Cincinnati Opera and CCM Will Host Free, Public Preview of LALOVAVI

Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) invite the public to a free preview of Lalovavi, a new opera by composer Kevin Day and librettist Tifara Brown.

Taking place February 1, 2025, the event is part of CCM and Cincinnati Opera’s creative partnership, Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW), and will feature a performance of excerpts from Acts II and III of the opera, following a May 2024 performance that highlighted Act I. This event marks an exciting milestone in the development of Lalovavi, which will premiere in summer 2026 as part of Cincinnati Opera’s trailblazing Black Opera Project.

Lalovavi is an Afrofuturist opera set 400 years into the future. It follows the journey of Persephone, the youngest teenage daughter of the Primus of Atlas, formerly the city of Atlanta. Currency and status in Atlas are determined based on the presence of Syndica, a rare gene that promotes vitality and longevity. When Persephone is found to possess this gene, she is betrayed by her family and must run for her life. She is thrust into an epic adventure, uncovering a hidden past that leads her to discover love’s true meaning and the power to determine her own destiny.

Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW) is co-directed by Robin Guarino, professor of opera at CCM, and Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera, and provides composers and librettists the opportunity to collaborate with singers and creative personnel to refine their operas-in-progress. Lalovavi will receive a 10-day workshop, during which Day and Brown will work alongside stage director and dramaturg Kimille Howard, conductor Kevin miller, and a cast of singers to further develop the work, culminating in the performance of excerpts.

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