Anne Arenstein

1 month ago | citybeat.com | Anne Arenstein

Cincinnati Opera kicks off its 105th season with passion, drama and timeless music. The lineup features two iconic Italian operas — Verdi’s Rigoletto, a tale of love, lust and revenge, and Puccini’s Tosca, a high-stakes story of power and sacrifice backed by one of Puccini’s most stirring scores. Rounding out the season is Fiddler on the Roof, the beloved American musical about tradition, resilience and family in a changing world.

1 month ago | citybeat.com | Anne Arenstein

The May Festival is the oldest continuing choral festival in the Western Hemisphere. Last year, the festival retooled with a new approach to programming and with two new leaders in performance and administrative roles. Julianne Akins Smith took over as executive director in November, following Steven R. Sunderman’s retirement. Last June, Dr. Matthew Swanson was named director of choruses, following Robert Porco’s retirement.

2 months ago | citybeat.com | Brian Baker |Anne Arenstein

Jeremy Harrison has self-deprecating, perhaps unfairly harsh observations on his contributions to Cincinnati's music scene over the past two decades. He summarizes his time with hard rock sleaze masters Banderas and the nuanced but still louder-than-God's-wrath Honeyspiders with surprising humility. "I'm always the shittiest musician in the room, but I'd have some good ideas," Harrison says over beers at the Northside Yacht Club, the skilled mixologist's employer.

2 months ago | citybeat.com | Anne Arenstein |TaMya Hall

Why does a symphony musician need a job description? To an outsider, tremendous talent, performance skills and experience are all that are required. It turns out that even those skill sets aren’t listed on most major American symphony orchestras’ job listings. Nor are there clearly defined expectations, criteria or standards for achieving tenure after a probationary period. There’s an unfortunate, long history of musicians being denied tenure with none of the above procedures in place.

Mar 5, 2025 | citybeat.com | Anne Arenstein |Noah Moore

Summermusik’s We Are One series showcases Native American and Asian Indian artistic responses to the world’s most vital natural resource. We Are One: Water runs March 21-25 with music, dance, film and presentations by area environmental and cultural groups, including two family-friendly events. Most performances are free. Featured performers include SCPA and CCM alumnus Connor Chee, Lakota hoop dancer Starr Chief Eagle and award-winning filmmaker and dancer Padma Chebrolu.