Opera America has awarded $100,000 to six opera companies for their support for female composers. The six companies include the Houston Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Parallèle, Sarasota Opera, Seattle Opera and Washington National Opera.

The Houston Grand has commission Nkeiru Okoye’s “Home of My Ancestors” while Minnesota Opera’s grant is for Paola Prestini’s “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.” Opera Parallèle’s commission is Laura Kaminsky’s “Today it Rains,” while Sarasota Opera is showcasing Rachel J. Peters’ “Rootabaga Country.” Missy Mazzoli’s “Proving Up” is WNO’s commission and Sheila Silver’s “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is Seattle Opera’s.

The Grants are made possible through the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

“Thanks to the continued support of the Toulmin Foundation, works by women are gaining traction on stages across North America,” stated Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO of OPERA America. “This year, we received more applications for Commissioning Grants than ever before — a testament to our members’ investment in works by women.”