Cincinnati Opera

Who needs a haunted house when you have opera?

From vengeful spirits and ghostly apparitions to severed heads and sinister villains, the opera stage has never been short on things that go bump in the night.

Swipe through to see the characters who have given audiences chills, thrills, and perhaps a few nightmares along the way.

Happy Halloween from Cincinnati Opera!

Photos: Philip Groshong

Image 1: Kathryn Lewek as Salome; SALOME (2026)
Image 2: Sarah Folsom as Fruma-Sarah and Victoria Livengood as Golde; FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (2025)
Image 3: Patrick Guetti as the Commendatore, Elliot Madore as Don Giovanni, and Christian Pursell as Leporello; DON GIOVANNI (2024)
Image 4: Julius Ahn as Pang, Joseph Hu as Pong, Frank Porretta as Calaf, and Jonathan Beyer as Ping (with the severed heads of Turandot's suitors); TURANDOT (2015)
Image 5: Raven McMillon as Lucia; LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (2023)
Image 6: THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (2018)
Image 7: Aaron Blake as Tamino and Jeni Houser as the Queen of the Night; THE MAGIC FLUTE (2017)

Experience the power of Richard Strauss's shocking SALOME once again as Cincinnati Opera's 2026 Summer Festival takes to the airwaves this fall.

Tune in to 90.9 WGUC or wguc.org on Sunday, November 1, at 8 p.m. for a special broadcast of Cincinnati Opera's 2026 production of SALOME. The extraordinary cast is led by Kathryn Lewek in her title role debut and Alfred Walker as Jochanaan, with Robert Spano conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

It's the first of six broadcasts celebrating our 2026 Summer Festival, bringing the magic of Music Hall right to you, wherever you are.

Special thanks to Cincinnati Public Radio and 90.9 WGUC for being our longtime media partner.

https://www.cincinnatiopera.org/media-resources/2026/10/26/cincinnati-opera-and-909-wguc-bring-opera-to-the-airwaves-with-fall-broadcasts-of-the-2026-summer-festival-and-a-live-2027-season-preview

📻 Listen on 90.9 FM or stream at wguc.org.

Cincinnati Opera’s world premiere of LALOVAVI continues to make headlines!

In its Fall 2026 issue, OPERA America highlights LALOVAVI among the summer’s notable new operas, celebrating the Afrofuturist work by composer Kevin Day and librettist Tifara Brown.

The first production of Cincinnati Opera’s Black Opera Project, LALOVAVI brought a powerful story of Black joy, imagination, and possibility to the stage, playing to two sold-out audiences and earning enthusiastic audience and critical acclaim.

We can't wait for The Black Opera Project's next venture, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE, which premieres next June!

Photo: Brittany Olivia Logan, Adrienne Danrich, and the company of LALOVAVI; Philip Groshong

Read more: https://www.operaamerica.org/magazine/fall-2026/among-summer-s-new-operas-were-a-battle-of-wines-afrofuturism-and-a-fresh-shakespeare-adaptation/

Kevin Day Adrienne Danrich, Soprano

The countdown is on to Cincinnati Opera’s 2027 Summer Festival! And you're invited to experience a special sneak peek of everything to come.

Join us for our 2027 Season Preview, a special LIVE broadcast event at Cincinnati Public Radio, on Saturday, January 23, 2027. Evans Mirageas and guest artists will share a look (and listen) into the operas coming to Music Hall next season, featuring behind-the-scenes insights and live musical performances.

Studio seating is limited; be sure to reserve your ticket early to be part of this unique live experience! You can also listen from anywhere on 90.9 WGUC or wguc.org.

📅 Saturday, January 23, 2027 @ 11:45 a.m.

🎟️ Tickets for the in-person experience: $15

Learn more and reserve your seat: https://www.cincinnatiopera.org/2027-season-preview

It takes a community to make opera.

From the artists who take the stage to the musicians, designers, technicians, crew members, staff, and volunteers working behind the scenes, opera brings together hundreds of talented people to create something extraordinary.

And the magic doesn't stop at the stage. It lives in the audiences who share the experience, the young people discovering opera for the first time, and the Greater Cincinnati community that makes it all possible.

Today is World Opera Day, and we're celebrating the people who bring opera to life--including you!

Thank you, and happy World Opera Day from Cincinnati Opera!

Images: Philip Groshong
·

The stars may have walked the red carpet in New York City on Monday night, but the creative journey of LINCOLN IN THE BARDO made an early stop here in Cincinnati.

The world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera drew a star-studded audience, including Dua Lipa, Amy Poehler, Bowen Yang, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. But long before opening night, Cincinnati Opera played a role in bringing this groundbreaking work to life.

In 2023, composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek participated in a developmental workshop through Opera Fusion: New Works, Cincinnati Opera's partnership with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Now, LINCOLN IN THE BARDO has made history as the first opera by a woman to receive its world premiere at the Met.

Congratulations to Missy, Royce, and the entire company!

Learn more about this world premiere:
https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/inside-the-opening-night-of-lincoln-in-the-bardo-at-the-met-opera

Images:

Image 1: Dua Lipa on the red carpet at the LINCOLN IN THE BARDO
Photo: Jenny Anderson/Getty Images

Image 2: LINCOLN IN THE BARDO is based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by George Saunders (with microphone), who joined the Opera Fusion: New Works workshop along with composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek. Photo: Mikki Schaffner



The Metropolitan Opera
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music - CCM