
Cincinnati Song Initiative received 153 applications from eight different countries for the week-long fellowship in Southwest Ohio.

Halloween is over and all the scary stuff is behind us, right? Oh no, not at all, culture fans! The coming week is haunted by the specters of a flaming Ferrari, a headless body, a demon barber, a witch, a giant, a mermaid, a Big Fish, a substitute-teacher nun and – most frighteningly of all – four ersatz singing Swedes.

It ain’t summer until the crazy lady sings, at least that’s the case this year. Cincinnati Opera opens with works from 1835 (complete with “mad scene”) and 2021 this week, along with the debut of a new piano competition and the return of a newish chamber festival, while the 2022-23 theater season finally comes to a close. Happy summer!