Metropolitan Opera: Lincoln In The Bardo

Lincoln In The Bardo brings George Saunders' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to operatic life at the Metropolitan Opera. This haunting work explores President Abraham Lincoln's profound grief following the death of his son Willie in 1862, set in a liminal space between life and death populated by restless spirits in Georgetown's Oak Hill Cemetery. Composer Matthew Aucoin and librettist Saunders have crafted an ambitious contemporary opera that weaves together Lincoln's historical anguish with a chorus of ghostly voices, creating a meditation on loss, love, and the weight of leadership during America's darkest hour.

Expect an emotionally powerful and musically adventurous evening that pushes the boundaries of traditional opera. Aucoin's score blends orchestral richness with innovative vocal writing, while the staging brings Saunders' supernatural narrative to vivid theatrical life. The opera requires no prior knowledge of the novel, though familiarity with Civil War history enhances the experience. This is contemporary opera at its most ambitious—perfect for adventurous operagoers and newcomers alike who appreciate bold artistic storytelling.

The Metropolitan Opera House provides the ideal grandeur for this epic work, with its legendary acoustics and world-class orchestra bringing Aucoin's complex score to full realization. Lincoln Center's iconic venue, home to over a century of operatic tradition, offers an appropriately majestic setting for this story of presidential grief and national trauma. The Met's technical capabilities allow for the sophisticated staging required to bring the bardo's otherworldly atmosphere to life.

Browse available performance dates on CultureTicks to experience this remarkable fusion of literature and music at one of the world's premier opera houses.