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 90-minute performance includes musical selections that shine a spotlight on the amazing artistry and personal stories of these talented performers. Get ready for three unforgettable nights of sound and splendor with our stars!

Matthew Umphreys

Simon Barrad

From Avenue A to Broadway:
Songs and Stories of Tin Pan Alley
thursday, july 17, 2025 | 8:00 pm
Wilks Studio • Music Hall

At the turn of the 20th century, an unassuming Manhattan neighborhood was quickly becoming the vibrant epicenter of American popular music. Tin Pan Alley gave voice to a community of diverse composers, lyricists, and performers, mingling the traditions of Yiddish theater with Western classical music, ragtime, and jazz to shape the soundtrack of an era. Cincinnati Opera features Queen City Cabaret’s Sarah Folsom and Matthew Umphreys, soprano Victoria Okafor, and baritone Simon Barrad who will shine a spotlight on the artists whose resilience, innovation, and spirit of collaboration spurred the golden age of American popular song.

buy JULY 17 tickets

$47 general admission; $67 reserved seating
(Note: Cabaret tables will be seated with 4 persons per table.)

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