American composer Charles Wuorinen has been commissioned to turn “Brokeback Mountain,” the film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger, into an opera. Wuorinen has agreed to compose the opera, which will premiere in 2013 spring season.

CHARLES WUORINEN (b. 9 June 1938, New York City) has been composing since he was five and he has been a forceful presence on the American musical scene for more than four decades.

In 1970, Wuorinen became the youngest composer to win the Pulitzer Prize in music for Time’s Encomium, an electronic composition written on commission from Nonesuch Records. He has written more than 240 compositions to date. His newest works include Eighth Symphony for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Theologoumenon for James Levine and the MET Orchestra, Spin 5 for Violin and 18 players for Jennifer Koh and Ashberyana, chamber settings of poems by John Ashbery. 

Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, the opera, like the feature film, will follow the 20-year love affair of two men who fall in love in 1963 Wyoming.

‘Ever since encountering Annie Proulx’s extraordinary story I have wanted to make an opera on it,’ Wuorinen said in a statement.