Micro-Opera Research

Micro-Opera Composition List

This is a comprehensive list of all known micro-operas. Last Updated January 3rd, 2023.

Micro-Opera Definition

21st century, experimental, modernist sub-genre of opera, the basic features of which include a short duration (less than 20 minutes) and a small amount of required personnel (generally no more than 10 total performers), and is further characterized by post-tonal compositional techniques, fluid, individualized forms, the combination of several musical styles including those outside the western canon, atypical operatic scoring, libretti which are simple, original, subjective, and topical, inherent intimacy through small, atypical venues including digital platforms, and inexpensive, modest sets.

Dissertation "Defining Micro-Opera: A New Operatic Genre"