Opera
The Lord of Cries
My libretto, to John Corigliano’s score, retells the story of Euripides’ The Bacchae with the characters of Bram Stoker’s Dracula; Santa Fe Opera has announced its world premiere for July 2021.
Little Women
My 1998 adaptation of the Alcott novel has become, I am grateful to note, one of the most frequently performed American operas of the century.
Lysistrata
In ancient Athens, the women won’t make love until the men make peace. The premise is Aristophanes’: but there’s a bit of Antigone’s dilemma—do belong to my city, or myself?—that I wove into this tragicomedy from 2005…
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
The New Testament reimagined through the eyes of its lone substantial female character, in which difficult desires and a strong sense of destiny haunt two generations of Jesus’ family. San Francisco Opera commissioned and introduced the piece in 2013: sparks flew…
Becoming Santa Claus
A selfish Prince, a desperate Queen, 4 harried Elves, a mysterious Donkey, and a star in the West: an invented backstory of the young Santa Claus dances with the Nativity myth in my 2015 piece for Dallas Opera.
Watch This Space
I’m not at liberty to share details yet: but I am happily at work on a new piece—unlike anything I’ve done before—which has its creative team and its (amazing) leading player in place, and which is scheduled for premiere in spring of 2024.
Chamber
Aristotle
Billy Collins’ poem of the same name forms the spine of this 15-minute score I composed in 2015 for baritone Thomas Hampson and the Jupiter String Quartet.
Orchestra
Last Year
The pandemic postponed its premiere, but I composed this concerto for cello and string orchestra for soloist Jeffrey Ziegler and a consortium of four orchestras.
Choral
The Christmas Life
A setting of Wendy Cope’s lovely poem for chorus and chamber orchestra premiered by San Francisco’s Volti chamber choir.