ALT@20!
For two decades, American Lyric Theater has been changing the face of American opera.
Since our founding in 2005, ALT has championed the next generation of opera creators through the nation’s first full-time professional mentorship program for composers, librettists, and dramaturgs. Alumni of our Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP) have gone on to transform the operatic landscape, with their works being performed by more than 70 companies around the world.
Join us on October 23rd as we celebrate ALT’s 20th Anniversary with a special Gala Concert, featuring music from many of the critically acclaimed operas created by ALT alumni. This unforgettable evening will celebrate the extraordinary artists we’ve supported—and the future we’re continuing to building for American opera.
A highlight of the evening will be a very special preview of Lincoln in the Bardo—the first opera by a CLDP alum to be commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera. Composed by Missy Mazzoli with a libretto by Royce Vavrek (CLDP 2007/08), the work is scheduled to receive its world premiere in the fall of 2026. The evening will also honor Susan Feder, whose 15-year tenure as Program Officer in the Arts and Culture Program at the Mellon Foundation was transformative for the American opera field. Feder’s visionary leadership and support of ALT helped to catalyze the company’s growth and amplify its national impact.
SHE WHO DARED PREMIERES IN CHICAGO!
SHE WHO DARED, by composer Jasmine Arielle Barnes and librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton. received its critically acclaimed world premiere at Chicago Opera Theater on June 3rd. Developed under the auspices of the Composer Librettist Development Program, SHE WHO DARED is, remarkably, the first opera to be professionally produced in the United States that has been written by two Black female artists. Everyone has heard of Rosa Parks, but she wasn’t the first to refuse to move. She Who Dared recenters the spotlight on the courageous women who helped desegregate the Montgomery bus system in the 1950’s leading to the momentous court case of Browder v. Gayle. She Who Dared was featured on CNN and NPR, and reviews will be posted soon - but in the meantime, enjoy photos from the world premiere production at COT!
The Composer Librettist Development Program
Founded in 2007, the CLDP is the only full-time professional mentorship initiative for operatic writers in the country. The CLDP is a tuition-free program that includes a core curriculum of classroom training and hands-on workshops with some of the country’s leading working artists.
“the essential contemporary opera lab.”
—The New Yorker
THE ARIA ACCESS PROJECT
The Aria Access Project (AAP) is a new resource for educators and singers that provides free access to arias by contemporary American composers and librettists for educational an audition use. This online hub includes arias from works that have recently received their premieres, as well as from operas for which the premieres are forthcoming.
Operas for Production
ALT currently has over 20 operas available to license, created by alumni of the Composer Librettist Development Program. Looking for a one-act chamber opera? A full-length, family-friendly work? An opera for your school touring program? A large-scale work for professional or academic production? Find the exact opera to suit your needs.