

Samantha Griffin and Nikita Boris.Joe Lyman Photography.

CINCINNATI, OH (March 7, 2024) – Cincinnati Ballet is pleased to announce today the repertoire slated for the 2024-2025 Season curated by Interim Artistic Director Cervilio Miguel Amador. The Season opens September 6 – 15, 2024 at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theatre with The KAPLAN NEW WORKS Series. Experience four world premiere commissions from Darrell Grand Moultrie, Christian Denice, Caroline Dahm, and Gustavo Ramirez. Darell Grand Moultrie has created and staged works for dance companies across the world including American Ballet Theatre, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, BalletX, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. The Harlem, New York-based choreographer also served as a choreographer on Beyoncé’s record-breaking The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Christian Denice is a dancer and choreographer originally from Los Angeles, California. As a choreographer, he has created new works for such companies and organizations as Moving Arts with dancers of Cincinnati Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, Chamber Dance Project, Odyssey Dance Theatre, and DanceWorks Chicago. Gustavo Ramírez Sansano is one of Spain’s most internationally recognized choreographers. Gustavo Ramírez has been commissioned to create works for some of the most representative dance companies all around the world, including Ballet Hispánico, Jacob’s Pillow, Nederlands Dans Theater, Hubbard Street Dance, Scottish Dance Theatre, among others. He is the recipient of numerous international awards for his work. Caroline Dahm is a dancer and choreographer from Los Angeles. She has danced with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and Kansas City Ballet, among others. As a choreographer, Dahm has set works for Moving Arts for three seasons, as well as choreographed the Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Theater.

Just in time for Halloween, audiences will fall madly in love with the hauntingly beautiful Giselle at Music Hall, October 31 – November 3, 2024. Choregraphed by Devon Carney, it’s the story of a peasant girl who descends into madness and dies of a broken heart after her lover’s betrayal. Taken in by eerie ghosts called the Wilis, Giselle then enters an ethereal world where dance is the language of the soul. With live orchestration from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

No holiday is complete without a trip to the Land of Sweets for The Nutcracker presented by Sheakley Family at Music Hall, December 19 – 29, 2024. When a curious young girl named Clara receives a magical Nutcracker for Christmas, her dreams come to life. Joined by her Nutcracker Prince, Clara meets the Sugar Plum Fairy and a cast of colorful characters. With Tchaikovsky’s beloved score performed live by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The 2024 – 2025 Season also marks the 50th Anniversary of Cincinnati Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.

2025 begins with a trip down the yellow brick road with the return of choreographer Septime Webre’s wildly popular The Wizard of Oz at Music Hall, February 20 – March 2, 2025. Join Dorothy and her friends as they travel to the Emerald City but watch out for the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys! This production features fantastic special effects and gorgeous sets and costumes. With music from composer Matthew Pierce performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Who’s the ‘fairest of them all?’ Snow White, of course! Cincinnati Ballet presents its annual Family Series: Snow White at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, April 24 – 27, 2025. Dance lovers of all ages will delight in the treasured fairy tale of a jealous Queen and her kind-hearted stepdaughter. This one-hour ballet with live narration features Cincinnati Ballet Second Company – CB2 dancers and young performers from the Otto M. Budig Academy. It’s the perfect introduction to dance, even for the youngest members of your family. Audiences will also enjoy free lobby games, crafts, photos and more.

The 2024 – 2025 Season concludes with Director’s Vision: No Boundaries, at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, May 1 – 4, 2025. The dynamic triple bill features work from choreographers Alexander Ekman and David Morse, and a regional premiere from choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Ekman’s Cacti is a playful and witty parody of contemporary dance. The work is an affectionate, pointed, and often hilarious deconstruction of the affectations of dance. Director’s Vision also features Delmira, a regional premiere from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. The dramatic work was inspired by the life of 20th century Latin American poet Delmira Agustini, one of the first female poets of the modern era. Ochoa tells the story using the symbolism that Agustini employed in her own writing. Both intimate and cinematic, Morse’s Our Story looks at the unique singularity of history’s darkest chapter – the Holocaust – and asks profound questions about what is required of each of us to appreciate our shared humanity. Our Story is also being performed in honor of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, an event that also marks the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and for the prevention of crimes against humanity. Cincinnati Ballet is honored to work on this project with the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.

Subscriptions on sale now for the 2024-2025 Season. For more information visit cballet.org.

Cincinnati Ballet 2023-2024 Season Sponsors:
PNC, Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Foundation, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council, The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation

About Cincinnati Ballet
Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy.

