MEDIA RELEASE June 25, 2020

Contacts: Katie Syroney / (513) 768-5526 [email protected]

Kellie May, CET / (513) 345-6511 [email protected]

“Cincinnati at 100,” a televised celebration of Opera’s first century, to premiere on CET July 3

Featuring performances from home by:

Nicole Cabell, soprano and , tenor and Craig Terry, piano Anthony Manoli, piano

Jacqueline Echols, soprano, , bass and Matthew White, tenor, and Matthew Umphreys, piano Kevin Miller, piano

Members of the Cincinnati Opera Chorus and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

And performances at iconic Cincinnati locations by:

Jennifer Cherest, soprano and Maria Miller, mezzo-soprano, Henri Venanzi, piano Cincinnati Ballet dancer Samantha Riester with choreography by Oğulcan Borova, Joseph Lattanzi, baritone and and Carol Walker, piano Marie-France Lefebvre, piano Victoria Okafor, soprano and CSO musicians Stefani Matsuo, Henri Venanzi, piano concertmaster and Michael Chertock, piano Rodion Pogossov, baritone and Elena Kholodova, piano

Michael Preacely, baritone and Marcellene Winfrey, piano

CINCINNATI, OH—June 25, 2020—Cincinnati Opera and CET have announced plans for Cincinnati Opera at 100, an hour-long televised program commemorating Cincinnati Opera’s centennial. Featuring insights from local and national opera experts and performances by artists from across the country, Cincinnati Opera at 100 will premiere on CET 48.1 on Friday, July 3 at 9 p.m. EST. Additional airings will follow on CET Arts 48.3 through Tuesday, July 7.

The nation’s second-oldest opera company, Cincinnati Opera presented its first performance on June 27, 1920, at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, and its annual Summer Festival has become a beloved Cincinnati arts-going tradition. Though the company’s 100th Anniversary Season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cincinnati Opera at 100 transports the opera-going experience into viewers’ homes, including performances by much-loved singers from recent Cincinnati Opera productions and historical highlights from opera experts. Performances take place from the artists’ homes as well as iconic locations throughout the city, including the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, , and other surprise venues.

“In this extraordinary year, we’re honored to partner with CET to tell the story of this ‘opera company that could,’” said Christopher Milligan, The Harry Fath General Director & CEO of Cincinnati Opera. “Our first 100 years are rich with memorable moments, remarkable people and partnerships, and a deeply devoted audience whose enthusiasm is truly inspiring. Cincinnati Opera at 100 is a love letter to all who have made this company what it is today.”

Major support for Cincinnati Opera at 100 has been provided by Monteverdi Tuscany, a luxury boutique hotel centrally located between Rome and Florence, founded by Cincinnati Opera board member Michael L. Cioffi. The celebration of the arts and humanities is central to the Monteverdi Tuscany experience, and the hotel regularly presents performances by some of opera’s most distinguished artists.

“A founding philosophy of Monteverdi Tuscany is that beauty, art and music are fundamental to our nature as human beings, and remain now, as much as ever, integral to us all,” said Cioffi. “We are thrilled to be a part of such an extraordinary moment of Cincinnati Opera’s distinguished history.”

“Michael is a visionary and a great fan of opera and Italian culture,” continued Milligan. “When we shared with him our idea of a televised centennial celebration with singers across Cincinnati and from their homes across the country, he was immediately inspired. It is his support and the sponsorship from Monteverdi Tuscany that has made this program possible.”

For complete program details for Cincinnati Opera at 100, visit cincinnatiopera.org.

CINCINNATI OPERA AT 100 Broadcast Schedule (all times are EST):

CET 48.1 Friday, July 3, 2020 | 9 p.m.

CET Arts 48.3 Sunday, July 5, 2020 | 9 p.m. Monday, July 6, 2020 | 9 a.m., 2 p.m. & 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, 2020 | 11 a.m., 4 p.m. & 11 p.m.

