CONTENTS CONCERTS ARTISTS 38 Verdi REQUIEM: Friday May 18 19 Juanjo Mena, Principal Conductor 21 Robert Porco, Director of Choruses 46 Bernstein MASS: Saturday May 19 22 May Festival Chorus May Festival Youth Chorus, SING HALLELUJAH: Sunday May 20 27 56 James Bagwell, director 59 JUANJO MENA’S DEBUT: 30 Guest Conductor, Guest Artists Friday May 25 36 Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Handel MESSIAH: Saturday May 26 67 FEATURES 12 Bernstein’s MASS, Then and Now 15 Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Leonard Bernstein 16 About Otxote Txanbela 17 Q&A with Juanjo Mena 22 Q&A with Robert Porco 29 Q&A with James Bagwell 57 Q&A with Creative Partner Rollo Dilworth DEPARTMENTS 7 Greetings from the Principal Conductor 8 Your Concert Experience 11 Greetings from the Board Chair and Executive Director 75 In Memoriam 76 Choral Student Fund and ArtsWave Partners 76 Special Thanks 77 Cincinnati Musical Festival Association 79 Annual Fund 81 2017 ArtsWave Community Campaign 82 May Festival Subscribers 84 Administration 2 | MAY FESTIVAL 2018 | mayfestival.com MAY FESTIVAL PROGRAM BOOK STAFF: Vice President of Communications Chris Pinelo Director of Communications Diana Maria Lara Communications Assistant Kayla Moore Editor/Layout McKibben Publications Graphic Designer Regina Kuhns All contents © 2018. The contents cannot be reproduced in any manner, whole or in part, without written permission from the May Festival. CINCINNATI MAY FESTIVAL Music Hall Geraldine V. Chavez Center for the Choral Arts ON THE COVER 2018 marks a true 1241 Elm Street homecoming for the May Festival, as it returns to Cincinnati, OH 45202 the beautifully renovated Music Hall—a treasured Administrative Offices: 513.621.1919 National Historic Landmark that was originally
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