TRUSTED

What is trust? How is it earned, and how is it shattered? When an accomplished financial advisor is exposed for orchestrating a decades-long fraud, the fallout extends far beyond his clients — it fractures the very foundation of his family. His two daughters struggle to reconcile the man they knew with the crimes he has committed. As the truth unravels, so do their own perceptions of loyalty, morality, and the fragile nature of trust itself. Set against the backdrop of a high-stakes financial scandal, Trusted is an intimate exploration of deception, betrayal, and the emotional toll of broken faith. Through a dynamic score by COT’s Vanguard Composer in Residence, Aaron Israel Levin, and a taut, contemporary libretto by Marella Martin Koch, the opera delves into the complexities of family bonds, the weight of inherited legacies, and the search for redemption in a world where trust—once lost—may never be regained.

The Vanguard Initiative is COT's comprehensive residency program for composers ready to delve into the world of opera. Earlier this season, audiences had the opportunity to experience the first piano/vocal workshop. Based on discoveries made during that workshop, Aaron and Marella have been revising their score, and we are thrilled to present the concert world premiere of Trusted at the Studebaker Theater on May 30, 2026.

Eli Chen returns to the company to conduct the concert world premiere of Trusted.  The cast features sopranos Tracy Cantin and Meghan Kasanders, mezzo soprano Quinn Middleman, and bass baritone Kyle Albertson.

COT thanks Nancy Dehmlow and the Morse & Genius Operating Reserve Fund for their generous support of the 2025/26 Season.