Cincinnati Opera has made this announcement on its website today:

Last fall, when we declared our intention to return to live performances at Music Hall and SCPA this summer, we shared that we would continue planning on two tracks: the traditional season we’d announced, as well as a “Plan B” season in the event COVID-related challenges persist into the new year. While there have been many positive developments in combatting COVID since that time, the pandemic continues to limit the number of patrons who can safely gather for performances indoors.

So, we’ve made the difficult decision to set aside our original plans and move forward with “Plan B.” For the past several months, we’ve been investigating performance venues throughout the region that can accommodate both socially-distanced seating outside and beautiful, high-quality opera performances onstage. We have two primary goals: to keep everyone safe and to present a must-see summer opera festival. We could not be more excited to share our plan with you as soon as it’s complete; we anticipate doing so the last week in March.

Though it’s not what we’d originally planned, the 2021 Summer Festival will offer a thrilling, one-of-a-kind opera experience. This summer, we’ll be writing another unique chapter in Cincinnati Opera’s celebrated history. Thank you for being part of the story. Stay tuned for more information very soon.

Note: Watch for updates later in March about new opera titles, venues and ticket info.

To read about the season that was announced last Sept. and now canceled, click here.