Austin Opera is set to launch its 2026–27 season with the world premiere of “Ofrenda.”

The work by Jorge Sosa and John de los Santos represents the company’s first commissioned work and the inaugural production in the new Butler Performance Center. “Ofrenda” is described as a 90-minute chamber opera, performed in English and Spanish, and developed through Austin Opera’s Residency for Latinx Creatives.

“I cannot think of a more ideal work to help us open the Butler Performance Center than
‘Ofrenda,’ which has grown right here in Austin over the past three years through Jorge
and John’s work in the Residency for Latinx Creatives,” said Annie Burridge, Austin
Opera’s General Director and CEO, per an official press release. “Presenting this world premiere is both a celebration of artistic innovation and an act of community representation, highlighting the power of opera to honor heritage, inspire empathy, and bring people together across cultures.”

The project received development support beginning in 2023 through the Residency for Latinx Creatives and Sosa and de los Santos refined the libretto and score with guidance from Austin Opera staff. A duet premiered in November 2025 during the company’s “Celebrate Opera!” concert, and a weeklong workshop is scheduled for July 2026. Austin Opera will premiere the chamber version; a full orchestration is also in progress.

“The idea for Ofrenda came to me during COVID,” noted composer Jorge Sosa regarding the work’s inception. “I wanted to write a work that centered around healing and celebrated essential workers. I was thinking about the curanderas (traditional healers) in México and the mysticism that surrounds them. John de los Santos has been an incredible creative partner in
developing the idiosyncrasies of the characters and the bilingual libretto. The opera reads like a hospital procedural show, mixed with a healthy dose of magical realism and high drama.”

The opera’s main character is Macaria, a custodian at a hospital who has an encounter with death, known as Señora in the opera. Señora is moved by Macaria’s acts of kindness and decided to give her the power to heal anyone, which comes with a price.

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