Turn and Burn (2020)

Opera in one act for 2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, baritone, and bass-baritone, with electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, drum set, 2 violins, viola, cello, and double bass. 71 mins.

Libretto by Megan Cohen. Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera for HGOco’s “Song of Houston” initiative. Recipient of OPERA America Commissioning Grant for Female Composers.

Barrel racer in black and white

In Turn and Burn, small-town barrel racing champion Shayla Taylor and ambitious executive Jamie Hernandez aim for a big win at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. When an accident threatens Shayla’s career-defining race, the women discover each other’s strength in adversity. Set in a colorful world of bucking broncs and carnival rides, composer Nell Shaw Cohen and librettist Megan Cohen’s original story informed by interviews with rodeo athletes offers a feminist perspective on contemporary rodeo culture.

Performance History

Workshop at Houston Grand Opera, Houston, TX, Geoffrey Loff, Conductor; 12/09/19.

World Premiere production originally scheduled for February 2021, postponed (due to COVID-19) to 2023 .

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (in development)

Opera in one act for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, child soprano, SSA choir, and chamber ensemble.

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus book cover

A family holiday opera with a libretto by Edward Einhorn adapted from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: a nontraditional Christmas fairy tale set in the magical world of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Currently in development.

Recording from Untitled Theater Company No. 61’s workshop reading of excerpts from the opera in piano-vocal score:

Continue reading “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (in development)”

The Coming of Spring (2014)

Monodrama for tenor with flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn, clarinet/bass clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano. 36 mins.


A dramatic work in one act with libretto by Nell Shaw Cohen based on the writings and paintings of Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967). Continue reading “The Coming of Spring (2014)”