An opera season under the stars wouldn’t be complete without a star-studded cast! Meet some of the leading ladies joining us for our Summer at Summit.
A Look Behind the Scenes
What happens behind the scenes to make onstage magic? Take a peek at some of the exclusive behind-the-scenes photos included in our keepsake publication, Cincinnati Opera: A Centennial Celebration.
Enduring Values
In an excerpt from Cincinnati Opera: A Centennial Celebration, opera expert Fred Plotkin shares his perspective on Cincinnati Opera’s role nationally and internationally.
Stars of the Cincinnati Opera Stage
In our commemorative book, Cincinnati Opera: A Centennial Celebration, dramaturg and opera expert Roger Pines highlights some of the notable singers who have performed on the Cincinnati Opera stage. Here are a few of the highlights.
The Zoo Opera Days
In an excerpt from a new book celebrating our 100th anniversary, Cincinnati Opera: A Centennial Celebration, writer and Opera supporter Cynthia Starr offers a peek at our early outdoor roots.
In Memoriam: Thomas Hammons
Robin Guarino: Directing as Activism
A Tribute to Patty Beggs by Evans Mirageas
Intern Spotlight: Samantha Reno
Gregory Spears: Modern Masterpieces
American composer Gregory Spears chats with Evans about his rise into the opera world and two of his most notable works: Fellow Travelers, which Cincinnati Opera premiered in 2016, and Castor and Patience, which Cincinnati Opera will premiere during its 2021 Summer Festival. Listen in to hear about Spears’s musical origins, inspirations, and how he goes about writing for opera.
Isabel Leonard: Constructing a Character
Grammy Award-winning opera singer Isabel Leonard chats with Evans about how to approach each role with compassion, what raising a son looks like as a professional performer, and her perspectives on operatic characters both old and new. Hear about why she prefers to be called a “singer” rather than a “soprano” or “mezzo-soprano”—to the point that she can’t wait to see an opera house list her as a tenor in a program!
Marie-France Lefebvre: Working with the Coach
Evans sits down with vocal coach, collaborative pianist, conductor, and long-time friend Marie-France Lefebvre to talk about her upbringing in rural Quebec and how she works hands-on with opera stars and students alike as a professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Plus, hear what it’s like to be one of the only people who can talk during a live opera performance: the prompter!
Talise Trevigne: Baseball Mom and Opera Star
American soprano and self-described “baseball mom” Talise Trevigne chats with Evans about her early love of ballet, rise to opera stardom, passion for new music, and unconditional support for her son’s Major League aspirations. Take a peek into the life of a true supermom, hear about her work with composer Jake Heggie, and listen to her perspectives on being an artist during the COVID-19 shutdown.
Intern Spotlight: Sam Kerns
Sam Kerns first joined Cincinnati Opera as a School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) trainee in 2016, and it didn’t take long for him to find what he calls his “second family.” Sam came back to join us as a directing intern in 2019 to continue pursuing his passion (and inspiring us with his fashion).
David Effron: Cincinnati's Own Conducting Legend
Famed Cincinnati-born conductor and educator David Effron recounts his astounding and, at times, hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from working with some of the top singers of the 20th century. Also, learn what it was like to see opera at the Cincinnati Zoo, about the Cincinnati classical music scene of the mid-1900s, and why the Pulitzer-Prize winning musical Hamilton has caught this opera conductor’s attention!
Building Community: Cincinnati Opera at the Villages of Roll Hill
Intern Spotlight: Connie Grubbs
Vita Tzykun: On Design
Evans chats with theatrical designer Vita Tzykun about her life, artistic upbringing, and creative process. Learn why Vita wants to break the barrier between scenic and costume design, what it’s like to work with Lady Gaga, and how her work—along with many artists’ work—has evolved in the time of pandemic.
Director Barrie Kosky Zooms in on Eugene Onegin
Daniela Candillari: Across the Musical Globe
Evans Mirageas and Yugoslavian-born conductor Daniela Candillari explore her wide-reaching musical career that spans continents and genres. Candillari was raised under the inspiration of her opera-singing grandmother and dove headfirst into her classical piano studies in modern-day Serbia. Little did she know that she would soon study jazz in the far-off town of Bloomington, Indiana or become a renown contemporary opera conductor in New York City. Didn’t think she could get any more interesting? Wait until you hear how many languages she speaks!