For the first time in the Metropolitan Opera's 143-year history, it will premiere an opera composed by a woman. Lincoln in the Bardo — an adaptation of George Saunders' novel , which imagines Abraham Lincoln visiting his deceased son's spirit at his grave—opens on Monday, October 19, featuring music by Missy Mazzoli and a libretto by Royce Vavrek .

The premiere marks a major turning point for the New York artistic institution, and classical music as a whole. It's also a full-circle moment for Mazzoli, who has long advocated for gender equity in the industry.…