Author: Ray Cooklis

Opening vistas and fueling dreams through Adopt A Class

Philanthropist of the Year Bill Burwinkel, founder of Adopt A Class

You don’t have to convince Bill Burwinkel, winner of this year’s National Philanthropy Day Philanthropist of the Year award, about the importance of a good education and career guidance.After quitting high school to join the Army he bounced from job to job, never able to get a promotion because he lacked a college degree.

MUST-SEE MUSIC: fall 2022

Must-see Music Saxophonist Steven Banks

Dare we even say it? “Back to normal”? Ever since the COVID pandemic brought the 2019-20 performing arts season to a halt, we’ve been looking forward to the day when our musical organizations could resume a full schedule. Looks like we’re just about there, though none of us are likely to take the miracle of live performance for granted again. Let’s count our blessings.

MUST-SEE: Music & Opera, Fall 2019

Pianist Stewart Goodyear performs the complete Beethoven sonata cycle in one day.

This is a season for landmark anniversaries in the arts – Cincinnati Museum Center (200 years), Cincinnati Art Academy (150), Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (125) Cincinnati Opera (100), Chamber Music Cincinnati (90). Great events are on tap from those groups and…

Cincinnati Opera 2019 a mix of daring, traditional, quirky, romantic

2016 Minnesota Opera production of “Romeo and Juliet”

Putting together the Cincinnati Opera summer festival season is not for the faint of heart. You have just four or five chances – each a costly, elaborate production – to draw the broadest possible audience, including opera newcomers, sophisticates and everyone in between – while balancing logistics, artist scheduling and, of course, costs.