Works & Process will present an advance look at Washington National Opera’s upcoming O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky, featuring performance excerpts and a discussion with members of the creative team in New York on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 7 p.m.
The program will take place at the Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue in New York City, with tickets starting at $15. The presentation comes ahead of the opera-ballet’s world premiere by Washington National Opera in Washington, D.C., in March 2027.
New Opera-Ballet Explores Georgia O’Keeffe’s Creative Journey
O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky traces the artistic and personal journey of Georgia O’Keeffe as she develops into one of the most recognizable creative figures in American art. The production also explores the people who played important roles in shaping her life and artistic development.
The new work brings together Grammy Award-winning composer Christopher Tin and librettist Kelley Rourke, with choreography by Jessica Lang. Washington National Opera commissioned the opera-ballet as part of its upcoming programming.
The Works & Process presentation is designed to take audiences behind the scenes of the production before its full premiere.
Washington National Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello will join Tin, Rourke and Lang for a conversation examining their collaboration and the process of bringing O’Keeffe’s story to the stage through music, storytelling and dance.
Isabel Leonard and William Burden Among Featured Performers
Audiences will also see excerpts from the developing production featuring mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, tenor William Burden, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop and pianist Tongyao Li.
Dancers will participate in the performance excerpts, providing an early look at Jessica Lang’s choreography and the integration of movement into the opera.
The combination of opera and ballet is intended to provide a multidimensional interpretation of O’Keeffe’s journey, giving audiences an opportunity to experience portions of the production several months before its Washington premiere.
Following the presentation, attendees will be invited to continue the conversation during a reception in the rotunda.
Works & Process Program Supported by Major Donors
Leadership support for the Works & Process program is provided by Ed and Betsy Cohen.
Lead funding is provided by AG Foundation, Stuart H. Coleman and Meryl Rosofsky, Adam and Abigail Flatto, Christian Humann Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Tino and Rajika Puri, Stephen Kroll Reidy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Denise and Andrew Saul, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation and The SHS Foundation.
Additional support comes from Jody and John Arnhold, Jeff and Susan Campbell, Cate Caruso, Paul Cronson, Lucy and Philip Dobrin, Elizabeth Sharp Edens and Wes Edens, The Fanwood Foundation, Bart Friedman and Wendy Stein, Nina Matis, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, Leon Polsky, Caroline M. Sharp, Randall Sharp, The Shubert Foundation, and Eugene and Jean Stark.
Works & Process also receives public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and from the New York State Council on the Arts with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Washington National Opera Production Receives Additional Support
Major support for Washington National Opera’s O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky is provided by Denise Littlefield Sobel.
The WNO production is also made possible through a gift from the Halff Windham Foundation and The Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation. Isabel Leonard is sponsored by the Howard and Sarah D. Solomon Foundation.
Washington National Opera also lists General Dynamics, Jacqueline Badger Mars and Dallas Morse Coors among its season sponsors.
The New York presentation will give audiences an early opportunity to see how the creative team is developing O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky before Washington National Opera brings the complete work to the stage for its world premiere in March 2027.
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