Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Duke Ellington's musical genius with a series of captivating events happening in St Marys, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. From the soulful notes of 'I Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues' to the symphonic splendor of 'New World A-Comin’' and the evocative 'Black, Brown and Beige', these performances promise an unforgettable journey through music history.

A Musical Odyssey: Duke Ellington's Legacy Across St Marys, Cleveland, and Cincinnati

Embark on a musical journey through the rich tapestry of sounds and cultures presented by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. From the emotionally charged Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto to the magical world of Harry Potter, the upcoming events at Cincinnati Music Hall promise to captivate and enchant audiences of all ages. With a diverse lineup that includes holiday classics, cinematic scores, and timeless orchestral masterpieces, this season is a celebration of creative expression and community spirit. Join us as we explore the highlights of this vibrant and dynamic program.

A Symphony of Seasons: Cincinnati's Musical Extravaganza

Music is on a higher plane than everything else in the world.
– Jean Sibelius

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CSYO CONCERT ORCHESTRA: Slavonic Legends

Cincinnati Music Hall

There’s nothing quite as magical as the memories made during the holiday season and, thanks to you, Holiday Pops has allowed us to share and create those memories year after year. With sold-out performances in a decked-out Music Hall, we invite you to join us again this year as Broadway star Norm Lewis joins JMR and the Pops with choruses, vocalists and dancers from around the city bringing festive favorites and holiday classics to life!

Holiday Pops

Dancing is like dreaming with your feet.
– Constanze Mozart


CSYO PHILHARMONIC: Invitation to the Dance

Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio blends the soaring melodies of Baroque music with the joyous spirit of the holiday season. The rich harmonies and intricate counterpoint come together in jubilant choruses and tender arias, narrating and reflecting upon the stories of the Feast of Christmas. Richard Egarr leads the May Festival Chorus and soloists in the timeless glories of music that resonates with the warmth and wonder of Christmas.

Bach's Christmas Oratorio

The trumpet shall sound. Join the CSO, the May Festival Chorus with Director of Choruses Matthew Swanson, and an all-star cast of soloists for the return of Messiah to Music Hall. Sir Andrew Davis leads a true-to-original edition of the Handel’s masterwork, bringing out the glories of movements like the Hallelujah Chorus with sparklingly highlights from the entire Orchestra — an uplifting event for making forever and ever holiday memories.

Handel's Messiah

“KEVIN!” Hilarious and heartwarming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the whole family! This Thanksgiving weekend, experience holiday hijinks and mayhem with Kevin, Harry and Marv as John Williams’ charming score is performed live by your Cincinnati Pops with the film projected on a giant screen in stunning high definition above the stage.

Home Alone

Travel back in time to hear the rhythms that rocked the riverboats and the sounds that shaped Cincinnati.

Homegrown Harmony

A trio of influencers had hands in creating the Three-Cornered Hat — the impresario Sergei Deaghilev, Pablo Picasso and composer Manuel de Falla. De Falla’s ballet score stands apart, setting a lighthearted story (a love triangle) to dances full to the brim with Spanish flair and castanets. Gabriela Ortiz’s Téenek transcends place and time, and pianist Francesco Piemontesi joins the CSO for Beethoven’s gentle and poetic Piano Concerto No. 4

The Three-cornered Hat

Conductor Marin Alsop leads the CSO in essential classics by Leonard Bernstein and Dmitri Shostakovich. The May Festival Chorus joins for Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, sacred music that illuminates a path to eternal peace, and which notably includes music cut from the Prologue of West Side Story. Shostakovich’s Leningrad martials every artistic defense, and might of the whole Orchestra, against a merciless and tyrannical siege threatening to consume all. 

Bernstein & Shostakovich

Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring The Wolfpack are bringing their groundbreaking symphony collaboration to Music Hall with the Cincinnati Pops!

A founding member of the Grateful Dead, the legendary rock band that pioneered psychedelic and jam music, Bobby Weir is one of rock’s finest and most distinctive guitarists. In a career that has spanned six decades, Weir has become a rock music icon who continues to write new music, perform, and find ways to reinvent the timeless material of the Grateful Dead.

Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring The Wolfpack with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

Mozart and Bruckner’s late symphonies explore drama on radically different scales. Mozart’s compact and wonderful Symphony No. 39 opens with plenty of pomp, interweaving effortless genius, elegance, and playfulness to the very end. Taking nearly a decade to write, Brucker’s last symphonic statement is a gloriously vast cathedral of sound built on foundations of infinite brass.

