Berliner Tageblatt - Met Opera commissions new work about abducted Ukrainian children

The new opera will be written by the Ukrainian composer Maxim Kolomiiets, with American playwright George Brant penning the libretto.

It marks the latest action the prestigious company has taken in support of war-torn Ukraine.

The Met said the work will be a fictionalized telling of Ukrainian mothers traveling thousands of miles to Russian-occupied territory to reclaim their children from Russian authorities.

The story is based on real-life accounts Ukrainian mothers have described.

"We're proud to continue to support Ukraine on the cultural front. The heroism of these Ukrainian mothers in the face of Russian atrocities is a story that should be amplified theatrically and is in the good creative hands of Maxim and George," Peter Gelb, the opera house's general manager, said in a statement.

The Met did not immediately announce the opera's premiere date but it will likely take several years before the show is staged.

The company was among the first to say it would no longer work with institutions or performers who supported Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It made waves by cutting ties with superstar Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, who for years proved a durable headliner and box office draw on New York's premier opera stage.

The new opera will be the fruit of a joint commissioning project between the Met and the Lincoln Center Theater New Works Program, which was founded in 2006.

C.Meier--BTB