The opera premiered on May 27, 2022 at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charlston, South Carolina, and had its West Coast premiere at LA Opera in October.

The Pulitzer committee hailed Omar 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."  

Omar was presented by Carolina Performing Arts in Chapel Hill and by Boston Lyric Opera earlier this year and will subsequently see performances at San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago, among other companies.