The performance featured the orchestra and chorus of the National Opera of Ukraine, the children's choir of the Mykola Lysenko Kyiv State Music Lyceum and the Kyiv Camerata National Ensemble of Soloists, under the baton of Canadian-Ukrainian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson.
The work was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Polish National Opera in Warsaw.
Its fully staged world premiere is scheduled for October 16 in Warsaw, with the US premiere planned at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2027/2028 season.
According to Ukrainian news outlet mezha.net, the opera, with a libretto by American playwright George Brant, tells the story of two mothers from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson who undertake a 3,000-mile journey to rescue their daughters from a camp in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Although the characters are fictional, the story is based on testimonies from Ukrainian mothers who succeeded in bringing their children back from occupied territories, the outlet reported.
Speaking to reporters, Kolomiiets said he felt a responsibility to create a work that reflects the experiences of Ukrainians while addressing a broader human theme.
"The goal is not only to draw attention to Ukraine, but also to highlight similar situations around the world, when mothers suffer while trying to protect their children," he said. "I want people to empathise with this pain and prevent it whenever possible."
A suite from The Mothers of Kherson is included in the upcoming world tour of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, which opens in Warsaw on August 16 and will also visit London, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Dublin and New York.
The orchestra, which was founded five years ago, brings together leading musicians based in Ukraine, alongside those displaced by the war and Ukrainian performers from European ensembles.
(mk/gs)