Composer Missy Mazzoli Makes History with Met Opera Premiere of Lincoln in the Bardo
Classical composer Missy Mazzoli makes history at the Metropolitan Opera with her new production, blending punk rock roots with grand opera staging.
POLICY WIRE — Brooklyn, United States — Classical composer Missy Mazzoli, 45, was recently spotted in Brooklyn at a concert by the punk rock band Mannequin Pussy, embodying an unexpected new face for the traditional world of opera.
Explaining her admiration for the genre, Mazzoli stated that she loves its extremity, how it wears its thoughts, emotions, and politics openly, and serves as a raw expression of human emotion.
Mazzoli is currently taking on one of the world’s grandest stages as the Metropolitan Opera in New York debuts her latest work, Lincoln in the Bardo. This landmark production marks her as the first woman to have an opera premiered by the Met across its 143-year history.
Her journey into music began when her parents purchased a flea market piano for her at age seven, leading her to write her own music a few years later alongside playing in punk bands. Crediting MTV as a vital early influence, she recalled watching music videos for hours from artists like Guns N’ Sonic Youth, which helped her understand how different visual worlds could intersect.
Lincoln in the Bardo draws from George Saunders’ novel to examine President Lincoln during a critical juncture following the unexpected death of his 11-year-old son, Willie, which left the leader consumed by grief and visiting the graveyard to spend time with the body.
The narrative explores profound historical questions that resonate deeply with modern audiences, according to Mazzoli, who noted that setting a story during the height of a deeply divided America feels exceptionally relevant today.
To prepare for the project, Mazzoli spent time visiting cemeteries herself, noting that opera offers a unique avenue to explore difficult topics like life and death through singing and music when words alone fall short of expressing love, betrayal, or grief.
Staying true to its scale, Lincoln in the Bardo is a massive production featuring elaborate costumes, puppetry, special effects, and even a large horse making a brief appearance near the conclusion of the show.
Librettist Royce Vavrek, who has collaborated with Mazzoli on six operas, shared that they bond over a shared love for storytelling and theater, dividing the workload between word drama and musical drama to create a powerful combined result.
Earlier this summer, the creative duo premiered another new piece titled The Galloping Cure, which addresses the opioid epidemic. The topic holds deep personal significance, as Mazzoli lost two cousins to overdoses involving OxyContin and heroin, while Vavrek lost his father to addiction.
With two major operatic premieres and an upcoming piano concerto commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, Mazzoli noted that everything in her life is culminating in a very intense three-week span.
Reflecting on industry challenges, Mazzoli pointed out that young male creators are often judged on their potential, whereas women faced stricter scrutiny regarding prior experience, a disparity that motivated her to co-found the non-profit organization Luna Lab a decade ago to mentor teen composers.
Monday’s premiere also marked a sentimental full-circle moment for Mazzoli, who first visited the Met at age 18 and sat in the very last row of the highest section, an experience she credits with changing her life.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
