Press Releases

August 20, 2008
The Met: Live in HD Kicks Off on Monday, September 22 in the Americas with the Met’s Opening Night Gala Starring Renée Fleming
Third season of acclaimed series continues worldwide on Saturday, October 11; Tickets for the general public on sale in the U.S. and Canada beginning Friday, August 22

August 18, 2008
The Metropolitan Opera pays tribute to Luciano Pavarotti with a free performance of Verdi’s Requiem on September 18
Drawing to be held for free tickets: entries, now in Met lobby, will be available via internet and phone beginning Wednesday, August 20; Performance will be carried live on the SIRIUS Satellite Radio and streamed live at the Met’s website

July 10, 2008
Celebrated Soprano Renée Fleming to Wear Couture Fashions Created by Legendary Designers John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, and Karl Lagerfeld for the Met’s Season-Opening Gala on September 22

June 4, 2008
FRANCESCO CLEMENTE: THE SOPRANOS opens on June 5
Gallery Met Exhibits Original Portraits of Eight Divas of the Metropolitan Opera

April 24, 2008
The Metropolitan Opera Presents Free Concert on Friday, June 20: “Met Summer Concert: Live in Prospect Park”
Opera stars Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna headline concert intended to draw audience of up to 150,000; Corporate Sponsor Bank of America and the Met to provide 25,000 free MTA MetroCards at select Bank of America branches in all five boroughs

April 23, 2008
Matthew Polenzani Receives Third Annual Beverly Sills Artist Award

April 22, 2008
The Metropolitan Opera Announces Expansion of Live, High-Definition Transmissions to Eleven in 2008-09
“The Met: Live in HD” kicks off in North America on September 22 with the Met’s Opening Night Gala performance; Series continues worldwide on October 11; Special encore performances of La Bohème in Canada, the U.S., and Europe close the current 2007-08 series on May 3, 14 and 19

April 2, 2008
Satyagraha, Philip Glass’s landmark opera about Gandhi’s formative years in South Africa, has its Metropolitan Opera premiere in a new production on April 11
Following its hit run in London, Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch’s extraordinary new staging, conducted by Dante Anzolini, features Richard Croft as the visionary leader; Met initiatives include art exhibitions, talks, an outdoor campaign, and related public events

March 26, 2008
New Season of GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET Launches on Thirteen/WNET New York with Primetime Presentation of Hansel and Gretel on March 26
Sunday-afternoon series begins on March 30 and runs for 14 weeks; series features the broadcast premieres of all performances from the current season of “The Met: Live in HD” and encores from last season

March 25, 2008
Gallery Met Exhibits Chuck Close Portraits of Philip Glass
CHUCK CLOSE PHILIP GLASS 40 YEARS at Gallery Met through May 2008, in conjunction with the Met premiere of Glass’s opera Satyagraha

March 4, 2008
The Metropolitan Opera Celebrates Its 125th Anniversary Season with Six New Productions, Including the Met Premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic
Opening Night Gala on September 22 stars Renée Fleming performing three roles; 125th Anniversary Gala on March 15 features fully-staged scenes that recreate historic productions, conducted by James Levine; Anniversary of Luciano Pavarotti’s death to be marked with free Verdi "Requiem" on September 18; Final revival of Otto Schenk’s production of Wagner’s "Der Ring des Nibelungen" begins March 28; Expansion of Met’s HD transmissions and educational initiatives; Contemporary visual arts program to feature work by Jeff Koons and David Altmejd

February 27, 2008
The Metropolitan Opera Forms Partnership with The Juilliard School to Expand its Young Artist Program
Artistic Director James Levine and Executive Director Brian Zeger to Lead the New Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program in Partnership with The Juilliard School

February 24, 2008
Metropolitan Opera Announces 2008 National Council Auditions Winners
Five young singers selected for $15,000 cash prizes at Grand Finals Concert on February 24

February 19, 2008
Nine Finalists Named for Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finals Concert on February 24
Young singers chosen from around the U.S. and Canada to compete for cash prizes on the Met stage

