• World Premiere Operas
• 96-Hour Opera Project Competition Showcase
• $10,000 Prize as part of a $25,000 Commission
The NOW Festival is a celebratory multi-day event in June that honors the development and performance of new operatic works. It aims to help nurture emerging creative talents from under-represented communities and offers a path into the art of opera.
The festival features two signature events: a new work premiere of a new chamber opera and the 96-Hour Opera Project competition showcase.
After two years of development, we proudly present the latest new work world-premiere of Water Memory (Jala Smriti), by composer Kitty Brazelton and librettist Vaibu Mohan. Centered on Janani, a South Asian woman navigating the early stages of dementia, the opera explores memory, family, and connection. Public performances of Water Memory will be held June 12 at 7:30pm and June 14 at 3pm at Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts.
The 96-Hour Opera Project showcases five ten-minute operas, created by teams selected through a rigorous application process, and mentored through the creative process to write ten-minute operas. Bringing their completed works to Atlanta, the creative teams rehearse their productions for 96 hours, and bring their works to life under the guidance of seasoned specialists. The finale is open to the public, and will take place Saturday, June 13, 2025, at the Ray Charles Center for the Performing Arts at Morehouse College, where an esteemed panel of judges will experience the premieres and select the winners of the $10,000 Antinori Foundation Grand Prize as part of an Atlanta Opera $25,000 commission.
NOW Festival is a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the next generation of opera, offering audiences the rare opportunity to see new works emerge from first note to final performance.
FESTIVAL DATES
Jun 10-14, 2026
NOW Festival
Fri, Jun 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
New Work World Premiere
Water Memory
Ferst Center for the Arts
Sat, Jun 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
96-Hour Opera Project
competition showcase
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center
Sun, Jun 14, 2026 @ 3pm
New Work World Premiere
Water Memory
Ferst Center for the Arts
Competition Application
Applications now open
APPLY ONLINE
Tickets
Tickets on sale in Spring 2026.
Sponsors
The Antinori Foundation
Grand Prize
The Rich's Foundation
About the Competition
“The 96-Hour Opera Project expands the canvas on what is possible in opera. By representing voices that were traditionally unrepresented in the opera canon, we can rejoice in the power of story.”
Andrea Davis Pinkney
judge, 96-Hour Opera Project
“The opportunity to create, workshop and explore solutions right on the spot was an invaluable element of this program. That paired with all the fantastic networking made it an excellent program.”
participant, 96-Hour Opera Project
“The 96-Hour Opera Project is an ambitious, unique initiative that is striving to connect directly with the greater Atlanta community. Atlanta Opera is breaking new ground with this competition and other companies would do well to follow suit.”
participant, 96-Hour Opera Project
Artistic Advisors
Tazewell Thompson, artistic advisor
Internationally acclaimed director, playwright, and librettist Tazewell Thompson will bring his award-winning expertise in opera and theater to this year’s competition, collaborating closely with creative teams throughout the process.
“I gratefully accept the invitation to join the team of the NOW Festival—New Opera Works. I’m honored and delighted to serve as Artistic Advisor in focusing, fostering, and mentoring the development of new works as part of The Atlanta Opera. I look forward to joining in the company’s extraordinary contribution and continuing commitment of identifying and supporting the works of future composers and librettists telling stories that matter through the world of opera.”
Morris Robinson, legacy artistic advisor
World-renowned bass, GRAMMY Award winning vocalist and Atlanta native Morris Robinson will serve as the artistic advisor again for this year’s competition, working with creative teams throughout the competition as well as serving as one of the judges.
“The level of talent here is stunning. I cannot wait to hear and see what they prepare over the coming months.”
Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director
Tomer Zvulun
“The rich history of Atlanta rests not only in the lives of the most famous, but in the courage and strength of even the most unacclaimed people,” said Tomer Zvulun. “Our goal is to lift up the inspirational stories that reflect the multicultural history of Atlanta and to amplify the voices of a diverse group of talented emerging creators.”
FAQ
The NOW Festival is a celebratory multi-day event in June that honors the development and performance of new operatic works. It aims to help nurture emerging creative talents from under-represented communities and offers a path into the art of opera.
It will include the 96-Hour Opera Project competition showcase, along with developmental workshops and world premieres of works by our past competition winners.
The competition, in which teams of composers and librettists have four days to workshop and stage completely new and compelling 10-minute operas, is the heart of the festival. Each team presents their work in a showcase before an audience and the panel of judges.
Winners from previous year’s competition will have the opportunity to present their developed works in an incubator setting and, the following year, as a more developed workshopped opera.
In 2026, the NOW Festival will open with the world premiere of Water Memory, followed by the 96-Hour Opera Project and a second performance of Water Memory. Events will be presented in partnership with Morehouse College, the Morehouse School of Music and Georgia Tech.
The entire festival runs June 10 – 14 with public performances of Water Memory scheduled for June 12 at 7:30pm and June 14 at 3pm at the Ferst Center for the Arts on the Georgia Tech campus, 349 Ferst Dr, NW in Atlanta. The 96-Hour Opera Project competition showcase will also be open to the public and will take place Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 7:30pm, at the Ray Charles Center for the Performing Arts, 900 West End Ave, SW in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Opera will provide a compelling story theme or themes for the participating librettists and composers. The story prompts will be given to the creative teams in advance of the competition with time to engage in exploration and research on the subject.
The competition encourages the participation of composers and librettists who self-identify as part of a group that has been underrepresented in opera.
We are only able to accept permanent residents and citizens of the United States for this project.
There is no age range or limit for applying, but composers and librettists in the early stages of their careers are encouraged to participate.
Application is limited to artists who are determined to have significant skills as a composer and/or playwright/librettist through academic study and limited professional experiences; and who demonstrate a unique perspective that could benefit from mentorship.
Successful applicants will express interest and enthusiasm for opera as a form of storytelling, however, artists with no previous opera experience are encouraged to apply. They will demonstrate excellence as evidenced by submitted samples of previous composition/writing and a developed voice in their chosen art form and will commit to following a provided story prompt to develop a 10-minute work for a maximum of two voices.
We will provide an option to pair artists, based on their experience and interests.
All participating teams will travel to Atlanta after preparing their works in advance of the program. Travel (airfare or mileage reimbursement), housing, singers, pianists and space will be provided to each composer/librettist team to showcase their new mini-operas.
Submissions will be evaluated based on artistic excellence or the potential for artistic excellence, artistic ability, knowledge of both vocal and orchestral writing (composers), and character development (librettists).
Judges will be announced in early 2026.
• DAY 1: Wed, Jun 10, 2026 – Introductions and music rehearsal
• DAY 2: Thu, Jun 11, 2026 – Rehearsal and staging
• DAY 3: Fri, Jun 12, 2026 – Coaching, mentorship with judges, and final prep
• DAY 4: Sat, Jun 13, 2026 – Dress rehearsal, Competition Showcase performance and judging
We invite the community to enjoy the performances/competition. The Atlanta Opera Film Studio will capture aspects of the preparation and the competition showcase. Specific use of the video and audio recordings will be determined by the needs of The Atlanta Opera.
Media Inquiries
Please contact
Michelle Winters, Director of PR and Communications
404.673.7075
[email protected]
