Cincinnati Opera 2020 Community Report

From the General and Artistic Directors

Friends,

How we have missed you!

Nearly nine months ago—March 13, 2020, to be exact—we packed up our laptops and reference books from Music Hall and began to work remotely. One month later, we announced the cancellation of our 100th Anniversary Season.

Being apart is an unnatural state for an opera company. Simply put, we thrive on collaboration and live for the moment when the lights go down and the curtain goes up. The value of such experiences seems even more profound in their absence.

At Cincinnati Opera, we’ve found inspiration in this moment. After all, creativity and resilience have been essential threads in the fabric of our history. The company was established in the wake of the 1918 flu pandemic and survived the Great Depression, two world wars, and national financial crises. Yet, the art has endured, thanks to the unflagging spirit of the many artists, administrators, volunteers, and supporters who, time and again, have chosen to believe in the promise of opera.

While our 100th anniversary hasn’t quite played out as we’d hoped, we’re excited by the new programs and valued community connections that have been birthed from this time. We invite you to read on to learn more.

To all who have helped and continue to help sustain Cincinnati Opera through financial support, encouragement, and belief in our mission, we offer our deepest thanks.

This opera company will endure, and we will sing again.

Sincerely,

Christopher Milligan, The Harry Fath General Director & CEO

Evans Mirageas The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director