“The Mothers of Kherson,” a new opera by Ukrainian composer Maxim Kolomiiets and American librettist George Brant, will receive its fully staged world premiere at the Teatr Wielki–Polish National Opera in Warsaw, followed by a staging at the Met in April 2028.

The opera’s commission grew out of the Met’s commitment to supporting Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Peter Gelb, the Met’s General Manager, asked Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture to invite leading Ukrainian composers to apply for the commission, and the Met selected Kolomiiets in 2023. Brant, who adapted his play “Grounded” into the libretto for Jeanine Tesori’s opera of the same name, was selected as librettist.

In a statement the Metropolitan Opera’s General Manager Peter Gelb said, “This is art bearing witness to war crimes and the heroic actions in the face of those crimes. ‘The Mothers of Kherson’ will provide permanent artistic testimony to the story of the indomitable women who risked their own lives to save the lives of their children. Its music and words will be heard around the world.”

The opera will open in Poland on Oct. 16 and run through Oct. 27, 2026 and will be conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilsonand directed by Barbara Wysocka. The Polish Opera’s cast will feature Izabela Matuła as Kateryna, Hanna Sosnowska-Bill as Lilia, Kamila Dutkowska as Dasha, Weronika Wojtkowska as Olena, Elissa Pfaender as Tetyana, and Małgorzata Walewska as Olha.

At the Met, the opera will star Aleksandra Kurzak, Erin Morley, and Alice Coote.

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