“Omar,” coming to SF Opera this fall, wins Pulitzer Prize for music

Coming to San Francisco Opera in the fall, Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’ opera Omar has won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for music. The opera is based on the actual 19th century journal of an Islamic scholar abducted from his home in West Africa and enslaved in South Carolina.

San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock called the prize “a testament to the creative genius of Rhiannon and Michael in writing an opera of such deep impact.” He added, “It is the kind of truth that should be on the opera house stage, and I am so proud that we will present it this fall.”

Koret recently sat down with Shilvock to discuss the Opera’s upcoming shows, including Omar, and how SF Opera plans to engage the community in experiencing them. Read our interview with him here, and learn more about Omar‘s prestigious award here.