Cincinnati Opera’s first-ever, all-digital Winter Festival opens Feb. 5

Well known among opera fans as a summertime arts experience, Cincinnati Opera steps into winter with its first-ever, all-digital Winter Festival. Featuring three, free streamed programs premiering in February and March, Cincinnati Opera’s Winter Festival spotlights celebrated singers, actors, and instrumentalists in an eclectic variety of artistic genres.

“While we’ve eagerly anticipated the opportunity to return to live performance, we knew we couldn’t wait until summer to share opera again with our community,” said Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director. “We reached out to some of our favorite artists and partners and invited them to collaborate. What emerged are three exceptional programs that highlight the many ways opera can surprise, delight, and inspire.”

The Winter Festival opens on February 5 with Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View, created by and starring the ebullient soprano Angela Brown. Premiering next on February 19, Cincinnati Opera partners with Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati to present a reading of Julian Mitchell’s play After Aida, inspired by the life of composer Giuseppe Verdi and starring Cincinnati favorite actor Bruce Cromer. The festival’s final program, premiering March 5, is Wanderlust, which showcases works by Debussy, Ravel, and more, and features performances by renowned soprano Talise Trevigne, the groundbreaking chamber ensemble concert:nova, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Music Director Louis Langrée on piano.

Each program will premiere for free on Cincinnati Opera’s website, cincinnatiopera.org, and will be available for on-demand streaming through March 21, 2021. Registration is required to access the free digital stream; visit cincinnatiopera.org to sign up, or call (513) 241-2742 for more information.