Platinum-selling indie superstar Ben Rector returns to perform with the Cincinnati Pops! His "Songs for America” is a collection of original songs written to celebrate American cities and states, inspired by his fifteen years of cross-country travel as a touring artist. Equal parts golden-era pop, Broadway and modern hymn, Ben brings this brand-new orchestral collaboration to Music Hall for a one-of-a-kind acoustic show that features the intimacy of guitar and piano with the strength of a full symphony orchestra.

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BEN RECTOR: Songs for America

Cincinnati Music Hall

The program opens with the constant underlying motor rhythm of American composer Margaret Brouwer’s Pulse. Then, James Ehnes weaves lush, lyrical violin melodies with Scottish folk themes, all before Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 takes you on a cinematic journey through the depths of the human spirit. Filled with brooding drama, soaring melodies and moments of breathtaking beauty, it’s like a love letter written in sound — one of longing, hope and elation — and remains one of his most beloved works for orchestra.

Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2

Conjure the animated universe of Hayao Miyazaki's acclaimed and award-winning films with the spellbinding scores of Joe Hisaishi. Featuring music from My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery Service, your Cincinnati Pops presents the music of legendary Studio Ghibli favorites. Just as iconic as the films themselves, the music of Ghibli evokes wonder, nostalgia and adventure, perfect for anime fans and music lovers both young and young at heart. 

The Music Of Studio Ghibli

Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony is a musical journey through the misty landscapes and ancient ruins of Scotland. Inspired by the composer’s travels, the symphony captures the rugged beauty and haunting mystery of the Highlands in a way that is both deeply personal and universally enchanting. Opening the program, Adolphe’s Underneath the Sheen envisions the movement of light through the canopy of the redwood forest, and Lise de la Salle joins for Chopin’s intimate and poetic Second Piano Concerto.

Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3

Podcast link: https://youtu.be/4hagYvrYbuM

The Artelize Podcast and Kasper Holten - Pedefining Opera for the modern world

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36M5Hi6O80

The Artelize Podcast - A legacy of innovation in Opera: Celebrating Marc A. Scorca

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59E40S_EQSY

The Artelize Podcast: A love letter that was never sent

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THv6htilWtI

The Artelize Podcast and Adolfo Corrado: Mediterranean flavors, opera and social media

Experience Stravinsky’s The Firebird like never before. Paired with the storytelling power of larger-than-life puppets designed by South African director and creator Janni Younge, world-renowned for the award-winning play War Horse, this evocative production draws from the symbolism of the original ballet choreography and reinterprets it in a contemporary South African setting. Music Director Cristian Mӑcelaru, the CSO and expert puppeteers and dancers from Janni Younge Productions come together in this sonic and theatrical depiction of The Firebird that builds to a dramatic, fiery finish. Mahler’s unfinished tone poem Totenfeier opens the program — a deeply introspective and intense experience, the work ultimately developed into the opening of his monumental Resurrection Symphony.

Stravinsky’s Firebird

Perfect for curious ears and seasoned listeners alike, this program spins musical tales with a splash of humor. Gernot Wolfgang’s New York Moments paints a jazz-tinged portrait of city life — rhythmic, sleek and full of surprises. Martinů’s cheeky La Revue de Cuisine is a witty, dance-inspired suite drawn from his playful ballet about love and rivalry among kitchen utensils. The evening closes with Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 2, a heartfelt work that anchors the program with a striking balance between light and dark. 

Stories In Sound

Travel to galaxies far, far away as the Cincinnati Pops performs the best music from across the Star Wars universe by John Williams, Michael Giacchino and Ludwig Göransson. From “The Imperial March” to “Rey’s Theme,” you’ll hear music from the films in the Skywalker saga, plus the TV series and more. May the Force be with you!

The Music Of Star Wars

The season closes in a dramatic and triumphant fashion with some of the greatest classical music ever written. Jennifer Higdon’s brief but striking fanfare sets the tone before Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto opens with a commanding, majestic flourish, instantly igniting a sense of awe. After a moment of lyrical reverie that seems to suspend time, the music propels forward with irrepressible joy and optimism. In contrast, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 delves deep into the human experience, embodying the struggle between fate and the quest for happiness. From its powerful brass fanfare—fate’s ominous call—to the electrifying energy of the finale, the symphony is a deeply cathartic journey through anguish, resilience and eventual exhilaration.

Beethoven & Tchaikovsky

The venue enforces a clear bag policy for all events. To view the bag policy and a complete list of Rules and Prohibited items, please go to our website: www.bradymusiccenter.com

Ali Wong Live

The Andrew J Brady Music Center

Salome, the teenage princess of Judea, becomes dangerously fixated on the imprisoned prophet John the Baptist. When he rejects her advances, her desire curdles into obsession. At her stepfather Herod’s birthday feast, Salome dances and, at her maniacal mother’s behest, demands a gruesome reward. Set to Richard Strauss’s lush score, Salome is a fever dream of lust, power, and prophecy, where every glance is loaded and no desire is without cost.

Salome

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 two remarkable nights of sound and splendor with our stars!

Studio Sessions 2026

Set 400 years into the future, Lalovavi is an Afrofuturist adventure that follows Persephone, the youngest daughter of the ruler of Atlas, the city formerly known as Atlanta. Currency and status in Atlas are determined based on the presence of Syndica, a gene that promotes vitality and longevity. When Persephone is found to possess a version of Syndica that confers immortality, she is betrayed by her family and must run for her life. She is thrust into an epic journey, uncovering a hidden past that leads her to discover love’s true meaning and the power to determine her destiny.

Lalovavi

The fiercely independent Carmen lives—and loves—on her own terms. When she sets her sights on Don José, a straight-laced soldier with a fiancée back home, he quickly unravels, abandoning everything for her. But Carmen’s heart doesn’t stay in one place for long, and when the charismatic toreador Escamillo enters the ring, jealousy turns deadly. Set to Bizet’s iconic, rhythm-driven score, Carmen is a story of desire, freedom, and fatal choices.

Carmen

Orpheus, a grieving musician, loses his beloved Euridice too soon—and is granted one impossible chance to bring her back from the underworld. Guided by music and memory, he descends into a realm of shadows with only one rule: don’t look back. Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus and Euridice retells the ancient myth with lyrical intimacy and emotional clarity, blending classical voice with contemporary style. It’s a haunting meditation on love, loss, and letting go.

Events in Cincinnati, OH

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Stravinsky’s Firebird

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Stories In Sound

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

The Music Of Star Wars

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven & Tchaikovsky

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Ali Wong Live

Savannah College of Art and Design

Salome

Cincinnati Opera

Studio Sessions 2026

Cincinnati Opera

Lalovavi

Cincinnati Opera

Carmen

Cincinnati Opera

Orpheus and Euridice

Cincinnati Opera