The Los Angeles Opera has decided to postpone a planned world premiere for the upcoming season, marking the second consecutive year of such a decision aimed at cutting costs. Initially, Missy Mazzoli’s “Lincoln in the Bardo” was scheduled to make its debut in Los Angeles in February 2026, but it will now premiere at New York’s Metropolitan Opera instead.

Based on the 2017 novel by George Saunders and featuring a libretto by Royce Vavrek, the opera focuses on the poignant themes surrounding the death of President Abraham Lincoln’s son, William Wallace Lincoln. The story unfolds in a space between life and afterlife. The news of its absence from LA Opera’s 2025-26 season lineup was announced on Tuesday. Saunders expressed his disappointment, noting that it was initially anticipated to be a significant event for Los Angeles.

Christopher Koelsch, the president of LA Opera, elaborated on the financial challenges the organization faces. He remarked, “As costs continue to rise, realizing all of our artistic aspirations has become increasingly complicated.” He also affirmed that the project, while not happening in Los Angeles, would have a substantial impact in its new location. Koelsch acknowledged the remarkable adaptation work by Mazzoli and Vavrek, emphasizing that transforming an almost unadaptable narrative into a compelling opera is a significant achievement.

Previously, Mason Bates’ “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” was also set to premiere in Los Angeles last October, but it did not make the schedule and was instead performed in a trial format with students at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. This production is slated to kick off the Met’s 2025-26 season on September 21.

Originally, the Met had announced in 2018 that “Lincoln” would be commissioned and indicated in 2023 that it would start in Los Angeles. It is now scheduled to present its debut at the Met in October 2026. Koelsch, while managing his organization’s rebound from the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, mentioned that he had not made a firm commitment to the project and determined that LA Opera could not accommodate it financially. While the revenue for the 2023-24 season reached $46.8 million, an increase from the previous season, it still showed a decrease from $47.1 million in the 2021-22 timeline.

As financial forecasting for the upcoming season became clearer, Koelsch assessed the situation. In response to the absence of performance dates in LA, Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, shared that an additional workshop for “Lincoln” would be planned, marking it as the Met’s 32nd world premiere.

In 2025, James Conlon will conduct three of LA Opera’s five primary stage productions at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, concluding his tenure as music director after 20 impactful years. The season will kick off on September 20 with his leadership in Francesca Zambello’s rendition of Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” which was first presented in Houston in 2018. Following this, Conlon will conduct a revival of Verdi’s “Falstaff” starting on April 18, 2026, and Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte,” set to open on May 30.

The 2025 season will also feature revivals of Herbert Ross’ “La Bohème” and Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten,” the latter being led by Phelim McDermott who previously staged it for the English National Opera. Koelsch remarked, “This is a victory lap for James,” referring to Conlon’s lasting influence on the organization’s musical direction over its history.

The number of main-stage productions mirrors that of the previous season, with a total of five, a reduction from six in prior years and a peak of ten during the 2006-07 season. Furthermore, two world premieres will occur at smaller spaces: Sarah Kirkland Snider’s “Hildegard,” inspired by the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, will take place at The Wallis in Beverly Hills from November 5-9, while Carla Lucero’s “The Tower of Babel” will be performed as a community opera on May 8 and 9, conducted by Conlon as well.

Koelsch is eager to appoint Conlon’s successor before the commencement of the 2026-27 season, hoping to continue building on the rich legacy left by the outgoing music director.