Music for New Bodies

West Coast Premiere
Directed by Peter Sellars
Composed & Conducted by Matthew Aucoin
Texts by Jorie Graham

If you are captivated by the grandeur of orchestral music or the powerful storytelling of opera, Music for New Bodies is an unmissable event. This ambitious work by Matthew Aucoin, with poetry by Jorie Graham and directed by the visionary Peter Sellars, features the American Modern Opera Company creating a dramatic musical experience in the tradition of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.

A “song of the earth” for the present day, Music for New Bodies confronts the most pressing questions of our era: What is the future of humanity? How have we altered our planet? And, in an age dominated by disembodied AI, how can we reclaim the value of a life lived in a mortal, embodied human form? With its stirring symphonic intensity and thought-provoking lyrics, this piece offers a deep and urgent meditation on the challenges we face as a species.

Read more about Peter Sellars, Meany Center's 2025–26 Artistic Partner