studio sessions
Opera stars shine in intimate cabaret-style performances
Cincinnati Opera artists take to the cabaret stage in these intimate performances at Music Hall’s Wilks Studio. Each performance is less than two hours and includes musical selections that shine a spotlight on the amazing artistry and personal stories of our talented performers. Get ready for two remarkable nights of sound and splendor with our stars!
UNCOSTUMED
Thursday, JuLY 1, 2027
8:00 pm • wilks studio
Soprano Janai Brugger steps out from behind the characters, costumes, and makeup of opera to share something more personal. Joined by her longtime coach and collaborator Douglas Sumi, she looks back at the music—and the life—that shaped her: childhood dreams, becoming an artist, motherhood, love, loss, and faith. Moving through various genres of music, the journey leads into The Heart of a Woman, a deeply personal collection of songs by composer Florence Price exploring dreams, resilience, Black womanhood, and home, curated and orchestrated by Lior Rosner.
Subscribers may pre-order or select as part of a Create Your Own season ticket package.
Tickets to individual performances are on sale February 9, 2027.
Copyright: © Peter Greeno
So In Love
wedNEsday, July 14, 2027
8:00 pm • wilks studio
They fell in love playing fated lovers onstage—and that was just the beginning. Real-life husband and wife (featured in PEOPLE May 2026), soprano Kathryn Lewek and tenor Zach Borichevsky, bring that same chemistry to a cabaret-style evening of love songs, arias, and duets, infused with real romance. This is one enchanted evening not to be missed.
Subscribers may pre-order or select as part of a Create Your Own season ticket package.
Tickets to individual performances are on sale February 9, 2027.
A Look Back
Photos from our very first Studio Session on July 12, 2023, featuring mezzo-soprano Emily Fons with pianists Andrew Crooks and Matthew Umphreys. Photos by Philip Groshong
