ABOUT AMOC*
AMOC* commissions and produces bold new work by 17 of today’s leading creators in music, dance, and opera.
AMOC* is a company of creators. Founded in 2017 by composer Matthew Aucoin and director, choreographer, and dancer Zack Winokur, AMOC* (American Modern Opera Company) comprises 17 of today’s most sought-after composers, choreographers, directors, vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers, writers, and producers, all united by a commitment to collective authorship and long-term, generative relationships with other artists.
“…revitalizing what American music theater can mean with several of our most revolutionary young talents”
“Many in the arts these days talk a big game about interdisciplinary collaboration, but few walk the walk like AMOC*”
AMOC* maintains a robust national and international touring schedule, upholds a rigorously equitable compensation model, and is deeply committed to making its performances financially accessible. In 2023/24, AMOC* expanded its annual collaboration with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC with sold-out performances of a new arrangement of John Adams’ El Niño, and formed co-production partnerships with DACAMERA (Houston), MOCA (Los Angeles), Opera Omaha, Stanford Live, and Yale University, among others. In June 2024, AMOC* premiered The Comet / Poppea, a groundbreaking new opera directed by Yuval Sharon, created in collaboration with composer George Lewis and The Industry. The Los Angeles Times praised the production as “…what American opera needs most of all… It has huge ramifications for the wide world we now occupy.” In spring and summer 2024, AMOC* engaged in an interdisciplinary performance at Brown University and presented a concert of new music at the Clark Art Institute.
“…blindingly impressive… preternaturally talented”
“Everything for AMOC is sacred in that it needs to perform at the highest level, but nothing is so sacred that it can’t be rethought musically, socially, racially, sexually, theatrically, physically”
In 2022/23, AMOC* reached audiences through 34 performances across 10 U.S. venues and digital platforms, including the world premiere of Bobbi Jene Smith’s Broken Theater at La MaMa Moves! in New York, as well as New York premieres of Carolyn Chen’s How to Fall Apart at Baryshnikov Arts Center and Anthony Cheung’s the echoing of tenses at 92nd Street Y. AMOC* made its international debut at Festival d’Aix with Harawi in July 2022, offering a fresh interpretation of Olivier Messiaen’s song cycle. In 2023, Harawi then toured across Europe and Gay Guerrilla premiered at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
In its inaugural 2018-19 season, AMOC* launched the Run AMOC! Festival at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA, which The New York Times described as “blindingly impressive.” In 2022, AMOC* served as Music Director for the 75th Ojai Music Festival, presenting 18 performances, 8 world premieres, and 6 new theatrical productions.