On 2 June, the New York Metropolitan Opera performed for the first time an excerpt from the new opera Mother of Kherson, which tells the dramatic stories of Ukrainian women who saved their children from the temporarily occupied territories. This was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
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The opera was created by Ukrainian composer Maksym Kolomiets in collaboration with American playwright George Brant. The story is based on real events – women from Kherson who risked their lives to cross the front lines to take their children out of filtration camps in Crimea.
The world premiere of the full version of the opera is scheduled for October 2026 at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw. The production will then be presented by the Metropolitan Opera in its 2027-2028 season.
The production will feature a cast of renowned artists: one of the main roles will be performed by American soprano Erin Morley, Carrie-Lynn Wilson will be at the conductor’s desk, and the Polish theatre director Barbara Wysocka will direct.
“We don’t want the world to forget what is happening. This is our artistic way of reminding the world of the tragedy,” said Peter Gelb, General Director of the Metropolitan Opera.
Since the outbreak of full-scale war, the Metropolitan Opera has been actively supporting Ukraine: it has stopped working with artists who openly support the Russian regime, created the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and regularly organises charity concerts to support Ukrainians.
Read also: 605 children died as a result of the war in Ukraine
