Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Announce Winter and Spring 2021 Plans

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Cincinnati Pops have announced plans to replace all previously scheduled concerts at Music Hall for the period of January through May 2021 with a new series of rescaled in-person concerts. Additionally, eight of the concerts will be streamed, premiering online for free and subsequently made available on-demand for subscribers and donors or on a pay-per-view basis.

Beginning in January, the Orchestra will return to live performances for in-person audiences at Music Hall, though with a significantly reduced audience capacity under current state of Ohio and CDC protocols. The revised programming reflects the current times, continuing the practice of amplifying voices of underrepresented artists and recognizing the logistics of presenting repertoire for a reduced-size orchestra.

CSO Music Director Louis Langrée will conduct seven of the CSO’s ten programs and Matthias Pintscher will officially begin his role as CSO Creative Partner. Making their CSO subscription concert debuts are Assistant Conductor François Lopez-Ferrer and guest conductor Ruth Reinhardt. Three of the CSO’s concerts will subsequently be made available for streaming after being performed at Music Hall.

Pops Conductor John Morris Russell will conduct three Pops programs and the annual Red White &
Boom July 4th concert at Riverbend and Pops Principal Guest Conductor Damon Gupton will lead one program. Pops concerts will stream live from Music Hall beginning on the Saturday of each series. The CSO Proof series will return online with two digital offerings, and the Lollipops Family Concerts series will present one digital concert.

Among other precautions, and in accordance with state and CDC safety protocols, in-person concerts and events will be 60-80 minutes with no intermission; seating capacity in the auditorium will be greatly reduced with a physically distanced seating arrangement. The Orchestra will continue to rehearse and perform with fewer than the full complement of musicians on stage. As part of the Orchestra’s ongoing commitment to accessibility, digital concerts will continue to be broadcast for free in public spaces to include Washington Park and Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati. The Orchestra will continue to 2 monitor the COVID situation and will adjust plans as conditions improve or as updated restrictions mandate.

“We have been living through an extraordinarily challenging time, and as we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we are thrilled to begin the process of returning to live concerts at Music Hall. We know we will cherish even more the moments when we can be together to experience live music” said President & CEO Jonathan Martin. “Since the pandemic started in March, we have committed to being a resource for and being accessible to our entire community. We have delivered that and have even further expanded the Orchestra’s community globally through our streamed concerts. We remain steadfastly committed to the safety and well-being of our audiences, musicians and staff as we take measured steps toward a post-pandemic life.”

Music Hall: Saturday, January 23 at 7:30pm and Sunday, January 24 at 2pm
Streaming premiere: Saturday, January 23 at 7:30pm
Broadway Forever

Music Hall: Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30 at 7:30pm
Streaming premiere: Friday, February 26 at 7:30pm
Langrée & Gerstein: Impressions of Folk

Thursday, February 4 and Saturday, February 6 at 7:30pm
Bizet & Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez

Digital conversation: Friday, February 5 at 7pm through Saturday, February 6 at 11:59pm
CSO Proof: The MetaSimulacrum Vol. 1

Music Hall: Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 20 at 7:30pm; Sunday, February 21 at 2:00pm
Streaming premiere: Saturday, April 30 at 7:30pm
Spirited Riffs

Music Hall: Saturday, February 27 at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 28 at 2pm
Carnaval!

Streaming only: Saturday, February 27
Lollipops Family Series: Carnival of the Animals

Music Hall: Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6 at 7:30pm
Streaming Premiere: Saturday, March 27 at 7:30pm
Pintscher Conducts Mahler’s Das Lied

Saturday, March 13 at 2pm and Sunday, March 14 at 7:30pm
All Mozart: Alpha & Omega

Saturday, March 13 at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 14 at 2pm
All Mozart: Traveling with Mozart

Music Hall: Saturday, April 2 at 7:30pm and Sunday, April 3 at 2pm
Streaming premiere: Saturday, April 2 at 7:30pm

Music Hall: Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10 at 7:30pm; Sunday, April 11 at 2pm
Cerrone Brass Premiere & Ellington

Saturday, April 24 at 2pm and Sunday, April 25 at 7:30pm
All Mozart: New Crowned Hope

Saturday, April 24 at 7:30pm and Sunday, April 25 at 2pm
All Mozart: Portal to Romanticism

Streaming premiere: Sunday, May 2 at 8pm
CSO Proof: MetaSimulacrum Vol. 1

Music Hall: Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at 7:30pm; Sunday, May 9 at 2pm
Streaming Premiere: May 8 at 7:30pm
The Great Film Scores

Music Hall: Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15 at 7:30pm; Sunday, May 16 at 2pm
Reinhardt Conducts Mendelssohn’s Italian

Ticket Options for 2020/21 Season Subscribers
Subscribers may choose to replace their originally scheduled concerts with a selection of new programs, plus receive full access to CSO & Pops On Demand concerts. Those who are not comfortable attending in person may donate their tickets or put the value toward a 21/22 season subscription, with full access to CSO & Pops On Demand concerts. Either option ensures that subscribers maintain their seating priority for the 21/22 season. Other ticketing options are available by calling the Box Office at 513-381-3300.

Tickets to In-Person Performances
Tickets are available now to current subscribers and will go on sale to the general public on JAN 11 online at cincinnatisymphony.org or at 513.381.3300.