Cincinnati Opera Unveils 2027 Summer Festival Season

Cincinnati Opera announced its 2027 Summer Festival, running from June 18 to August 1. The season opens with the world‑premiere opera “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” a new work by composer Maria Thompson Corley and librettist Diana Solomon‑Glover that dramatizes the life of civil‑rights leader John Lewis. The title role is performed by tenor Freddie Ballentine (young John Lewis) and bass‑baritone Kevin Short (elder John Lewis).

The program also includes “Viva Verdi!” on June 25, a concert celebration of Giuseppe Verdi’s music, a production of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” on July 8 and 10, and a new‑to‑Cincinnati staging of Puccini’s “Turandot” on July 24, 30 and August 1. Studio Sessions offering intimate performances are scheduled for July 1 and 14. The season involves collaborations with the American Spiritual Ensemble, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and co‑productions with Opéra de Montréal, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Carolina, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dallas Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Houston Grand Opera and San Francisco Opera, conducted by Lorenzo Passerini.