Mozart & Bruckner

Each of Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles offers a brief but intense exploration of contrasting moods, from the whimsical to the deeply introspective, making for an exhilarating introduction. Prokofiev’s Quintet draws listeners into a world of playful melodies, unexpected harmonic shifts and vividly theatrical orchestration. Finally, Schubert’s String Quartet is a testament to his lyrical genius and ability to convey profound emotion. Its delicate interplay of voices provides a soulful and resonant conclusion.

Harmonic Explorations

Sibelius’s First Symphony arrives with the composer’s icy and expansive musical language fully formed, forged from influences by Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz and Beethoven. Violinist Benjamin Beilman joins the CSO for Saint-Saëns’ Third Concerto, a piece that oozes melodic and technical exuberance. Wang Lu’s Surge bottles the rush of hearing an orchestra for the very first time.

Sibelius & Saint-saëns

Lollipops: Music, Magic & Mayhem

Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell and renowned soprano Larisa Martínez are joined by celebrated pianist Peter Dugan for “Voice and the Violin,” an evening of beloved romantic arias and modern classics, featuring music by Mendelssohn, Bernstein, Puccini and more.

CSO Recital Series: Voice & The Violin

16-time Grammy Award-winner Béla Fleck joins the CSO for a celebration of the American sound. Fleck’s reimagining of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue pays homage to the legendary composer while redefining an all-time classic. Contemporaries Florence Price and Aaron Copland did the same in their time, shaping, contextualizing and creating indelible music that feels like it was always here. Copland’s ballet music to Rodeo, featuring the rip-roaring and instantly recognizable "Hoe-Down," became a new soundtrack to the American West. Florence Price, merging traditional African American themes with the latest music of her day, established a singular voice all her own.

Gershwin, Price & Copland

The CSO’s emotional range emerges in Mahler’s First Symphony — a world-building Titan that rises from ethereal beginnings to tectonic eruptions of orchestral light. The finale is truly an enormous treat. Bruce Liu, First Prize Winner of the 18th Chopin International Piano Competition, makes his Music Hall debut with Prokofiev’s colorful and fantastically cinematic Third Piano Concerto. 

Mahler Symphony No. 1

Usually, you'll find Rick Steves touring the great destinations of Europe for his acclaimed PBS television series or within the pages of his numerous travel guides. Now you can join him on a different journey: A Symphonic Journey. From Italy, England, Austria, Norway and beyond, Steves combines Europe's most stirring orchestral classics with beautiful high-definition cinematography and his own insights into European history.

Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey

Mozart’s riveting masterpiece follows Don Giovanni, a man who uses people without a care for their hearts, or the consequences. All the while, the Don’s servant Leporello records his master’s misdeeds. By killing the father of a woman he’s attacked, Giovanni sets in motion events that could lead to his end. Will he get away with his unrepentant pursuit of selfish desire? Or will there be hell to pay? 

Don Giovanni

Julia Wolfe’s Her Story invokes the words of historical figures and the spirit of pivotal moments in history to pay tribute to the centuries of ongoing struggle for equal rights and representation for women in America. From the letters of Abigail Adams to words attributed to Sojourner Truth, Her Story, as explained by Julia Wolfe, “captures the passion and perseverance of women refusing subordination, demanding representation and challenging the prejudice and power structures that have limited women’s voices.” The dynamic vocal artists of the Lorelei Ensemble join the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for this immersive and visual presentation, with staging by Anne Kauman, before the May Festival Chorus closes the program with Gabriel Fauré’s tender and comforting Requiem.

Her Story

Celebrating the natural wonders of earth and the perseverance of miners in Pennsylvania coal country, this program reflects both the beauty and tragedy of humanity’s relationship with our planet. Natural History is a collaboration between composer Michael Gordon and the Steiger Butte Singers. Written and commissioned to mark the centennial of the National Park System, the piece poses the question: If Crater Lake National Park were a symphony, what would it sound like? The result is a surround-sound celebration of nature and the park’s spiritual connection to the surrounding community. In contrast, Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Anthracite Fields is a haunting and powerful oratorio that captures not only the sadness of lives lost in the anthracite coal fields at the turn of the 20th century, but a way of daily life now also lost. The Bang on a Can All-Stars lend their ferocity to this profound work alongside the May Festival Chorus.

Voices of the Earth

Anthems can represent freedom from suffering or victory in war, celebrate nations, sow peace or even pump up a crowd from the rock ‘n’ roll stage. What they all share in common is the power to unite and remind us of our shared humanity. This program of four unique anthem interpretations opens with the world premiere of Julia Wolfe’s choral work All that breathes, which embraces the massive sound of collective breath and exhalation, while David Lang‘s the national anthems reminds us that freedom is fragile, delicate and easy to lose. Julia Wolfe’s Pretty is a raw and raucous feminist anthem of work rhythms — thwarting notions of what pretty can mean. Closing out the program is Vaughan Williams’ beloved anthem for peace, Dona nobis pacem, written and premiered just a few years prior to the start of World War II.

