Cast Set For VIVA VERDI! at Cincinnati Opera

Cincinnati Opera has announced the artists who will headline Viva Verdi!, a celebratory concert presented as part of its 2027 Summer Festival on June 25, 2027, at 7:30 p.m. at Cincinnati Music Hall. The internationally renowned artists to be featured include soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, tenor Matthew White, baritone Michael Chioldi, and bass Soloman Howard.

The cast includes some of the most sought-after voices in classical music who perform regularly with prestigious opera companies and orchestras throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. They will be joined by the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, under the leadership of Chorus Master Henri Venanzi, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alex Amsel.

This concert is made possible by a $6 million gift from The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, led by trustees Nanci Wilks Lanni and Barbara Wilks, establishing The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation Fund for Leading Artists. This endowed fund will provide Cincinnati Opera with ongoing support for the presentation of singers of the highest quality, beginning in 2027 and continuing with key principal artist engagements in seasons to come. The gift was first announced from the Music Hall stage during Cincinnati Opera’s July 2026 performances of Carmen.

“This is the kind of lineup you’d expect to find on the stage of Carnegie Hall or the Paris Opera,” said Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director. “Each of these artists is a star in their own right, and together they represent the very best of opera today. Harry Wilks loved great singing, and thanks to the family foundation that carries on his legacy, Cincinnati audiences will hear these artists together, right here at Music Hall.”

“An opera company is only as great as the singers on its stage,” said Christopher Milligan, The Harry Fath General Director & CEO. “Cincinnati Opera has long been known for bringing some of the world’s finest voices to Music Hall, and this visionary gift not only secures that tradition but strengthens it for generations to come. Endowed in perpetuity, The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation Fund for Leading Artists will sustain the artistry at the heart of our mission not just for one season, but year after year.”

Harry T. Wilks was a Hamilton, Ohio-based attorney, philanthropist, and art collector. An alumnus of Miami University and the University of Cincinnati College of Law, he went on to found Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, preserving hundreds of acres in Hamilton to create one of the most remarkable outdoor-art spaces in the country. Wilks also loved opera and served for many years on Cincinnati Opera’s Board of Trustees, eventually endowing the role of artistic director. Since his passing, his philanthropic legacy has continued through The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, now led by his daughters and Foundation trustees, Nanci Wilks Lanni and Barbara Wilks.

The establishment of The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation Fund for Leading Artists reflects the Wilks and Lanni families’ vision of supporting outstanding artistry in the Greater Cincinnati region and Harry T. Wilks’s lifelong devotion to the art form. It also represents a significant investment in Cincinnati Opera’s future as a celebrated home for excellent singing.