Making Arrangements
July 31–Aug. 24
Summermusik has three different concert experiences:
Full chamber orchestra performances at the School for Creative & Performing Arts
A Little Afternoon Musik, Sunday matinee concerts at local churches and schools
Chamber Crawls, held at bars, restaurants, and non-traditional concert venues., including the American Sign Museum, Crestview Presbyterian Church, and Westwood First Presbyterian Church.
Summermusik offers $25 discounted single ticket rate for Young Professionals (under 40) for the Chamber Crawl series; FREE tickets for children under 13 for selected Mainstage and A Little Afternoon Musik concerts.
Tickets available at https://summermusik.org.
After Cincinnati Opera winds down and before the CSO begins, you can still enjoy incredible classical – and beyond – music at Summermusik.
The festival is celebrating its tenth annual concert series as part of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra (CCO) landmark 50th anniversary.
“We have a lot to be thankful for. Standing on the shoulders of many phenomenal musicians, music directors, staff and board members, artistic and community partners, and many generous supporters, we have been a beacon of innovation, community-mindedness, and musical excellence,” says Eckart Preu, CCO’s musical director.
Founded in 1974 by Paul Nadler and Jorja Fleezanis, CCO creates intimate, transformative experiences that connect the musically curious. The Summermusik program provides a vibrant musical experience in intimate and informal settings, presenting orchestral works from the Baroque and Classical eras, as well as commissioned works by contemporary composers.
The 2024 Summermusik festival recognizes the artistry of the CCO’s musicians. Many CCO musicians will be featured as soloists, including Principal Trumpet Ashley Hall-Tighe with the world-renowned Canadian Brass and Concertmaster Celeste Golden Andrews. The orchestra will also be spotlighted with a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the work’s 200th anniversary, which will close the festival.
A hallmark of Summermusik is its use of collaboration, bringing together artists from, across genres and art forms to create inspiration and innovation. This year’s programming includes a partnership with members of the local Indian community. Additional collaborations with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati Brass Band, and others, continue the tradition of partnering with local artists and organizations.
Summermusik 2024 Events
Notes in Neon
Wednesday, July 31, 7:30 p.m.
American Sign Museum, 1330 Monmouth Ave.
Using the “hum” of neon signs as a springboard, the CCO’s string quartet performs selections that incorporate or mimic this electrical sound to create an atmospheric experience for the audience.
Let the Trumpets Sound
Saturday, August 3, 7:30pm
SCPA Corbett Theater, 108 W. Central Parkway
Prelude Talk: 6:45pm | SCPA Mayerson Theater
The opening fanfare to the 2024 Mainstage series brings a true heavyweight of the brass world: Canadian Brass. The world-famous ensemble teams up with Summermusik for a program that weaves freely across musical genres in what promises to be an exhilarating evening.
Brass Across Borders
Sunday, August 4, 4 p.m.
Crestview Presbyterian Church, 9463 Cincinnati-Columbus Road, West Chester
Prepare to be blown away! World-renowned Canadian Brass will air out a mind-blowing program full of surprises with some tunes known, some unknown, and some practically unheard of. For the grand finale, Canadian Brass teams up with the Cincinnati Brass Band, and their combined brass power promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime roof raising event.
Tropical Tunes – JOIN WAITLIST!
Tuesday, August 6, 7:30 p.m.
Pirates Cove Tropical Bar and Grill, 4609 Kellogg Ave.
This concert will be smooth sailing through this Caribbean-themed event featuring music by Latin American composers. Enjoy your favorite fruity summer drinks on the open water and be sure to scan the horizon just across the railing for Captains' Jack and Morgan to take you home tonight.
One drink included in the price of admission!
Shakespeare in Love
Saturday, August 10, 7:30 p.m.
SCPA Corbett Theater, 108 W. Central Parkway
Prelude Talk: 6:45 p.m., SCPA Mayerson Theater
The concert features 10-time Emmy-winning composer John Henry Kreitler’s second symphony—his final oeuvre which he composed right before his passing in January 2024 in celebration of the Chamber Orchestra's 50th anniversary. The program also features works that took inspiration from the greatest bard of all—William Shakespeare, with readings from members of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
Musical Poetry
Sunday, August 11, 4 p.m.
Westwood First Presbyterian Church, 3011 Harrison Ave.
Join concertmaster Celeste Golden Andrews and her fellow Summermusik musicians as they present works inspired by literature.
Locomotive Breath
Wednesday, August 14 and Thursday, August 15, 7:30 p.m.
The Redmoor, 3187 Linwood Ave.
Join a tribute to Jethro Tull, the English agronomist who brought about agricultural reforms and invented the horse-drawn seed drill and the horse-drawn hoe. Oh dear! Apologies all around, wrong Jethro Tull! Get ready to rock with a tribute to the band Jethro Tull, featuring Roger Klug, guitar/performance curator and Annie Darlin Gordon, flute/performance curator.
Many Colors of India
Saturday, August 17, 7:30 p.m.
SCPA Corbett Theater, 108 W. Central Parkway
Prelude Talk: 6:45 p.m., SCPA Mayerson Theater
Venture to the world’s most populous country, India, and delve into its rich culture. Eastern classical music and Western classical music related to India’s history meet in their first-ever collaboration with members of the Indian community. With the help of artistic advisor and local composer Kanniks Kannikeswaran, we created an orchestral exploration that offers a peek into India’s fascinating and colorful culture, along with a tabla player, Indian dancers, and the Greater Cincinnati Indian Community Choir.
Bach Meets Bollywood
Sunday, August 18, 4 p.m.
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Lindner Theatre
8283 East Kemper Road
For part two of this deep dive into Indian music, CCO explores the connection of Indian ragas to the music ofBach and Beethoven with music from Mumbai’s Hindi cinema, or ‘Bollywood’, works by local composer Kanniks Kannikeswaran, and arrangements of traditional Indian music by Vidita Kanniks. Hindi cinema is one of the largest centers for film production in the world, selling over 340 million tickets in India in 2019.
Lion: Commentary & Film Screening
Tuesday, August 20, 7:30 p.m.
Esquire Theatre, 320 Ludlow Ave.
Starring Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, and David Wenham, this 2016 biographical drama tells the life story of Saroo. As a five-year-old, Saroo unwittingly winds up in Calcutta. Not understanding the local Bengali language, he begins to wander the streets of Calcutta before he is placed in an orphanage. Eventually, he is adopted by an Australian couple and 20 years later begins to trace his roots to find his biological family. During the process, Saroo finds out that his real name is ‘Sheru’, meaning ‘Lion’. The film earned six Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Patel), Best Supporting Actress (Kidman), and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film is rated PG-13.
Great American Songbook Revue
Wednesday, August 21, 9 p.m.
828 The Turn, 828 Monmouth St., Newport
The penultimate evening of our celebration has Mandy Gaines and our crew throw the book at you, figuratively speaking. The Great American Songbook is not an actual book, but a loosely defined canon of significant 20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes. Many of them will get their turn tonight as Mandy leafs through the book, again figuratively speaking.
Happy Birthday!
Saturday, August 24, 7:30 p.m.
SCPA Corbett Theater, 108 W. Central Parkway
Prelude Talk: 6:45 p.m., SCPA Mayerson Theater
Oh, the joy! 315 years of birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate in one sitting – 200 years of Ludwig's Ninth, 50 years of CCO, 10 years of the Summermusik festival, and a surprise! The festival closes with a huge birthday party!