The Cincinnati Opera is a world-class opera company in the U.S.. It holds the honor of being the second oldest American opera company, founded in 1920.^[1]it is second only to Metropolitan Opera. The Cincinnati Opera makes its home in Cincinnati's Music Hall, a historic theatre in Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Image File history File links Cincinnati, Ohio, USA: Cincinnati Music Hall Private photograph, July 2002 (uploader has written permission to license as GNU-FDL) File links The following pages link to this file: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra ... Cincinnati redirects here. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... For other uses, see Opera (disambiguation). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920) of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... Music Hall is located at 1241 Elm Street in Cincinnati, Ohio across from historic Washington Park in the Over-the-Rhine area. ... Cincinnati redirects here. ... Over the Rhine (or OTR, as they are sometimes referred to) are an Ohio-based musical band. ...

History of the Company

On June 27, 1920, Cincinnati Opera Association began its life as the second oldest opera company in the United States with a sold-out performance of Martha. For over fifty years, the Opera performed at the Cincinnati Zoo Pavilion and, at its peak, offered 18 productions over 61 performances in a ten-week season. During the years at the Zoo, a number of top opera singers frequented the stage: Plácido Domingo, Beverly Sills, Sherrill Milnes, Montserrat Caballé, Jan Peerce, Robert Merrill, Roberta Peters, Shirley Verrett, Lawrence Tibbett, Richard Tucker, Martina Arroyo, James Morris and Barbara Daniels, to name a few. Martha is an opera in four acts by Friedrich von Flotow to a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Riese, based on the ballet Lady Henriette by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges. ... Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens is the second oldest zoo in the United States, opened in 1875. ... Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941)[1] better known as Plácido Domingo, is a world-renowned operatic tenor. ... Beverly Sills (May 25, 1929 – July 2, 2007), born Belle Miriam Silverman, was perhaps the best-known American opera singer in the 1960s and 1970s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Montserrat Caballé Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepción Caballé i Folc, better known as Montserrat Caballé (born April 12, 1933), is a Catalan Spanish operatic soprano renowned for her bel canto technique and her interpretations of the roles of Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. ... Jan Peerce (June 3, 1904 – December 15, 1984) was an American tenor. ... Robert Merrill (June 4, 1917 – October 23, 2004) was an American opera baritone. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Shirley Verrett as Eboli in Don Carlo The American opera singer Shirley Verrett (born May 31 circa 1931) is a mezzo-soprano who has enjoyed great fame since the late 1960s, much admired for her radiant voice and great versatility. ... Lawrence Tibbett Lawrence Mervil Tibbett (November 16, 1896 - July 15, 1960) is acknowledged as one of the greatest American singers of opera. ... Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913 – January 8, 1975) was an American tenor. ... Martina Arroyo is a great African-American soprano, best known for her performances of the Italian spinto repertoire. ... There have been several people named James Morris: James Morris, (1893-01-02–1980-07-20) Justice of the Supreme Court of North Dakota (1935–1964), a trial judge for the IG Farben Trial. ...

In 1972, Cincinnati Opera moved from the Zoo Pavilion to its present venue, Music Hall, a 3,417-seat theater listed as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The move to the newly renovated Music Hall signaled production and artistic changes and new sets became an immediate focus because of the larger stage. James de Blasis staged rarer operas such as Resurrection and Schwanda the Bagpiper and introduced musical theater into the season to diversify the repertoire and develop new audiences. De Blasis also achieved national recognition with a new interpretation of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore set in "Wild West" mid-nineteenth century Texas. This production proved to be so popular it was filmed by PBS and televised in a 1968 national broadcast. Schwanda the Bagpiper (Švanda Dudák in Czech) in an opera in two acts by Jaromir Weinberger to a Czech libretto by Milos Kares, based on a story by J. K. Tyl. ... Categories: People stubs | 1797 births | 1848 deaths | Opera composers | Romantic composers | Italian composers | People born in Bergamo, Italy ... Lelisir damore (The Elixir of Love) is a comic opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on Eugène Scribes Le Philtre. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ...

