YOST: Y | Opera | Studies Today and New Opera Dialogues (NOD) will present “Who’s Calling the Shots? Aesthetics & Power in Contemporary Opera,”  a three-day international gathering at Yale University examining the artistic, economic, and political forces shaping new opera in the 21st century.

The conference, which takes place between Dec. 4-6, 2025, will explore how shifting funding structures, institutional priorities, and cultural politics influence operatic creation. The program includes dialogues and listening sessions with artistic teams from North America and Europe, focusing on the balance between creative freedom and institutional expectations.

Featured participants include Melanie Bacaling, George Brant, Astrid Baumgardner, Joy Calico, Mark Campbell, Allison Chu, Moritz Eggert, Jean Hostache, Lily Kass, Elena Langer, Andrea Moore, Frances Pollock, Kevin Puts, Emily Richmond Pollock, Olaf Roth, Ewa Rucinska, Carlos José Pérez Sámano, Diana Syrse, Jeanine Tesori, and Dawn Upshaw.

The event is organized by Gundula Kreuzer, Professor of Music and founder of YOST, with Amy Stebbins and Hauke Berheide, co-founders of NOD.

Founded in 2018, NOD fosters dialogue among artists, producers, and scholars to reimagine opera as a socially engaged and continually evolving art form.

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