May Festival on CET Connect

CET's Barbara Kellar talks with Lori Klinedinst, Chairman of the Friends of the May Festival, about this year’s festival. Click HERE for the interview

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Tickets on Sale Now!

Tickets for the 2008 May Festival now are on sale . Experience this glorious annual Cincinnati tradition with single tickets starting at just $16, and subscription tickets starting at only $32.

Pre-concert dinners are also available May 17th, 23rd and 24th. The elegant buffet style dinners are held from 5:45pm-7:30pm at Music Hall in Corbett Tower. Park once for the evening, relax at dinner with out being rushed, then head into the performance hall and settle into your seats for the show.

Tickets are easily available by phone, online, mail, or fax. To order tickets or for more information, please call 513-381-3300 or go to the tickets page.

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May Festival Chorus Members Receive Service Awards

Founded in 1880 as the official body of singers for the oldest continuous choral festival in the Western Hemisphere, the May Festival Chorus is made up of talented volunteers from all over the Greater Cincinnati region. Each year, the May Festival honors members reaching milestones with a service award.

In addition to May Festival performances, the Chorus has sung at Carnegie Hall, toured Europe and regularly appears with the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras.  The ensemble sings in annual Carolfest holiday concerts in December, presents a Fine Arts Fund Sampler concert in February, and also performs in neighborhood concerts.  The Chorus has been hosting an annual choral workshop open to members of the community since 2003

The 22 honorees for the 2008 season are:

Isabel Freer of Anderson Twsp. for 35 years of service;

Kay Luccasen of Eastgate for 30 years of service;

Judith LaChance of Lebanon for 30 years of service;

Ronald Webber of Clifton for 25 years of service; 

Jim Burich of Milford for 20 years of service;

Deb Heuer of Miami Twsp. for 20 years of service;

Tony Barkley of the West End for 15 years of service;

Barbara Johnson of Fairfield for 15 years of service;

Tom Griffin of Loveland for 10 years of service;

Lawrence Coleman of Kennedy Heights for 10 years of service;

Pam Thomas of Loveland for 10 years of service;

Lisa Koressel of Lawrenceburg, IN for 10 years of service;

Debbie Barton of Landen for 10 years of service;

James Shackson of Sycamore Twsp. for 5 years of service;

Keith Nash of Deer Park for 5 years of service.

Gary Wendt of Okeana for 5 years of service;

Stephen Marsh of Liberty Township for 5 years of service;

Jessica Rhodus of Newtown for 5 years of service;

Jeannine Winkelmann of Hyde Park for 5 years of service

Carolyn Reddicks of Florence, KY for 5 years of service;

Maris Bernard of Hyde Park for 5 years of service;

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May Festival

Pre-Concert Dinner Menus

Served 5:45pm - 7:30pm in Corbett Tower, Music Hall

Catered by Funky’s Catering

Saturday, May 17

Exotic Sliced Fruit Presentation;

Savory Cheesecake, Sliced Cheeses with Crackers & Flatbreads;

Gratzi Salad with Field Greens, Olive Tapanade & Feta Cheese;

House Salad with Ranch & Raspberry Vinaigrette;

Balsamic Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Volute;

Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Green Apple Beurre Blanc;

Grilled Asparagus, Portobello Mushrooms & Grape Tomatoes;

Bomba Rice Cakes; Tuscan Bread & Butter;

Assorted Caramelitas, Turtle Brownies, Linzer Tortes & Chocolate Petit Fours;

Coffee, Decaf & Iced Tea

Friday, May 23

Classic Caesar Salad;

Mela Verde Salad with Sun-Dried Berries, Gorgonzola, Walnuts & Granny Smith Apples;

Roasted Vegetable & Fresh Mozzarella Platter;

International Cheese Board with Crackers & Flatbreads;

Baked Grouper Mediterranean;

Grilled Chicken Marsala;

Vegetable Orzo with Asiago Cheese & Red Bell Peppers;

Fresh Vegetable Medley with Pesto Cream Sautee;

Assorted Dinner Rolls with Whipped Butter

Assorted Mini Cheesecake Slices,

Double Chocolate Covered Strawberries &

Chocolate Drizzled Lemon Custard Profiteroles;

Coffee, Decaf & Iced Tea

Saturday, May 24

Mixed Field Greens with Roasted Vegetables &

Sweet Potato Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette;

Exotic Sliced Fruit Presentation;

Baked Soft Cheeses with Crackers & Flatbreads;

Sliced Eye Round of Beef with

Roasted Poblano Pepper Demi Glace;

Stuffed Chicken with Goat Cheese,

Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Marsala;

Bow-tie Pasta with Spinach, Mushroom &

Artichoke in a Pesto Cream Sauce;

