The WFMT Opera Series

La Scala | September 12, 2026

Another summer opera from La Scala, this time focusing on one of opera’s most beloved treasures. Soprano Clémentine Margaine stars in the titular role, with Vittorio Grigolo as Don José and Giorgi Manoshvili as Escamillo. The production features conductor Maestro Myung-Whun Chung, who will succeed Maestro Riccardo Chailly as La Scala’s Music Director in 2027. CAST: Carmen: Clémentine Margaine Micaëla: ...

Vienna State Opera | August 29, 2026

A peformance from the sold-out run of Vienna State Opera’s classic production of Die Fledermaus. Jonas Kaufmann made his stage role debut as Gabriel von Eisenstein, performing opposite Diana Damrau as Rosalinde. Markus Poschner conducted the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus.  CAST: Gabriel von Eisenstein – Jonas Kaufmann Rosalinde – Diana Damrau Frank – Jochen Schmeckenbecher Prinz Orlofsky – ...

Bavarian State Opera | August 15, 2026

Last February, tenor Jonathan Tetelman made a highly acclaimed role debut as the title character in Charles Gounod’s Faust. Conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann, the star-studded cast featured Olga Kulchynska as Marguerite, Kyle Ketelsen as Méphistophélès, and Florian Sempey as Valentin.  CAST: Faust – Jonathan Tetelman Méphistophélès – Kyle Ketelsen Marguerite – Olga Kulchynska Valentin – Florian Sempey Wagner – Thomas ...

Gran Teatre del Liceu | August 1, 2026

Diego Matheuz conducts the Gran Teatre del Liceu Orchestra and Chorus in Donizetti’s charming love story, starring Pretty Yende and Michael Spyres.  CAST: Adina – Pretty Yende Nemorino – Michael Spyres Belcore – Jan Antem Dulcamara – Fabio Capitanucci Giannetta – Núria Vilà

The Royal Opera | July 18, 2026

Staged at the Royal Opera House in London. CAST: Sir Bryn Terfel as Boris Godunov Adam Pałka as Pimen Andrei Kymach as Andrei Shchelkalov Jamez McCorkle as Grigory Otrepiev John Daszak as Prince Shuisky ENSEMBLE: Chorus & Orchestra of The Royal Opera CONDUCTOR: Mark Wigglesworth

Paris Opera Orchestra & Chorus | July 4, 2026

Despite its frequency on world opera stage, Verdi’s Aida never fails to impress newcomers and stalwart fans alike. In 2025, Iranian stage director Shirin Neshat brought a poetic design, complete with multi-media components, to the Opera Bastille stage. Guest conductor Michele Mariotti (Teatro Comunale di Bologna) lead the Paris Opera Orchestra & Chorus.  Super star Piotr Beczała delievered as always ...

La Scala Orchestra & Chorus | June 20, 2026

The 50th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich’s death was honored with an original staging of his most infamous opera. La Scala opened their 2025-26 season with the very first, 1934 version of Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. It was this staging that was seen by Stalin in 1936, and this opera that caused the Russian leader to denounce blacklist Shostakovich as an ...

Vienna State Opera | June 6, 2026

A classic Czech opera, sung in German. In the 2026 season premiere of the WFMT Opera Series, we hear a production of Smetana’s The Bartered Bride from the Vienna State Opera. Conductor Tomáš Hanus leads the ensemble featuring Franz Xaver Schlecht as Krušina,  Margaret Plummer as Ludmila, Slávka Zámečníková as Mařenka, and Ivo Stanchev as Mícha.

Vienna State Opera | November 22, 2025

Based on a Danish play, Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta follows the story of a blind princess who lives in a beautiful enclosed garden. Betrothed to someone who doesn’t love her, and forbidden from the man who does, Iolanta slowly learns about love and her own identity. This production features Ivo Stanchev as René, King of Provence, Sonya Yoncheva as his blind daughter, Boris ...

Bayreuth Festival | November 8, 2025

The final opera of Richard Wagner, Parsifal, was first premiered at the second ever Bayreuth Festival in 1882. Until the year 1914, the Bayreuth Festival was the only place people were able to hear Wagner’s Parsifal: Wagner forbade any company apart from Bayreuth from presenting the work for years. The dramatic opera made its return to the Beyreuth stage this past summer, ...

Les Musiciens du Louvre/Aix-en-Provence Festival | October 25, 2025

This lyrical French work contains exemplary vocal writing with beautiful colors and textures. Pene Pati and Florian Sempey play Nadir and Zurga, whose friendship is tested when the woman they both fell in love with, Leïla (played by Elsa Benoit), re-appears in their lives.

Salzburg Festival | October 11, 2025

The 2025 Salzburg Festival saw the performances of many classic operas: among them, Handel’s Giulio Cesare. It is perhaps one of Handel’s most popular operas, interpreting the story of  Julius Caesar and Cleopatra’s first meeting. Christophe Dumaux is Giulio Cesare and Olga Kulchynska Cleopatra: also in the cast are Lucile Rechardot, Federico Florio, and Yurly Mynenko. The choir in this performance ...

