Seven of New York City’s leading musical organizations have joined forces to relaunch “VOX: American Voices Opera Lab,” the only program of its kind dedicated to presenting excerpts of new grand operas by contemporary American composers.

The collaborative brings together American Composers Orchestra, Beth Morrison Projects, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, MasterVoices, the Metropolitan Opera, and Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC). Beth Morrison serves as Director and Creative Producer, with Ted Sperling as Music Director.

Each partner organization contributes distinct resources to the project. American Composers Orchestra provides the orchestra, MasterVoices supplies the chorus, and the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program provides the principal singers, supplemented by students from Manhattan School of Music and Mannes School of Music. PAC NYC serves as presenter and venue.

Performances of the revived VOX will take place on April 1, 2027 at PAC NYC, featuring book-in-hand concert presentations of 20-to-30-minute excerpts from four works-in-progress, performed with soloists, full orchestra, and chorus.

“VOX isn’t just a showcase,” said Morrison on behalf of the collective, per an official press release. “It is a crucial steppingstone in the long and often under-supported journey of new opera development.”

Submissions for the 2027 cycle open May 15, 2026, with a deadline of August 1.

Originally founded by New York City Opera under General Director Paul Kellogg in 1999, VOX operated as an essential industry platform for over a decade before ceasing with the company’s closure. The program was previously led by director Yuval Sharon and later by Morrison herself in 2010 and 2011. The revival now moves forward under its original name with the blessing of the current NYCO board.