Cincinnati Opera: Fidelio

When wrongfully imprisoned and condemned to a certain death, Florestan has but one hope left: his adoring wife, Leonore.

It took a decade for Beethoven to complete his only opera, Fidelio, and his fierce musical genius permeates this thrilling ode to freedom, featuring soaring arias, heart-pounding choruses, and a glorious, uplifting finale. Our new production transports the opera to the present, connecting the story to an ongoing struggle for justice that “could be taking place in any number of regimes today” (Seattle Times).

Starring as Leonore is celebrated soprano Christine Goerke, who brings her “blazing soprano” of “gale-force power and sheen” (Wall Street Journal) to the heroic title role. She’s joined by stentorian tenor Russell Thomas, who offers singing of “ardent expression and spine-tingling high notes” (Cincinnati Enquirer) as Florestan.