LA Opera | September 27, 2025

From the LA Opera in Los Angeles, California comes an opera classic that long withstood the test of time, whose cast of complex characters oftentimes resembles a Shakespearean drama. The titular character Rigoletto is played by Quinn Kelsey: also in the cast, Lisette Oropesa as Gikla, Peixin Chen as Sparafucile, Sarah Saturnino as Maddalena, and René Barbera as the Duke ...

Bavarian State Opera | September 13, 2025

Daniele Rustioni leads the Bavarian State Opera in two tragic Italian operas. In Cavalleria rusticana,  Ekaterine Buachidze and Yulia Matochkina play Lola and Santuzza – both lovers of the swaggering Turiddu (played by Ican Gyngazov). Playing the role of Alfio, Lola’s husband, is Wolfgang Koch. The program then turns to the story of Pagliacci with Jonas Kaufmann in the central role of ...

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées | August 30, 2025

From Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Henrik Nánási conducts Véronique Gens  (The Marschallin), Niamh O’Sullivan Octavian), Regula Mühlemann (Sophie), and Peter Rose (Baron Ochs). Also among the cast are Francesco Demuro, Jean-Sébastien Bou, and Éléonore Pancrazi.

The Royal Opera | August 16, 2025

Wagner’s epic opera, starring Christopher Maltman (Wotan), Elisabet Strid (Brünnhilde), Natalya Romaniw (Sieglinde), and Stanislas de Barberyrac (Siegmund). Sir Antonio Pappano conducts.

The Royal Opera | August 2, 2025

Two one-act operas by Leonard Bernstein.

Teatro Regio, Turin | July 19, 2025

From Turin, Ekaterina Bakanova stars in the title role, with Atalla Ayan ((Le Chevalier des Grieux) and Björn Bürger (Lescaut). Evelino Pidò conducts.

Opéra Comique | July 5, 2025

From Les Arts Florissants and Opéra Comique in Paris, France. Emmanuelle de Negri, (Hébé / The Naiad); Lea Desandre (Sapho / Iphise / Eglé); Ana Vieira Leite (Cupid / A Spartan woman / The stream / A shepherdess); Antonin Rondepierre (Thélème); Cyril Auvity (The stream / Lycurgue); Marc Mauillon (Momus / Mercure); Lisandro Abadie (Eurilas / Alcée); Renato Dolcini (Hymas ...

La Scala | June 21, 2025

From Milan’s historic Teatro alla Scala, a production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin starring Alexey Markov in the title role, with Aida Garifullina (Tatiana), Dmitry Korchak (Lensky), and Elmina Hasan (Olga), conducted by Timur Zangiev.

Met Opera | June 7, 2025

Tchaikovsky’s macabre thriller, set against the backdrop of Tsarist Russia, is back in the Met’s atmospheric staging.

Met Opera | May 24, 2025

The most recent opera by preeminent American composer John Adams—a glorious adaptation of Shakespeare’s immortal drama—has its Met premiere. Following her debut in the company premiere of Adams’s El Niño in 2024, soprano Julia Bullock stars as the irresistible Cleopatra, one of theater’s most complex and captivating characters, opposite bass-baritone Gerald Finley as the conflicted Antony. Adams himself takes the ...

Met Opera | May 3, 2025

Verdi’s charged drama of family strife and forbidden love stars tenor Michael Fabiano as Manrico, the bold troubadour unwittingly at war with his own brother. Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen performs the role of the noble Leonora, with mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as Manrico’s tormented mother, Azucena. Baritone Igor Golovatenko is the unbending Count di Luna, with bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as the ...

Met Opera | April 19, 2025

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Beverly Sills’s Met debut with a performance from April 19, 1975

Met Opera | April 5, 2025

Osvaldo Golijov’s Grammy–winning first opera dramatizes the life and work of poet-playwright Federico García Lorca, who was assassinated by fascist forces at the start of the Spanish Civil War.

Met Opera | March 22, 2025

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Ravel's opera with a performance from February 28, 1981.

Met Opera | March 8, 2025

Kristina Mkhitaryan and Joseph Calleja take the stage as Puccini’s lovesick young bohemians in Franco Zeffirelli’s picturesque production, with Alexander Soddy conducting.

Met Opera | February 22, 2025

Chosen by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Leonard Bernstein conducts a performance from March 21, 1964.

Met Opera | February 8, 2025

Chosen by Ryan Speedo Green, George London stars as the Wagner’s accursed Dutchman in a performance from March 5, 1960. Thomas Schippers conducts a cast that also features Leonie Rysanek (Senta), Karl Liebl (Erik), and Giorgio Tozzi (Daland).

Met Opera | January 25, 2025

This grandest of grand operas — set in Ancient Egypt and packed with magnificent choruses, complex ensembles, and elaborate ballets — is in essence, an intimate love story.

Met Opera | January 11, 2025

Verdi’s heartbreaking masterpiece returns, with baritone Luca Salsi in the title role, alongside soprano Erin Morley as naïve daughter, Gilda, and rising tenor Pene Pati as the rakish Duke of Mantua, with Daniele Callegari on the podium to conduct Bartlett Sher’s Weimar-inspired production.

Met Opera | December 28, 2024

In this performance from Christmas Day, 1982, Thomas Fulton conducts Frederica von Stade (Hansel) and Judith Blegen (Gretel) plus Rosalind Elias (Witch), Jean Kraft (Gertrud), Michael Devlin (Peter), Betsy Norden (Dew Fairy), and Diane Kesling (Sandman).