Anthems

In his final program as Music Director, Louis Langrée and the CSO share the stage one more time for a performance that will pay tribute to highlights of their time together over the past 11 years. Grammy Award-winning soprano Latonia Moore will join the CSO for the world premiere of a new orchestral song cycle by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis, whose piece You Have the Right to Remain Silent profoundly impacted Louis and left a poignant impression on livestream viewers at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Louis' Grand Finale

If Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is known as a musical embodiment of fate, his Seventh carries the spirit of freedom and liberation, with catchy, dance-like melodies woven throughout. Bryce Dessner, founder of Cincinnati’s MusicNOW Festival and a member of the Grammy-winning band The National, shares two of his works for orchestra.

Beethoven 7 & Dessner Premieres

Lutosławski’s interpretation of music for a funeral, and Bryce Dessner's Réponse Lutoslawski, inspired by the Musique funèbre, open this enlightening and introspective program.

Cso Proof: Réponse

CSYO Concert Orchestra Walk Abouts

CSYO Philharmonic: Spartacus

Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 is filled with optimistic and lyrical music, leading to a finale of fanfares and dances. Conductor Katharina Wincor, who led the May Festival's 2022 production of Candide, returns to Music Hall and welcomes cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason for Shostakovich's raw and rhythmic first Cello Concerto.

Dvořák Symphony No. 8

The Winstead Chamber Series concludes its 23/24 season with a collection of music highlighting the CSO’s winds and strings. From the folk-inspired Schulhoff Concertino and the reflective Reinecke Trio, to the rhapsodic and rhythmic Trio from Khachaturian and the crafted harmonies of Schumann’s String Quartet, there is something for every chamber music fan to love.

Spotlight on Winds & Strings

Schoenberg's music, before he became known as a father of 20th-century 12-tone composition, developed from the harmonic bedrock of Romantics like Brahms, Mahler and Richard Strauss. His "Transfigured Night" was further heightened when Schoenberg met the love of his life and found inspiration in poetry of hope and acceptance. Led by Louis Langrée, the CSO performs this, along with Brahms' Violin Concerto, which features the return of Grammy-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich, and a co-commission from former CSO Composer-in-Residence Jonathan Bailey Holland.

Hadelich & Holland

Love and fellowship ring throughout Music Hall for one of Cincinnati's most anticipated musical traditions of each year! JMR leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Classical Roots Community Choir and Nouveau Players in an evening of powerful and inspirational music.

Classical Roots

Conductor John Morris Russell and the Pops present Peter Boyer’s poignant Ellis Island: The Dream of America, celebrating the historic American immigrant experience and the American dream. Innovative in its format, bringing elements of theater and multimedia, including historical images from the Ellis Island archives, performers share real stories of those arriving to America and the circumstances surrounding their journey. The program opens by showcasing the vibrancy of Cincinnati’s international communities, with choruses and dancers presenting cultural traditions from around the world.

Livestream: The Dream Of America

Conductor John Morris Russell and the Pops present Peter Boyer’s poignant Ellis Island: The Dream of America, celebrating the historic American immigrant experience and the American dream. Innovative in its format, bringing elements of theater and multimedia, including historical images from the Ellis Island archives, performers share real stories of those arriving to America and the circumstances surrounding their journey.

The Dream of America

Using music selections from Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, David Childs, Laura Mvula and more, Sun, Moon & Stars explores stories of the human experience — life, longing, love and loss — through the wonders of our universe and the mystery and beauty that it holds.

Sun, Moon & Stars

“Music is life, and like it, it is inextinguishable.” With this declaration written at the top of his score, Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 pits the everlasting spirit of life against the horror of World War I with dramatic music leading to, what else, but a battle between two timpani! Making his CSO debut, conductor Ryan Bancroft opens this program with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade for Orchestra, and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, displaying the virtuosity of guest pianist Inon Barnatan, heralded by The New York Times as “one of the most admired pianists of his generation.”

Tchaikovsky & Nielsen

After selling out two shows at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, Platinum-selling indie superstar Ben Rector and viral TikTok singer/songwriter sensation Cody Fry are bringing their magic to Music Hall with the Pops!

Ben Rector & Cody Fry: Live With The Cincinnati Pops

Stories of glory, chivalry and adventure abound as conductor Sir Mark Elder joins the CSO. Wagner’s Tannhäuser is a musical story of lust, love, and deliverance, as the opera’s title character makes a pilgrimage from the magical realm of Venus to his final redemption in Rome. Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben is an epic portrayal of the hero that exists in all of us, along with the accompanying joys and struggles, depicted through battling brass and tender string melodies. Pianist Pavel Kolesnikov brings his “fluid, fine-toned” (Gramophone) playing to Mozart’s melodic Piano Concerto No. 17.

