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)
“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.
“L’ELISIR D’AMORE” (Donizetti)
The cast includes Pretty Yende (Adina); Matthew Polenzani (Nemorino); Ildebrando d’Arcangelo (Dr Dulcamara); Davide Luciano (Belcore). Domingo Hindoyan conducts the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra.
“IL TROVATORE” (Verdi)
Hear a performance of Verdi classic opera featuring Yonghoon Lee (Manrico); Maria Agresta (Leonora); Anita Rachvelishvili (Azucena); Quinn Kelsey (Count di Luna); Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Marco Armiliato conducts.
“TOSCA” (Puccini)
Sonya Yoncheva stars in the title role in Puccini’s Tosca. She is joined by Vittorio Grigolo (Cavaradossi); Željko Lučić (Scarpia); Patrick Carfizzi (Sacristan); Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Emmanuel Villaume conducts.
“THAÏS” (MASSENET)
Chicago native Ailyn Perez sings the title role in Thaïs. She is joined by Gerald Finley (Athanael); Jean-François Borras (Nicias); David Pittsinger (Palémon); Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Emmanuel Villaume conducts.
“CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA”/ “PAGLIACCI”
Hear a double bill with Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” featuring Roberto Alagna (Turiddu; Canio); Ekaterina Semenchuk (Santuzza); Aleksandra Kurzak (Nedda); Zeljko Lucic (Alfio); George Gagnidze (Tonio); Alessio Arduini (Silvio); Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Nicola Luisotti (conductor).
“HANSEL AND GRETEL” (Humperdink)
Enjoy an English-language performance of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel with Tara Erraught (Hansel); Lisette Oropesa (Gretel); Dolora Zajick (Gertrude); Quinn Kelsey (Peter); Gerhard Siegel (Witch); Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Donald Runnicles (conductor).
THE MERRY WIDOW (Lehár)
Susan Graham is Lehár’s The Merry Widow with Paul Groves, Andriana Chuchman, and Taylor Stayton, conducted by Ward Stare
MARRIAGE OF FIGARO (Mozart)
Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, featuring Adam Plachetka (Figaro); Christiane Karg (Susanna); Luca Pisaroni (Count); Rachel Willis-Sorensen (Countess); Serena Malfi (Cherubino); Metropolitan Opera Cho & Orch/Harry Bicket.