Met Opera | December 14, 2024

Emily D’Angelo, one of opera’s most compelling young stars, headlines in the tour-de-force role of Jess, a hot-shot fighter pilot who operates a Reaper drone halfway around the world.

Vienna State Opera | November 30, 2024

Richard Strauss’s Capriccio delves into the nature of art and the rivalry between words and music, with Elsa Dreisig starring as the Countess, with Bo Skovhus as the Count, and Sebastian Kohlhepp as Flamand.

China's National Centre for the Performing Arts | November 16, 2024

A Beijing production of Richard Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer and the story of the cursed ghost ship captain seeking redemption through true love, with Ólafur Sigurdarson as the Holländer and Diana Lamar as Senta.

China's National Centre for the Performing Arts | November 2, 2024

In Bellini’s pastoral tale of love and sleepwalking, Dilbèr stars as Amina, with Antonino Siragusa as Elvino and Zhang Wenwei as Il Conte Rodolfo.

Aix-en-Provence Festival | October 19, 2024

This baroque masterpiece recounts the biblical hero’s struggle against the Philistines, with Jarrett Ott as Samson and Jacquelyn Stucker as Delilah.

Aix-en-Provence Festival | October 5, 2024

This opera tells the story of Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese woman who marries an American naval officer, only to be abandoned, leading to tragic consequences.

LA Opera | September 21, 2024

This seminal opera captivates with its exotic setting and dramatic story of the cold-hearted Princess Turandot and her suitors.

Bavarian State Opera | September 7, 2024

This opera navigates the dark and obsessive tale of Hermann, performed by Brandon Jovanovich in a story of desire, gambling, and the supernatural.

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus | August 24, 2024

Hercules Hall in Munich is the location of a stunning performance of Mozart’s Idomeneo led by the legendary Sir Simon Rattle.

La Scala | August 10, 2024

Riccardo Chailly conducts this grand opera that delves deep into themes of power, love, and betrayal.

Opéra de Paris | July 27, 2024

This opera delves into the dark and tragic tale of Médée, portrayed by Lea Desandre, who uses her sorceress powers in vengeful acts against her unfaithful lover, Jason.

Royal Opera House | July 13, 2024

A London performance of the majestic story of Das Rheingold.

Utrecht Early Music Festival | June 29, 2024

A baroque interpretation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this semi-opera combines Purcell’s exquisite music with spoken drama and dance, celebrating the enchantment and complexities of love in a fantastical setting.

Vienna State Opera | June 15, 2024

Roberto Frontali in the title role of the Swiss folk hero, with John Osborn as Arnold and Lisette Oropesa starring as Mathilde.

Met Opera | June 1, 2024

An all-new English translation with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as its rags-to-riches princess.

Met Opera | May 18, 2024

Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Kevin Puts’s hit new opera triumphantly returns, as do the original trio of legendary divas—sopranos Renée Fleming and Kelli O’Hara and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.

Met Opera | May 4, 2024

Eminent American composer John Adams returns to the Met after a decade-long hiatus for the company premiere of his acclaimed opera-oratorio, an extraordinarily dramatic retelling of the Nativity.

Met Opera | April 20, 2024

Puccini’s bittersweet love story makes a rare Met appearance, with soprano Angel Blue starring as the French courtesan Magda.

Met Opera | April 6, 2024

Exactly fifty years after its recording, a performance starring Luciano Pavarotti (Nemorino), Judith Blegen (Adina), and more.

Met Opera | March 23, 2024

Two singers at the height of their powers—radiant soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor sensation Benjamin Bernheim—come together as the star-crossed lovers in Gounod’s sumptuous Shakespeare adaptation.

Met Opera | March 9, 2024

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Verdi’s grand tale of ill-fated love, deadly vendetta, and family strife, with stellar soprano Lise Davidsen as the lead role.

Met Opera | February 24, 2024

Two concert presentations of pivotal classical works in performances from February 2023 and March 2022.

Met Opera | February 10, 2024

Romantic moments in memorable performances from the Met’s radio archives.

Met Opera | January 27, 2024

The Met begins the New Year with a vital new production of one of opera’s most enduringly powerful works.

Met Opera | January 13, 2024

Soprano Elena Stikhina is the heartbreaking seamstress Mimì, and tenor Joseph Calleja is the role of the love-struck poet Rodolfo.

Met Opera | December 30, 2023

The legendary Cesare Siepi sings one of his most popular roles in this historic broadcast—the effervescent servant Figaro in this classic performance from 1956.

Met Opera | December 16, 2023

The Met’s English-sung, family-friendly production of Mozart’s dazzling fairy tale returns.

LA Opera | December 2, 2023

The luminous score—composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels—incorporates distinctive West African traditions with traditional opera instrumentation.

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | November 18, 2023

Verdi’s epic opera combines love, war, religion, and fate, and is sung by a stellar cast including Sondra Radvanovsky, Brian Jagde and Etienne Dupuis, conducted by Mark Elder.

Opera Southwest | November 4, 2023

Filled with all the romance, swordplay and humor that is a trademark of the Zorro universe.

