Metropolitan Opera New York
The Metropolitan Opera has announced that it has commissioned a new opera by Ukrainian composer Maxim Kolomiiets and librettist George Brant. The opera will be based on the true story of « Ukrainian mothers who embarked on an arduous 3,000-mile journey behind enemy lines into Russia to rescue their children forcibly detained there by Russian authorities. »
The idea to commission the opera originated in a meeting between Met Opera General Manager Peter Gelb and Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska last fall. Kolomiiets was selected from 72 Ukrainian composers who applied.
Gelb said in a statement: « We’re proud to continue to support Ukraine on the cultural front. The heroism of these Ukrainian mothers in the face of Russian atrocities is a story that should be amplified theatrically and is in the good creative hands of Maxim and George. »
