Music
Missy Mazzoli's “Lincoln in the Bardo” has its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera
The opera based on George Saunders' novel brings Lincoln to the cemetery where his son lies; Mazzoli becomes the first woman composer with a world premiere on the Met stage.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 20, 2026, 12:00 · Updated 12:21 · 1 min read
In brief
- The Metropolitan Opera in New York gave the world premiere Monday of the opera “Lincoln in the Bardo,” with music by Missy Mazzoli.
- The libretto is by Royce Vavrek, the direction by Lileana Blain-Cruz, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts.
- Performances run through Nov. 14.
The Metropolitan Opera in New York raised the curtain Monday evening on the world premiere of “Lincoln in the Bardo,” an opera by composer Missy Mazzoli based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by George Saunders. According to NPR, Mazzoli is the first woman composer in the Met's history to see a world premiere of her work on its stage.
The story takes place after the death of Willie, Abraham Lincoln's son. The boy remains stuck in the “bardo,” a space between life and the afterlife, surrounded by spirits who have not yet realized they are dead. Lincoln, still alive, visits his son's body at the cemetery, and the experience pushes him to commit to healing the country in the middle of the Civil War.
From 166 voices to five characters
Saunders' novel is narrated by 166 characters, while librettist Royce Vavrek, a longtime collaborator of Mazzoli's, has streamlined the story by focusing on five of them. Lileana Blain-Cruz directs and Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts. Baritone Peter Mattei sings Lincoln, while dramatic soprano Christine Goerke plays the Reverend, the only one in the bardo who knows he is dead.
The staging promises unusual effects: puppets, pyrotechnics, stage magic and orchestral effects. The show opens in the cemetery, where ghosts rise from their graves playing kazoos. According to Mazzoli, this will not be a typical opera.
After the Oct. 19 premiere, “Lincoln in the Bardo” will be performed on eight more evenings, with the final performance on Nov. 14.