Heroic Strauss & Melodic Mozart

Tchaikovsky’s Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello is a gigantic piece of music considering the size of the ensemble. Written in memory of Tchaikovsky’s friend and teacher Nicholas Rubinstein, the piece is full of rich textures and wonderful melodies, but there is a poignant emotionality present throughout, culminating in a finale drenched in despair and mourning. Brahms’ touching and beautiful Trio precedes this mammoth piece, while Ruth Gipp’s playful dialogue between winds and harp, representing the story of Pan & Apollo’s competition, opens the program.

The Art of the Trio: Brahms & Tchaikovsky

Love the classic sounds of Frankie Valli, The Drifters, The Del Vikings? Join conductor John Morris Russell and the Pops for The Doo Wop Project. From foundational tunes of groups like the Crests and Flamingos through their influences on the sounds of Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and The Four Seasons all the way to Doo Wop-ified versions of modern musicians like Michael Jackson and Jason Mraz. Featuring stars of Broadway’s smash hits Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical, the Doo Wop Project brings unparalleled authenticity of sound and vocal excellence to recreate some of the greatest music in American pop and rock history!

The Doo Wop Project

Beloved Grammy-winner Craig Hella Johnson returns to conduct this performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s greatest work, Mass in B minor. Full of mystery and splendor, this oratorio represents the culmination of Bach’s work throughout his life.

Bach B Minor Mass

Christ Church Cathedral

As the winter winds quell and the flowers of spring begin to blossom, CSO Creative Partner Matthias Pintscher conducts the Orchestra in works capturing the feeling of life beginning anew. Copland’s Appalachian Spring shines with the “Simple Gifts” of the season. After wowing CSO audiences in 2021 and 2022, pianist Conrad Tao returns for the world premiere of a CSO commissioned work from composer inti figgis-vizueta, whose music “feels sprouted between structures” (The Washington Post). Then, Schumann's Symphony No. 1 triumphantly ushers in the Spring season.

Copland’s Appalachian Spring

CSYO PHILHARMONIC:  Annual Side by Side

Inspired by his visits to Utah's Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, Messiaen's Des canyons aux étoiles ("From the Canyons to the Stars") depicts the birdsong and red rock hues he experienced during his time in the desert. Messiaen – who was also synesthetic – heard colors and saw sounds. Accompanied by immersive video-art, Springer Auditorium will be transformed, allowing listeners to escape into the southwestern landscape and experience a synesthesia of their own.

CSO PROOF: From the Canyons to the Stars

With prayerful music for both the living and the dead, the source of comfort in Brahms’ German Requiem is as much human as it is the divine. Louis Langrée leads the CSO along with the May Festival Chorus in Brahms’ large-scale masterpiece. Though Brahms was often discreet in nature, this is a deeply personal work. Spurred by the loss of his mother, and influenced by lingering emotions of self-doubt, he turned to his true religion – music – as a way to console not only himself, but others as well.

Brahms' German Requiem

Audra McDonald returns to the Music Hall stage for one night only, after her sold-out performance with the Pops in 2018! The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammys, an Emmy, and the National Medal of Arts, Audra is unparalleled in her versatility as both a singer and actor. Audra has appeared on the Broadway stage in Carousel, Ragtime and Sweeney Todd, and film and television credits include, The Good Fight, Respect and The Gilded Age.

Audra McDonald

Grammy-winning conductor Cristian Măcelaru joins the CSO for music of two Slavic luminaries. Cellist Kian Soltani brings his expressive and charismatic presence to Lutosławski’s Cello Concerto, frequently interpreted as an escalating struggle between the seemingly heroic soloist and the orchestra representing totalitarian authority. The acclaim and popularity of his Symphony No. 11 helped Shostakovich, who had weathered criticism and persecution from the Soviet regime, win back State approval. It offers a depiction of the 1905 Russian Revolution, from the first shots of Bloody Sunday to funeral marches lamenting those who were lost.

Shostakovich: 1905

Dame Jane Glover is widely regarded as a preeminent conductor of Mozart’s music. She leads an “all-Amadeus” program, showcasing CSO Concertmaster Stefani Matsuo and Principal Viola Christian Colberg in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, K. 364. Their performance is folded between works illustrating Mozart’s evolution of the symphony from the lighter style of early composers such as Haydn to the more emotionally-infused music of Beethoven.

Symphonic Mozart

Internationally renowned conductor and composer Isaac Cates will lead a diverse program of music highlighting contemporary, choral, gospel and folk music traditions, with each piece telling a story aimed at uplifting and connecting listeners to the music and to each other. Isaac has achieved international fame as an artist, composer, arranger, choral director, and educator, and is excited to share his own lived musical experience with our VAE audiences.

