Missy Mazzoli's new opera 'Lincoln in the Bardo' to premiere at the Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera is hosting the world premiere of ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’, a new opera composed by Missy Mazzoli with a libretto by Royce Vavrek. The work is based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by George Saunders.

Set in a Georgetown cemetery, the story explores the concept of the ‘bardo’—the Tibetan Buddhist period between death and rebirth. The narrative follows various ghosts who struggle to accept their deaths, alongside Abraham Lincoln, who is depicted grieving the loss of his son, Willie, to typhoid fever.

While the subject matter involves death and grief, creators describe the production as having moments of joy, humor, and effervescence. Director Lileana Blain-Cruz noted that the opera aims to honor the fullness of life through its diverse cast of characters.