Broccoli & Grape Tomatoes with Herbed Walnut Butter;

Seasoned Breads & Cheese Sticks;

Chocolate Mousse Cake, Dreamsickle Mousse Cake & Assorted Linzer Tortes;

Coffee, Decaf & Iced Tea

To Order:

Call (513) 381-3300 Monday - Saturday, 10am to 5pm

-or- Fax to (513) 744-3599

Order online at www.mayfestival.com - click on the "tickets" link

Each dinner is $30 per person

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JAMES CONLON ANNOUNCES PROGRAMS FOR THE 2008 CINCINNATI MAY FESTIVAL, MAY 16-24

America’s Premier Choral Festival highlighted by Multimedia Presentation of Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette in partnership with Cincinnati Art Museum, a concert presentation of Verdi’s La forza del destino, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

CINCINNATI – James Conlon, Music Director of the Cincinnati May Festival, today announced programs for the 2008 Festival, which opens May 16 with a full-length concert presentation of Verdi’s La forza del destino with soprano Angela Brown and tenor Salvatore Licitra in the starring roles.

On May 17, Beethoven's profound message of universal brotherhood, the Symphony No. 9, is paired with the Festival premiere of Requiem Ebraico, a moving work composed by Eric Zeisl in memory of his father, a victim of the Holocaust. The final night of the Festival features a multimedia presentation of Hector Berlioz’s Romeo et Juliette. Other highlights include choral works of Bach, Vivaldi, Fauré and Rachmaninoff, and performances by some of today’s established and rising stars, such as Angela Brown, Marco Caria, Ellie Dehn, Rodrick Dixon, Catherine Keen, Isabel Leonard, Salvatore Licitra, Morris Robinson, and others. Supertitles have become a popular feature at Festival concerts since they were first introduced at Music Hall concerts during the 2006 season. Therefore, for the 2008 May Festival, organizers will again provide supertitles for each of the four Music Hall performances (May 16, 17, 23, 24), enabling concertgoers to more easily follow the stories and enhancing their Festival experience. Supertitles are made possible by a grant from The Corbett Foundation.

The Cincinnati May Festival, founded in 1873 and led by Music Director James Conlon since 1979, will comprise four different concerts spanning two consecutive weekends in Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall, with an additional Sunday evening concert program at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, on May 18.

Program Details:

The 2008 Cincinnati May Festival opens Friday, May 16 with James Conlon leading the performance of a complete concert version of Verdi's La forza del destino. This sweeping masterpiece, set across the magnificent backdrop of mid-18th century Spain, finds the beautiful Leonora agreeing to elope with Don Alvaro. Her father, the Marquis, runs to protect her, sword drawn. Alvaro throws his pistol to the floor as a sign of surrender, but the pistol accidentally goes off, fatally wounding the Marquis. The Force of Destiny is set into motion....

Starring as the ill-fated lovers are soprano Angela Brown (pictured), an internationally lauded "Verdi soprano" whose 2004 Metropolitan Opera debut as Aida caused The New York Times to exclaim "At last an Aida..." and to call the performance "a major event"; a CBS News segment about the performance crowned her "the future of opera." Tenor Salvatore Licitra (pictured), making his May Festival debut, is an internationally acclaimed tenor who has portrayed Alvaro at La Scala and is scheduled to appear in the role at the Vienna State Opera and in concert with James Conlon and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Licitra also earned praise when, in May 2002, he debuted on short notice in place of Luciano Pavarotti at The Met, where the legendary tenor was to have sung his operatic farewell in Tosca. The AP hailed the debut as “the most triumphant in recent memory.”

Additional cast members are Marco Caria, baritone (Don Carlo); Morris Robinson, bass (Padre Guardiano); Catherine Keen, mezzo-soprano (Preziosilla); Ellie Dehn, soprano (Curra); Rodrick Dixon, tenor (Trabucco); Earle Patriarco, baritone (Fra Melitone); Yohan Yi, bass/baritone (Alcalde/Surgeon); and Darren Stokes, bass (Marquis di Calatrava). Mr. Caria, Mr. Patriarco, Mr. Yi and Mr. Stokes are making May Festival debuts with this performance.

On Saturday, May 17 one of the most profound expressions of universal brotherhood, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with its triumphant "Ode to Joy," is being given a record 20th performance since its debut on the first May Festival in 1873. The work is paired with the Requiem Ebraico by a composer new to the Festival, Eric Zeisl. Zeisl, who fled from Austria during the Holocaust, is possibly best known for his work in Hollywood, including scores for 20 films such as The Postman Always Rings Twice, Lassie Comes Home and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. In a departure from his movie career, he composed the hauntingly beautiful Requiem Ebraico in memory of his father, who died in the concentration camp at Treblinka, and in honor of the countless other victims of the Holocaust. Requiem Ebraico is presented as part of Maestro Conlon's continuingdevotion to raising public consciousness to the significance of works by composers whose lives and compositions were affected by the Holocaust.