December 20, 2007
Celebrated Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini of Jean-Georges Restaurant to Judge Pastry Competition at the Metropolitan Opera on December 21
NYC culinary high schools to compete at the Met’s Student Open House for its new English-language production of “Hansel and Gretel”

December 12, 2007
The Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Department of Education Bring Live Opera Transmissions to Public School Students and Teachers In All Five Boroughs
Met’s “Live in High Definition” series launches in schools for the first time on Saturday, December 15, with “Roméo et Juliette,” starring Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, conducted by Plácido Domingo

December 8, 2007
The Met’s 2007-08 Radio Broadcast Season Launches on December 8 with Network Broadcast Premiere of Iphigénie en Tauride, starring Susan Graham and Plácido Domingo
22-week broadcast season features six new Met productions; Met Music Director James Levine conducts four live broadcasts

November 11, 2007
Metropolitan Opera and Rhapsody Launch New Online Opera Experience with 'Met on Rhapsody'
100 opera performances from 1937 to the present now available through Rhapsody; New titles added monthly

October 29, 2007
Gallery Met Exhibits New Yorker Magazine Artists in New Show, Hansel and Gretel, Opening November 16
Exhibition features original art inspired by the Grimm Brothers fairy tale; new Met production of the opera opens December 24

October 1, 2007
Five Metropolitan Opera High-Definition Transmissions from the 2007-08 Season to be Released on DVD

September 20, 2007
Metropolitan Opera on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Announces 2007-08 Live Broadcast Schedule
New Season kicks off on September 24 with live, opening night broadcast of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, conducted by Met Music Director James Levine and starring Natalie Dessay and Marcello Giordani; New “The Met on Record” Sunday night broadcasts debut September 30

September 12, 2007
“Great Moments at the Met: Viewer’s Choice” on PBS
Viewers Cast Their Votes for Their Favorite Metropolitan Opera Moments on Thirteen/WNET New York’s “Great Moments at the Met: Viewer’s Choice” on PBS; Online Voting Begins at PBS website on September 17

September 12, 2007
Lincoln Center, Met Opera, and New York City Opera Present 'A Tribute to Beverly Sills' on Sept. 16
Free Public Event to Feature Performances by Natalie Dessay, Plácido Domingo, James Levine, Anna Netrebko, John Relyea, and Craig Rutenberg; Speakers to Include Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Carol Burnett, Henry Kissinger, Julius Rudel, and Barbara Walters

September 6, 2007
The Metropolitan Opera Mourns the Death of Luciano Pavarotti

September 5, 2007
Met Opera launches 2007-08 season with live transmission to Times Square and wide range of events
Strong box office sales usher in new season, starting up with Open House, new gallery exhibition, outdoor ad campaign, and expanded rush ticket program

August 15, 2007
Met and ENO Collaboration Continues with Two New Productions
Penny Woolcock to direct a new co-production of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic, scheduled for the 2008-09 season. New Met Commission of Osvaldo Golijov and Anthony Minghella opera to be co-produced with ENO

August 9, 2007
Met Opera and National CineMedia Sign Exclusive Agreement to Bring Opera to More Screens in the U.S.
Critically-Acclaimed HD Met Opera series expands in 2007-08 to 8 Performances on hundreds of movie theater screens nationwide. Met Opera members are offered priority window for advance ticket purchase at participating locations beginning October 19.

July 30, 2007
“Guillermo Kuitca: Stage Fright” Opens at Gallery Met on September 19
The Met’s first solo exhibition kicks off new 2007-08 season

July 19, 2007
The Met Opera’s 2007-08 Season to Feature Seven New Productions – the Most in More than 40 Years
Live HD Movie Theater Transmissions to Increase from 6 to 8; Opening Night to Feature Mary Zimmerman’s New Production of "Lucia di Lammermoor", Conducted by James Levine, with Plans for a Live Relay to Times Square; New Audience and Education Initiatives to Include Free Transmissions into NY Schools

July 3, 2007
Beverly Sills, Star Soprano and Met Chairman Emerita, Dies at Age 78
Company mourns one of its greatest singers and staunchest supporters

