Missy Mazzoli, one of the leading figures in contemporary American opera, is set to premiere a deeply personal new work addressing the opioid epidemic that has devastated countless communities across the United States. The opera, titled *The Galloping Cure*, will debut this month at the Edinburgh International Festival under the direction of Tom Morris.
The opioid crisis, widely regarded as one of the most lethal public health disasters in recent U.S. history, began with the over-prescription of painkillers like OxyContin before expanding into widespread heroin and synthetic fentanyl addiction. Mazzoli, 45, whose previous works include the internationally acclaimed *Breaking the Waves* and the upcoming Met Opera production of *Lincoln in the Bardo*, drew on her own experience for *The Galloping Cure*. Two of her cousins, both from small-town Pennsylvania, died from opioid-related causes—one after an accident led to an OxyContin prescription, the other following a cycle of rehabilitation and relapse.
Mazzoli emphasized that the epidemic transcended social boundaries. Contrary to a common misconception that addiction primarily affects marginalized groups, she noted that the pharmaceutical industry often sought to stigmatize those addicted by attributing blame to individuals rather than the drugs themselves. The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma—the company behind OxyContin—emerged as central figures in the narrative. Mazzoli recounted that addiction was also present within the company’s workforce, underscoring the pervasive and multifaceted nature of the crisis.
The development of *The Galloping Cure* took eight years, co-created with librettist Royce Vavrek, who also lost a mutual friend to opioid addiction. The opera aims to provide a new perspective on addiction’s social and economic repercussions and serves as a vessel for Mazzoli’s personal grief, anger, and frustration.
Mazzoli, who grew up without a musical family background and first engaged with the political energy of the riot grrrl punk movement, integrates diverse musical elements into her operas. For *The Galloping Cure*, she collaborated with electronic music producers to incorporate electronic beats alongside traditional orchestral instruments, reflecting the modern complexity of the subject matter.
In addition to *The Galloping Cure*, Mazzoli’s *Lincoln in the Bardo* will premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in October. The adaptation of George Saunders’s novel explores themes of death and mourning through surreal, ghost-populated afterlife scenes—a setting that affords Mazzoli significant artistic freedom.
Despite the settlement in which the Sackler family agreed to pay over $6 billion in compensation, Mazzoli expressed that the outcome represented only “a drop in the bucket” compared to the scope of the crisis. She recounted the ongoing toll on her hometown and surrounding areas, where addiction’s visible effects remain stark and pervasive.
*The Galloping Cure* will be performed at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre on August 9, 11, and 12. Through this work, Mazzoli seeks not only to memorialize the victims of the epidemic but also to ignite broader conversations about addiction, responsibility, and the human cost of public health failures.