Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) will present a public preview of the new opera-ballet O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. at Cincinnati Ballet, 1801 Gilbert Avenue. The preview is presented through the organizations’ Opera Fusion: New Works program, which supports the development of new American operas through Cincinnati-based workshops.

The work was commissioned by Washington National Opera with music by GRAMMY Award-winning composer Christopher Tin, libretto by Kelley Rourke, stage direction by Francesca Zambello, and choreography by Jessica Lang. The opera traces the life of American artist Georgia O’Keeffe, centering on the tension between her marriage to art dealer Alfred Stieglitz and the liberating influence of arts patron Mabel Dodge Luhan, whose connections to the American Southwest helped shape O’Keeffe’s artistic vision. The world premiere at Washington National Opera will take place at a date to be announced.

Internationally recognized soprano Christine Goerke will lead the March 31 cast as Mabel Dodge Luhan, with mezzo-soprano Natalie Corrigan as O’Keeffe and tenor Tristan Tournaud as Stieglitz. Dancers Sierra Armstrong, SunMi Park, and Tristan Brosnan from American Ballet Theatre will also appear, alongside student singers and dancers from CCM.

Tickets are $15 for adults and free for full-time students with a valid student ID. Orders can be placed at cincinnatiopera.org or by calling 513-241-2742. Opera Fusion: New Works is supported by an anonymous donor and is free to composers and librettists selected for its residency program.

Source: University of Cincinnati