Cincinnati Opera presents a new-to-Cincinnati production of Bizet’s Carmen as part of its 2026 Summer Festival. Photo by Steven Pisano, courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.
Highlights of the season:
• A bold new chapter begins with the world premiere of Lalovavi, an Afrofuturist opera by Kevin Day and Tifara Brown, inaugurating Cincinnati Opera’s Black Opera Project
• Strauss’s scandalous masterpiece Salome returns to Music Hall for the first time in more than 25 years
• Bizet’s beloved Carmen returns in a vibrant new-to-Cincinnati production infused with fiery passion
• Ricky Ian Gordon’s hauntingly beautiful Orpheus and Euridice receives its company premiere
• Two Studio Sessions performances offer rare, up-close musical experiences curated by the artists themselves
CINCINNATI (July 23, 2025)—Tonight, from the stage of Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati Opera’s Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director Evans Mirageas unveiled details of the company’s 2026 Summer Festival. Performances will run from June 18 through August 2, 2026, at Music Hall, featuring internationally renowned artists in works from reinvigorated classics to the boldly future-focused.
The 2026 season opens with Richard Strauss’s psychological drama Salome (June 18 and 20), which takes the Music Hall stage for the first time since 2000 with a powerhouse cast: Kathryn Lewek, Alfred Walker, Chad Shelton, Michelle DeYoung, and Zach Borichevsky. The season continues with the world premiere of the thrilling Afrofuturist opera Lalovavi by Kevin Day and Tifara Brown (July 9 and 11), the first work in Cincinnati Opera’s three-part Black Opera Project; the cast is led by Brittany Olivia Logan, Talise Trevigne, Morris Robinson, Adrienne Danrich, Zoie Reams, Terrence Chin-Loy, Michael Preacely, and G. Thomas Allen. Georges Bizet’s iconic Carmen returns (July 25, 29, and 31; August 2) in a vibrant, new-to-Cincinnati production starring J’Nai Bridges, Matthew White, Teresa Perrotta, Ryan McKinny, and Kayleigh Decker. Presented alongside Carmen is Ricky Ian Gordon’s intimate and moving Orpheus and Euridice (July 28 and 30; August 1). Following a sold-out 2025 run, two Studio Sessions (June 25 and July 1) round out the season, featuring artist-curated repertoire in a cabaret-style setting.
Said Mirageas, “When opera is at its best, it has the potential to open doors to joy, empathy, and understanding. Our 2026 season was built on this aspiration, celebrating works that make us feel deeply, reflect on our world, and connect with one another through profound shared experiences. From the bold imagination of Lalovavi and the fierce power of Salome and Carmen, to the intimacy of Orpheus and Euridice and our artist-curated Studio Sessions, we invite audiences both longtime and new to discover themselves within these stories and become immersed in their inspiring artistry.”
Echoed Chris Milligan, Cincinnati Opera’s Harry Fath General Director & CEO, “As we launch our 2026 Summer Festival, we do so with incredible excitement and a deep appreciation for the city and region that has sustained and energized us for 106 years. We planned the 2026 season with this guiding belief in mind: anyone can enjoy opera, and everyone should have the opportunity. By sharing diverse voices and stories and presenting experiences rooted in and reflective of our community, we hope to offer meaningful pathways for everyone to find connection and belonging at Cincinnati Opera.”
Season and ticket information for Cincinnati Opera’s 2026 Summer Festival are available below and at cincinnatiopera.org.
CINCINNATI OPERA
2026 SUMMER FESTIVAL
Salome
Music by Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hedwig Lachmann
Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Springer Auditorium | Cincinnati Music Hall
Sung in German with projected English translation
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.
Carmen
Music by Georges Bizet
Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy
Saturday, July 25, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 31, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 2, 2026 | 3 p.m.
Springer Auditorium | Cincinnati Music Hall
Sung in French with projected English translation
Returning to Music Hall after more than a decade is Carmen, Georges Bizet’s iconic story of passion, freedom, and fate. The captivating Carmen draws others into her orbit with her magnetic allure and fierce independence. When the soldier Don José becomes the latest to fall for her, he abandons everything and succumbs to a perilous obsession, hurtling them both toward deadly consequences. Carmen’s riveting drama is propelled by Bizet’s rhythmic score and irresistible melodies audiences will immediately recognize, including the famous “Habanera” and “Toreador Song.”
The new-to-Cincinnati production, a co-production between Opera Philadelphia and Seattle Opera originated by Paul Curran, designed by Gary McCann, and featuring lighting design by Thomas C. Hase, transports the story to an imaginary setting akin to late-1950s Havana. Frequent Cincinnati Opera guest artist and artistic director of Opera Naples, dynamic conductor Ramón Tebar takes the podium with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
J’Nai Bridges, known for her “plush-voiced mezzo-soprano” (The New York Times) and “calmly commanding stage presence” (The New Yorker), returns to Cincinnati Opera in the title role. Fresh off of his triumph in last season’s Tosca, Matthew White brings a “distinctive tenor [with a] dark and powerful lyric sound” (New York Classical Review) to the role of the soldier Don José. Appearing as Micaela is soprano Teresa Perrotta, a winner of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition praised for her “sweet, rich voice” (Classical Voice North America), and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny, recognized as “one of the finest singers of his generation” (Opera News), sings the role of the toreador Escamillo. Kayleigh Decker shares a “shimmering mezzo-soprano” (Seen and Heard International) as Carmen’s friend, Mercedes.
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.