New Music Fund

Soon after arriving in Pittsburgh, Christopher began to introduce works such as Street Scene by Kurt Weill, Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie, Billy Budd by Benjamin Britten and Flight by Jonathan Dove - important works that hadn't been seen on the Pittsburgh Opera stage, and that would begin to introduce a contemporary musical aesthetic that deserved to sit side by side with foundational works. In the 2013-14 season, Christopher took a leap and programmed two 21st century works: Dark Sisters by Nico Muhly and Paul's Case by Gregory Spears. The latter piece utilized the Bitz Opera Factory for the first time, giving birth to the Second Stage series.

^{Dark Sisters (2013), photo credit: David Bachman}

The operas were a success, and Pittsburgh Opera began programming even more contemporary works, including Sumeida's Song by Mohammad Fairouz, Little Women by Mark Adamo, 27 by Ricky Ian Gordon's, and As One by Laura Kaminsky. Recognizing the absolute necessity of the art form’s development and evolution, Pittsburgh Opera made a monumental decision and presented its first world premiere in 2017: The Summer King by Daniel Sonenberg. While this was Pittsburgh Opera's first world premiere, it would not be its last.

The Summer King (2017), photo credit: David Bachman

What followed was a succession of new works including The Long Walk by Jeremy Howard Beck, The Last American Hammer by Peter Hilliard, Glory Denied by Tom Cipullo, Charlie Parker's Yardbird by Daniel Schnyder, the world premiere of Savage Winter by Douglas Cuomo (subsequently transferred to the Brooklyn Academy of Music), and The Rose Elf by David Herzberg.

In 2022, Pittsburgh Opera once again found itself in the national spotlight, presenting the world premiere of Christopher Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann's In A Grove - a powerful work based on the short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Pittsburgh Opera then presented Denis & Katya by Philip Venables, providing yet another showcase for the company during the 2023 OPERA America Conference held in Pittsburgh.

^{Charlie Parker's Yardbird (2021), photo credit: David Bachman}

On the immediate horizon, Pittsburgh Opera is committed to two upcoming world premieres: Jennifer Higdon and Jerre Dye's Woman With Eyes Closed (2025) and a yet to be announced commission from Laura Kaminsky (2026). As we look to the future, the breadth and scope of contemporary opera is growing, and Pittsburgh Opera is committed to including it in programming for years to come.