James Conlon leads the May Festival Chorus and soloists Ellie Dehn, soprano (pictured); Catherine Keen, mezzo-soprano; Rodrick Dixon, tenor; Morris Robinson, bass; and William McGraw, baritone.

On Sunday, May 18, the Festival makes its annual sojourn to the exquisite Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, where Music Director James Conlon leads the May Festival Chorus in selections from Rachmaninoff's sublime Vespers. This so-called All-Night Vigil Service evokes the Death and Resurrection of Christ through its symbolic descent into darkness and return to light. This Festival also marks James Bagwell's (pictured) 10th anniversary as director of the May Festival Youth Chorus. In celebration, James Bagwell has selected works that represent highlights from his time with the group, including music of Scarlatti, Palestrina, Fauré, Vaughan Williams, Randall Thompson and others.

Friday, May 23, May Festival Chorus director Robert Porco (pictured) will step to the podium for this performance of three stunning and well-loved choral masterpieces. Fauré's Requiem, a sublime and intimate work that, according to its composer "...is dominated from beginning to end by a very human feeling of faith in eternal rest,” opens the program, followed by Vivaldi's Gloria, which communicates its message of spiritual joy with awe-inspiring waves ofmusical notes, energy and rhythmic drive. Bach's Cantata No. 191, Gloria in excelsis Deo, a precursor to his great Magnificat and one of only a handful of works by the German master written in Latin, closes the concert.

Joining the May Festival Chorus and May Festival Youth Chorus for this performance will be soloists Maghan Stewart, soprano; Yulia Van Doren, soprano; Julie Anne Miller, mezzo-soprano; John Aler, tenor; and Donnie Ray Albert, baritone. This concert marks May Festival debuts for Ms. Stewart, Ms. Van Doren and Ms. Miller and a record 21st consecutive Festival appearance for Mr. Aler.

The 2008 Cincinnati May Festival will close on Saturday, May 24 with James Conlon leading a multimedia presentation of one of the most romantic, and tragic, stories in the English language—Berlioz's Roméo et Juliette—a work last heard in its entirety at the 1981 May Festival.

Berlioz’s self-titled “dramatic symphony” tells of the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, the elation and melancholy of the young lovers’ all-consuming passion, the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet, and the eventual reconciliation of the families. Berlioz's breathtaking music will unite with the visual, as artists' depictions of themes represented in Berlioz's breathtaking score are projected above the stage, thanks in part to the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard (pictured) and tenor John Aler (pictured) portray the star-crossed lovers and Donnie Ray Albert takes on the role of Friar Laurence, while the May Festival Chorus, under the direction of Robert Porco, will become impassioned "commentators."

Concert Schedule, May Festival 2008

Following is a complete listing of programs and artists for the 2008 Cincinnati May Festival:

Friday, May 16, 2008 at 8 p.m. at Music Hall
James Conlon, Conductor
May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, Director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Angela Brown, soprano (Leonora)
Salvatore Licitra, tenor (Don Alvaro)
Marco Caria, baritone (Don Carlo)
Morris Robinson, bass (Padre Guardiano)
Catherine Keen, mezzo-soprano (Preziosilla)
Ellie Dehn, soprano (Curra)
Rodrick Dixon, tenor (Trabucco)
Earle Patriarco, baritone (Fra Melitone)
Yohan Yi, bass/baritone (Alclade/Surgeon)
Darren Stokes, bass (Marquis di Calatrava)

VERDI                                               La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny)

Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 8 p.m. at Music Hall
James Conlon, Conductor
May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, Director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Ellie Dehn, soprano
Catherine Keen, mezzo-soprano
Rodrick Dixon, tenor
Morris Robinson, bass
William McGraw, baritone

ERIC ZEISL                                       Requiem Ebraico
BEETHOVEN                                    Symphony No. 9         

Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 8 p.m. at Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
James Conlon, Conductor
James Bagwell, Conductor
May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, Director
May Festival Youth Chorus, James Bagwell, Director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

SCARLATTI                                      Exultate Deo
DES PREZ                                          El Grillo
PALESTRINA                                   Sicut Cervus
FAURÉ                                               Cantique de Jean Racine
WILLIAM DUCKWORTH              Hebrew Children
SCHUBERT                                       Des Tages Weihe
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS                   The Turtle Dove
RANDALL THOMPSON                 The Last Words of David        
arr. WILLIAM DAWSON                Ezekiel Saw the Wheel