Description: Cincinnati Opera at 100 is an hour-long televised program commemorating Cincinnati Opera’s centennial featuring insights from local and national opera experts and performances by artists from across the country.

With commentary by: • Anne Arenstein, arts writer and critic • Cori Ellison, dramaturg and faculty, The Juilliard School • Janelle Gelfand, arts writer and critic • Dan Hurley, historian • Louis Langrée, Music Director, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra • Thane Maynard, Director, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden • Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director, Cincinnati Opera • Angela Powell Walker, Artistic Director, School for Creative & Performing Arts, Cincinnati

And performances by: • Nicole Cabell, soprano and Craig Terry, piano • Jennifer Cherest, soprano and Henri Venanzi, piano • Stephen Costello, tenor and Anthony Manoli, piano • Jacqueline Echols, soprano, Matthew White, tenor, and Kevin Miller, piano • Joseph Lattanzi, baritone and Marie-France Lefebvre, piano • Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra musicians Stefani Matsuo, concertmaster and Michael Chertock, piano • Maria Miller, mezzo-soprano, Cincinnati Ballet dancer Samantha Riester with choreography by Oğulcan Borova, and Carol Walker, piano • Victoria Okafor, soprano and Henri Venanzi, piano • Rodion Pogossov, baritone and Elena Kholodova, piano • Michael Preacely, baritone and Marcellene Winfrey, piano • Morris Robinson, bass and Matthew Umphreys, piano • Members of the Cincinnati Opera Chorus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Major support for Cincinnati Opera at 100 has been provided by Monteverdi Tuscany, A Rare Boutique Hotel.

For complete program details, visit cincinnatiopera.org.

ABOUT CINCINNATI OPERA Founded in 1920 and the second-oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a thrilling season of grand opera every summer. 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.

Critical support for Cincinnati Opera is provided by ArtsWave, Huntington, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, Arts Council, Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, and Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, along with many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences. cincinnatiopera.org

ABOUT PUBLIC MEDIA CONNECT Public Media Connect is Southwest Ohio’s leading provider of education and enrichment in both living rooms and classrooms, serving more than 3 million people in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton communities. Through PBS and local programming, innovative multimedia curriculum projects, parent workshops and professional development for teachers, Public Media Connect—CET and ThinkTV— positively impacts our community with rich and diverse resources. Public Media Connect’s mission is to strengthen the communities and region we serve by providing content and services that engage, inspire and inform, educate and entertain, fostering culture and citizenship, the joy of learning and the power of diverse perspectives.

ABOUT MONTEVERDI TUSCANY Monteverdi Tuscany is a luxury boutique hotel centrally located between Rome and Florence, offering stunning panoramic views of the Val d’Orcia region of Tuscany, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned worldwide for its scenic splendor.

This unique, luxury hotel is not confined within a single building but instead is infused throughout an idyllic, medieval village, with rooms and suites tucked in among authentic and fastidiously maintained properties. The hotel now comprises eighteen individual rooms and suites plus three elegantly appointed villas, all perfect for individuals, couples, families and groups of traveling friends.

In addition, Monteverdi Tuscany currently boasts an award-winning zero kilometer restaurant, a Culinary Academy, a piano lounge and terrace bar, a separate Enoteca and Library Bar, outdoor swimming pool and indoor heated spa pool, an award-winning holistic spa, yoga studio, a modern gym, an art gallery, and a beautifully restored 700-year-old Romanesque church that serves as Monteverdi’s performing arts venue.

The next year will be a time of growth, expansion, and change at the luxury boutique hotel, always with beauty, authenticity, and guests’ wellbeing at the forefront. Owner Michael Cioffi will once again team with renowned Rome-based designer, Ilaria Miani, to expand upon and enhance the village of Castiglioncello del Trinoro.

Monteverdi’s walls and roots date back to the 12th century, yet its distinctive aesthetic and first-class amenities perfectly fuse past and present to create a truly timeless setting.

For more information or to book a stay at Monteverdi Tuscany after July 1, 2021, please visit www.MonteverdiTuscany.com.

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