The May Festival is the oldest continuous choral festival in the Western Hemisphere and one of the only true festivals that remain in our country today.  Featuring the May Festival Chorus and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Festival presents marvelously concentrated choral repertoire rarely found in the usual concert season. Many music festivals are largely repetitions of the standard repertoire from the subscription season. Nothing about the Cincinnati May Festival is routine - musically, socially or personally.

"It's that special, tiny sliver of the year when everybody stretches. When hundreds of amateur singers accelerate the tempo by devoting every night to rehearsal and every day to thoughts of the concerts to come; when the Cincinnati Symphony doubles its concentration and its output by packing more works into fewer rehearsals than any other time of the year; when audiences look their finest, clap their loudest, and habitually prolong their evenings with pre-concert picnics and post-concert galas; and when even the weather attempts to behave. It's May Festival time, two highly concentrated weekends in an otherwise sensible season when Cincinnati concentrates with ferver on the monuments of the choral repertoire and reflects on a proud musical tradition that stretches back more than a century."

- Ms. Nancy Malitz, music critic for The Cincinnati Enquirer

In the midst of the 1880 May Festival, a newspaper columnist described Cincinnati as “music mad.”  Thirty years later the music critic for Saxby’s Magazine exclaimed that the May Festival was a “bit of heaven,” and that, “here is a city that is truly musical.”

 - The Cincinnati May Festival, A History by Daniel Hurley

Established in 1873, the May Festival is directly responsible for the development of Cincinnati’s modern musical life. Music Hall, the city’s primary concert venue, was built specifically to house the Festival's performances in 1878, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, can trace its lineage back to this great tradition. Under the direction of James Conlon since 1979, the prestigious roster of Festival Music Directors has included, among others, Theodore Thomas, Max Rudolf and James Levine.   Learn more about the history of the May Festival.

Formed in 1880 and directed by Robert Porco since 1989, the world-renowned May Festival Chorus is the core artistic element of the May Festival. This talented group of volunteers devotes countless hours to rehearsals and performances all year long.  Chorus members come from all walks of life; teachers, doctors, accountants, students, attorneys, parents and grandparents all have in common a love of music and the joy of singing in this magnificent chorus. 

In addition to May Festival performances, the Chorus has sung at Carnegie Hall, toured Europe and regularly appears with the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras.  The ensemble sings in annual Carolfest family concerts in December, presents a Fine Arts Sampler concert in February, and performs a series of outreach and neighborhood concerts. The Chorus also hosts an annual choral workshop open to members of the community.  Learn more about the May Festival Chorus.

The May Festival Youth Chorus was organized in 1987 to give area high school students the opportunity to rehearse and perform challenging choral music in a highly stimulating artistic environment. This group also participates in the annual May Festival, Carolfest concerts, Fine Arts Sampler concerts, and each season performs through the community at schools, churches, and other local concert venues. The Youth Chorus has been invited to sing with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Linton Chamber Music Series, and the Vocal Arts Ensemble. Learn more about the May Festival Youth Chorus.

In addition to the valuable outreach performances of the May Festival Chorus and Youth Chorus, the May Festival presents educational programs featuring world-class guest artists.  Recent programs have included master classes for aspiring singers taught by established operatic performers, as well as guest lectures and demonstrations presented by renowned composers in area schools.

Inducted into the Greater Cincinnati International Hall of Fame in 2004, the May Festival has earned critical acclaim both nationally and internationally and attracts serious music lovers from all over the world.