Works & Process to Preview 'O'Keeffe: Kiss the Sky' Opera-Ballet

Works & Process will present excerpts from Washington National Opera's "O'Keeffe: Kiss the Sky" on Oct. 18, 2026, at the Peter B. Lewis Theater in New York.

The program goes behind the scenes of the opera-ballet commissioned by Washington National Opera (WNO). It arrives more than four months before the work's world premiere, scheduled for March 2027 in Washington, DC.

Who is on stage?

The performance excerpts feature mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, tenor William Burden, and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop. Pianist Tongyao Li accompanies, alongside dancers.

Who created the work?

Composer Christopher Tin wrote the score. Kelley Rourke wrote the libretto. Jessica Lang created the choreography. All three artists, together with WNO artistic director Francesca Zambello, will join a conversation at the event about their collaboration.

Why does the preview matter?

The Oct. 18 presentation gives audiences an early look at a newly commissioned opera-ballet before Washington audiences see the full staging. Works & Process, the performance series based at the Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, has built its programming around exactly this format: artists unpacking new work in progress before its official premiere.

For "O'Keeffe: Kiss the Sky," that means the creative team — Zambello, Tin, Rourke and Lang — will discuss their collaboration in person, with excerpts performed by the singers and dancers preparing the work.

What happens next?

Washington National Opera stages the world premiere of "O'Keeffe: Kiss the Sky" in March 2027 in Washington, DC. The Works & Process event on Oct. 18, 2026 offers the first public window into how the opera-ballet is taking shape.