Saturdays at 12:00 pm
Since 1931, the Metropolitan Opera’s radio broadcasts have brought performances from New York City to listeners around the world.
From its opening in 1883, the Metropolitan Opera has been one of the world’s leading opera companies. Today, the Met continues to present high-quality performances with many of the world’s most renowned artists, a superior company of orchestral and choral musicians, a large repertory of works, and the resources to make performances available to the public. Each season the Metropolitan stages more than 200 opera performances in New York which more than 800,000 people attend. Millions more, throughout the world, experience the Metropolitan Opera on television, through cinemacasts, radio, on tour and recordings.
WFMT offers a complete opera every Saturday at noon with productions from the following companies:
- Metropolitan Opera (winter)
- Lyric Opera of Chicago (May-July)
- LA Opera on Air (July-August)
- San Francisco Opera (August-October)
Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande
Debussy’s only opera, a mesmerizing meditation on love and betrayal, returns to the Met stage for the first time in almost a decade, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the landmark score.
Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur
Soprano Anna Netrebko joins the ranks of Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballé, and Renata Scotto, taking on—for the first time at the Met—the title role of the real-life French actress who dazzled 18th-century audiences with her on-and offstage passion.
Verdi’s Otello
Conducting sensation Gustavo Dudamel makes his Met debut leading Verdi’s towering Shakespearean masterpiece, in the first revival of Bartlett Sher’s gripping 2015 production.
The Magic Flute, by Mozart
Ben Bliss (Tamino), Erin Morley (Pamina), Nathan Gunn (Papageno), and Kathryn Lewek (Queen of the Night) headline this live performance of Julie Taymor's production of The Magic Flute. Harry Bicket conducts.
La Fanciulla del West, by Puccini
Eva-Maria Westbroek stars as Minnie in this performance of Puccini’s romantic opera set in the days of the California Gold Rush. Tenor Jonas Kaufmann plays her love interest, Dick Johnson, baritone Željko Lučić is the sheriff Jack Rance, and Marco Armiliato conducts.
La Traviata, by Verdi
Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts this performance of the Verdi favorite starring soprano Diana Damrau, tenor Juan Diego Flórez, and baritone Quinn Kelsey.
Il trittico (Puccini)
This performance of Il trittico features some of opera’s leading voices performing in three one-act Puccini operas (Trittico is Italian for triptych). The program features tenor Marcelo Álvarez and soprano Amber Wagner in Il tabarro; soprano Kristine Opalais sings the titular character in Suor Angelica, and Plácido Domingo leads as the title role in Gianni Schicchi. Bertrand de Billy conducts.
Mefistofele (Boito)
Christopher Van Horn and Michael Fabiano lead this performance of Boito’s opera based on Faust. Even though he produced several libretti (including for Verdi’s Otello and Falstaff), Mefistofele is the only opera for which Arrigo Boito completed both the music and libretto.
“Romeo and Juliet” (Gounod)
Hear Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet featuring Bryan Hymel (Romeo); Ailyn Perez (Juliet); Joshua Hopkins (Mercutio); Kwangchul Youn (Friar Laurence); Karine Deshayes (Stephano); and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by Placido Domingo.
“Cendrillon” (Massenet)
Hear Massenet’s Cenrillon staring Joyce DiDonato (Cinderella); Kathleen Kim (Fairy); Alice Coote (Prince Charming); Stephanie Blythe (Mme de la Haltière); and also featuring the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by Bertrand de Billy.
“The Exterminating Angel” (Adès)
The Exterminating Angel by Thomas Adès featuring Alice Coote (Leonora Palma); Iestyn Davies (Francisco de Avila); Christian Van Horne (Julio); John Tomlinson (Carlos Conde); other soloists; the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Adès.
“Luisa Miller” (Verdi)
Hear Verdi’s Luisa Miller featuring Sonya Yoncheva (Luisa); Piotr Beczała (Rodolfo); Plácido Domingo (Miller); Alexander Vinogradov (Walter); Dmitry Belosselskiy (Wurm); and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by conductor Bertrand de Billy.
“Lucia di Lammermoor” (Donizetti)
Hear Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” featuring Olga Peretyatko-Mariotti (Lucia); Vittorio Grigolo (Edgardo); Massimo Cavalletti (Enrico); Vitalij Kowaljow (Raimondo); and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by conductor Roberto Abbado.
“Così fan tutte” (Mozart)
Hear Mozart’s Così fan tutte featuring Amanda Majeski (Fiordiligi); Serena Malfi (Dorabella); Christopher Maltman (Don Alfonso); Ben Bliss (Ferrando); Adam Plachetka (Guglielmo); Kelli O’Hara (Despina); Metroplitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, led by David Robertson.
“TURANDOT” (Puccini)
Hear Puccini’s Turandot featuring Martina Serafin (Turandot); Marcelo Alvarez (Calaf); Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Timur); Guanqun Yu (Liù); and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by Marco Armiliato.
“ELEKTRA” (Strauss)
Hear Strauss’s Elektra featuring Christine Goerke (Elektra); Mikhail Petrenko (Orest); Michaela Schuster (Klytemnestra); Elza van den Heever (Chrysothemis); Hunter Morris (Aegisth); and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
“SEMIRAMIDE” (Rossini)
Hear Rossini’s Semiramide featuring Angela Meade (Semiramide); Elizabeth DeShong (Arsace); Javier Camarena (Idreno); Ildar Abdrazakov (Assur); Ryan Speedo Green (Oroe); and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by Maurizio Benini.
“MADAMA BUTTERFLY” (Puccini)
Hear Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” featuring Ermonela Jaho (Butterfly); Roberto Aronica (Pinkerton); Roberto Frontali (Sharpless); Maria Zifchak (Suzuki); and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by conductor Marco Armiliato.
“LA BOHÈME” (Puccini)
Hear Puccini’s La bohème featuring Michael Fabiano (Rodolfo); Sonya Yoncheva (Mimi); Lucas Meacham (Marcello); Susanna Phillips (Musetta); Alexey Lavrov (Schaunard); Matthew Rose (Colline); and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by Marco Armiliato.
“PARSIFAL” (Wagner)
Hear Wagner’s “Parsifal” featuring Klaus Florian Vogt (Parsifal); Peter Mattei (Amfortas); René Pape (Gurnemanz); Evgeny Nikitin (Klingsor); Evelyn Herlitzius (Kundry); Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra.