Opera Festival of Chicago | October 21, 2023

Verdi's Attila takes us to the mid-5th century near Rome following Attila, King of the Huns.

Music of the Baroque | October 7, 2023

Music of the Baroque’s first performance in over three decades of Handel’s final oratorio.

China's NCPA | September 23, 2023

An epic production starring Amarilli Nizza as Minne, Claudio Sgura as Jack Rance, and more.

China's NCPA | September 9, 2023

An exciting production of Chinese composer Yin Qing’s The Ballad of the Canal, presented here for the very first time on US radio.

Gran Teatre del Liceu | August 26, 2023

A performance of Monteverdi's last opera led by none other than Jordi Savall.

Opéra Royal de Wallonie | August 12, 2023

Belgium’s Opéra Royal de Wallonie takes the stage for a stunning production starring Jessica Pratt, Marko Mimica, and René Barbera.

Teatro alla Scala | July 29, 2023

The world-famous La Scala returns to the series for another season with a new production of Leonardo Vinci’s Li zite ‘nglera, a part of La Scala’s project to rediscover and reinvigorate Italian baroque repertoire.

Munich Radio Opera | July 15, 2023

From the Prinzregententheater in Munich, Germany, we hear a production of Verdi’s I Lombardi alla prima crociata with the Munich Radio Opera, featuring Galeano Salas as Arvino, Andreas Burkhart as Acciano, Nino Machaidze as Giselda, and Réka Kristóf as Viclinda.

Paris Opera | July 1, 2023

From Paris Opera, hear a star-studded cast that includes Thomas Hampson as Richard Nixon and Renée Fleming as Pat Nixon, with John Matthew Myers as Chairman Mao.

Vienna State Opera | June 17, 2023

Vienna’s production of Fidelio stars Brandon Jovanovich as Florestan, alongside an Axel Kober-conducted cast that includes Anja Kampe as Leonore.

Met Opera | June 3, 2023

One of opera’s most beloved works receives its first new Met staging in 19 years.

Met Opera | May 20, 2023

Maestro Nathalie Stutzmann makes her Met debut conducting a star-studded cast led by baritone Peter Mattei as a magnetic Don Giovanni.

Met Opera | May 6, 2023

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Puccini’s timeless tragedy for the first time at the Met.

Met Opera | April 22, 2023

The opera that announced the young Mozart’s genius to the world returns to the Met stage, with acclaimed maestro Manfred Honeck making a notable company debut on the podium

Met Opera | April 8, 2023

Sparks are sure to fly as some of opera’s most electrifying artists light up Puccini’s classic thriller.

Met Opera | March 25, 2023

Sonya Yoncheva stars in the dynamite title role of Bellini’s Norma alongside Ekaterina Gubanova (Adalgisa), Michael Spyres (Pollione), and Christian Van Horn (Oroveso). Maurizio Benini conducts.

Met Opera | March 11, 2023

Dazzling soprano Angel Blue stars as Violetta in Verdi‘s stirring romantic tragedy. Nicola Luisotti conducts the Met Opera Orchestra and Dmytro Popov (Alfredo) and Artur Ruciński (Giorgio).

Met Opera | February 25, 2023

Keri-Lynn Wilson conducts this Dmitri Shostakovich performance from October 12, 2022 starring Svetlana Sozdateleva.

Met Opera | February 11, 2023

The Met commemorates the centenary of Franco Zeffirelli’s birth with a special presentation drawn from the company’s radio archives.

Met Opera | January 28, 2023

Ailyn Pérez, Christine Goerke, Alice Coote, and Jamie Barton lead this impressive cast in a Bertrand de Billy-conducted performance.

Met Opera | January 14, 2023

In this new production, Sonya Yoncheva stars in the title role under the baton of Marco Armiliato. Piotr Beczała (Loris Ipanoff), Rosa Feola (Olga), Lucas Meachem (De Siriex) co-star.

Met Opera | December 31, 2022

Highlights of artists making their Metropolitan Opera debuts during live broadcasts, including sopranos Bidu Sayão, Kiri Te Kanawa, and Astrid Varnay and conductor Sir Georg Solti.

Met Opera | December 17, 2022

Giuseppe Verdi’s ever-popular masterpiece returns for a performance starring Lisette Oropesa, Aigul Akhmetshina, Stephen Costello, and Luca Salsi in the title role, with Speranza Scappucci conducting.

China's National Centre for the Performing Arts | December 3, 2022

WFMT Opera Series Season Finale: Donizetti’s fabulous L’Elisir D’Amore stars Serena Gamberoni in the role of Adina alongside Francesco Meli as Nemorino and Liu Songhu as Belcore.

China's National Centre for the Performing Arts | November 19, 2022

Donizetti’s Don Pasquale stars Bruno Pratico in the title role, with Ekaterina Bakanova as Noria, Shi Yijie as Ernesto, and more. Daniele Callegari conducts.

Haymarket Opera Company | November 5, 2022

Joseph Bologne’s only extant opera comes to the stage with a star-studded cast, sumptuous ballets, the complete original French dialogue, and costumes fit for Marie Antoinette herself.

Opera Festival of Chicago | October 22, 2022

L’Inganno Felice, Rossini’s one act opera, was an instant success after its premiere in 1812, creating a worldwide sensation thanks to the beauty of its music from overture to finale.

