Category Archives: Season Announcements

Drawn from the scandalous play by Oscar Wilde, Richard Strauss’s searing one-act opera Salome is set to a libretto by poet Hedwig Lachmann that explores obsession and the consequences of unchecked desire. The teenage princess Salome develops a singular fixation on Jochanaan (John the Baptist), which leads her to defy both her stepfather Herod and the rules of society to win her prize. Through its intense psychological drama and richly modernist score—including the provocative “Dance of the Seven Veils”—Salome is a tour de force that leads to a shocking, unforgettable conclusion.

Jose Maria Condemi, who directed Cincinnati Opera’s acclaimed production of Tosca last season, will lead this new imagining of Salome with lighting design by Thomas C. Hase. Internationally acclaimed maestro Robert Spano, current music director of the Washington National Opera, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and Aspen Music Festival, and Music Director Laureate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Soprano Kathryn Lewek, called “a sensation” (Cincinnati Business Courier) after her recent Cincinnati Opera appearances as Gilda (Rigoletto), makes her role debut as Salome. Jochanaan will be sung by the “rich-toned and charismatic” (The New York Times) bass-baritone Alfred Walker. As Salome’s stepfather, Herod, tenor Chad Shelton has been praised for “singing with heroic amplitude and thrust and bringing the text to vivid life” (Opera Magazine). Mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, called a “powerful singer with a warm, seductive tone” (The New York Times), reprises the role of Herodias, Salome’s mother, which she recently sang at the Metropolitan Opera. Zach Borichevsky brings his “exciting tenor” (Cincinnati Business Courier) to the role of Narraboth, returning to Cincinnati Opera after appearing as the Duke of Mantua in last season’s Rigoletto.

LALOVAVI
Music by Kevin Day
Libretto by Tifara Brown

Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 11, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Springer Auditorium | Cincinnati Music Hall
Sung in English and Tut with projected English lyrics and translation

Cincinnati Opera is proud to continue its commitment to new works with the world premiere of Lalovavi, featuring music by Kevin Day and libretto by Tifara Brown. Lalovavi is the first work in Cincinnati Opera’s Black Opera Project, a nationally unique, three-opera commissioning initiative that brings together visionary artists to develop work that celebrates the resilience, richness, and creativity of the Black American experience.

Set 400 years into the future, Lalovavi is an Afrofuturist adventure that follows Persephone, the youngest daughter of Titan, the ruler of Atlas—the city once known as Atlanta. Currency and status in Atlas are determined based on the presence of Syndica, a gene that promotes vitality and longevity. When Persephone is found to possess a variant of Syndica that confers immortality, she is betrayed by her family and must run for her life. She is thrust into an epic journey, uncovering a hidden past that leads her to discover love’s true meaning and the power to determine her destiny.

Kimille Howard, a prolific director of new works at companies such as Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the Glimmerglass Festival, and Washington National Opera, leads the new production as both stage director and dramaturg, with scenic design by Lawrence E. Moten III, costume design by Kara Harmon, and lighting design by Thomas C. Hase. Acclaimed pianist Kevin Miller makes his conducting debut guiding the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra through Day’s richly layered and cinematic score.

Soprano Brittany Olivia Logan, praised for her “voice clear and rich, capable of burnished color and shocking lightness” (The Washington Post), leads the cast as the heroine, Persephone. Soprano Talise Trevigne, a “mesmerizing” artist with a “ravishing voice” (Cincinnati Business Courier), is Niamara, leader of the rebel nation. Grammy Award-winning bass and Cincinnati Opera Artistic Advisor Morris Robinson, lauded for a voice that “stunned with its richness and gravity” (Seen and Heard International), sings the role of the Atlan ruler, Titan Musan. Emmy-winning soprano Adrienne Danrich, called a “standout, a singer of unusual might” (The Washington Post) is Dinah, Persephone’s nursemaid. Hailed for her “velvety mezzo” (Opera News), Zoie Reams is Persephone’s older sister, Zipporah, and as Lucian, the leader of Titan’s elite guard, Terrence Chin-Loy will showcase his “beautiful lyric tenor voice” (Opera News). The cast also features more award-winning singers: baritone Michael Preacely as Atlas’s head geneticist Dr. Apollos and vocalist G. Thomas Allen as the rebel guardian Ivavi.

ORPHEUS AND EURIDICE
Music and text by Ricky Ian Gordon

 Tuesday, July 28, 2026 | 8 p.m.
Thursday, July 30, 2026 | 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 1, 2026 | 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Wilks Studio | Cincinnati Music Hall
Sung in English

Composer Ricky Ian Gordon’s lyrical chamber opera Orpheus and Euridice retells the ancient myth from a contemporary perspective. When Euridice mysteriously dies and descends into the Underworld, Orpheus follows, playing music to appease the infernal deities he encounters and earning a second chance at life with his beloved. As Orpheus leads Euridice back to Earth, he looks back at her too soon, and she vanishes forever. Shattered, Orpheus’s sorrow is transformed into music that echoes throughout the world.

Scored for soprano, piano, clarinet, and string quintet and conducted by Stephen Mulligan, soprano Heidi Middendorf will serve as both narrator and Euridice, while Christopher Pell, Principal Clarinet with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, gives haunting voice to Orpheus. The original production will be shaped for Music Hall’s intimate Wilks Studio by stage director Audrey Chait with choreography by Cincinnati Ballet’s Yoshihisa Arai.

Studio Sessions

Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 8 p.m.
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 | 8 p.m.
Wilks Studio | Cincinnati Music Hall

Cincinnati Opera will host two Studio Sessions in Music Hall’s Wilks Studio, each offering an artist-curated, up-close, and personal performance experience. These concerts immerse audiences in a unique atmosphere where artists take center stage, guiding the evening through storytelling and song. Featured artists and programming will be announced at a later date.

Tickets

Subscriptions for Cincinnati Opera’s 2026 Summer Festival are now available and start at $60 for 3-show packages. Tickets to individual performances go on sale November 21, 2025, and start at $21. Discounts are available for seniors, educators, U.S. veterans and active military personnel, full-time students, ArtsWave Pass members, and SNAP cardholders. For more information, visit cincinnatiopera.org or contact the Cincinnati Opera Box Office at 513-241-2742.

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. Cincinnati Opera receives funding from the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. Cincinnati Opera also receives support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund and the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, along with many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Black Opera Project has been made possible, in part, with support from the Mellon Foundation, Susan and Joseph Pichler, the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, Ann and Harry Santen, and Procter & Gamble. Lead funder for Lalovavi is the David C. Herriman Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, with additional support from The Louise Taft Semple Foundation, ArtsWave Flow, the H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Arts Midwest, and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. Cincinnati Opera is a member of OPERA America. Learn more: cincinnatiopera.org.

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