2025–26 Saturday Matinee Broadcasts
THE ROBERT K. JOHNSON FOUNDATION–METROPOLITAN OPERA INTERNATIONAL RADIO NETWORK
2025-26 SATURDAY MATINEE BROADCAST SEASON
All broadcasts at 1 PM Eastern Time except as noted
December 6
Puccini: LA BOHÈME
Daniele Rustioni; Juliana Grigoryan (Mimì), Stephen Costello (Rodolfo), Mané Galoyan (Musetta), David Bizic (Marcello), Alexander Köpeczi (Colline), Iurii Samoilov (Schaunard), Donald Maxwell (Benoit/Alcindoro)
December 13
Giordano: ANDREA CHÉNIER
Daniele Rustioni; Piotr Beczała (Andrea Chénier), Sonya Yoncheva (Maddalena di Coigny), Igor Golovatenko (Carlo Gérard)
December 20 at 12:00 p.m.
Mozart: THE MAGIC FLUTE – Abridged English-Language Holiday Presentation
Steven White; Paul Appleby (Tamino), Joélle Harvey (Pamina), Michael Sumuel (Papageno), Rainelle Krause (Queen of the Night), Alexander Köpeczi (Sarastro), Thomas Capobianco (Monostatos), Harold Wilson (Speaker)
December 27
HANDEL AT THE MET
A celebration of Handel at the holidays, with excerpts from Met performances, in honor of the 300th anniversary of Rodelinda
January 3
Mason Bates: THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY – Libretto by Gene Scheer – Based on the Book by Michael Chabon – Network Broadcast Premiere
Performance from fall 2025
Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Andrzej Filończyk (Joe Kavalier), Miles Mykkanen (Sam Clay), Sun-Ly Pierce (Rosa Saks), Lauren Snouffer (Sarah Kavalier), Edward Nelson (Tracy Bacon), Patrick Carfizzi (Sheldon Anapol), Craig Colclough (Gerhard)
January 10
Bellini: I PURITANI – New Production
Marco Armiliato; Lisette Oropesa (Elvira Walton), Lawrence Brownlee (Lord Arturo Talbot), Artur Ruciński (Riccardo Forth), Christian Van Horn (Giorgio Walton)
January 17 at 12:30 p.m.
Bizet: CARMEN
Pier Giorgio Morandi; Aigul Akhmetshina (Carmen), Michael Fabiano (Don José), Janai Brugger (Micaëla), Christian Van Horn (Escamillo)
January 24
The Gershwins: PORGY AND BESS
Kwamé Ryan; Alfred Walker (Porgy), Brittany Renee (Bess), Ryan Speedo Green (Crown), Frederick Ballentine (Sportin’ Life), Leah Hawkins (Serena), Vuvu Mpofu (Clara), Denyce Graves (Maria), Benjamin Taylor (Jake)
January 31
Strauss: ARABELLA
Performance from November 22, 2025
Nicholas Carter; Rachel Willis-Sørensen (Arabella), Tomasz Konieczny (Mandryka), Louise Alder (Zdenka), Pavol Breslik (Matteo), Brindley Sherratt (Waldner)
February 7
Massenet: WERTHER – Artist's Choice
Chosen by Lawrence Brownlee: Alfredo Kraus in a performance from February 3, 1979
Richard Bonynge; Alfredo Kraus (Werther), Régine Crespin (Charlotte), Kathleen Battle (Sophie), Lenus Carlson (Albert)
February 14
Mozart: IDOMENEO – Artist's Choice
Chosen by Joyce DiDonato: Frederica von Stade in a performance from February 15, 1986
Jeffrey Tate; David Rendall (Idomeneo), Benita Valente (Ilia), Frederica von Stade (Idamante), Hildegard Behrens (Elettra), John Alexander (Arbace)
February 21
Puccini: MANON LESCAUT – Artist's Choice
Chosen by Asmik Grigorian: Mirella Freni in a performance from March 17, 1990
Nello Santi; Mirella Freni (Manon), Peter Dvorsky (Des Grieux), Brian Schexnayder (Lescaut), Italo Tajo (Geronte)
February 28
Berlioz: LA PRISE DE TROIE (LES TROYENS, PART ONE) – Artist’s Choice
Chosen by Yannick Nézet-Séguin: Rafael Kubelík conducting a performance from March 16, 1974
Rafael Kubelík; Shirley Verrett (Cassandre), Jon Vickers (Énée), Louis Quilico (Chorèbe)
March 7
Berlioz: LES TROYENS À CARTHAGE (LES TROYENS, PART TWO) – Artist’s Choice
Chosen by Yannick Nézet-Séguin: Rafael Kubelík conducting a performance from March 16, 1974
Rafael Kubelík; Christa Ludwig (Didon), Jon Vickers (Énée), Mignon Dunn (Anna), John Macurdy (Narbal)
March 14
Puccini: MADAMA BUTTERFLY
Carlo Rizzi; Sonya Yoncheva (Cio-Cio-San), Adam Smith (Pinkerton), Jennifer Johnson Cano (Suzuki), Quinn Kelsey (Sharpless)
March 21 at 12:00 p.m.
