Experience the magic of song in a concert celebrating the poetry of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, one of the most revered figures in literature. Often exploring the interplay between nature, the human spirit, and the quest for personal fulfillment, Goethe's text reflect a deep journey of self-discovery and emotional depth.

The science is conclusive: our planet is warming to alarming degrees, and only we have the power to slow its effects. Be inspired to take action through the visceral words of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Henry David Thoreau, and UC poetry professor Felicia Zamora in this powerful Earth Day program.

Will Liverman, the multi-talented baritone, composer, and producer who knows no creative boundaries, joins the inimitable pianist Myra Huang for a one-time-only experience here in Cincinnati. Join these two dazzling artists for a varied and poignant journey through song.

In the third program of its series The Belletrists, Cincinnati Song Initiative explores an array of settings from the Romantic literary giant Josef von Eichendorff. Themes of wandering, the passing of time, and nostalgia permeate this program that explores German culture, poetry, and music.

The Mainstage season opens with a unique opportunity to explore the human condition through song. In partnership with the Cincinnati Music & Wellness Coalition, world-class artists share musical stories of life, love, struggle, and triumph, all through the lens of physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

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Three artist-storytellers bring a program of varied American song to life. Nostalgic calls from the past, fused with jovial, reflective, and empowering stories of today help provide a path forward for the journey ahead.

CSI and Queen City Cabaret team up to present a delectable program of Golden-Age tunes from the Great American Songbook. Featuring selections from the 1930s through 1960s, take a trip with some of Cincinnati’s greatest cabaret personalities and explore all this era has to offer!

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Cincinnati Song Initiative presents the internationally-performed lecture recital Narrative of a Slave Woman, providing arguably the most comprehensive journey in contextualizing the words of Spirituals with the very real-world stories they tell from the darkest chapter of this nation. Join distinguished artists LaToya Lain and Casey Robards for this profound journey that places the Spiritual - and everything it stands for - in the spotlight.

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We’re back with the fourth annual Cincinnati songSLAM! Don't miss your chance to award $2,000 in cash prizes to your favorite teams premiering brand new songs! Hosted this year by the Queen of the Cincinnati Poetry Slam herself, DuWaup!

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In the second program of its series The Belletrists, CSI explores a wide array of settings from the iconic Friedrich Rückert. Additionally, enjoy exclusive access to a pre-concert lecture by distinguished musicologist Susan Youens as a member of CSI Digital.

CSI’s seventh season opening concert takes us on a journey of love separated by distance. Songs in Italian, German, and English guide the way through the emotional highs and lows, ultimately leading to peace and contentment with an experience felt by so many in this world.

CSI’s sixth season finale encapsulates the profound human stories of everyday people. Moments of joy, anger, love, fear, death, power, and so much more make for a riveting evening of music.

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Cincinnati Song Initiative and Cincinnati Opera proudly present Jeanine De Bique and Jonathan C. Kelly in a stunning program ahead of the Trinidadian soprano’s Carnegie Hall debut.

We’re back with the third annual Cincinnati songSLAM! Don't miss your chance to award $2,000 in cash prizes to your favorite teams premiering brand new songs!

Andrée’s arctic balloon expedition of 1897 was an effort to reach the North Pole in which all three Swedish expedition members – Salomon Andrée, Knut Frænkel, and Nils Strindberg – perished. In 1982, American composer Dominick Argento composed the tour-de-force song cycle depicting this harrowing journey.

In the first program of its new series The Belletrists, CSI explores a wide array of settings from the influential Heinrich Heine. Additionally, enjoy exclusive access to a pre-concert lecture by distinguished musicologist Susan Youens as a member of CSI Digital.

The dynamic Amy Burton and John Musto help bring Cincinnati roaring back to live performance with selections from The Great American Songbook.

In its largest commissioning project to date, Cincinnati Song Initiative will commission a single song from each of the ten composers taking part in the inaugural National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) composer mentorship program.

You're invited! Join the artists of CSI for a classy unveiling of our fifth anniversary Mainstage season. Get to know our upcoming programs and the artists who will bring them all to life.