The Cincinnati Arts Association to Present the 2026 Overture Awards Finals Competition

The Cincinnati Arts Association will present the 2026 Overture Awards Finals Competition. The Overture Awards provides $4,000 to six area high school students for education and training expenses, with eighteen finalists each winning $1,500. The program also includes an Arts Educator Award for Excellence in Arts Instruction totaling $2,000.

The Overture Awards Finals Competition and Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater. Winners will be announced immediately following the competition. The Visual Art Finalists Exhibition will be showcased in the Aronoff Center's Center Stage Room (adjacent to the Weston Art Gallery on 7th Street) from Tuesday, March 10 – Sunday, March 29, 2026.

This year, 189 students applied to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. It also provides students an opportunity to share their talents and interests among their peers in a supportive environment outside of their individual schools. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final, and Final.

The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held virtually in January 2026. The top twenty to thirty percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, which were held at the Aronoff Center from February 5-12. Twenty-four finalists will compete in the Finals Competition at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater on March 14.