The Cincinnati Opera has announced a five-year contract extension for Evans Mirageas, the company’s Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director.

The executive committee of Cincinnati Opera’s board of trustees approved the extension earlier this month.

Mirageas joined the company as the Cincinnati Opera as Artistic Advisor in January 2005 and, following an international search, he was named Artistic Director in July 2005. Mirageas will continue as The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director through the 2027 season and will shape Cincinnati Opera’s artistic vision in partnership with Christopher Milligan, The Harry Fath General Director & CEO, along with the Opera’s board and staff.

Liz Kathman Grubow, president of Cincinnati Opera’s board of trustees, noted, “Through his collaborative leadership and outstanding reputation within our industry, Evans has helped to elevate Cincinnati Opera’s profile on the international cultural stage. It’s rare to find an artistic leader who has both an encyclopedic knowledge of the art form as well as a genuine passion for creating authentic connections with our community. In Evans, we’re lucky to have both, and I’m thrilled he will continue on in his role.”

During his time with Cincinnati Opera, Mirageas has helped to establish the company as a prime cultural destination and commissioned and presented new and rarely produced operas. He has also advocated for engaging internationally renowned singers and creative artists. He has also overseen the releases of two commercial recordings of Cincinnati Opera world premiere productions, “Fellow Travelers” and “Blind Injustice.”

For his part, Mirageas said, “It is an honor and a privilege to continue working with Cincinnati Opera. In my first sixteen seasons, we’ve presented world-class grand opera, building on a legacy that began more than one hundred years ago. We’ve championed existing contemporary works and have become a national leader in our profession for shepherding new pieces to the stage. We’ve weathered an international financial crisis and produced during a pandemic. All those successes and resiliency could not have been accomplished without my colleagues, our artistic partners, our board of trustees, and our generous patrons.”