Charlotte Bray​’s first full-scale opera, American Mother, premieres on 31 May with Theater Hagen. American Mother is a story of grief, loss, terror, war, motherhood, faith, and forgiveness.

Based on the book of the same name, American Mother tells the true story of Diane Foley, the mother of murdered American war correspondent James Foley, as she sits down to talk to the man convicted of brutally imprisoning and beheading her son. The 90-minute opera takes place in one day (in 2021), yet moves back and forth over the years, alternating between scenes of Diane and her son’s killer, Alexander Kotey, and scenes of James held captive, 7 years earlier. 

The opera features a libretto by author Colum McCann, who, in addition to receiving multiple literary awards and an Oscar nomination, turned Diane Foley’s emotional and spiritual journey into a book that​“will shake your soul out” (Sting).

American Mother is commissioned by Theater Hagen, with support from The James W. Foley Foundation. It is conducted by Joseph Trafton and directed by Travis Preston. Following the world premiere on 31 May, repeat performances take place on 9, 14, 18, and 27 June 2025. 

Over the past year, Bray has premiered three short orchestral works, all of which share the theme and soundworld of American Mother: A Dark Doorway, commissioned by the Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin, conducted by Robin Ticciati; A Sky Too Small, commissioned by Aix-en-Provence and Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Klaus Mäkelä; and Nothing Ever Truly Ends, commissioned by Ensemble Intercontemporain, conducted by Pierre Bleuse.