5:30 PM MAY FESTIVAL FAMILY LOUNGE SPECIAL EVENT in Wilks Studio
Pre-concert 6 PM Performance in Springer Auditorium by the May Festival Youth Chorus and Cincinnati Boychoir
Pre-concert 6:30 PM Conversation in Corbett Tower by Matthew Swanson and CSO Music Director Cristian Măcelaru
Pre-concert 6:30 PM Performance in the Foyer by Meridian 8 from the School for Creative and Performing Arts
Don't miss a moment of the 2026 May Festival: visit mayfestival.com/calendar to view the full lineup of events!
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 7:30 pm
Cincinnati Music Hall
Cristian Măcelaru, conductor
Nicole Cabell, soprano
Norman Garrett baritone
May Festival Chorus, Matthew Swanson, Director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cristian Măcelaru, Music Director
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The concert experience doesn’t end with the final note! These questions are offered to enrich your experience and encourage conversation.
•How does the use of Walt Whitman’s poetry alongside Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony shape your sense of the ocean as both a physical and spiritual force?
•As the program unfolds, do you experience the journey of water as something external, internal or both?
•The pieces on this concert are all metaphors between water and life. How did these pieces speak to you about your current life moments?
Duke Ellington (1899-1974)
The River Suite
orch. Collier
Spring
Meander
Giggling Rapids
Lake
Vortex
Falls
Twin Cities
Ribe
INTERMISSION
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
Symphony No. 1, A Sea Symphony
A Song for All Seas, All Ships
On the Beach at Night, Alone
(Scherzo) The Waves
The Explorers
Tonight’s concert will last approximately 120 minutes.
Special thanks to these generous sponsors who bring the May Festival to life!
The 2026 Festival Director Julia Bullock is sponsored by A Friend of the May Festival.
The Director of Choruses Matthew Swanson is sponsored by Sherry and Mark Holcomb.
The 2026 Premier Partner sponsor is Carol and Scott Kosarko.
The 2026 May Festival is presented by Fort Washington Investment Advisors.
The 2026 May Festival is sponsored by Chavez Properties.
The appearance of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is generously supported by the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation.
The appearance of conductor Cristian Măcelaru is made possible by Premier Partner sponsor Carol and Scott Kosarko.
The May Festival Floral Sponsor is Chris and Beth Canarie.
Tonight’s pre-concert conversation is sponsored by Drs. William Hurford and Lesley Gilbertson.
Tonight’s pre-concert performance featuring the May Festival Youth Chorus and the Cincinnati Boychoir is sponsored by the Cincinnati Boychoir Board of Directors.
WGUC is the Media Partner for these concerts. This concert will air on 90.9 WGUC on October 11, 2026, followed by 30 days of streaming at mayfestival.com/replay.
Steinway Pianos, courtesy of Willis Music, is the official piano of the May Festival.
Support the May Festival with a gift today!
Financial support beyond ticket sales ensures that the May Festival can continue to present vibrant Festivals at the highest level, reach new audiences, and offer community participation in the May Festival Chorus and Youth Chorus, cost-free!
Discover all of the benefits of giving and learn more about sponsorship opportunities to support the May Festival at mayfestival.com/support.
The Black Composer and the Question of American Musical Nationalism
2026 May Festival Program Book
Travel to through time and explore the foundational Black artists of the American musical canon.