Harmony Across Traditions: An Evening With Isaac Cates

Zion Baptist Church

“Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur ... and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway” (Goldilocks & the Three Dinosaurs). Original music by Ben Folds brings author Mo Willems’ fractured and funny iteration on Goldilocks & the Three Bears to life on the Music Hall stage

Goldilocks & the Three Dinosaurs

Conductor Kevin John Edusei leads a program that invites you to explore the concept of harmony and its many forms, beginning with Elysium by Samy Moussa, a composer who has a “gleeful sense for…shocking harmony” (Los Angeles Times). John Adams describes his rhythmically and harmonically complex Harmonielehre as a parody “without the intent to ridicule,” with “shades of Mahler, Sibelius and Debussy.” Both pieces frame George Li's performance of the Second Piano Concerto from Rachmaninoff, arguably the hero of the lush, romantic style.

Rachmaninoff & Adams

“It's impossible to listen to all four movements of the quartet without an awareness of death’s shadow stalking Schubert and emerging in the most funereal passages" (Classic FM). Franz Schubert wrote his String Quartet, Death and the Maiden, near the end of his life, capturing the emotions of wrestling with mortality in a tapestry of dialogues between the players. Beethoven and Dvořák’s Serenades bookend an evening of reflection on what it means to have lived.

Death and the Maiden

Seductive hip thrusts, finger snaps, “wah-wah” trumpets and — murder! Or, rather, an alleged murder. Chicago’s electrifying tale of greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and yes, murder, is the longest running American musical in Broadway history and has now been reimagined for the concert hall! Roxie, Velma, Amos, Billy, and the Merry Murderesses of the Cook County Jail will bring you everything you know and love about the “Cell Block Tango,” “Mr. Cellophane,” “Nowadays,” and the rest of the dynamic score, including “All That Jazz.” Whether it's your first experience or you’re a long-time fan, Chicago with the Cincinnati Pops will have a special razzle dazzle for you quite unlike any other.

CHICAGO: The Musical in Concert

Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto churns with uber-romantic melodies and Unsuk Chin’s music delights in contrasts. Copland’s last symphony, ringing with bells and brass, brings us home. The finale builds on Fanfare for the Common Man — an enduring masterpiece written for and premiered by the CSO at Music Hall — signaling the culmination and convergence of the composer’s entire career.

Rachmaninoff & Copland

The Resurrection Mixtape fuses the music of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur with Mahler’s electrifying “Resurrection” Symphony — a mixtape highlighting the relationship between hip-hop and classical music, as well as the life, struggle, death and legacy of two iconic artists. Biggie and Tupac’s words will ring out in “Hypnotize,” “Ambitionz az a Ridah,” “California Love,” “Juicy,” “Keep Ya Head Up,” “Sky’s The Limit” and more, as live emcees perform alongside a full symphony orchestra.

NOTORIOUS B.I.G. x TUPAC x MAHLER

Sir Donald Runnicles, celebrated for his interpretations of Romantic symphonic repertoire, leads an all-Brahms program, joining forces with powerhouse pianist Daniil Trifonov, following his stunning solo Music Hall performance in 2022. Together, they explore Brahms’ more brooding and emotional side in his Piano Concerto No. 1. Runnicles then conducts the CSO in Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, from its iconic “lullaby” to its cheerfully triumphant and brass-filled finale.

Brahms: Runnicles & Trifonov

JMR and The Pops ring in 2024 with the sophisticated jazz stylings of Edward “Duke” Ellington to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the legendary pianist and composers’ birth. Jazz vocalist Denzal Sinclaire will bring Ellington's lyrics to life with his velvety baritone, and dancers from Revolution Dance Theatre join in to lend their artistry to Ellington's arrangement of The Nutcracker Suite. Dust of your finest or come as you are, and get ready to swing into the new year in style with the classic and elegant sounds of “Duke.”

NEW YEAR'S EVE: Ellington at 125

The fate of the Resistance hangs in the balance! New heroes and galactic legends join forces as Rey seeks the aid of Luke Skywalker to thwart the rise of Kylo Ren and the First Order. The Last Jedi unlocks mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past on the big screen as the full force of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra performs John Williams’ acclaimed score live to film.

STAR WARS: The Last Jedi

Cincinnati Opera presents Puccini’s heartrending tragedy Madame Butterfly from a bold new point of view. In this groundbreaking new production created by an all-Japanese and Japanese American creative team, Butterfly’s story is transported to a fantastical modern-day realm where reality and dreams intersect. Enter the world of naval officer B.F. Pinkerton, who treats Japan as his playground. He’s taken a nearly thousand-year lease on a house and will marry a young girl named Cio-Cio-San, known as Madame Butterfly. But is it merely a fantasy? For Butterfly, vows are not to be taken lightly. As Pinkerton’s intentions are revealed, Butterfly’s dreams become a tragedy of limitless depths with no going back.

