Cincinnati Opera has announced that the company has been awarded a $1.3 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (“Mellon Foundation”).

The gift will provide key financial support for a new artistic initiative by Cincinnati Opera to commission operas that celebrate Black stories. It will also fund the continuation of “Opera Fusion: New Works,” the groundbreaking workshop program from Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music that supports the development of new operas.

With seed funding provided by the Mellon Foundation gift, Cincinnati Opera will commission three new operas from composers and/or librettists of color that focus on racially and ethnically diverse characters and narratives, with primary emphasis on Black stories.

The first opera will be scheduled to premiere during the company’s 2025 Summer Festival while two additional operas are currently planned to premiere during the company’s 2026 and 2027 seasons.

The initiative builds on Cincinnati Opera’s commitment to present programming that reflects the diversity of its community and our nation. This season the company is set to present “Castor and Patience,” by Gregory Spears with a libretto by Tracy K. Smith, and “Fierce,” by composer William Menefield and librettist Sheila Williams.

“We are deeply grateful to The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for this investment in the future of our art form,” said Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera. “They have been a valued supporter of Opera Fusion: New Works since its inception, and this gift is an important endorsement of our shared focus on advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the arts. Our industry is experiencing an urgent need to expand the narratives presented on our stages. Through conversations with our artistic partners and community members, we’ve learned that there is a particular need for new operas that center on positive Black stories. We’re thrilled to be able to provide the creative space for these inspiring voices to be heard.”

Meanwhile, Morris Robinson, Cincinnati Opera’s artistic advisor, elaborated, “Back in 2019, while I was singing with Cincinnati Opera in Porgy and Bess, my fellow cast members and I were invited into a conversation with the company’s leadership about our hopes for opera’s future. We asked, ‘What would it take to develop more grand operas about Black people, written by Black people, that are positive and uplifting?’ It felt like a huge artistic opportunity. I’m excited about this new initiative because of what it means for people of color who’ll get to see their joys and possibilities represented on the opera stage.”