The Mothers of Kherson World Premiere
WORLD PREMIERE OF THE OPERA in a concert performance
THE MOTHERS OF KHERSON by Maksym Kolomiets
Libretto by George Brant
The Metropolitan Opera, the Polish National Opera, the National Opera of Ukraine, and the Lviv National Opera present the world premiere of a concert version of an opera about Ukrainian women who traveled thousands of kilometers to bring home children taken by Russia.
Conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson. Soloists from the National Opera of Ukraine and the Lviv National Opera will perform alongside the Orchestra, Chorus, and Children’s Chorus of the National Opera of Ukraine, as well as the Kyiv Camerata ensemble.
New York — Kyiv (May 7, 2026) — On June 4, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., the National Opera of Ukraine will present the world premiere of the concert version of the opera “The Mothersnof Kherson” by Maksym Kolomiets, based on a libretto by American playwright George Brant (Ukrainian translation by Myroslav Laiuk). Conductor: Keri-Lynn Wilson.
The project features the Orchestra, Chorus, and Children’s Chorus of the National Opera of Ukraine, as
well as the Kyiv Camerata ensemble. The leading roles are performed by Mariana Mazur, Anastasia Povazhna, Sofia Soloviy, Anastasia Dovbius (soprano), Angelina Shvachka (mezzo-soprano), Vitaliy Rozdaygora (tenor), and Taras Berezhansky (bass).
The world stage premiere will take place in Warsaw in October 2026, and the U.S. premiere will be at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2027–28 season. Both productions will be conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson, who has served as music director of the Kyiv Camerata since 2024. The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, which she founded at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has become one of the most prominent symbols of Ukrainian cultural resistance.
The opera tells the story of two mothers from Kherson who embark on a journey of over four thousand kilometers across several countries and Russian-controlled territories to rescue their daughters, who are being held in Crimea. It is based on the real-life accounts of women who traveled to the occupied territories to bring their children home. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been abducted and subjected to forced “re-education” programs in Russia.
“This is a story about one of the most painful crimes of this war,” says Maksym Kolomiets. “It is important to me that this experience be heard around the world, and that everyone use their opportunities to counteract this.”
This concert version of the opera is the first public presentation of the work, created as a joint commission by the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Polish National Opera in Warsaw. Metropolitan Opera General Director Peter Gelb notes:
“I cannot imagine a more effective way to provide cultural support to Ukraine than an opera that captures the reality of war, this dimension of it, and bears witness to the personal courage of Ukrainian women and men in the face of the most dire circumstances.”
The world stage premiere will take place in Warsaw in October 2026, and the U.S. premiere will be at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2027–28 season.
Both performances will be conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson, who has served as music director of the Kyiv Camerata since 2024. The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, which she founded, has become one of the most prominent symbols of Ukrainian cultural resistance since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
In 2025, Wilson and the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra performed the Suite from “Mothers of Kherson” during a tour of Europe, recording it for Deutsche Grammophon alongside Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The recording was released in February of this year to mark the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In 2026, the suite will be performed again as part of the Invincible Tour, including at Lincoln Center in New York.
