On 2 June, the Metropolitan Opera in New York presented the first excerpt from its upcoming production of Mother Kherson, an opera about the deportation of Ukrainian children and mothers who embark on a dangerous journey to bring their children home. This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.
The opera was created by Ukrainian composer Maksym Kolomiyets in collaboration with American playwright George Brunt. The plot is based on the real stories of women from Kherson who crossed the front lines to rescue their children from filtration camps in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
The world premiere of the opera will take place in October 2026 at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, and in the 2027–2028 season, the production will be staged by the Metropolitan Opera itself. One of the leading roles will be performed by renowned soprano Erin Morley, conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson, and directed by Polish director Barbara Wysocka.
‘We don't want the world to forget what is happening. This is our artistic way of reminding people of the tragedy,’ said Peter Gelb, general director of the Metropolitan Opera.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Metropolitan Opera has been actively supporting Ukraine: in particular, it created the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, stopped working with artists who support Putin's regime, and regularly holds charity concerts to support Ukrainians.