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March 7, 2024 · 5:31 pm

Cincinnati Opera and CCM to Workshop LALOVAVI, the New Opera-in-Progress by Kevin Day and Tifara Brown, Featuring a Free Public Performance of Excerpts on May 13

The workshop precedes the world premiere of LALOVAVI at Cincinnati Opera in 2025, the first work in the company’s groundbreaking creative initiative, The Black Opera Project

LALOVAVI Creative TeamCO_The Black Opera Project

CINCINNATI (March 7, 2024)—Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) have announced the next opera to be workshopped through their joint program, Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW): Lalovavi, with music by Kevin Day, libretto by Tifara Brown, and stage direction and dramaturgy by Kimille Howard.

Commissioned by Cincinnati Opera and slated for a 2025 world premiere, Lalovavi is anticipated to be the first grand opera on an Afrofuturist theme. Set in the future, the opera follows the journey of Persephone, the youngest teenage daughter of the Primus of Atlas, formerly the city of Atlanta. Currency and status in Atlas are determined based on the presence of Syndicus, a rare gene that promotes vitality and longevity. When Persephone is found to possess this gene, she is betrayed by her family and must run for her life. She is thrust into an epic adventure, uncovering a hidden past that leads her to discover love’s true meaning and the power to determine her own destiny.

Lalovavi will be the first opera to be presented as part of The Black Opera Project, Cincinnati Opera’s groundbreaking, three-opera commissioning initiative that engages Black creators to develop new works celebrating Black stories. The first program of its kind, The Black Opera Project seeks to illuminate the resilient spirit and vibrant heritage of the Black American experience.

Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW) is co-directed by Robin Guarino, professor of opera at CCM, and Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera, and provides composers and librettists the opportunity to collaborate with singers and creative personnel to refine their operas-in-progress. During the May workshop for Lalovavi, Day, Brown, and Howard will work alongside conductor Kevin Miller and a cast of singers to further develop the work.

A public performance of excerpts from Lalovavi will take place on Monday, May 13, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Cincinnati Music Hall’s Wilks Studio (1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202). Admission to the public performance is free, though seating is limited and reservations are required. Reservations are available by calling 513-241-2742 or visiting cincinnatiopera.org.

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About Opera Fusion: New Works
Funded through a generous gift from the Mellon Foundation, Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW) is a partnership between Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) dedicated to fostering the development of new American operas. This collaboration is jointly led by Robin Guarino, professor of opera at CCM, and Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera. OF:NW offers composers or composer/librettist teams the opportunity to workshop an opera during a residency in Cincinnati. Residencies utilize the facilities, personnel, and talent of both Cincinnati Opera and CCM. The workshops are cast with a combination of CCM students and professional artists, and each workshop concludes with a free public presentation of excerpts followed by an audience Q&A session. For more information, visit ofnw.org.

About CCM
Nationally ranked and internationally renowned, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a preeminent institution for the performing and media arts. The school’s educational roots date back to 1867, and a solid, visionary instruction has been at its core since that time. CCM offers nine degree types (BA, BM, BFA, MFA, MM, MA, AD, DMA, PhD) in nearly 120 possible majors, along with a wide variety of pre-collegiate and post-graduate programs.

Declared a top college vocal program by Backstage Magazine and described as “one of the continent’s major music schools,” by the Toronto Star, CCM’s Departments of Opera and Voice provide one of the most comprehensive training programs for opera singers, coaches, and directors in the United States. CCM offers an international faculty of dedicated educators who are also celebrated professionals in their own right, widely and currently active in their respective fields. Several national opera companies hold auditions at the conservatory, and CCM students frequently advance to the final rounds of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. CCM graduates have performed on the stages of the world’s greatest opera companies, including Cincinnati Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera (London), La Scala (Italy), and more. CCM Voice and Opera program support is provided by the Mellon Foundation for Opera Fusion: New Works, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, and the Patricia A. Corbett Estate. Additional support for CCM’s undergraduate opera productions is provided by Rafael and Kimberly de Acha. To learn more, visit ccm.uc.edu.

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 thrilling season of grand opera every summer and engaging programs throughout the year. The company’s repertoire includes beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative artists.

Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. Opera Fusion: New Works and The Black Opera Project receive generous funding from the Mellon Foundation. Lead funder for Lalovavi is the David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Cincinnati Opera also receives general season support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, and the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, along with general season and project support from many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of OPERA America. Learn more at cincinnatiopera.org.

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