Madame Butterfly

Supreme silliness ensues when Figaro, Seville’s most beloved barber, plays matchmaker for his former employer, Count Almaviva. The Count loves Rosina, but she’s the ward of the devious Doctor Bartolo, who has designs on wedding her himself. To win Rosina’s heart, the Count enlists Figaro to cook up disguises, double dealings, and deceits to fool old Bartolo and set Rosina free. Rossini’s beloved comedy reminds us that sometimes, on the path to true love, the last thing you want to be is yourself.

The Barber of Seville

A group of military wives gathers after rumors of a possible incident on the battlefront. Their husbands are fighting the war in Fallujah. Meanwhile, a young Army officer makes the long journey to their gathering place. Named for the expression military spouses use for notifications of death, The Knock explores what must be endured by the loved ones of those who serve. Based on years of interviews with real spouses of American soldiers, this new opera tells dramatic stories of heroism that often go unheard, tragedies that go far beyond the conflict. 

The Knock

The heart wants what the heart wants. At Scotland’s Lammermoor Castle, Lucia and Edgardo are entwined in a forbidden romance. Despite their families’ age-old feud, they vow to give everything up for love. But Lucia’s disapproving brother Enrico endeavors to undo the lovers’ promise and marry Lucia off in a more lucrative pairing. The deception becomes a curse, leading Lucia and Edgardo to make terrible new vows once hope for love is lost. 

Lucia di Lammermoor

Mahler called his Eighth Symphony, “the biggest thing that I have ever done…in which the most beautiful instrument in the world is given its true place.” Music Director Laureate James Conlon concludes the 150th May Festival with a work of gigantic proportions—music of triumph and transcendence that celebrates the power of the human voice, featuring the sounds of the Chorus and the CSO in the breathtaking space of Music Hall.

Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand

Celebrated maestra Marin Alsop makes her May Festival debut with a showcase of composers who crafted the American musical identity. Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 is a lyrical dream of the Tennessee summer, while Aaron Copland's "The Promise of Living" rings with the hope of prosperity. The "uncanny radiance" (The New Yorker) of Robert Nathaniel Dett's The Ordering of Moses— a work the Festival premiered in 1937—returns to Music Hall.

Marin Alsop: American Voices

Principal Conductor Juanjo Mena opens the 150th Festival with world premieres by American composer James Lee III and former May Festival Creative Partner James MacMillan. Given its American premiere at the 1875 May Festival, Bach's celebratory Magnificat was described then as we would now— as "the highest form of human expression."

Bach's Magnificat

Ring in the New Year with the Pops and the sophisticated and timeless music of Cole Porter! Join Tony DeSare and his guests Aubrey Logan (trombone/vocals) and John Manzari (tap dance/vocals) as they give their fresh spin on such hits as: “Night and Day,” “I Get A Kick Out of You,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “It’s De-Lovely,” “You’re the Top,” and many more.


Let's Misbehave: The Music Of Cole Porter

Join the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra for a wondrous journey into the mysterious world of Harry Potter. Using only music, with no film projections, the Pops will bring to life the magical music of all eight Harry Potter films, plus more from the “Potterverse,” featuring the iconic themes you know and love. The concert will also include insights from the books and films, interactive games and trivia experiences. 

A NIGHT AT HOGWARTS: The Music of Harry Potter

Copland’s final symphony, ringing with bells and brass, builds on Fanfare for the Common Man — an enduring masterpiece written for and premiered by the CSO at Music Hall — and which embodies the hope, resilience, and idealism of the American spirit.

COPLAND: Symphony in Light

Violinist Hillary Hahn’s playing is “at once impetuous and authoritative, brilliant and beautiful,” (The New York Times). The 3-time Grammy Award-winner returns to Music Hall for the first time since 2016 to perform timeless solo works by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Cso Recital Series: Hilary Hahn

All hail the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll." Tina Turner’s singular voice provided the soundtrack of a generation and her story inspired hearts and minds around the world. With a career including 12 Grammy wins and more than 100 million records sold worldwide, she was simply “better than all the rest.” Join the Pops for a tour of Turner’s iconic musical legacy featuring hits like “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Disco Inferno” and more!

Simply The Best: The Music Of Tina Turner

The richness and beauty of the cello comes through brilliantly when CSO Principal Cello Ilya Finkelshteyn plays the spellbinding melodies of Saint-Saëns’ firework First Concerto. The magical evening ties-in music by Mozart and Jimmy López Bellido, each inspired by fairy tales. Prokofiev’s poignant and profound orchestral farewell provides a thrilling showpiece for the entire Orchestra.

