2025 summer festival
Great music belongs in a great city. And you—whether curious, casual, or a connoisseur—belong at Cincinnati Opera.
Welcome to Cincinnati Opera's 105th anniversary season! You are invited to join us as we bring the magic of opera to our region with the return of grand operas that audiences have been clamoring for, as well as a return—for the first time in four decades—to presenting a masterpiece of musical theatre.
Leading up to the season, there will be an engaging variety of free educational and community programs including Opera Raps and fan-favorite Opera Goes to Church! to be announced in early 2025, plus a suite of fun and entertaining events created by our Young Professionals.
Season tickets are now on sale and include the best seats, savings of up to 15% off regular prices, free ticket exchanges, and other great perks! Three-show packages start at just $108.
Tickets to individual performances go on sale at noon on April 1, 2025.
RIGOLETTO
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
June 12 & 14, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
Music Hall • Springer Auditorium
Rigoletto is a court jester with sharp wit and a merciless tongue. By cruelly mocking a grieving father, he sets in motion a tragic lesson in poetic justice. Featuring iconic arias like “Caro nome” and “La donna è mobile,” Verdi’s masterpiece sees Rigoletto become intimately familiar with the dangers of careless love, misguided vengeance, and the inescapable lesson that, under no circumstances, can you fool fate.
STUDIO SESSIONS
June 17, 2025 | 8:00 p.m.
July 10, 2025 | 8:00 p.m.
July 17, 2025 | 8:00 p.m.
Wilks Studio • Music Hall
Cincinnati Opera artists take to the cabaret stage in these intimate performances in Music Hall’s Wilks Studio. Each 90-minute performance includes musical selections that shine a spotlight on the amazing artistry and personal stories of these talented performers. Get ready for three unforgettable nights of sound and splendor with our stars!
Artists for each of the three Studio Sessions will be announced in early 2025.
tosca
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
June 26 & 28, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
Music Hall • Springer Auditorium
Floria Tosca suspects her lover of being unfaithful, when really, he’s helping an escaped political prisoner and friend. This misunderstanding mutates into a series of escalating and irreversible misfortunes once Baron Scarpia, the chief of the secret police, enters the scene. Set in Rome during a time of national upheaval, as Napoleon’s army marches on Italy, Puccini’s epic opera stands as one of the most enduring and beloved of all time. Whatever darkness or desires the Baron may bring, there is nothing Tosca will not do for art and love.
fiddler on the roof
Music by Jerry Bock
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Book by Joseph Stein
July 23, 25 & 26, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
July 27, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Music Hall • Springer Auditorium
If you’re looking for one of the most celebrated and beloved musicals of all time, we’ve got your “perfect match.” Tevye, a poor milkman, lives with his wife Golde, and their five daughters. He wants what all parents want for their children: a better life. One after the other, Tevye’s daughters stray from tradition. They risk their futures with husbands of their own choice, doing that pesky thing people do called following their hearts. Winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, Fiddler on the Roof features timeless songs like “Matchmaker,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and a universal story of family, love, and tradition.