Daniel Catán’s 1996 opera Florencia en el Amazonas, the first Spanish-language opera at the Met in nearly a century, has its company premiere November 16
Led by Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the majority Latinx cast stars soprano Ailyn Pérez as Florencia Grimaldi, alongside soprano Gabriella Reyes, bass-baritone Greer Grimsley, baritone Mattia Olivieri, tenor Mario Chang, mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera, and baritone Michael Chioldi
Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman stages the new production
The December 9 performance to be transmitted live around the world as part of The Met: Live in HD series
New York, NY (November 13, 2023)— Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas, the first Spanish-language opera to be performed at the Met in nearly a century and the third of six new productions this season, premieres November 16. This is also the first opera by a Mexican composer to be presented by the company. With a majority Latinx cast led by leading Mexican-American soprano Ailyn Pérez, the premiere of Florencia marks an unprecedented Latin American cultural and artistic moment for the Met.
Inspired by the magical realism of novelist Gabriel García Márquez, with a libretto by Mexican writer Marcela Fuentes-Berain, Catán’s 1996 opera follows Florencia, a South American opera diva who returns to her homeland to perform at the legendary opera house of Manaus, and to search for her lost lover, who has vanished into the jungle. Led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, the cast stars Pérez in the title role and also features a distinguished ensemble of singers portraying the diva’s fellow travelers on the river boat to Manaus – soprano Gabriella Reyes as the journalist Rosalba, bass-baritone Greer Grimsley as the ship’s captain, baritone Mattia Olivieri as his enigmatic first mate, tenor Mario Chang as the captain’s nephew Arcadio, and mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera and baritone Michael Chioldi as the feuding couple Paula and Alvaro.
The new production by award-winning director Mary Zimmerman brings the mysterious and magical realm of the Amazon to the Met stage. The creative team includes Havana-born, Buenos Aires-raised set designer Riccardo Hernandez in his Met debut, with costume designer Ana Kuzmanic, lighting designer T.J. Gerckens, projection designer S. Katy Tucker, and choreographer Alex Sanchez.
Following the premiere on November 16, seven additional performances run through December 14.
Public Programs and Special Events
In anticipation of the arrival of Florencia en el Amazonas, the Met will present a series of events to introduce Daniel Catán’s enchanting masterpiece to audiences.
Florencia en el Amazonas
November 28, 7PM
Americas Society
Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas brings the Spanish language, Mexican musical sensibilities, and a world of color to the Met. The evening’s program features a conversation between Andrea Puente-Catán, Latin American music specialist and widow of the composer, and João MacDowell, artistic director of the New York–based International Brazilian Opera Company, followed by a performance by singers Gabriella Reyes and Mario Chang, Nelson Ebo, and pianist Brad Moore. The artists will perform excerpts from Florencia en el Amazonas and MacDowell’s The Seventh Seal. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Fridays Under 40
All Friday performances at the Met are available to audiences aged 40 and under at special discounted rates. For further details, please click here.
Florencia en el Amazonas Worldwide Broadcasts in Cinema, Radio, and Online
The December 9 performance of Florencia en el Amazonas will be transmitted live to movie theaters around the globe as part of the Met’s Live in HD series.
The November 16, November 27, and December 9 performances of Florencia en el Amazonas will be broadcast live on Met Opera Radio on the Sirius XM app. Audio from the November 16 performance will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, metopera.org. The December 9 performance will be broadcast over the Robert K. Johnson Foundation–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.
For More Information
For further details on Florencia en el Amazonas, including casting by date, please click here.