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A Symphony of Emotions: Exploring May Festival's 2025 Lineup

The May Festival's 2025 season offers an extraordinary line-up of performances that promise to engage the heart and soul. From Verdi's soul-stirring Requiem to Handel’s timeless Messiah, each event brings unique artistic elements and emotional depth. Renowned artists like Renée Fleming and Ramón Tebar join forces with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the May Festival Chorus to create unforgettable musical experiences. With diverse genres ranging from choral to orchestral, this season is set to captivate audiences and leave lasting impressions.

May 16, 2025

1. Verdi Requiem

Visceral and soul-gripping, Verdi’s Requiem will rip your heart out and put it back together again. From its tender solo moments to the terrifying cries of the “Dies irae,” it’s a journey both fragile and powerful as the May Festival Chorus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra combine for this breathtaking Mass for the departed.

May 16, 2025

The May Festival

The Geraldine V. Chavez Center for the Choral Arts

2. CHASING THE DAWN: A Choral Journey

Follow the unbroken path of light from sunset to sunrise as the May Festival Chorus, Chamber Choir, Youth Chorus and Cincinnati Boychoir Ambassadors illuminate Springer Auditorium through song, staging and dynamic lighting in a choral music event like never before.

May 18, 2025

The May Festival

The Geraldine V. Chavez Center for the Choral Arts

3. The Brightness Of Light

Glimpse into the love, life and intimacy between two of the 20th century’s most prominent artists. Celebrated soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Rod Gilfry portray painter Georgia O’Keeffe and photographer Alfred Stieglitz as a montage of their lives, captured through art, photos and love letters, is revealed on a screen above the stage

May 22, 2025

The May Festival

The Geraldine V. Chavez Center for the Choral Arts

4. VOICE OF NATURE: The Anthropocene

In a performance inspired by her 2023 Grammy-Award winning album, experience the turbulence and resilience of Mother Nature's life as Renée Fleming performs music by Handel, Nico Muhly, Björk and Lord of The Rings' Howard Shore—all set against a backdrop of stunning film from the National Geographic Society.

May 24, 2025

The May Festival

The Geraldine V. Chavez Center for the Choral Arts

5. The Bells & Symphonie Fantastique

Can you hear the bells? Rachmaninoff’s choral symphony The Bells — inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s poem of the same name — evokes the experience of bells ringing through the phases of life, and features Cincinnati’s own May Festival Chorus. Then, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique takes you inside the delirious fever-dream of a young artist driven mad by unrequited love. Fueled by opium-induced hallucinations, the visions culminate in a sabbath dance where the bells toll a haunting clamor

8 - 9 Nov, 2025

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Cincinnati, OH · Cincinnati Music Hall

6. Handel’s Messiah

The trumpet shall sound. Join the CSO, the May Festival Chorus and an all-star cast of soloists for Handel’s Messiah. Music Director Cristian Mӑcelaru conducts one of his most cherished works, featuring joyful movements like the famous Hallelujah Chorus that have become forever and ever holiday traditions. This is the Messiah experience of the season!

5 - 6 Dec, 2025

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Cincinnati, OH · Cincinnati Music Hall

Conclusion

The May Festival's 2025 season is a testament to the enduring power of music to connect and transform. With a diverse lineup that spans genres and themes, coupled with the participation of world-class artists, it offers something for every music lover. Whether you're drawn to the intense drama of Verdi's Requiem or the timeless joy of Handel's Messiah, these performances promise to leave a lasting impact. As the festival unfolds, it invites audiences to explore the depths of emotion and creativity that only music can offer.

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