June 8, 2007
Met Opera & SIRIUS Celebrate the Birthday of Richard Strauss with a Special 2-Day Event June 11&12
Many legendary performances to be re-broadcast for the first time

May 18, 2007
Gallery Met Opens “Opera by Design” on May 25
Contemporary art gallery to exhibit original set models for seven new productions premiering in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2007-2008 season

May 18, 2007
Met Opera and SIRIUS Satellite Radio Announce Encore Broadcasts Every Friday Night Beginning May 18
Series features acclaimed performances from the 2006-07 season

May 16, 2007
Michelle DeYoung Replaces Natalie Dessay as Featured Soloist with the MET Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

May 14, 2007
“Met in the Parks” Returns for 41st Season of Free Summer Opera
Metropolitan Opera to offer eight free outdoor performances throughout New York City and New Jersey, June 12-June 23. Two popular operas to be given in concert: Puccini’s La Bohème and Gounod’s Faust.

May 8, 2007
Olga Borodina stars in the title role opposite Marcelo Álvarez as Don José, conducted by Emmanuel Villaume

April 26, 2007
Joyce DiDonato Receives Second Annual Beverly Sills Artist Award

March 28, 2007
Eleven Finalists Named for Met Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finals Concert on April 1
Young singers chosen from around the U.S. and Canada to compete for cash prizes on the Met stage

March 19, 2007
Met Holds “Art for Opera” Auction on May 6
Chuck Close, Barnaby Furnas, Robert Wilson, Richard Prince, David Salle, and Cindy Sherman, among others, create originals works for fundraising event to support new productions

March 12, 2007
Mark Morris Directs and Choreographs Orfeo ed Euridice in Met Debut
Countertenor David Daniels stars in the new production conducted by Met Music Director James Levine; costume designer Isaac Mizrahi makes Met debut. First Met production by a choreographer in 50 years; First staging at the Met in 35 years

February 21, 2007
Lorin Maazel to Conduct at the Met for First Time in 45 Years
Esteemed Maestro to conduct five performances of Wagner’s Die Walküre

January 23, 2007
Metropolitan Opera and PBS Launch New Series Great Performances at the Met
First broadcast is Julie Taymor’s production of The Magic Flute on January 24; Met Music Director James Levine conducts; Series of six Met performances marks the most presented by PBS in one season

December 30, 2006
“Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD” Makes its Debut
Marks Debut with Sold-Out Movie Theaters Across U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan. Met’s new English-language production of The Magic Flute will be transmitted live to global theater audience of 30,000; encore broadcast scheduled at 70 movie theaters in the U.S. on January 23.

December 28, 2006
The Magic Flute Launches Dec. 29 with a Series of Performances and Events
The Met's English-Language Version of The Magic Flute, Directed by Julie Taymor and Conducted by James Levine, Debuts to a Global Audience with Holiday Performances, Broadcasts, and Special Events. New York City public school students enjoy an Open House and free performance on January 4.

December 18, 2006
Met Opera and Seattle Opera to Co-Produce Gluck’s Final Operatic Masterpiece 'Iphigénie en Tauride'
Renowned director Stephen Wadsworth leads a team of award-winning designers for the opera companies’ first joint production; acclaimed mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and legendary tenor Plácido Domingo star in New York cast

December 6, 2006
ENO and Met to Collaborate on New Production of Philip Glass’s Satyagraha with Improbable

November 22, 2006
Met Launches 06/07 Radio Broadcast Season on the Toll Brothers-Met Opera International Radio Network
Live backstage interviews and dynamic new content will revitalize iconic broadcast series to appeal to a broader audience. Season launches with Mozart’s Idomeneo on Saturday, December 9 and runs through Saturday, May 5

November 15, 2006
“Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD” Now Playing at a Theater Near You
Tickets on sale beginning November 18 for live, high-definition broadcasts of Met operas in movie theaters in North America and the United Kingdom. Mozart’s The Magic Flute kicks off the series of six broadcasts on December 30

November 7, 2006
The Metropolitan Opera to Debut with All-Star Cast on “Late Show with David Letterman” on November 8
Met to present Act I finale from Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville); First time for the “Late Show” to present a scene from an opera in full costume