China's National Centre for the Performing Arts | October 8, 2022

Likely the first time that this Mandarin-language production by Chinese composer Hao Weiya has been heard on US radio!

China's National Centre for the Performing Arts | September 24, 2022

Dvořák’s fantastical Rusalka features a stunning cast of artists that includes Zhou Xiaolin in the titular role.

Teatro dell’Opera di Roma | September 10, 2022

Teatro dell’Opera Rome’s production of Bellini’s I Puritani boasts a stellar cast, including Jessica Pratt as Lady Elvira Valton, John Osborn as Lord Arturo Talbot, and more.

Vienna State Opera | August 27, 2022

Asmik Grigorian sings the title role in Puccini’s story of love and loss.

Boston Early Music Festival | August 13, 2022

Handel’s fantastic Almira features period instruments led by music directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs. Emőke Baráth performs in the title role.

Royal Opera | July 30, 2022

Closing out Royal Opera’s suite of productions is Camille Saint-Saëns’ grand opera; Elīna Garanča stars as the Philistine Dalila, and SeokJong Baek as the inspiring Jewish hero Samson.

Royal Opera | July 16, 2022

Vivaldi’s 1735 opera is a dark and thrilling work where “powerful men and strong women negotiate their relationships as desires of the heart clash with rank and duty.”

Salzburg Festival | July 2, 2022

For this concert performance, Charles Castronovo stars as the romantic and tortured title character, with Ildar Abdrazakov as the wily Mephistopheles and Elīna Garanča as Marguerite.

Santa Fe Opera | June 18, 2022

Heralded as “a triumph,” Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs combines electronics and operatic orchestration to tell a fascinating story about the complicated man behind the rise of a tech giant.

Met Opera | June 4, 2022

When Brett Dean’s Hamlet had its world premiere in 2017, The Guardian declared, “New opera doesn’t often get to sound this good … Shakespeare offers a gauntlet to composers that shouldn’t always be picked up, but Dean’s Hamlet rises to the challenge.”

Met Opera | May 21, 2022

Virtuosic soprano Nadine Sierra takes on one of the repertory’s most formidable and storied roles, the haunted heroine of Lucia di Lammermoor.

Met Opera | May 7, 2022

Thrilling soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska plays the title role of the legendary cold-hearted princess. Yonghoon Lee appears as the bold prince determined to win Turandot’s love, alongside soprano Ermonela Jaho as the devoted servant Liù and bass Ferruccio Furlanetto as the blind king Timur.

Met Opera | April 23, 2022

Smashing box office records when it premiered during the 2019–20 season, the Met’s landmark staging of this American classic returns, and bass-baritone Eric Owens and soprano Angel Blue reunite as the title couple.

Met Opera | April 9, 2022

Daniele Rustioni takes the podium to lead Mozart’s breathless and breathtaking comedy.

Met Opera | March 26, 2022

In the network broadcast premiere of the opera’s French-language version, Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts an all-star cast: Matthew Polenzani (Don Carlos), Sonya Yoncheva (Élisabeth de Valois), Eric Owens (Philippe II), and Jamie Barton (La Princesse Eboli).

Met Opera | March 12, 2022

Marek Janowski conducts Lise Davidsen (Ariadne), Brandon Jovanovich (Bacchus), and Isabel Leonard (Composer) in a performance of Richard Strauss’ inventive, scintillating opera.

Met Opera | February 26, 2022

Broadcast highlights from some of the Met’s most revered African American stars

Met Opera | February 12, 2022

A commemorative performance from September 11, 2021.

Met Opera | January 29, 2022

Baritone Quinn Kelsey stars in the title role of Verdi's timeless tragedy.

Met Opera | January 15, 2022

Daniele Rustioni takes the podium to lead Mozart’s breathless and breathtaking comedy.

Met Opera | January 1, 2022

Continuing a treasured holiday tradition, the Met presents a new installment in its series of abridged opera adaptations for family audiences.

Met Opera | December 18, 2021

The Met’s abridged, English-language version of Mozart’s magical fairy tale is a classic holiday treat for audiences of all ages.

Met Opera | December 4, 2021

American composer Matthew Aucoin has created a new, captivating, 21st-century take on the myth of Orpheus.

Teatro dell’Opera Rome | November 20, 2021

Rome Opera presents a stunning performance of Verdi’s Luisa Miller, starring Roberta Mantegna in the title role, alongside Michele Pertusi as Count Walter, Antonio Poli as Rodolfo, and Daniela Barcellona as Federica. Michele Mariotti conducts the Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus from the stage of Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera.

Vienna State Opera | November 6, 2021

It's a story full of misunderstandings: Love is confused with desire, an affair with an exclusive relationship, affection with possession, and violence with passion. But the highest price in this web of dysfunctional relationships is paid by Carmen – a woman who loves her independence more than anything else, including men.

Haymarket Opera | October 23, 2021

The warrior knight Orlando is madly in love with Angelica, Princess of Cathay. Angelica and the shepherdess Dorinda both love Prince Medoro. Deception and chaos reign. Can the sorcerer Zoroastro, benevolent guardian of Orlando, save the day?

