2025-2026 VAE Season

Table of Contents: Chapters of a New Era

Memorial Hall
1225 Elm St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
SUN, OCT 5 at 3 PM

A new chapter begins. In his debut concert as Artistic Director, Joe Miller invites you to experience the soundscape of VAE, unfolding in five immersive chapters. In Chapter 1, Joe pairs the simple with the complex, challenging our patterns and norms of listening. Chapter 2 reflects on the classics of the repertoire, reminding us that we can’t look to the future if we don’t know where we came from. Hear a stained-glass window come to life in Chapter 3 before taking a deep dive into the highly emotional sonic world of Chapter 4. The final chapter ends in joy, with folk-inspired favorites that nod to Joe’s bluegrass roots.


An Italian Christmas: A Light in the Darkness

Christ Church Cathedral
318 E. Fourth St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
FRI, DEC 19 at 7:30PM

SAT, DEC 20 at 2:00PM

Journey back in time and across the globe as the voices of VAE guide you through the music of the Italian Baroque and Renaissance eras. The program’s three parts unfurl from the shadows of winter in a multi-sensory holiday experience unlike any other. Beginning in darkness surrounded by the most powerful organ sounds imaginable, voices, brass, strings and winds unite with the music of Dupré, Caccini, Palestrina and Gabrieli. Guerrero’s triple-choir grandeur and the music of Monteverdi and Corelli draw us closer to the source of light, building with the sound of Cincinnati’s own Verdin Bell. Gabrieli’s O Magnum Mysterium brings the journey to rest in awe and soul-stirring celebration. 


To the Hands: Cutting Edge Art

Ballroom, Music Hall
1241 Elm St.
Cincinnati OH 45202
FRI, MAR 20 at 8:00PM

An evening of genre-defying music that blurs the boundaries between choral tradition, visual art and social reflection. Held in the strikingly intimate Ballroom at Music Hall, Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands invites listeners on a multi-media rich journey through the powerful exploration of displacement, belonging and shared humanity. Designed to resonate with both new and seasoned audiences alike, this immersive program delivers bold, boundary-pushing artistry that speaks directly to the world we live in today.


Past Concerts