Inside the Cincinnati Opera Summer Festival
Faust, Cosi, Nixon and Aida take center stage at Music Hall in the 87th Summer Festival

Visit the Cincinnati Opera at www.cincinnatiopera.org to purchase tickets.

Cincinnati Opera's 2007 Summer Festival features stories of passion and romance, exhilaration and magic, delight and longing. World-class star singers soar in the extraordinary acoustics and ambience of Music Hall. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the powerful Cincinnati Opera Chorus, led by renowned conductors bring these glorious tales and productions to life as only the Cincinnati Opera can.

By Charles Gounod
June 14 & 16

A deal with the devil.

In the early morning hours, he sat behind his desk and contemplated ending it all right there. So many years of faithfully studying and writing. So much sacrifice and struggle. Had he learned nothing? His desperation turned to fury. In a frenzy, he raged against love, sentimentality, and faith, blurting out, "Come to me, Satan!" Immediately he realized what he had done, but it was too late. Satan appeared and offered him anything he desired, including youth and the hand of a beautiful and pure maiden. Dr. Faust accepted. This is where the story begins.

The cast features "America's favorite tenor" Richard Leech as Faust. Met star Ruth Ann Swenson returns as Marguerite. And we introduce an exciting and devilishly good singer with the company debut of Russian bass Denis Sedov as Méphistophélès.

Bernard Uzan will direct in his company debut, and the acclaimed Maestro Julius Rudel, a former May Festival director and Cincinnati Opera conductor, returns to Cincinnati to conduct.

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
June 28 & 30

Mozart goes to Hollywood.

Così Fan Tutte is a playful farce told through a string of miraculously sunny arias and ensembles as only Herr Mozart can create. The story is silly and serious: Two sisters, engaged to be married, are wooed by two strangers--actually their finaces who have switched identities--to test the sisters' faithfulness.

The cast is an amazing international ensemble: French-Canadian sopranos Alexandra Deshorties and Nathalie Paulin, Italian mezzo-soprano Marianna Pizzolato, and American tenor Shawn Mathey, New Zealander baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes, and British baritone William Shimell.

Style, glamour, tuxedos, and palm trees! This production is set as a Hollywood movie from the 1930s. Alain Gauthier returns to Cincinnati after directing last season's charming L'Etoile--"one of the most imaginatively staged shows ever to grace Music Hall" (Cincinnati Enquirer). Stefan Lano returns to Cincinnati to conduct after leading Margaret Garner (2005).

By John Adams
July 12 & 14

Fantasy on a diplomatic theme.

Inspired by President Nixon's spectacularly bold visit to China in 1972, John Adams's 1987 opera was hailed by critics as "groundbreaking" and "innovative." Nixon in China played to capacity crowds and has been mounted numerous times since its premiere--an unusual achievement for a contemporary opera. London's Guardian newspaper recently called Nixon "required viewing...the most influential opera of the past twenty years."

Many new operas can be challenging to listen to, but Adams's music for Nixon is different: "This is thoroughly dramatic, brightly colored minimalism with occasional, exuberant forays into disparate styles ranging from Latin American dance music and 1940's movie musicals to swooning 19th-century ballet" (Chicago Sun-Times).

American baritone Robert Orth offers his portrayal of the late president, "stunning in its perfection--the body language, the head movements, the attitude are so on-target as to be chilling." And Thomas Hammons, a frequent performer at the Met and Cincinnati Opera, returns as Kissinger, a role he created for the world premiere and recorded for the commercially-released CD.

Conductor Kristjan Järvi, younger brother of the CSO's Paavo Järvi, makes his eagerly anticipated company debut. The look of the production is "intensely colorful, luminous, and exciting."

By Giuseppe Verdi
July 25, 27, 29m & 31

Love in ancient Egypt.

While no one was looking, he said it. "Meet me tonight, outside the temple near the river." She nodded silently, and in that moment two souls connected. Both knew the danger of the rendezvous and accepted it as the price of their love. And yet, wasn't there a chance the Nile would show them a new way? Or was their fate written in the stars?

Every production of Aida is a major event, and ours is simply extraordinary--an international cast of singers, the powerful Cincinnati Opera chorus, the full force of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, dancers from Cincinnati Ballet, onstage musicians, and, of course, riveting, glorious music. It's a thrilling finish to a grand season.

Cincinnati Opera presents the company debut of American soprano Lisa Daltirus, "a star in the making" (Opera News), as Aida. Hailed as "the leading Radames in the world today" (Opera Canada), tenor Richard Margison returns to sing the role of Aida's heroic lover.

Ticket information is available by calling Cincinnati Opera at (513) 241-2742 or visiting www.cincinnatiopera.org.