RACHMANINOFF                           Excerpts from Vespers

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 8 p.m. at Music Hall
Robert Porco, Conductor
May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, Director
May Festival Youth Chorus, James Bagwell, Director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Maghan Stewart, soprano
Yulia Van Doren, soprano
Julie Anne Miller, mezzo-soprano
John Aler, tenor
Donnie Ray Albert, baritone

FAURÉ                                               Requiem
VIVALDI                                           Gloria
BACH                                                 Cantata No. 191 (Gloria in excelsis Deo)

Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 8 p.m. at Music Hall
James Conlon, Conductor
May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, Director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano
John Aler, tenor
Donnie Ray Albert, baritone

BERLIOZ                                           Roméo et Juliette 

James Conlon, Music Director

Celebrating his 29th year as Music Director of the May Festival, James Conlon is one of classical music’s pre-eminent conductors. He has spent the major part of the last two decades in Europe, serving as Principal Conductor of the Paris National Opera (1995-2004); General Music Director of Cologne, Germany (1998-2002); and Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (1983-1991). Mr. Conlon became Music Director of the Ravinia Festival in 2005, and Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera in 2006. Since his New York Philharmonic debut in 1974, Mr. Conlon has appeared as guest conductor with virtually every major North American and European Orchestra.

Robert Porco, Director of Choruses

Robert Porco has been Director of Choruses for the Cincinnati May Festival since 1989, preparing the May Festival Chorus for performances with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the May Festival. He is a regular guest conductor with the May Festival, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, as well as other orchestras in the United States and Europe. Maestro Porco is also the Director of Choruses for The Cleveland Orchestra.

Ensembles

The world-renowned May Festival Chorus has been the core of the Cincinnati May Festival for over 130 years. The all-volunteer Chorus was established as the Festival’s official local body of singers in 1880. Composed of 140 dedicated volunteer singers from the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana “Tri-state” region, the Chorus is a year-round ensemble that rehearses on a rigorous weekly schedule, and regularly performs and records with both the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is a dynamic ensemble of some of the world’s finest musicians. The fifth oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, the CSO has played a leading role in the cultural life of Greater Cincinnati and the Midwest since its founding in 1895. The CSO entered a new musical era in September 2001 when Paavo Järvi became the orchestra’s twelfth music director.

The 2008 May Festival also features the May Festival Youth Chorus, under the direction of James Bagwell, who this year celebrates 10 years with the ensemble. Last season, the May Festival Youth Chorus was featured on NPR's From the Top, a program that showcases the best of the best of today's young performers. The May Festival Chorus is sponsored by Scripps Howard Foundation.

Concert Soloists

May Festival 2008 guest concert soloists, eight of whom are making Festival debuts, are sopranos Angela Brown, Ellie Dehn, Maghan Stewart (Festival debut) and Yulia Van Doren (Festival debut); mezzo-sopranos Catherine Keen, Isabel Leonard (Festival debut) and Julie Anne Miller (Festival debut); tenors John Aler, Rodrick Dixon and Salvatore Licitra (Festival debut); baritones Donnie Ray Albert, Marco Caria (Festival debut), William McGraw and Earle Patriarco (Festival debut); bass-baritone Yohan Yi (Festival debut); and basses Morris Robinson and Darren Stokes.

Pre-Concert Recitals

A special feature of the May Festival season is the opportunity to hear many of the world’s outstanding singers performing gems of the vocal literature before each of the four Music Hall concerts. Pianist Michael Chertock will accompany this year’s guest soloists in recital performances held on the stage at 7 p.m. prior to each of the Music Hall concerts.

Recital Performers:
Friday, May 16: Ellie Dehn, soprano
Saturday, May 17: John Aler, tenor
Friday, May 23: Donnie Ray Albert, baritone
Saturday, May 24: Catherine Keen, mezzo-soprano

Ticket Information

May Festival subscription packages range in price from $28 to $320. For more information, please call (513) 381-3300. Single tickets range from $16 to $93 and will be available in April.

The annual Gala Opening Night Dinner will be at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 16. Festivities will commence with cocktails and entertainment in Music Hall’s grand foyer, followed by a sumptuous dinner in Corbett Tower. Seating is limited. To receive an invitation, please call (513) 621-1919, x3248.

Buffet dinners are available prior to the Music Hall concerts on May 17, 23 and 24 from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. for $30 each. Reservations are required. Please call (513) 381-3300.

About the May Festival

Established in 1873, the May Festival is directly responsible for the development of Cincinnati’s modern musical life. Music Hall, the city’s primary concert venue, was built specifically to house the Festival’s performances. The prestigious roster of Festival Music Directors has included, among others, Theodore Thomas, Max Rudolf and James Levine.

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