Carmen
July 25, 29 & 31, 2026 | 7:30 pm
August 2, 2026 | 3:00 PM
Music Hall • springer auditorium
Music by Georges Bizet
Libretto by Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac
Sung in French with projected English translations
Carmen is fire.
The fiercely independent Carmen lives—and loves—on her own terms. When she sets her sights on Don José, a straight-laced soldier with a fiancée back home, he quickly unravels, abandoning everything for her. But Carmen’s heart doesn’t stay in one place for long, and when the charismatic toreador Escamillo enters the ring, jealousy turns deadly. Set to Bizet’s iconic, rhythm-driven score, Carmen is a story of desire, freedom, and fatal choices.
Tickets are available now as part of a 2026 Summer Festival season ticket package. Tickets to individual performances go on sale Friday, November 21, 2025.
Cast & Creative Team
Carmen– J’Nai Bridges
Don José – Matthew White
Escamillo – Ryan McKinny
Micaela – Teresa Perrotta
Mercedes – Kayleigh Decker
Conductor – Ramón Tebar
Original Director – Paul Curran
Lighting Designer – Thomas C. Hase
Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
DISCOVER MORE
Opera Insights
Enhance your appreciation of Carmen with a pre-curtain talk one hour before each performance in Music Hall's Corbett Tower. Members of the artistic staff and/or guests offer a 30-minute overview and insights into the opera's history, music, and production. Free to all ticket holders. No reservations required.
Meet the Composer
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet was an extraordinary French Romantic composer of the 19th century, best known for his operas. Despite his short-lived career, he left a lasting impact on the world of classical music. His greatest achievement was his final work, Carmen—one of the most frequently performed and celebrated operas in the entire canon.
Original illustration of “Carmen”: Aimee Sposito Martini