Innocence Tickets

Innocence in New York

Experience the gripping world premiere of Innocence at the Metropolitan Opera House, just a stone's throw from Central Park, in New York. This compelling modern opera, composed by acclaimed composer, the late Kaija Saariaho, explores the emotional aftermath of a tragic school shooting through a hauntingly beautiful, multilingual score and is directed by Olivier award winner Simon Stone. 

What is the opera Innocence about? 

Set at the reception of a wedding, a decade after a school shooting, Innocence unravels as buried truths resurface, forcing families and friends to confront long‑held secrets and shared grief. The opera delves into themes of trauma, memory, responsibility, and healing, weaving together poetic text and deeply expressive music in a work that has been described as both a psychological thriller and a profound meditation on human connection. Sung in a blend of languages and ranging from traditional operatic singing to expressionistic speak‑singing and elements of Scandinavian folk, the score reflects the fractured inner lives of its characters and the weight of collective loss.

The History of Innocence 

Innocence is the final opera by renowned Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (1952 – 2023). The opera premiered in 2021 at the Aix‑en‑Provence Festival and has since been staged at leading houses including the Royal Opera House and Dutch National Opera. The opera addresses contemporary issues of trauma and communal memory, breaking new ground in 21st‑century operatic storytelling.

The Metropolitan Opera’s presentation marks the New York debut of this production and is particularly significant as Saariaho’s final opera, as her works have played a pivotal role in expanding the operatic canon, as she became the second female composer to have an opera staged at the Met with the premiere of L’Amour de loin in 2016, with the first being Ethel Smyth’s Der Wald, almost a century beforein 1903. 

The Cast of Innocence

• Joyce DiDonato – Waitress
• Vilma Jää – Markéta
• Jacquelyn Stucker – Bride
• Miles Mykkanen – Bridegroom
• Rod Gilfry – Father-in-Law
• Kathleen Kim – Mother-in-Law
• Stephen Milling – The Priest
• Julie Hega – Iris
• Beate Mordal – Lily
• Simon Kluth – Anton
• Lucy Shelton – Teacher
• Camilo Delgado Díaz – Jerónimo

Who are the Creative Team of Innocence?

Olivier winner Simon Stone (Phaedra) directs this powerful, psychologically charged production, while Susanna Mälkki (Powder Her Face). Innocence is composed by Kaija Saariaho (L'Amour de loin) with Finnish libretto by Sofi Oksanen (Purge) and Multilingual libretto and dramaturgy by Aleksi Barrière (Eight Songs for a Mad King).

Tickets for Innocence at the Met Opera 

Innocence stands as one of the most compelling new operatic works of the 21st century, blending lyrical innovation with a powerful narrative about memory, loss and communal responsibility. This New York premiere of the final opera by renowned composer Kaija Saariaho is “a modern masterpiece” (The Telegraph), and promises to be unmissable. Book tickets for Innocence at the Metropolitan Opera now, and enjoy an opera that boldly redefines what the art form can be in the modern era.