2027

SNAPSHOT provides composers and librettists with something essential—and increasingly rare: institutional support at the earliest, most vulnerable stage of creation.

SNAPSHOT gives artists the opportunity to workshop short operatic works or excerpts of larger projects with world-class vocalists and instrumentalists, bringing new ideas off the page and onto their feet. These performances are presented to the public and reviewed by leading arts voices including the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Classical Voice, KDFC, and KQED.

New operas don’t enter the canon overnight. They are built through experimentation, revision, and live performance. SNAPSHOT creates the space for that process—offering artists the time, resources, and professional environment needed to develop bold new work as it competes for a future on the operatic stage.

By investing in artists early, SNAPSHOT isn’t just presenting new music. It’s shaping the future of opera. 

All participating composers and librettists will also be provided a feedback session with leaders in the new opera field. Previous panelists have included Khori Dastoor (Houston Grand Opera), Bill Gorjance (Peer Music Publishing), Kip Cranna (San Francisco Opera Dramaturg Emeritus), and Joseph Marcheso (Opera San Jose Music Director).