2026 May Festival - On Love and Lust
Schedule
Thu, 21 May, 2026 at 07:30 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Cincinnati Music Hall | Cincinnati, OH
Raw, rhythmic and electrifying — featuring dancers from Cincinnati Ballet 2, this once-in-a-lifetime concert experience fuses music and movement in a visceral exploration of lust, ritual and desire. Stravinsky’s Les noces pulses with primal energy as it reimagines a Russian village wedding through driving percussion, voices and riveting choreography by Yoshihisa Arai. Orff’s Catulli Carmina, drawn from the ancient poetry of Catullus, blazes with sensuality and irony, turning themes of passion and heartbreak into a bold, theatrical spectacle.*This program contains adult themes and language which may not be appropriate for children under the age of 13.
ARTISTS
Matthew Swanson, conductor
Victoria Okafor, soprano
Sara Couden, contralto
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Yannis François, bass-baritone
May Festival Chorus
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Ballet 2
Yoshihisa Arai, choreographer
PROGRAM
Igor Stravinsky: "Les noces" (“The Wedding”)
Carl Orff: "Catulli Carmina" (“Songs of Catullus”)
PRE-CONCERT PERFORMANCE
6:15PM-7:15PM
Music Hall Foyer/Balcony Well
Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the American Orff Schulwerk Association
PRE-CONCERT TALK
6:30PM-7PM
Corbett Tower
Jason Alexander Holmes & Yoshihisa Arai
Where is it happening?
Cincinnati Music Hall, 1243 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH 45202-7531, United States
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