The operas of Missy Mazzoli tell stories of private experience colliding with larger social forces. Together with librettist Royce Vavrek, Mazzoli draws upon a myriad of provocative and tender stories, by and in collaboration with the writers George Saunders, Karen Russell, Jordan Tannahill, and Lars von Trier. The subjects of Mazzoli’s operas have shaped the evolution of her musical language.