October 27, 2006
Maria Guleghina to replace Andrea Gruber for season’s opening Tosca on Saturday, October 28

October 27, 2006
The Metropolitan Opera’s Tosca Glitters
Sopranos Maria Guleghina, Andrea Gruber, and Aprile Millo Wear Maria Callas’s Famous Swarovski Crystal Stage Jewels Starting October 28. “Maria Callas and Swarovski: Jewels on Stage at the Metropolitan Opera,” a new exhibition featuring stage jewels, opens at the Met on January 19

October 25, 2006
Met Opera and RealNetworks Partner to Reach a Worldwide Audience with Free Live Internet Streams
Begins October 25; Closing night performance of Madama Butterfly conducted by Maestro James Levine; plus operas featuring Plácido Domingo, Juan Diego Flórez, Anna Netrebko, and Rolando Villazón

October 20, 2006
Tony Award Winner Kristin Chenoweth Debuts at the Met in Solo Concert Performance on January 19
Ms. Chenoweth Joins the Cast of the Met’s 2009-2010 Revival of Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles

October 13, 2006
New Chorus Master Named at the Metropolitan Opera
Donald Palumbo Takes Top Choral Job Starting 2007-08 Season

October 2, 2006
Metropolitan Opera Launches Rush Ticket Program As Part of Its Campaign to Expand Its Audience
$100 Orchestra Seats Available for $20 as a Result of $2 Million Dollar Ticket Subsidy Gift from Met Board Member Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman; Donation Underwrites 200 Discounted Orchestra Seats for Monday through Thursday Performances during the Met’s 2006-07 Season

September 29, 2006
Documentary Takes TV Viewers Behind the Scenes of Minghella's New Production of 'Madama Butterfly'
“In Rehearsal: A New 'Butterfly' for the Met” debuts on Thirteen/WNET on Sunday, October 1 at 11 pm

September 20, 2006
The Metropolitan Opera and Sirius Satellite Radio to Create Historic New Radio Channel
“Metropolitan Opera Radio” to be heard on SIRIUS starting on September 25th. 24/7 channel will feature archival performances from the Met’s 75-year history, as well as hundreds of new performances live from the Met

September 15, 2006
The Metropolitan Opera Takes to the Streets with Live Broadcast in Times Square September 25
Opening Night Gala Performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly Presented Free to Thousands at Times Square and at Lincoln Center through Plaza Cast

September 6, 2006
Met Reaches Groundbreaking Agreements with Unions and Develops Range of Media Partnerships

August 30, 2006
Acclaimed Filmmaker Anthony Minghella Directs New Production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly
Met’s 2006-07 season opens with gala performance conducted by James Levine and featuring Cristina Gallardo-Domâs as Cio-Cio-San

August 16, 2006
The Metropolitan Opera Lifts Its Gold Curtain
General public invited to attend company’s first-ever Open House, Friday, September 22. Free tickets for final dress rehearsal of new Madama Butterfly, opening of the Schwartz Gallery Met, special exhibits and presentations

July 18, 2006
The Metropolitan Opera dedicates Orfeo ed Euridice performances to memory of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson

July 12, 2006
Met Board Member Marie Schwartz Donates $1 Million to Fund Newly Established Visual Arts Gallery
"The Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met" to Display Original Works of Contemporary Art Beginning Friday, September 22

June 9, 2006
'Met in the Parks” Celebrates 40th Season of Free Summer Opera
The Metropolitan Opera to offer eight free outdoor performances of Verdi’s La Traviata and Rigoletto in New York City and New Jersey August 22-September 2

May 9, 2006
Plans for 2006-07 Radio Broadcasts on the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera Int'l Radio Network
Iconic broadcast series to feature dynamic new intermission content

April 28, 2006
Metropolitan Opera Dedicates International Broadcast of Wagner's 'Lohengrin' on Saturday, April 29
Broadcast dedicated to the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences

March 20, 2006
Gala Celebration in Honor of Joseph Volpe on May 20th to Feature World’s Greatest Operatic Stars

