La Monnaie has announced the world premiere of “The Time of Our Song,” a composition commissioned by Belgian Kris Defoort, on Sept. 14, 2021.

The opera is based on the novel by Richard Powers with a libretto by Peter Van Kraai. It will be directed by Ted Huffman and conducted by Kwamé Ryan. Claron MCFadden, Mark S. Doss, Simon Bailey, Levy Sekgapane, Peter Brathwaite, Abigail Abraham and Lilly Jørstad will star. The performance will also feature  the La Monnaie Chamber Orchestra, the Mark Turner jazz quartet, the La Monnaie Children’s and Youth Choir, and others. 

The original 2003 novel by Powers centers on the Strom family over several decades as its many members attempt to construct their identity. The book won several major awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

The opera was originally set to premiere in 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic.