Omar ibn Said was born and raised in Futa Toro, an Islamic state located in the part of West Africa that is now Senegal.

Initially purchased by a harsh master, he escaped after two years and traveled to Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Scene two is aboard a slave ship, where several prisoners describe their own situation and pray to survive the voyage.

In the first scene Omar, who was caught, is imprisoned in the Fayetteville County Jail, where he has covered the walls of his cell with Arabic prayers and verses from the Quran.

Scene four finds Omar under a tree reading his new Bible and praying to Allah to understand the meaning of his life journey.

[7] The opera finally had its world premiere on May 27, 2022, conducted by John Kennedy, as the opening work at that year's Spoleto Festival.

[10][11][12] Joshua Barone of The New York Times described the opera as "(m)oving, joyous and in its final moments intensely spiritual.

[5] Rupa Shenoy, speaking on Morning Edition, said "A new opera brings to light a remarkable, long-buried American story of an enslaved man who wrote his memoirs in Arabic for future generations to read.

"[13] Reviewing the premiere, James L. Paulk said, "Omar is the most important new work to emerge from Spoleto, at least since the Menotti era.

"[14] Charles McNulty, theater critic for the Los Angeles Times, summarized the opera by saying "Omar invites audiences to remember the lives of all those whose stories were unwritten by considering the miracle of one who managed to transmit his own.

Omar lives again, thanks to the unconquerable power of his words, now borne aloft by the music of history.

"[15] Richard S. Ginell of San Francisco Classical Voice described the Los Angeles production as "a profoundly moving spectacle".

[17] The Pulitzer committee described the work as "an innovative and compelling opera about enslaved people brought to North America from Muslim countries, a musical work that respectfully represents African as well as African American traditions, expanding the language of the operatic form while conveying the humanity of those condemned to bondage.