March 11, 2006
James Levine to Undergo Surgery for Shoulder Injury
Music Director to withdraw from remainder of current Met season

February 13, 2006
The Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center Theater Announce Met/LCT Opera/Theater Commissions
Leading Composers and Playwrights/Librettists Tapped to Develop New Operas

January 29, 2006
Met Blankets NYC Buses, Subway Entrances, and Streets with Stunning Madama Butterfly Images
Half-million dollar transit campaign hits the streets in early September, ushering in the Met’s 2006-07 season and Anthony Minghella’s new production of Madama Butterfly

January 25, 2006
Encore Presentations of “Met Opera: Live in HD” Launch in Movie Theaters in North America and Europe
Sold-out venues schedule rebroadcasts; Live HD transmissions continue in the United Kingdom

January 17, 2006
First Annual Beverly Sills Artist Award At The Metropolitan Opera Given To Nathan Gunn
In bold moves to reconnect with a broader public, The Met will increase new productions, launch a groundbreaking commissioning program with Lincoln Center Theater, inaugurate high definition transmissions into movie theaters, and increase its commitment to contemporary music

January 17, 2006
Mozart's 'Così fan tutte' to be Broadcast Live on January 28
Broadcast is Part of Season-Long Celebration of 250th Anniversary of Mozart's Birth over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network

January 9, 2006
'A Mozart Celebration,' Excerpts from Past Met Broadcasts, Will Air on January 14
Broadcast Honoring 250th Anniversary of Mozart's Birth and 75th Season of Live Broadcasts will be heard over Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network

January 9, 2006
Season's Opening Performance of 'Die Zauberflöte' to be Broadcast Live on January 21
Broadcast is part of season-long celebration of 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, and will be heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network

January 5, 2006
Mr. and Mrs. Sid R. Bass Donate $25 Million Dollars to The Metropolitan Opera

December 7, 2005
'Rigoletto' with Netrebko and Villazón Opens 75th Anniversary Season of Met Radio Broadcasts
December 17 Broadcast to be Aired over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network

December 22, 2005
Donizetti's 'L'Elisir d'Amore,' Last Heard in 1998, To Be Broadcast on January 7, 2006
Opera Will Be Broadcast over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network

December 20, 2005
James Levine to Conduct First Broadcast of 'Wozzeck' in Nearly a Decade
Berg's "Searingly Beautiful" Opera Will Be Heard on December 31 over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network

December 7, 2005
Met Presents First World Premiere Broadcast Since 2000: Tobias Picker's 'An American Tragedy'
December 24 Broadcast To Be Heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network

November 7, 2005
Meet Me at The Met
The Metropolitan Opera Announces Dates for Company’s Popular Singles Evenings

October 31, 2005
Barbara Cook to Appear in Concert at The Metropolitan Opera
First Female Pop Singer to be Presented by Met Opera in a Solo Concert

October 26, 2005
Beverly Sills Award Established at The Metropolitan Opera

October 3, 2005
75th Anniversary Season of Live Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts Begins December 17 with 'Rigoletto'
Toll Brothers announced as new corporate sponsor; Annenberg and Stabile Foundations continue generous long-term support

October 3, 2005
Lincoln Center Festival 2007 and The Met to Co-present Richard Wagner’s Der Ring Des Nibelungen
Two complete cycles scheduled for July 13 through 21, 2007 at the Metropolitan Opera House

September 8, 2005
Toll Brothers Becomes New Corporate Sponsor For The Metropolitan Opera Radio Broadcasts

March 17, 2005
The Metropolitan Opera Announces 2005-2006 Season

March 10, 2005
The Metropolitan Opera Unveils New Website
A wealth of information and new features at www.metopera.org

February 25, 2005
The Metropolitan Opera Guild Launches Educational Website Devoted to Marian Anderson

February 11, 2005
Christine F. Hunter is Elected as Chairman of the Met Board

January 26, 2005
Beverly Sills Resigns Her Post as Chairman of The Metropolitan Opera

October 30, 2004
Peter Gelb Succeeds Joseph Volpe as General Manager of The Metropolitan Opera