As a preview to Cincinnati Opera’s 2024 production of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, stage director Trevore Ross explores this beloved masterpiece as an ode to the outsider. When Verdi composed the opera in 1853, his life bore some similarities to that of his heroine, the Parisian courtesan Violetta Valéry; he was something of a social outcast, living unmarried with his lover, the opera star Giuseppina Strepponi. Through this lens, Ross will examine Violetta’s world and the friends with whom she surrounded herself. Were they members of high society, fellow demimondaines, or both? The evening will include excerpts performed by soprano Dana Pundt, tenor Pedro Barbosa, and pianist Lisa Hasson.

Admission is free; reservations required.