Metropolitan Opera to Stage Ukrainian Work About Mothers of Kherson

The Opera 'Mothers of Kherson'

According to Главком: In June 2026, the National Opera of Ukraine unveiled a concert version of the opera 'Mothers of Kherson.' This work, drawing from real testimonies of women who rescued children from Russian occupation, will have its staged world premiere in Warsaw on October 16, 2026. Its American debut is scheduled at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2027–2028 season. The opera was composed by Maksym Kolomiiets, with a libretto by American playwright George Brant and a Ukrainian translation by Myroslav Laiuk.

Canadian-American conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, who serves as music director of the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra and founded the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, will lead the production. Polish director Barbara Wysocka will stage the work. In Warsaw, soloists from the Polish National Opera will perform. Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, remarked:

'Great art has always been a witness to and testimony of history.' - Peter Gelb

He believes 'Mothers of Kherson' will stand alongside such artistic testimonies as Picasso's 'Guernica,' the film 'Schindler's List,' and '20 Days in Mariupol.'

Plot and Significance

A key element of the opera's plot involves the real accounts of women who brought children back from occupied territories. Nearly all characters are fictional, with two exceptions:

• Maria Lvova-Belova
• an abducted Ukrainian boy from Mariupol

In 2022, Ukraine's State Agency for Arts and Ministry of Culture held a competition for composing the opera, selecting Kolomiiets from 74 applicants.

The original libretto included the line 'Kherson is captured! This city is no longer ours,' but cultural scholar Zoia Zvynyatskivska flagged its inaccuracy. The text was changed to 'Kherson is captured, but the city will always be ours!' Petro Chupryna, general director of the National Opera of Ukraine, confirmed the possibility of staging it in Kyiv during the 2028–2029 season. He stated, 'This opera must be staged at the National Opera as well,' adding, 'We have sufficient resources for this production.'

The Metropolitan Opera is also producing a 90-minute documentary about the project and plans to create a full cinematic version of the opera for worldwide cinema distribution. Keri-Lynn Wilson, who became principal conductor of the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra in 2024, made her debut with the ensemble at Carnegie Hall in summer 2024. Peter Gelb previously managed pianist Vladimir Horowitz.

'Mothers of Kherson' stands as a major cultural project capturing modern Ukrainian history and the experiences of women saving children during wartime. Its staging across multiple countries highlights international support for Ukrainian culture and the role of art in illuminating crises. The work also offers a platform for discussing the war and losses endured by Ukrainian society.