When James de Blasis announced his retirement in 1995, Cincinnati Opera launched an international search for a new Artistic Director. Nicholas Muni, a renowned stage director, was appointed in June 1996. With his appointment, Cincinnati Opera embarked on an overall transformation of every aspect of the company. Numerous company premieres have been presented since 1998, including Janáček's Jenufa, Britten's The Turn of the Screw, Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle, Schoenberg's Erwartung, [Verdi|Verdi's]] Nabucco, Heggie's Dead Man Walking, Strauss' Elektra, Poulenc's La Voix Humaine, Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins, Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, and the U.S. Premiere of Bengtson's The Maids. LeoÅ¡ Janáček in 1928 LeoÅ¡ Janáček ( ; July 3, 1854 in Hukvaldy, Moravia – August 12, 1928 in Ostrava) was a Czech composer. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (November 22, 1913 – December 4, 1976) was a British composer and pianist. ... The Turn of the Screw may also refer to the opera by Benjamin Britten or an album by the band 1208. ... Claude Debussy Claude Achille Debussy (August 22, 1862 – March 25, 1918), composer of impressionistic classical music. ... Pelléas et Mélisande is the name of several dramatic works. ... B la Bart k (March 25, 1881 – September 26, 1945) was a composer, pianist and collector of East European folk music. ... Bluebeards Castle (Hungarian: ; literally: the castle of the blue-bearded prince) is a one-act opera by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. ... Arnold Schoenberg, Los Angeles, 1948 Arnold Schoenberg, (the anglicized form of Schönberg—Schoenberg changed the spelling officially when he became a U.S. citizen) (September 13, 1874 – July 13, 1951) was a composer, born in Vienna, Austria. ... Erwartung (translation: Expectation) is an opera, composed in 1909 by the Viennese composer Arnold Schoenberg. ... Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the biblical story and the play by Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornu. ... Jake Heggie is a American composer and pianist. ... Dead Man Walking is the title of an opera by Jake Heggie, with a libretto (based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean) by Terrence McNally; it was premiered by San Francisco Opera on October 7, 2000, with Susan Graham as Sister Helen, John Packard as Joseph De Rocher, and... This article is about the German composer of tone-poems and operas. ... This article is about the Greek mythological personalities. ... Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (January 7, 1899 - January 30, 1963) was a French composer. ... La voix humaine (English: The Human Voice) is a one act opera for one character, with music by Francis Poulenc and a libretto by Jean Cocteau, based on his 1932 play. ... Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900 – April 3, 1950), born in Dessau, Germany and died in New York City, was a German and in his later years, a German-American composer active from the 1920s until his death. ... Viktor Ullmann (b. ... Der Kaiser von Atlantis, oder Die Tod-Verweigerung (The Emperor of Atlantis, or The Refusal to Die) is a one-act opera by Viktor Ullmann with a libretto by Peter Kien. ...

Cincinnati Opera's 2005 Summer Festival closed with a sold-out performance of Rigoletto - breaking a 20-year record for overall season attendance. The company also celebrated the triumphant premiere of its first-ever main-stage commission, Richard Danielpour's [[Margaret Garner]], presented in honor of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome) Rigoletto is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi. ... Richard Danielpour (born 28 January 1956 in New York) is an American composer. ... Main entrance to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center For the facility at the World Trade Center in New York which was proposed and withdrawn see International Freedom Center The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a museum in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio based on the history of the Underground Railroad. ...

Celebrating her 20th anniversary with the company in 2005, Patricia Beggs was promoted from Managing Director to General Director & CEO of Cincinnati Opera. And during the final weekend of its 2005 season, the company announced the appointment of Evans Mirageas as Artistic Director.

Today the company continues it's tradition of excellence. Future seasons include some of the most exciting productions of beloved operas as well as contemporary works never before heard in Cincinnati.

