- Eric Sawyer (b. 1962 )
- Janna Baty, mezzo-soprano
- Alan Schneider, tenor
- Aaron Engebreth, baritone
- Drew Poling, baritone
- Donald Wilkinson, baritone
- Tom O'Toole, soprano
- Hillarie O'Toole, bass-baritone
- Janice Edwards, soprano
- Daniel Kamalic, mezzo-soprano
- Boston Modern Orchestra Project
- Gil Rose, conductor
Our American Cousin is a monumental work of American contemporary opera, which draws upon the tragic events of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. A collaborative invention of composer Eric Sawyer and librettist John Shoptaw, the opera juxtaposes past with present, comedy with tragedy, musical period references with operatic genre pieces, all within a language of lyrical extended tonality.