The Magic Cello

All three composers on this program took inspiration from folk music traditions. Eastern European Chassidic melodies inspired Schoenfeld’s Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano, highlighting the popular dance rhythms of klezmer music, while Babajanian’s dramatic and moody Piano Trio is rooted in the folk music of his native Armenia. The theme of Grieg’s astonishingly rich, and almost orchestral String Quartet, takes its inspiration from Norwegian folk tales and Hardanger fiddle music.

Folk Traditions

Till Eulenspiegel follows the exploits of a noted trickster — but doesn’t fool around — the super virtuosic work is a freewheeling tour de force for every member of the Orchestra, beginning with a famous French horn solo. CSO Principal Horn Elizabeth Freimuth steps into the spotlight with a popular early concerto by Strauss and Debussy’s impressionistic Images create the musical equivalent of a Monet masterpiece.

Strauss + Debussy

LOLLIPOPS: Lost in Space!

You’ll start your evening with a full performance of Dvořák’s New World Symphony — a work that resonates with emotional depth and continues to evoke a sense of longing, discovery, and the blending of old and new worlds.

Dvořák Deconstructed

Dvořák’s New World Symphony moves with magnificent energies and melodies that feel like home. Hearing it performed by the CSO at Music Hall is a must-have experience. Randall Goosby, a new champion of Florence Price’s solo works, returns for the composer’s Second Violin Concerto plus Chausson’s most popular work. Selections from Wynton Marsalis Blues Symphony trace the blueprints of a quintessential American style.

Dvořák New World Symphony

Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, the 1800’s ultimate dance club track, becomes the backdrop for an innovative fusion. Fifteen chart-topping hits from Beyoncé’s iconic discography —including “Girls,” “Crazy in Love,” “Sorry,” “Halo,” “Cuff It,” “Single Ladies” and “Texas Hold ‘Em”— are seamlessly interwoven into this musical journey.

Beethoven X Beyoncé

This Valentine’s weekend, fall in love with the intensity and driving pulse of Brahms’ last symphony, an exhilarating bouquet of heart-on-sleeve melodies and relentless passion. Violin virtuoso Gil Shaham brings his signature joy and pitch-perfect technique to Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, filled with rich folk-like energy born out of the traditions of the composer’s homeland, and conductor John Storgårds returns, starting the program with the CSO premiere of music by Victoria Polevá. 

Gil Shaham Plays Dvořák

This Valentine’s weekend, fall in love with the intensity and driving pulse of Brahms’ last symphony, an exhilarating bouquet of heart-on-sleeve melodies and relentless passion. Violin virtuoso Gil Shaham brings his signature joy and pitch-perfect technique to Dvořák’s Violin Concerto and conductor John Storgårds returns, starting the program with the CSO premiere of music by Victoria Polevá.

Brahms Symphony No. 4

Conductor Samuel Lee and the CSO provide the soundtrack as we celebrate the birthdays of 300 years of music and sing “Happy Birthday” to a brand-new piece!

Birthday Party!

Conrad Tao is a Cincinnati fan favorite at this point. The pianist-composer returns for an all-solo program playing Debussy studies by the book, a shimmery reimagining of Schumann’s haunting music for a weeping bride, and one of Tao’s own explosive explorations of the piano’s far-reaching potential

Cso Recital Series: Conrad Tao

Take a musical tour of Rome with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Two of Respighi’s epic showpieces bring rushing fountains, towering pines, mysterious catacombs, and triumphant Roman legions to Music Hall. Richard Strauss’ final work, four hauntingly beautiful last songs, sing of acceptance, transformation, and fruition at the end of one’s long journey.

Fountains & Pines Of Rome

Love and community ring throughout Music Hall when the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Classical Roots Community Choir and Nouveau Program celebrate a much-beloved Queen City tradition. JMR leads an inspirational program — an evening of powerful performances that will fill your heart with joy and bring you to your feet!

From Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker to Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington, the Harlem Renaissance was a period of Black creative cultural expression in the United States that greatly influenced the sound of Jazz and Blues as we know it today. JMR, the Cincinnati Pops and special guests celebrate the centennial anniversary of the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance, with the music, dance and poetry of an all-American movement known around the world.

AMERICAN ORIGINALS: Harlem Renaissance

This unique CSO Proof event is more than just a performance — it's an opportunity to participate in a concert experience where you — the audience — can learn the tango and join the performers. After a performance by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and professional tango dancers, expert instructors will guide you through the basic steps of tango in an engaging and accessible lesson. Participate in as little or as much of the experience as you’d like! 

