Missy Mazzoli Makes History at the Met with 'Lincoln in the Bardo'
Composer Missy Mazzoli became the first woman to have an opera commissioned and world-premiered solely by the Metropolitan Opera, with 'Lincoln in the Bardo' — based on George Saunders' Booker-winning novel — drawing rave reviews after its 19 October opening.
Missy Mazzoli's opera 'Lincoln in the Bardo', with a libretto by Royce Vavrek adapted from George Saunders' Booker Prize-winning novel, made history when it opened at the Metropolitan Opera on 19 October 2026 — the first opera commissioned and world-premiered solely by the Met from a woman composer in the company's history. Mazzoli is only the fifth woman ever to have a work staged on the Met's main stage. Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz and conducted by music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the production stars baritone Peter Mattei as Abraham Lincoln, soprano Christine Goerke, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, and young tenor Everett Sobers as Willie Lincoln. Critics writing on and around 25 October 2026 called it 'a genre-bending, visually spectacular, surprisingly joyful production', citing Mazzoli's punk-rock influences and MTV-era aesthetics woven into the score. The opera runs at Lincoln Center through 14 November 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States.
