Opera Fusion: New Works program extended by three years

Cincinnati Opera has announced a generous donation in support of Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW), its joint creative venture with the UC College-Conservatory of Music. The company has received an anonymous gift that will extend OF:NW by three years.

Cincinnati Opera and CCM launched Opera Fusion: New Works in 2011 to foster the development of new American operas, receiving significant support from the Mellon Foundation. Jointly led by Robin Guarino, professor of opera at CCM, and Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera, the nationally unique initiative offers composers and librettists the opportunity to workshop their operas-in-progress, utilizing the facilities, personnel, and talent of both Cincinnati Opera and CCM. 

To date, the program has hosted 34 workshops or orchestral readings for 28 operas, including several works which have since received multiple productions throughout the U.S.: Fellow Travelers by Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce, Eurydice by Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl, and Champion by Terence Blanchard and Michael Cristofer. Two OF:NW projects received their New York City premieres earlier this month to enthusiastic audience and critical acclaim: Blind Injustice by Scott Davenport Richards and David Cote, and Morgiane by Edmond Dédé.

Funding from the Mellon Foundation, which has supported OF:NW since its inception, is due to end in 2025. The newly announced gift will enable the program to continue through 2028 and host workshops for six additional operas.

Said Evans Mirageas, “Opera Fusion: New Works has been transformative for Cincinnati Opera, CCM, and opera in America. This generous gift will allow this unique creative collaboration to continue to thrive, giving composers and librettists valuable resources to shape their stories and ensuring the vibrancy of the art form for decades to come.”

“CCM is proud to continue our partnership with Cincinnati Opera, and we are grateful for the wonderful gift that makes this possible,” said Peter Jutras, the Thomas James Kelly Professor of Music and Dean at CCM. “Opera Fusion: New Works is an initiative that exemplifies the spirit of our university’s ‘Next Lives Here’ strategic direction, connecting our students with the artists who are shaping the future of their industry and adding to the opera repertoire with impactful stories that resonate with contemporary audiences.”

To learn more about Opera Fusion: New Works, visit ofnw.org.

Cincinnati Opera and CCM are also pleased to share details of the next opera to be workshopped through OF:NW: The Post Office, with music by Laura Kaminsky and libretto by Elaine Sexton. A public performance of excerpts will take place Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at Cincinnati Music Hall.

Pictured from left to right above: composer Laura Kaminsky (photo/provided) and librettist Elaine Sexton (photo/Marina Kariakou).

The work is set in a one-room post office, where three U.S. postal workers and a customer from disparate backgrounds take sides in a blistering conflict centered around same-sex marriage. The formerly collegial friendship between the postmaster, who is Black and straight, and his colleague, who is white and gay, turns foul when the latter happily announces his upcoming wedding. Taking place in the present day, with increasing hostility, toxicity and violence playing out in the news, everyday exchanges become fraught: civil rights, reproductive rights and LGBTQIA rights are challenged and threatened, and the sanctity of the postal service itself is at risk.

A public performance of excerpts from The Post Office will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Presidents’ Garret of the Corbett Opera Center at Cincinnati Music Hall (1243 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202).

Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences. Founded in 1920 and the second-oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a thrilling season of grand opera every summer and engaging programs throughout the year. The company’s repertoire includes beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative artists.

Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. Cincinnati Opera also receives general season support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, and the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, along with general season and project support from many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Opera Fusion: New Works receives support from the Mellon Foundation and a generous anonymous donor. Cincinnati Opera is a member of OPERA America. Learn more at cincinnatiopera.org.

Nationally ranked and internationally renowned, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a preeminent institution for the performing and media arts. The school’s educational roots date back to 1867, and a solid, visionary instruction has been at its core since that time. CCM offers 10 degree types in nearly 120 possible majors, along with a wide variety of pre-collegiate and post-graduate programs and workshops. CCM is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in the state of Ohio. Its annual calendar boasts nearly 1,000 events, ranging from solo recitals and large ensemble concerts to fully-staged acting, dance, opera and musical theatre performances.

Declared a top college vocal program by Backstage Magazine and described as “one of the continent’s major music schools,” by the Toronto Star, CCM’s Departments of Opera and Voice provide one of the most comprehensive training programs for opera singers, coaches, and directors in the United States. CCM offers an international faculty of dedicated educators who are also celebrated professionals in their own right, widely and currently active in their respective fields. Several national opera companies hold auditions at the conservatory, and CCM students frequently advance to the final rounds of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. CCM graduates have performed on the stages of the world’s greatest opera companies, including Cincinnati Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera (London), La Scala (Italy), and more. CCM Voice and Opera program support is provided by the Mellon Foundation for Opera Fusion: New Works, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, and the Patricia A. Corbett Estate. Additional support for CCM’s undergraduate opera productions is provided by Rafael and Kimberly de Acha. Guest directors for the 2024-25 season are supported by the Bacchus Legacy Foundation. To learn more, visit ccm.uc.edu.

Featured image at the top: The logo for Cincinnati Opera and CCM's Opera Fusion: New Works partnership.