For Singers Looking for Operas Composed After 1980...

Written By Lisa Gray

UPDATED April 4, 2024 — For the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, singers must offer one aria composed after 1980. As a jumpstart on that aria search, here is a non-definitive list of operas composed after 1980.

  • 27, Gordon (2014)

  • A Coffin in Egypt, Gordon (2014)

  • A Flowering Tree, Adams | Sellars (2006)

  • A Metamorphosis, Christmas (2018)

  • A Pregnant Pause, Baxter | Rozsnyai (2024)

  • A Quiet Place, Bernstein (1983)

  • A Streetcar Named Desire, Previn | Littel (1998)

  • A View from the Bridge, Bolcom | Weinstein & Miller (1999)

  • A Wedding, Bolcom | Altman & Weinstein (2004)

  • After Life, Cipullo | Mason (2015)

  • Ainadamar, Golijov | Hwang (2003)

  • Alice, An Operatic Wonderland, Scurria (2022)

  • Alice in Wonderland, Chin (2004)

  • The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Bates | Scheer (2024)

  • An American Dream, Perla | Murphy-Moo (2015)

  • An American Soldier, Ruo (2018)

  • Anna Hunter, Ching (2017)

  • Anna Nicole, Turnage (2011)

  • Another City, Beck (2023)

  • Another Sunrise, Heggie | Scheer (2012)

  • Arkhipov, Knell (2022)

  • As One, Kaminsky | Campbell & Reed (2014)

  • At the Statue of Venus, Heggie (2005)

  • Before Night Falls, Martin (2010)

  • Bel Canto, López | Cruz (2015)

  • Blind Injustice, Richards | Cote (2019)

  • Blue, Tesori (2019)

  • Breaking the Waves, Mazzoli (2016)

  • Castor and Patience, Spears | Smith (2022)

  • Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Schnyder (2015)

  • Clair de Lune, Larsen (1984)

  • Cold Mountain, Higdon | Scheer (2015)

  • Cold Sassy Tree, Floyd (2000)

  • The Companion, Paterson | Cote (2014)

  • The Cows of Apollo, Theofanidis (2001)

  • The Dangerous Liaisons, Susa (1994)

  • Dark Sisters, Muhly | Karam (2011)

  • Dead Man Walking, Heggie | McNally (2000)

  • Death of Klinghoffer, Adams (1990)

  • Dinner at Eight, Bolcom | Campbell (2017)

  • Dog Days, Little (2015)

  • Dolores Claiborne, Picker (2013)

  • Doctor Atomic, Adams | Sellars (2005)

  • Dream of the Red Chamber, Sheng (2016)

  • El Niño, Adams (2000)

  • El último sueño de Frida y Diego, Frank (2021)

  • Elizabeth Cree, Puts | Campbell (2017)

  • Elmer Gantry, Aldridge | Garfein (2007)

  • Emmeline, Picker (1996)

  • Empty the House, Orth (2019)

  • The Enchanted Pig, Dove | Middleton (2006)

  • Escobar, Neri | Martinez (2017)

  • Eurydice, Aucoin | Ruhl (2020)

  • The Exterminating Angel, Adès |Cairns (2016)

  • Factotum, Liverman/DJ King Rico (2023)

  • The Falling and the Rising, Redler | Dye (2018)

  • Fantastic Mr. Fox, Picker (1998)

  • Fellow Travelers, Spears | Pierce (2007)

  • Flight, Dove | De Angelis (1998)

  • Florencia en el Amazonas, Catán (1996)

  • For a Look or a Touch, Heggie | Scheer (2007)

  • Frida, Rodriquez | Blecher (1991)

  • Garden of the Finzi Continis, Gordon | Korie (2022)

  • Ghosts of Versailles, Corigliano (1983)

  • The Gift of the Magi, Conte (1997)

  • Glory Denied, Cipullo (2007)

  • Goya, Menotti (1986)

  • The Grapes of Wrath, Gordon | Korie (2007)

  • The Great Gatsby, Harbison | Harbison (1999)

  • Great Scott, Heggie | McNally (2015)

  • Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom, Okoye (2014)

  • Having Guests for Dinner, Bentz | Feng (2020)

  • Home of my Ancestors, Okoye (2017)

  • The Hours, Puts | Pierce (2022)

  • House of Orfeus, Ford | Ford (2024)

  • House Without a Christmas Tree, Gordon (2017)

  • I Have No Stories To Tell You, Beecher | Moscovitch (2014)

  • If I Were You, Heggie | Scheer (2019)