LA Opera | October 9, 2021

Based on the novella by Herman Melville, the Benjamin Britten's maritime masterpiece follows an innocent naval recruit who joins the crew of the H.M.S. Indomitable, helmed by a noble captain. But one commanding officer's dark desires cause a tragic turn of events for the beloved young sailor...and himself.

Rouen Normandy Opera | September 25, 2021

An unspoken song, sumptuous orchestration, a love story inspired by the myth of Tristan and Iseult, and a poetic atmosphere: so many elements that make Claude Debussy's Pelléas and Mélisande such a bewitching work.

Opera Southwest | September 11, 2021

Set against the exotic backdrop of war, intrigue, and conquest in medieval Sicily, Tancredi follows the romance between the exiled soldier Tancredi the beautiful Amenaide. When Amenaide is sentenced to death for a crime she did not commit, a disguised Tancredi fights to defend both love and honor.

Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse | August 28, 2021

For his very last opera, Richard Wagner choose to deepen some of the themes that have marked his artistic and human journey: the feeling of fault, guilt, redemption, sacred love and profane desire. His opera Parsifal is a showcase of some of the most beautiful music written for opera, it takes the artform into the realms of philosophy and mystic visions, as well as being a profound exploration of the great questions at the core of our human experience.

Opéra Bastille | August 14, 2021

Manon steers a course between two worlds, escaping the convent to embrace the paths of desire and transgression and throw herself headlong into a passionate, yet self-destructive love affair...

Swedish Royal Opera | July 31, 2021

This historic broadcast of Il trovatore was recorded at Jussi Björling’s  last performance at the Swedish Royal Opera House in 1960, the scene where he made his opera debut in 1930. His counterpart was the legendary Hjördis Schymberg performing the role Leonora. In 1934, she sang with Björling in Puccini’s La Bohème and they sang over 100 performances together over ...

Royal Opera | July 17, 2021

Renée Fleming stars as the Marschallin and Alice Coote, as her young lover Octavian. Knowing their love will end, they plot together to save Sophie von Faninal (Sophie Bevan) from a loveless marriage to the philandering Baron Ochs (Matthew Rose).

Royal Opera | July 3, 2021

Mozart's Don Giovanni, with its compelling story and characterization, coupled with some of his greatest and most memorable music, has been a hit with audiences ever since its 1787.

Royal Opera | June 19, 2021

Jealousy, torture, murder and suicide: the path of true love certainly produces a bumpy ride. Puccini's Tosca can make for a compelling night at the theatre.

Metropolitan Opera | June 5, 2021

From 1997: Steuart Bedford conducts Philip Langridge (Captain Vere), Dwayne Croft (Billy Budd), James Morris (Claggart), Victor Braun (Mr. Redburn), Julien Robbins (Lt. Ratcliffe), James Courtney (Mr. Flint), Paul Plishka (Dansker)

Metropolitan Opera | May 22, 2021

From 2017: Maurizio Benini conducts Diana Damrau (Elvira Walton) and Javier Camarena (Lord Arturo Talbot).

Metropolitan Opera | May 8, 2021

Star soprano Anna Netrebko performs Puccini highlights from La bohème, Tosca, and Turandot.

Metropolitan Opera | April 24, 2021

From 2013: Anne Schwanewilms (Empress), Ildikó Komlósi (Nurse), and Christine Goerke (Dyer’s Wife) star, Vladimir Jurowski conducts.

Metropolitan Opera | April 10, 2021

From 2017: Angel Blue (Mimì), Brigitte Kele (Musetta), Dmytro Popov (Rodolfo), Lucas Meachem (Marcello), and Duncan Rock (Schaunard) star; Alexander Soddy conducts.

Metropolitan Opera | March 27, 2021

Gerald Finley stars as the title character in this performance of Mozart’s seminal opera. Sir Andrew Davis conducts; Marina Rebeka (Donna Anna), Ellie Dehn (Donna Elvira), Isabel Leonard (Zerlina), Matthew Polenzani (Don Ottavio), and Bryn Terfel (Leporello) costar.

Metropolitan Opera | March 13, 2021

Mozart’s indelible opera buffa, starring Ailyn Pérez (Countess), Nadine Sierra (Susanna), Isabel Leonard (Cherubino), Katarina Leoson (Marcellina), Mariusz Kwiecien (Count), Ildar Abdrazakov (Figaro), Maurizio Muraro (Dr. Bartolo). Conducted by Harry Bicket.

Metropolitan Opera | February 27, 2021

Renée Fleming (Marschallin) stars with Elīna Garanča (Octavian), Erin Morley (Sophie), Helene Schneiderman (Annina), Matthew Polenzani (A Singer). Sebastian Weigle conducts this 2017 performance of the landmark Strauss opera.

Metropolitan Opera | February 13, 2021

From April 2018: Joyce DiDonato stars as the title character in Massenet‘s adaptation of the Cinderella fairy tale. Kathleen Kim (La Fée), Alice Coote (Le Prince Charmant), Stephanie Blythe (Madame de la Haltière), Laurent Naouri (Pandolfe) co-star; Bertrand de Billy conducts.

