Boston is Writing an Opera!
A FREE Community Opera Public Workshop with poet Tracy K. Smith
Presented by Boston Lyric Opera in partnership with Boston Symphony Orchestra, the City of Boston, and Boston Public Library.
February 14, 2026 | 2:00-3:30PM
Boston Public Library | South Boston Branch
646 East Broadway, Boston, MA 02127
Want to help create a new opera—by Boston, for Boston? Share your stories!
Join Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet and 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States, for a community workshop and listening session that invites your voice into the making of a brand-new opera.
This gathering is about more than listening—it’s about authorship. Together, we’ll explore poetry and storytelling as tools for connection, reflection, and collective imagination. Participants will hear poems by Tracy and other contemporary poets, and will be invited to respond—by speaking, writing, or simply sharing what resonates.
Over the coming months, dozens of community listening sessions across the city will inform a libretto shaped directly by the lived experiences of Bostonians. Your stories, language, memories, and questions will help inspire an opera that reflects the richness, complexity, and spirit of this city.
The resulting opera—rooted in Boston’s voices and created in partnership with its communities—will premiere at Symphony Hall in May 2027.
No previous experience with poetry or opera is required. This space is open to all who feel a connection to Boston—whether lifelong, newly arrived, or somewhere in between.
Can’t join us in person? Stay tuned for ways to participate virtually and add your voice from wherever you are.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
ARRIVAL
The South Boston Branch is open from 9:00AM – 5:00 PM on Saturday. The workshop space will open at 1:45 PM. Participants are welcome to arrive early to enjoy the library's collections and common spaces. The workshop will be held in a community room just past the children's section from 2:00 – 3:30 PM. Enter through the library's front entrance and turn left to find the space. Please check in with a BLO staff member when you arrive. Walk-ins are welcome!
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The library is a 20-25 minute walk from the Broadway MBTA station (Red Line).
It is also a 2-minute walk from the #9 bus stop (East Broadway and I Street).
PARKING
There is a small public parking lot at the library, and limited street parking on surrounding roads. Please respect resident "space savers" if looking for parking on side streets.
ACCESSIBILITY
The library is wheelchair accessible. The workshop will involve responding to printed poems verbally and in writing. If you need any accommodations to participate, please email events@blo.org or see a BLO staff member on site.
PHOTO / VIDEO
BLO will photograph and take video recordings during the workshop to document the creative process.
FOOD & DRINK
BLO will provide Valentine's Day treats for participants which can be enjoyed in the workshop space. Food & drink are not permitted in the general library space.