(Credit: Marylene Mey)

The LA Opera has announced that it has dropped the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s “Lincoln in the Bardo.”

The opera, which was supposed to be included in the 20-25-26 season for a February 2026 world premiere, will no longer be shown due to budget cuts.

In a statement, LA Opera president Christopher Koelsch said, “With rising expenses, it’s harder for us to manage the manifestation of all of our potential dreams. It’s a wonderful project and I think it will be very impactful when it gets to the Met. What Missy and Royce have done in adapting something that is essentially unadaptable is really miraculous, a very beautiful and very moving piece.”

As a result, the work, which is a co-commission with the Metropolitan Opera, will now have its world premiere at the New York theater in Oct. 2026 and will be the Met’s 32nd world premiere.

This is the latest world premiere that the LA Opera has canceled. Last January, the company announced that it was no longer performing Mason Bates’ “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” also due to budget cuts. The opera instead had its world premiere at Indianna University and will open the Met’s 2025-26 season on Sept. 21.

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