Wagner: TRISTAN UND ISOLDE – New Production
Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Lise Davidsen (Isolde), Michael Spyres (Tristan), Ekaterina Gubanova (Brangäne), Ryan Speedo Green (King Marke), Tomasz Konieczny (Kurwenal)
March 28
Verdi: LA TRAVIATA
Antonello Manacorda; Lisette Oropesa (Violetta Valéry), Piotr Buszewski (Alfredo Germont), Luca Salsi (Giorgio Germont)
April 4
Ponchielli: LA GIOCONDA
Celebrating the opera's 150th anniversary with a performance from March 2, 1968
Fausto Cleva; Renata Tebaldi (La Gioconda), Carlo Bergonzi (Enzo), Fiorenza Cossotto (Laura), Cornell MacNeil (Barnaba), Bonaldo Giaiotti (Alvise), Mignon Dunn (La Cieca)
April 11
Mozart: DON GIOVANNI
Performance from fall 2025
Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Ryan Speedo Green (Don Giovanni), Federica Lombardi (Donna Anna), Adam Plachetka (Leporello), Janai Brugger (Donna Elvira), Ben Bliss (Don Ottavio), Hera Hyesang Park (Zerlina), William Guanbo Su (Masetto), Adam Palka (Commendatore)
April 18
Kaija Saariaho: INNOCENCE – Libretto by Sofi Oksanen – Multilingual Libretto and English Translation by Aleksi Barrière) – Network Broadcast Premiere
Susanna Mälkki; Jacquelyn Stucker (Bride), Kathleen Kim (Mother-In-Law), Joyce DiDonato (Waitress), Miles Mykkanen (Bridegroom), Rod Gilfry (Father-In-Law), Stephen Milling (Priest), Lucy Shelton (Teacher), Vilma Jää (Markéta), Beate Mordal (Lily), Julie Hega (Iris), Simon Kluth (Anton), Camilo Delgado Díaz (Jerónimo), Marina Dumont Anastassiadou (Alexia)
April 25
Bellini: LA SONNAMBULA – New Production
Joana Mallwitz; Michael Sumuel (Figaro), Olga Kulchynska (Susanna), Federica Lombardi (Countess), Joshua Hopkins (Count), Sun-Ly Pierce (Cherubino), Elizabeth Bishop (Marcellina), Maurizio Muraro (Dr. Bartolo)
May 2
Tchaikovsky: EUGENE ONEGIN
Timur Zangiev; Igor Golovatenko (Onegin), Asmik Grigorian (Tatiana), Stanislas de Barbeyrac (Lenski), Maria Barakova (Olga), Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Prince Gremin), Stephanie Blythe (Filippyevna)
May 9
Donizetti: LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT
Performance from fall 2025
Giacomo Sagripanti; Erin Morley (Marie), Lawrence Brownlee (Tonio), Alice Coote (Marquise of Berkenfield), Peter Kálmán (Sulpice)
May 16
LISTENERS’ CHOICE
Historic broadcast to be selected by listener voting
May 23
Puccini: TURANDOT
Oksana Lyniv; Anna Pirozzi (Turandot), Brian Jagde (Calàf), Angel Blue (Liù), John Relyea (Timur)
May 30
Gabriela Lena Frank: EL ÚLTIMO SUEÑO DE FRIDA Y DIEGO – Libretto by Nilo Cruz – Network Broadcast Premiere
Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Isabel Leonard (Frida), Carlos Álvarez (Diego), Gabriella Reyes (Catrina), Nils Wanderer (Leonardo)