In the summer of 2004, an unknown African-American tenor starred in Cincinnati Opera’s production of The Daughter of the Regiment, best known for the killer aria “Ah! Mes Amis!” with its nine high C notes. Lawrence Brownlee made it sound effortless, spinning off octave jumps with crystalline purity.  

It's a great time to be Hilary Hahn. There's hardly been a stray day over the past three decades where that hasn't been the case, but the past couple of years have been exceptionally good for the 31-year-old violinist. She performs with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Friday and Saturday at Music Hall.  

Devon Carney is tired, but somehow he doesn't look the part. Cincinnati Ballet's associate artistic director has been putting in roughly 16-hour days recently. All these efforts go toward the company's upcoming production — ironically, 'The Sleeping Beauty.' The four performances this weekend mark Cincinnati Ballet's return to Music Hall.  

Cincinnati Opera's 90th anniversary season already has more drama than a Verdi potboiler in an Italian opera house about to go on strike. But despite casting woes for the opening work, there's plenty to celebrate: three great operas with world-class performers, conductors and directors. It all kicks off with a gala concert June 19 featuring acclaimed performers from the company's past and present.  

When locally based soprano Kara Shay Thomson takes the stage during the 2010 May Festival, she'll be notching a number of significant firsts. Most importantly, she'll make her May Festival debut, which will also mark her first opportunity to work with Maestro James Conlon.  

I got to thinking recently of Cincinnati archetypes. Let's start with Creative People Who Make Interesting Things, since they basically make life worth living. Some of them host a music/art "campout" in an Over-the-Rhine building (see our Bunk Warehouse report), some start bands to play in bars around town and some work with teenagers to host a temporary Outdoor Museum in Eden Park.  

Hall Singer/songwriter/guitarist Clarence Carter has overcome a good many obstacles in his 73 years, most of them by way of his natural musical gift. Born blind and raised in rural Alabama, he attended a school for the blind at age 6 and learned guitar at age 11 when his grandmother bought him one (and told him Santa would never have anything for him after that).   

As the world grows smaller in the wake of global media, China is hot. The recent Olympic Games in Beijing underscored the country's emerging presence on the world stage. Locally, the Cincinnati Art Museum's current exhibition, 'China Design Now,' showcases contemporary design work, from architecture and fashion to pop (sub)culture, graphic design and more. And now the world tour of Divine Performing Arts brings some of the country's ancient artistic forms (dance, music and elaborate set visuals) to Music Hall on Dec. 23.