A Dream Deferred: Langston Hughes in Song

MAY 17, 2026 | SUN 3 PM | Memorial Hall

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Artists

Julia Bullock soprano and reader
Nicole Cabell soprano and reader
Sankara Harouna baritone and reader
Stefani Matsuo violinist and reader
Christopher Pell clarinetist and reader
Ricky Ian Gordon pianist and reader
John Arida pianist and reader
MUSE Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir

Reina Dickey artistic director

Members of the May Festival Youth

Chorus, Jason Alexander

Holmes director

Venue

Memorial Hall

What's Interesting

Join Julia Bullock and guests in this intimate recital setting to experience her critically acclaimed concert curation: A Dream Deferred – Langston Hughes in Song.

Post-concert activity:

Talk back with Festival Director Julia Bullock

Program Note

Harlem & Hughes on My Mind…
by Julia Bullock

It was thrilling to be invited as the first singer to have an artist residency at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2018-19). My time at the Met set a precedent, and Cincinnati’s May Festival has allowed me to have the same, attentive approach — for almost two years preceding, I had conversations and went on site visits to get acquainted; my mind reeled as I walked through the available performance and gallery spaces, and took my time to consider the almost endless program possibilities.

Read the Program Note