  • Il Postino, Catán (2010)

  • The Impresario and the Dueling Divas, Christman (2021)

  • The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, Sankaram (2019)

  • Intelligence, Heggie (2023)

  • Intimate Apparel, Gordon | Nottage (2020)

  • Iron Road, Chan (2001)

  • It's A Wonderful Life, Heggie (2016)

  • JFK, Little | Vavrek (2016)

  • Jackie O, Daugherty (1997)

  • John Brown, Mechem (2008)

  • Josephine, Cipullo (2016)

  • La hija de Rappaccini, Catán | Tovar (1983)

  • Later the Same Evening, Musto | Campbell (2007)

  • The Listeners, Mazzoli | Vavrek (2022)

  • The Little Prince, Portman | Wright (2003)

  • Little Women, Adamo | Adamo (1998)

  • The Lord of Cries, Corigliano (2021)

  • Lucy, Cipullo (2009)

  • Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadows, Allen (2022)

  • Lysistrata, Adamo | Adamo (2006)

  • M. Butterfly, Hwang (2022)

  • Madeline Lee, Haddock (2004)

  • The Manchurian Candidate, Puts (2015)

  • Margaret Garner, Danielpour (2005)

  • Marnie, Muhly (2018)

  • Mayo, Cipullo (2018)

  • McTeague, Bolcom (1992)

  • Moby-Dick, Heggie (2010)

  • Mother Goose, Jarrar (2019)

  • Naga, Wheeler (2016)

  • Nixon in China, Adams (1987)

  • Old Man and the Sea, Prestini | Vavrek (2024)

  • Omar, Giddens | Abels (2022)

  • Oscar, Morrison (2015)

  • Our Town, Rorem | McClatchy (2006)

  • Out of Darkness (Two Remain), Heggie (2016)

  • Outside, Blaskie (2019)

  • Patience & Pearl, Jarrar | Goodwin (2016)

  • Penny, Pew (2015)

  • Plastic Flowers, MacDowell | MacDowell (2014)

  • Powder Her Face, Ades (1995)

  • prisoner of the state, Lang (2019)

  • Proving Up, Mazzoli (2018)

  • Rappahannock County, Gordon (2011)

  • Rattensturm, Wold (2018)

  • Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt, Musto (2016)

  • The Rift, Ruo (2022)

  • The Rivals, Mechem (2011)

  • Roscoe, Mack (2014)

  • Scalia/GInsburg, Wang | Wang (2014)

  • Service Provider, Weiss (2015)

  • Silent Night, Puts | Campbell (2011)

  • Siren Song, Dove | Dear (1994)

  • Soldier Songs, Little | Little (2006)

  • Song of the Nightingale, DeSpain (2023)

  • The Song Poet, Hagen | Yang (2023)

  • Speed Dating Tonight!, Ching (2013)

  • Tabula Rasa, Jarrar (2018)

  • Taking Up Serpents, Sankaram (2019)

  • Tartuffe, Mechem (1980)

  • Tea: a mirror of soul, Tan Dun (2002)

  • The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Talbot (2020)

  • The Dream of Valentino, Argento (1993)

  • The Long Walk, Beck (2015)

  • The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Bates (2017)

  • The Scarlet Letter, Laitman | Mason (2008)

  • The Secret River, Sung | Campbell (2021)

  • The Silk City, Santelli (2019)

  • The Tell Tale Heart, Jarrar (2021)

  • The Tempest, Adès | Oakes (2004)

  • The Tempest, Hoiby | Shulgasser (1986)

  • The Transformation of Jane Doe, Garrop (2020)

  • Thérèse Raquin, Picker (2001)

  • Three Decembers, Heggie | Scheer (2008)

  • Three Way, Paterson (2017)

  • Thumbprint, Sankaram (2014)

  • To Hell and Back, Heggie (2006)

  • Treemonisha (Reimagined), Sneed | Chilton (2023)

  • Triangle, Solitro (2019)

  • Two Remain, Heggie | McNally (2016)

  • Uncovered, Laitman | Lax (2020)

  • Vanqui, Burrs (1995)

  • We, The Innumerable, Nourbakhsh (2019)

  • When Adonis Calls, Borzoni (2014)

  • Willie Stark, Floyd (1981)

  • Written on Skin, Benjamin (2012)

  • X - The Life & Times of Malcolm X, Davis (1986)

  • you do not recognize the bodies in the water, Jarrar (2022)

  • Zorro, Armienta (2022)

Lisa Gray
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