Overview of May Festival 2012 Season

This past season was another extraordinary mixture of favorite choral works and May Festival premiers. Here’s what the critics had to say.

 

From Opening Night’s Carmina Burana… “Conlon led a performance of remarkable freshness and joy of the kind that could only make you smile. Besides the visual spectacle of 340 performers, it was impressive to hear the aural splendor of those choral forces in Music Hall’s magnificent space in ‘O Fortuna’…”  –Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati Enquirer

to Closing Night's Tchaikovsky Charms “Debuting from ‘Onegin’ this year were ‘Chorus of Maidens’ (act I), ‘Triquet’s Scene and Couplet’ (act II), and the polonaise and choruses that open the ball scene (act III). The former was virtual ear candy, mellifluously sung by the women of the MFC, while tenor Aler made a delightful, preening Triquet.” –Mary Ellyn Hutton, ConcertoNet

All of the season’s reviews can be found on our website.

Robert Porco Extends Contract Through 2015

Director of Choruses, Robert Porco, has extended his contract for the next three years with the May Festival.  Having just concluded his 22nd May Festival season to rave reviews, Mr. Porco has provided the artistic choral leadership for more May Festivals than any other Chorus Director in the history of the May Festival.  Robert Porco reflected, “There is a tremendous spirit that the May Festival Chorus has that I have not encountered anywhere else.”

Read the press release.

New Regional Choral Calendar Launched

May Festival and Express Cincinnati are partnering to create a regional Choral Calendar to help choral music lovers have an easy one-stop location to find information on upcoming choral concerts.

The new Greater Cincinnati Choral Calendar can be found at on the May Festival’s website: mayfestival.com/choralcalendar.html.  

“We are thrilled to be able to promote choral music throughout the year. Choral music is thriving in Greater Cincinnati and we want to help the public find all the fabulous concerts that are offered in the region,” said Steven Sunderman, Executive Director of May Festival.

Interested in Singing All Year with the May Festival Chorus?

May Festival Chorus will be holding auditions over the summer for the upcoming season. For more information or to schedule an audition please call 513.744.3229.

As the Official Chorus of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, performances for the 2012-13 Season begin in October for the women of the chorus with Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with guest artist Stephanie Blythe. In November the May Festival Chorus performs Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and in January performances of Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass. Dates for the 2013 May Festival Season are May 10-18.

More information is available here.  

Help Us Maintain Our Strong Financial History

The 2012 May Festival represented the culmination of more than 40,000 volunteer hours in rehearsals and performances given by more than 200 singers.  As June 30 fast approaches, marking the end of our fiscal year, we are very close to making this our 22nd consecutive year of operating “in the black.”

Please consider making a contribution and personally participating in the continued success of the Cincinnati May Festival.