Opéra de Montréal has announced the postponement of “La Beauté du Monde.”

The work, which was created Quebec playwright Michel Marc Bouchard and composer Julien Bilodeau, was set to premiere in 2021. In lieu of the continued concerns over COVID-19, the company has decided to postpone it until the Spring of 2022.

“This past year has been an extremely difficult one for opera companies everywhere. The pandemic has compelled us to get more creative and innovative to serve our audience’s interests while making sure that artists can continue to work,” stated Patrick Corrigan, General Director of the Opéra de Montréal in a press release. “An opera of this scale requires a minimum of 3 months to prepare, so the time had come for us to take this decision.”

However, the company did announce that it would continue championing digital opera content, including an “online surprise” on Dec. 17.

“We are especially eager to provide a moment of magic for families, knowing that the holiday season will be different this year. We are also aware of a need that is growing ever more urgent: that of reviving cultural outings while offering educational content for younger people,” Corrigan concluded.