CSO PROOF: Tango Lab

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade, based on the legendary stories of One Thousand and One Nights, is a wild ride full of big moments for brass plus a famous violin solo for CSO Concertmaster Stefani Matsuo. Arturo Márquez’ Fandango pays tribute to dances of Mexico, performed here by Anne Akiko Meyers, the soloist it was written for. Yuzo Toyama’s Rhapsody centers on folk songs from his native Japan.

Sheherazade

CSYO-CSO Side by Side

Rossini always had a flair for the dramatic and his Duetto for Cello and Double Bass is no exception. The piece delights in depth of color, tone and richness, revealing witty melodies and soulful virtuosity. Fauré’s Piano Quartet is a passionate personal statement of the composer, evoking a more somber and serious mood throughout. Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 9, the third in his series of <Razumovsky/> quartets, oscillates between darkness and light while churning with emotional depth and innovative plays on harmony.

Romantic Strings

In 1939, contralto Marian Anderson faced a pivotal moment in history when she performed at the Lincoln Memorial after being barred from Constitution Hall due to her race. Her powerful voice resonated in the open air and with the American spirit, transcending barriers. Join us for a special screening of Voice of Freedom, a compelling documentary that weaves together Anderson’s remarkable life and this historic event, while exploring fundamental questions of talent, race, fame, democracy and the American soul.

Voice of Freedom

Sir Donald Runnicles leads a peak Orchestral experience. Violinist Maria Ioudenitch brings elegance and poise to Mendelssohn’s soaring violin concerto. Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony follows the path of a mountain ascent, from dawn until night, through mist and storms, darkness and unfathomable heights, taking you to another world from the very first chords. Where it leads is nothing less than a total exploration of the possibilities of sound and the CSO at Music Hall.

Strauss Alpine Symphony

Emmy-award nominated composer, singer-songwriter, and pianist Ben Folds joins the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra for a night of exceptional performances. Widely regarded as one of the major musical influences of our generation, Folds’ enormous body of genre-bending music includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records. His latest album, 2023’s "What Matters Most", is a blend of piano-driven pop rock songs, while his 2015 "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" soared to #1 on both the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. For nearly two decades, Folds has performed with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras and currently serves as Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.

BEN FOLDS live with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

Beethoven’s symphonies are revolutionary, genre-defining triumphs. The Third, originally titled “Bonaparte,” in dedication to Napoleon, creates a conquering storm that doesn’t resolve until the very end. Soloist Simone Lamsma returns for Max Bruch’s astonishingly beautiful and ultra-challenging First Violin Concerto and the CSO begins with Lili Boulanger’s introspective ode to spring.

Beethoven Symphony No. 3

Conductor Jaap van Zweden leads the CSO in Mahler’s colossal Sixth Symphony. From the first ominous beat of the strings, the work builds to shocking intensity, full of soaring melodies and towering brass, abruptly contrasted by profoundly sweet interludes. It’s all the drama you need. In time, Mahler’s whole heartfelt world becomes obliterated by cataclysmic hammerblows.

Mahler Symphony No. 6

Best known for starring on Broadway in Wicked and Hamilton, and for her portrayal of Nina Rosario in the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, Broadway icon Mandy Gonzalez joins JMR and the Pops in a celebration of the Latine voices of Broadway, such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno and Linda Ronstadt. Expect hits from In the Heights, Hamilton, Moana and many more!

MANDY GONZALEZ: La Vida Broadway

Grieg’s Piano Concerto is a jewel that dazzles from every angle. One of the most famous and enjoyable works of all time, its radiant charms shine in the hands of pianist and former MAC Music Innovator Michelle Cann. Pops Principal Guest Conductor, Damon Gupton leads the CSO in a treasure trove of evocative works, from Dvořák's symphonic poem of Slavic mythology to Duke Ellington’s many hues.

Grieg & Ellington

CSYO CONCERT ORCHESTRA: Sinfonia Espansiva

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.
– Jacques Cousteau

CSYO PHILHARMONIC: Seascapes

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.

Verdi Requiem

The Geraldine V. Chavez Center for the Choral Arts

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

The Brightness Of Light

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.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Dec 31, 2024

Let's Misbehave: The Music Of Cole Porter

3 - 5 Jan, 2025

A NIGHT AT HOGWARTS: The Music of Harry Potter

Jan 10, 2025

COPLAND: Symphony in Light

11 - 12 Jan, 2025

Rachmaninoff & Copland

Jan 11, 2024 - Jan 12, 2025

Rachmaninoff & Copland

Dec 15, 2024

CSYO CONCERT ORCHESTRA: Slavonic Legends

13 - 15 Dec, 2024

Holiday Pops

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