Praised as “one of the most exciting opera composers in the country” (The Washington Post), composer Kamala Sankaram moves freely between the worlds of experimental music and contemporary opera. Sankaram’s recent work includes commissions for the Glimmerglass Festival, Washington National Opera, the PROTOTYPE Festival, Bronx Arts Ensemble, and Creative Time, among others.

Last season, Sankaram’s one-act opera The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, with a libretto by Rob Handel, was seen at Mannes School of Music and Oberlin Conservatory of Music; her family opera Jungle Book, with a libretto by Kelley Rourke, joined Washington National Opera’s holiday programming; and her biographical opera Thumbprint, with a libretto by Susan Yankowitz, made its European début, captivating German audiences at Oper Wuppertal. In addition, Sankaram composed an original piece for piano and voice for the Music Academy of the West. This season brings exciting new work including a chamber opera for the Kilkenny Arts Festival and a highly anticipated commission for Opera Philadelphia entitled Complications in Sue. Future seasons bring a world premiere commissioned by Wolf Trap Opera, as well as a mainstage and chamber opera to premiere at Minnesota Opera through their New Works Initiative.