Mothers of Kherson
Following its concert premiere in Kyiv earlier this year, The Mothers of Kherson by Ukrainian composer Maksym Kolomiets will receive its fully staged world premiere at Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw on October 16, with Maestro Keri-Lynn Wilson conducting.
With a libretto by American playwright George Brant, The Mothers of Kherson tells the story of Ukrainian mothers who travel thousands of kilometers through several countries and Russian-controlled territories to bring their daughters home from Crimea. The opera addresses the forced removal and deportation of Ukrainian children, while also exploring the bonds between mothers, the strength found in community, and the extraordinary lengths to which people will go to protect those they love.
The Warsaw production is directed by Barbara Wysocka, with sets by Barbara Hanicka, costumes by Julia Kornacka, lighting by Marc Heinz, and video by Artur Sienicki. The production features the Chorus and Orchestra of the Polish National Opera and the Artos Children’s Choir. The cast includes Izabela Matuła as Kateryna, Hanna Sosnowska-Bill as Lilia, Kamila Dutkowska as Dasha, Weronika Wojtkowska as Olena, Elissa Pfaender as Tetiana Borysowa, Małgorzata Walewska as Olha and Olafur Sigudarson as the bus driver.
For Maestro Wilson, the premiere continues her sustained commitment to Ukrainian music and musicians. As founder and Music Director of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and Music Director of the Kyiv Camerata, Wilson has played a central role in bringing Ukrainian musical voices to audiences around the world. She conducted the first concert version of highlights of The Mothers of Kherson in Kyiv in June 2026 and performed the suite from the opera on the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra’s 2025 and 2026 tours.
Listen to Suite from The Mothers of Kherson: II. Sostenuto, rubato here.
Performances take place on October 16, 18, 23, 25, and 27, 2026. The two-act opera is a co-production between the Polish National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.
Read more about The Mothers of Kherson here.
Listen to Keri-Lynn Wilson’s BBC interview about The Mothers of Kherson here.
Tickets and additional information are available here.
