American Opera Projects: Championing New Voices in Opera

American Opera Projects

Invites us all to listen to voices new and rediscovered, to stories urgent and timeless, and to believe in opera’s boundless future.

A Vision Born from Collaboration

The American Opera Projects (AOP) has, for nearly four decades, stood at the forefront of operatic innovation, serving as both a sanctuary and a springboard for bold new voices. Co-led today by general director Charles Jarden and co-president Sarah Moulton Faux, AOP remains true to its founding mission: nurturing emerging composers and librettists while bringing to life operas that reflect the pulse of contemporary society.

The company’s roots stretch back to 1985, when Grethe Holby and Charles Jarden first imagined a space dedicated to the creation of new operas. By 1988, AOP had become a nonprofit and presented its first performance. At that time, Charles was working with the Santa Fe Opera, where he witnessed first-hand the unique vitality that emerges when singers, composers, and librettists collaborate on brand-new works. Unlike the static repetition of repertory staples, these collaborations radiated immediacy and authenticity, activating everyone involved. Inspired, Charles, along with original board members Grethe and Richard Peasley, a composer for theatre, with a long track record of successful collaborations with Peter Brook, helped shape an organization rooted in innovation, inclusivity, and artistic courage.

Sarah Moulton Faux: From Stage to Leadership

Sarah Moulton Faux first entered the AOP family as a singer, performing new works with the insight of an artist who had lived in diverse musical cultures. Having spent time in Montreal, where the musical world revolved around early music and baroque traditions, before immersing herself in the vibrant New Music culture of New York City, Sarah cultivated a unique perspective that now informs her leadership. Today, as co-president, she combines her artistry with her advocacy, creating an environment where young composers and librettists feel empowered to take risks, experiment, and reach their full potential.

Composers & the Voice: A Transformative Fellowship

At the heart of AOP’s impact is its flagship program, Composers & the Voice. Spanning two years, this fellowship is widely recognized as one of the most transformative opportunities available to emerging opera creators. It provides composers and librettists with immersive mentorship, hands-on workshops, and invaluable rehearsal time with professional singers. Unlike academic programs or short-term residencies, Composers & the Voice follows artists from the earliest spark of an idea to the moment it takes shape on stage.

The fellowship trains participants to write confidently for every vocal category, including soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, and bass, providing them with the practical knowledge to craft works that respect the technical and expressive capacities of the human voice. Fellows don’t just learn about opera; they live the process of making opera in real time, guided by directors, conductors, and singers who bring their work to life.

Perhaps most uniquely, the fellowship teaches composers how to collaborate. Opera is an art form that combines music, drama, design, and movement into a seamless synthesis. AOP shows its fellows how to communicate ideas clearly to performers and directors, how to revise with openness, and how to craft stories that strike a balance between artistic innovation and emotional resonance. These lessons extend far beyond the fellowship: graduates leave with the tools and confidence to build sustainable careers, contribute to the operatic canon, and inspire future generations.

As Sarah notes, “The most delicate part of guiding a new opera is offering feedback.” AOP’s structure gives creators the support to take risks while also building the resilience to refine their work. It’s in that space of trust that real artistry happens.

Inclusivity and Representation at the Core

AOP’s vision extends beyond music; it’s about representation, inclusivity, and relevance. Their productions range widely in subject, from explorations of identity and spirituality to works rooted in history or faith, always led by the conviction that everyone involved in a production, whether composer, librettist, singer, or stagehand, should feel heard, valued, and represented.

This inclusivity is reflected not only in the stories they tell but also in the communities they serve. By supporting works that address urgent societal themes, AOP ensures opera remains a living, breathing art form, one that speaks directly to today’s audiences while shaping tomorrow’s cultural memory.

Extending the Mission Through Performance

The values at the heart of AOP are embodied by its leaders. In addition to her role at AOP, Sarah Moulton Faux continues to give voice to underrepresented stories through her own artistry. Her recent album, YULIYA (Azica Records), in collaboration with pianist-composer Konstantin Soukhovetski, unveils the forgotten art songs of Julia Weissberg Rimsky-Korsakov (1878–1942), a gifted composer silenced by antisemitism and the devastation of World War II.

This project embodies the very essence of AOP’s mission: providing a platform for voices that might otherwise remain unheard, connecting past injustices with present opportunities, and ensuring that music remains both art and testimony. Sarah’s work with YULIYA is a natural extension of AOP’s ethos, illuminating hidden legacies while championing the creation of new ones.

A Legacy of Excellence

American Opera Projects, guided by a dedicated leadership team including Charles Jarden, Joel Kalow, Sarah Moulton Faux,  and important Artistic alliances with Mila Henry, Steven Osgood, Ziyan Yang, Mark Campbell, Matt Gray, and W. Wilson (Bill) Jones, continues to redefine what it means to create and produce opera in the 21st century.

Through programs like Composers & the Voice and the NYU Tisch Opera Lab, AOP offers artists not only the chance to create but also the chance to grow, collaborate, and contribute to a living tradition. These initiatives ensure that each new generation of opera creators has the mentorship, skills, and opportunities necessary to innovate fearlessly and speak powerfully to global audiences.

For AOP, success is not measured by a single performance but by the enduring life of a work, seeing it revived, reimagined, and carried forward. Their mission is clear: to give today’s composers and librettists the platform to shape tomorrow’s canon.

Recent graduates of the AOP program have gone on to establish themselves as some of the most sought-after composers in opera today, with works performed by leading companies across the country. This success reflects the unique training environment AOP provides, where fellows work closely with leading figures in the industry. Steven Osgood, for instance, serves not only as Artistic Director of C&V but also as a conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, offering fellows the chance to learn directly from a maestro at the highest level of the field. Similarly, librettist Mark Campbell, whose work is widely celebrated and who has even received a dedicated grant from Opera America to nurture new librettists, contributes to AOP’s legacy of pairing young talent with mentors of extraordinary stature. Together, these connections ensure that fellows leave AOP not just with experience, but with the tools, guidance, and credibility to thrive in the professional opera world.

American Opera Projects invites us all to listen to voices new and rediscovered, to stories urgent and timeless, and to believe in opera’s boundless future.