Metropolitan Opera | January 30, 2021

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts this 2011 performance with Marina Poplavskaya (Marguerite), Jonas Kaufmann (Faust), Russell Braun (Valentin), and René Pape (Méphistophélès).

Metropolitan Opera | January 16, 2021

Karel Mark Chichon conducts; Aleksandra Kurzak (Violetta Valéry), Dmytro Popov (Alfredo Germont), Quinn Kelsey (Giorgio Germont) star in this performance from January 2020.

Metropolitan Opera | January 2, 2021

Dante Anzolini conducts Rachelle Durkin (Miss Schlesen), Richard Croft (M. K. Gandhi), Kim Josephson (Mr. Kallenbach), and Alfred Walker (Parsi Rustomji).

Metropolitan Opera | December 19, 2020

Donald Runnicles conducts this family-friendly, English-language 2018 performance featuring Lisette Oropesa (Gretel), Tara Erraught (Hansel), Dolora Zajick (Gertrude), and Gerhard Siegel (Witch).

Metropolitan Opera | December 5, 2020

Anna Netrebko (Natasha), Gegam Grigorian (Bezukhov), and Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Andrei) star in this 2002 performance of Prokofiev’s adaptation of Tolstoy’s enduring masterwork. Valery Gergiev conducts.

Liceu Opera Barcelona Double Bill | November 21, 2020

Henrik Nánási conducts this verismo double bill.

OperaDelaware Double Bill | November 7, 2020

A double bill of courtroom operatic comedies is on the docket as Opera Delaware presents two works separated by 140 years.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden | October 24, 2020

Joyce DiDonato stars as the title character. Maxim Emelyanychev conducts.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden | October 10, 2020

Sir Bryn Terfel stars in the title role in this performance of Donizetti’s classic comic opera. Evelino Pidò conducts.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden | September 26, 2020

Bass-baritone Erwin Schrott stars in the title role in this performance of Mozart’s timeless opera. Hartmut Haenchen conducts.

Opera Southwest | September 12, 2020

Héctor Armienta’s Bless Me, Ultima, based on Rudolfo Anaya’s landmark Chicano novel, stars Daisy Beltran as Tony and Kirstin Chavez as Ultima. Guillermo Figueroa conducts.

Royal Danish Opera | August 29, 2020

Regarded as one of the first operas, the late-renaissance L’Orfeo tells the story of Orpheus as he goes down to the underworld in search of his beloved Eurydice. In this performance, Danish conductor and baroque expert Lars Ulrik Mortensen teams up with Concerto Copenhagen to guarantee a sparklingly vivid and close-up interpretation of Monteverdi’s unique and immortal music.

LA Opera On Air | August 15, 2020

James Conlon conducts this performance, featuring Marina Costa-Jackson (Mimi), Saimir Pirgu (Rodolfo), Erica Petrocelli (Musetta), and Kihun Yoon (Marcello)

LA Opera On Air | August 1, 2020

Hear Bizet’s most popular opera starring Ana María Martínez in the title role. The cast also includes Brandon Jovanovich (Don José); Amanda Woodbury (Micaela); Alexander Vinogradov (Escamillo); among other soloists. The performance features the Los Angeles Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by James Conlon.

Lyric Opera of Chicago | July 18, 2020

Dmitry Korchak and Andriana Chuchman are the titular lovers in this performance. Harry Bicket conducts.

Lyric Opera of Chicago | July 4, 2020

Brandon Jovanovich (Siegmund), Elisabet Strid (Sieglinde), Ain Anger (Hunding), Eric Owens (Wotan), and Christine Goerke (Brünnhilde) in this performance of the second entry in the Ring cycle. Sir Andrew Davis conducts.

Lyric Opera of Chicago | June 20, 2020

Ryan Opera Center alumnus Quinn Kelsey stars in the title role, in a cast that also features Matthew Polenzani (Duke of Mantua), Rosa Feola (Gilda), and Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Sparafucile). Marco Armiliato conducts.

Lyric Opera of Chicago | June 6, 2020

Ana María Martínez stars as Fiordiligi in the opening performance in this season of our Lyric Opera of Chicago Broadcast Series. James Gaffigan conducts.

Vienna State Opera | May 23, 2020

Tenor Dmitry Korchak—one of the most exciting and sought-after voices of his generation and regarded as one of today’s best performers of bel canto repertoire—stars in the title role alongside soprano Olga Peretyatko and mezzo-soprano Gaëlle Arquez.

Opera Southwest | November 30, 2019

With a libretto based on “Alì Babà and the Forty Thieves,” the well-known and lively story from One Thousand and One Nights,  Alì Babà was composed by Giovanni Bottesini, an Italian composer and double bass virtuoso, known as the “Paganini of the bass” The opera was premiered in 1871 in London, receiving considerable acclaim and numerous performances. However, the score was later ...

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra | November 16, 2019

Music director laureate Edo de Waart conducted this semi-staged 2016 performance of the celebrated Mozart opera The Marriage of Figaro starring Douglas Williams (Figaro) and Joélle Harvey (Susanna). Cast: Figaro: Douglas Williams Susanna: Joélle Harvey Count: Gordon Bintner Countess Almaviva: Rachel Willis-Sorensen Cherubino: Maren Favela Marcellina: Susanne Mentzer Bartolo: Peixin Chen Don Basilio and Don Curzio: William Ferguson Barbarina: Alisa Suzanne ...