Artistic Director

Widely considered one of the most talented and respected artistic leaders in the classical music industry today "Evans Mirageas" brings to the Cincinnati Opera a broad range of experience in both opera and symphonic music, as well as a long history of successful partnerships with many of the world's leading singers and conductors, including Seiji Ozawa, Renée Fleming, Angela Gheorghiu, Cecilia Bartoli, Luciano Pavarotti, Sir Georg Solti and among numerous others. Seiji Ozawa , born September 1, 1935) is a Japanese conductor. ... Renée Fleming (b. ... Angela Gheorghiu (born Angela Burlacu) (born September 7, 1965)[1] is a prominent Romanian operatic soprano. ... Cecilia Bartoli The Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli (born 4 June 1966) is a popular opera singer and recitalist. ... Luciano Pavarotti performing on June 15, 2002 at a concert in the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI[1] (October 12, 1935 – September 6, 2007) was a celebrated Italian tenor in operatic music, who successfully crossed into popular music becoming one of the most... Sir Georg Solti (October 21, 1912 - September 5, 1997) was a well-known orchestral and operatic conductor, who was still actively engaged in performing right up until his death. ...

Mirageas succeeds Artistic Director Nicholas Muni who announced in September 2004 his decision to pursue his stage directing career following eight successful seasons with Cincinnati Opera. The appointment marks Mirageas's first artistic directorship of an opera company, building on his extensive experience as a casting director, recording producer, and artistic advisor with many of the leading opera and recording companies in the U.S. and Europe. He has led successful projects with Los Angeles Opera, the Lincoln Center Festival, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, the Decca Record Company Ltd., and many others.

Following Mirageas's first season with Cincinnati Opera, Opera News magazine listed him among its "25 Most Powerful Names in U.S. Opera" in its August 2006 issue. The 2007 season ended by setting several records including a four-performance run of Aida that was viewed by 12,595 people, more attendees than any other opera production since the company's move to Music Hall in 1972.

Future Season Highlights

The 2008 summer festival will be the first season fully created under the artistic leadership of Mirageas. Classic repertoire for the 2008 season includes Puccini's Madame Butterfly and Verdi's tragic love story La Traviata. Cincinnati Opera will present a fresh look at the classic [[Lucia di Lammermoor]] with Donizetti's beautiful French revision, Lucie de Lammermoor. The season's exploration piece is the company premiere of Daniel Catán's magical Florencia en el Amazonas (1996). Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) is regarded as one of the great operatic composers of the late 19th and early 20th century. ... Madama Butterfly (or sometimes Madame Butterfly in English) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set in Japan. ... La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. ... Categories: People stubs | 1797 births | 1848 deaths | Opera composers | Romantic composers | Italian composers | People born in Bergamo, Italy ... Daniel Catán is a Mexican composer known particularly for his operas. ... Florencia en el Amazonas (English title: Florencia in the Amazon) is an opera in two acts composed by Daniel Catán. ...

2009's Summer Festival will feature a company premier of Ovaldo Golijov's Ainadamar with a cast led by acclaimed American soprano Dawn Upshaw. The festival will also feature a performance of Mozart's beloved Le Nozze di Figaro with a cast led by BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition winner Nicole Cabell in the role of the Countess. For the company's 90th Anniversary Season in 2010 it will stage a new production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg led by Cincinnati native James Levine, music director for the Metropolitan Opera, with an all-star cast including Hei-Kyung Hong, James Morris, Thomas Allen, John Del Carlo, and Richard Margison. Osvaldo Golijov (born in La Plata, Argentina, December 5, 1960) is a composer of classical music . ... Ainadamar means Fountain of Tears in Arabic, and is the first opera by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov. ... Dawn Upshaw (born July 17, 1960 in Nashville, Tennessee), is an American soprano. ... Le Nozze di Figaro, is a comic opera composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Beaumarchais. ... Nicole Cabell, born on October 17, 1977 in Panorama City, California, is an American opera singer. ... Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Master Singers of Nuremberg) is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. ... James Levine (born June 23, 1943 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American orchestral pianist and conductor and most well known as the music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. ... There have been several people named James Morris: James Morris, (1893-01-02–1980-07-20) Justice of the Supreme Court of North Dakota (1935–1964), a trial judge for the IG Farben Trial. ... Sir Thomas Allen is an English opera singer from Seaham Harbour, County Durham. ... Richard Margison is a Canadian operatic tenor. ...

External links

• Official site of the Cincinnati Opera

References

1. ^ Cincinnati Opera:: History, CincinnatiOpera.com, January 13, 2007