Replay May Festival
Live recordings of May Festival concerts will air on WGUC 90.9 FM on Sunday evenings at 8 PM in October and will be available for streaming here on Replay May Festival for 30 days following the broadcast. Check back often as concerts are added.
ON LOVE AND LUST
Streaming Available October 19 to November 17
Raw, rhythmic and electrifying — featuring dancers from Cincinnati Ballet 2, this once-in-a-lifetime concert experience fuses music and movement in a visceral exploration of lust, ritual and desire. Stravinsky’s Les noces pulses with primal energy as it reimagines a Russian village wedding through driving percussion, voices and riveting choreography by Yoshihisa Arai. Orff’s Catulli Carmina, drawn from the ancient poetry of Catullus, blazes with sensuality and irony, turning themes of passion and heartbreak into a bold, theatrical spectacle.
*This program contains adult themes and language which may not be appropriate for children under the age of 13.
THE WATER'S JOURNEY
Streaming Available October 12 to November 10
Explore the elemental power of water through two bold visions. Duke Ellington’s jazz-infused The River flows with elegance and swing, portraying the river’s journey from tranquil beginnings to its powerful arrival at the sea. Its momentum leads into Ralph Vaughan Williams’ monumental A Sea Symphony, which sets the poetry of Walt Whitman in a choral celebration of the ocean’s mystery and majesty — part hymn, part voyage into the unknown. Together, these works invite us to listen deeply — to the pull of tide and current, and to the human longing for connection and discovery.
AN ECLECTIC OPENING NIGHT
Streaming Available October 5 to November 3
Join us for an unforgettable opening night of the May Festival! Bruckner’s Psalm 150 sets the tone with a fanfare of voices, then anchored by the words of Langston Hughes and fellow Harlem Renaissance poets, the evening traverses spiritual depths, culminating in a work of the May Festival’s own curation — the “Eclectic Mass” — a collection of pieces from the sacred music tradition, including a vibrant new Sanctus from Grammy-nominated composer, Carlos Simon. Combined, this concert is a powerful celebration of music from across centuries and genres, reflecting the Festival’s storied past while boldly stepping into its future.
REPLAY SCHEDULE
October 5 - AN ECLECTIC OPENING NIGHT
October 12 - THE WATER'S JOURNEY
October 19 - ON LOVE AND LUST
October 26 - PORGY AND BESS: FESTIVAL FINALE