OperaDelaware | November 2, 2019

A unique double serving of one of opera's best known patriarchs with Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and its comic sequel, Buoso's Ghost, by living composer Michael Ching, who also conducts the performance.

Music of the Baroque | October 19, 2019

WFMT shares the third of its three-broadcast series of Handel works performed by Chicago’s Music of the Baroque.  Jane Glover, Music of the Baroque’s music director, conducts this performance of Handel’s Acis and Galatea featuring tenor Thomas Cooley (Acis) and soprano Elizabeth Futral (Galatea). Cast Galatea: Elizabeth Futral Acis: Thomas Cooley Damon: Benjamin Butterfield Polyphemus: Christòpheren Nomura Ensemble: Music of the ...

Music of the Baroque | October 5, 2019

WFMT shares the first of its three-broadcast series of Handel works performed by Chicago’s Music of the Baroque.  Jane Glover, Music of the Baroque’s music director, conducts this performance of Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus starring tenor Thomas Cooley (Judas), bass-baritone Eric Owens (Simon) and featuring Anima — The Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus. Cast Israelitish Woman: Yulia Van Doren Israelitish Man: Meg Bragle ...

LA Opera On Air | September 21, 2019

Hear Bizet’s most popular opera starring Ana María Martínez in the title role. The cast also includes Brandon Jovanovich (Don José); Amanda Woodbury (Micaela); Alexander Vinogradov (Escamillo); among other soloists. The performance features the Los Angeles Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by James Conlon.

RAI (Italy) and the European Broadcasting Union | July 27, 2019

Carlo Vistoli and Mariangela Sicilia star as the titular ill-fated lovers in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. This Teatro dell’Opera di Roma performance was recorded at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, and was conducted by Gianluca Capuano.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden | July 13, 2019

Tenor Roberto Alagna stars as the title character in Umberto Giordano’s French Revolution-set verismo opera. This performance also features soprano Sondra Radvanovsky (Maddalena de Coigny), baritone Dimitri Platanias (Carlo Gérard), and is conducted by Daniel Oren.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden | June 29, 2019

The Marquis of Calatrava (Robert Lloyd, bass) forbids his daughter Leonora (Anna Netrebko, soprano) to marry the South American nobleman Don Alvaro (Jonas Kaufmann, tenor). The lovers attempt to elope, but the Marquis catches them. In the ensuing altercation, Alvaro accidentally kills the Marquis, who curses his daughter as he dies. Leonora and Alvaro become separated during their escape. Leonora’s ...

Royal Opera House Covent Garden | June 15, 2019

Verdi's opera explores long-held secrets, treachery and the father-daughter relationship, in the majestic setting of Renaissance Genoa. The dashing corsair Simon Boccanegra and Maria, daughter of the nobleman Jacopo Fiesco, have fallen in love and had an illegitimate daughter. The child has disappeared from her foster-home. Boccanegra returns to Genoa to break the news to Maria, and learns of her death as a crowd, led by the plebeian Paolo Albiani, proclaim him Doge of Genoa.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden | June 1, 2019

The second opera in Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen thrillingly depicts the discovery of a great love. During a storm, Sieglinde gives shelter to a wounded stranger. They find themselves drawn to each other. He is Siegmund, the twin from whom Sieglinde was separated in childhood. Unknown to them, their father is Wotan, the most powerful of the gods. Through ...

Royal Opera House Covent Garden | May 18, 2019

Old, large and lecherous, Sir John Falstaff can’t resist the ladies. But they can resist him, and three of them plot to put an end to his advances once and for all. Bryn Terfel plays the title role in this performance, which also features Ana Maria Martinez (Alice Ford), Simon Keenlyside (Ford), AnnaProhaska (Nannetta), Frédérid Antoun (Fenton), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Dame ...

LA Opera On Air | September 22, 2018

Hear acclaimed singer Plácido Domingo in the title role of Verdi’s Nabucco. The cast also features Liudmyla Monastyrska (Abigaille); Morris Robinson (Zaccaria); Mario Chang (Ismaele); Nancy Fabiola Herrera (Fenena); and the Los Angeles Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by James Conlon.

LA Opera On Air | September 2, 2017

This performance of Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles features Patricia Racette as Marie Antoinette along with Christopher Maltman (Beaumarchais), Kristinn Sigmundsson (Louis XVI), Lucas Meachem (Figaro), Robert Brubaker (Bégearss), Guanqun Yu (Rosina; Countess Almaviva), Lucy Schaufer (Susanna), Joshua Guerrero (Count Almaviva), Renée Rapier (Cherubino), Stacey Tappan (Florestine), Brenton Ryan (Leon), Scotty Scully (Marquis), Victoria Livengood (Woman with Hat), Joel Sorensen ...

LA Opera On Air | August 12, 2017

This performance of Rossini’s opera buffa The Barber of Seville features Rodion Pogossov as Figaro along with cast members Almaviva René Barbera (Count), Elizabeth DeShong (Rosina), Alessandro Corbelli (Doctor Bartolo), Kristinn Sigmundsson (Don Basilio), Lucy Schaufer (Berta), and Jonathan Michie (Fiorello). James Conlon conducts.