Carlson's highest profile work to date is his Dreamkeepers, commissioned by the Utah Opera in commemoration of the state centennial.
Operas
The Midnight Angel Libretto by Peter S. Beagle after the story Come, Lady Death by Peter S. Beagle. 1993, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; also Glimmerglass and Sacramento, 1993
Dreamkeepers Libretto by Aden Ross. January 13, 1996, Utah Opera, Salt Lake City, Utah (5 performances)
Constellations Libretto by Susan Kinsolving. 2000, Glimmerglass Opera, Cooperstown, New York
Anna Karenina Libretto by Colin Graham after the novel by Leo Tolstoy. April, 2007, Florida Grand Opera, Ziff Ballet Opera House, Miami, Florida; also Opera Theatre of St. Louis, June 2007