The Verdict
What Did Reviews Say About Innocence at the Metropolitan Opera?
Kaija Saariaho's final opera had its Met premiere April 6.
April 07, 2026 By Natan Zamansky
Innocence, the final opera by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, opened its Met premiere April 6—and the reviews are in!
Set at a wedding in Helsinki, the opera's drama unfolds as it is revealed that the groom's brother was the perpetrator of a school shooting 10 years prior. Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato stars as the waitress, whose daughter Markéta was one of the victims of the shooting, with Finnish folk singer Vilma Jää appearing as Markéta, reprising the role she played in the opera's 2021 premiere.
Read the reviews here.
New York Classical Review (George Grella)
The New York Times (Joshua Barone)*
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The complete cast includes soprano Jacquelyn Stucker as the Bride, tenor Miles Mykkanen as the Groom, soprano Kathleen Kim as the Mother-in-law, baritone Rod Gilfry as the Father-in-law, bass Stephen Milling as the Priest, and soprano Lucy Shelton as the Teacher. Shelton reprises her role from the opera's world premiere, along with actors Beate Mordal, Julie Hega, Simon Kluth, Camilo Delgado Díaz, and Marina Dumont Anastassiadou as five students.
Director Simon Stone leads a creative team including set designer Chloe Lamford, costume designer Mel Page, sound designer Timo Kurkikangas, lighting designer James Farncombe, and choreographer Arco Renz. Susanna Mälkki conducts.
Innocence runs through April 29. For more information, visit MetOpera.org.
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