Free jazz, opera concerts return to square this summer

ORMACO series will feature outdoor performances in Uptown Park from June through August

Singer performs at a microphone on an outdoor stage while a saxophonist stands behind her.

ORMACO’s free 2026 Jazz/Opera Under the Stars series will bring jazz, opera and cross-genre performances to Medina’s Uptown Park throughout the summer. Erin Nicole Neal is pictured during last year's concert series.

ORMACO

Published May 27, 2026 - 5:11 a.m.

Ohio Regional Music Arts and Cultural Outreach, or ORMACO, announced the return of its Jazz/Opera Under the Stars Summer Concert Series for summer 2026 in Medina’s Uptown Park.

The free concert series will feature jazz ensembles, opera performances and cross-genre collaborations throughout the summer. All concerts are open to the public and will take place from 7-9 p.m. at the Uptown Park Gazebo, 2 Public Square, Medina. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets.

In case of inclement weather, concerts will move to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 317 E. Liberty St., Medina.

The season opens June 6 with the Cleveland-based Jazz Shepherds featuring Don Goodman on guitar, Jim Cirillo on saxophones, Art Jensen on bass and Edgardo Cora on drums.

Four performers stand on an outdoor pavilion stage with microphones and music stands. — Opera Under the Stars on June 20 will feature soprano Skey Marie Johnson and mezzo-soprano Megan Steiner performing opera solos and duets at Medina’s Uptown Park. Last year's opera performance is pictured.

Opera Under the Stars on June 20 will feature Columbus-based pianist Daniel Mullins accompanying soprano Skey Marie Johnson and Mansfield-based mezzo-soprano Megan Steiner in an evening of solos and duets featuring opera favorites and lesser-known works.

The Northeast Ohio Jazz Orchestra will perform July 11 under the direction of drummer Frank Margida, with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Witherspoon and vocalists Peggy Coyle and Larry Davis performing classic and modern jazz selections.

On Aug. 1, Cleveland-based Pulse will bring together jazz, classical, popular and world music influences through performances by Anthony Fuoco on piano, Dustin May on drums, Aidan Plank on acoustic bass and Brad Wagner on saxophones.

The season concludes Aug. 22 with vocalist Patrick Lynch and the Eric Everett Trio performing Rat Pack, big band and pop classics from the 1960s and 1970s.

Crowd seated on chairs and blankets in a park lawn with trees and a walkway in the foreground. — All concerts are free and open to the public from 7-9 p.m. at the Uptown Park Gazebo in Medina, with attendees encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets.

“Jazz/Opera Under the Stars brings people together in one of Medina’s most beautiful public spaces,” ORMACO Executive Director Thomas Sigel said. “It’s an invitation to slow down, enjoy extraordinary music, and experience the arts as a shared community celebration.”

Now in its 16th year, the series is supported in part by The Vana Family Foundation, The Feckley Charitable Foundation, The Ohio Arts Council, Miles Free and Beth Updike, Will Koran, Stan and Barbara Sever, and David and Susan Ungham.

More information is available at ormaco.org.