Great Performances at the Met

Name: Great Performances at the Met
Genre: Music
Rating: 0

PBS Running Music

Opera lovers, rejoice! If you can't make it to New York to see a performance at the Metropolitan Opera, the next best thing to being there is to see one of its Saturday matinees broadcast on PBS on Great Performances at the Met. Originally aired as part of its "Great Performances" series, the programs got their own title in 2006. With operatic standards like "Aida", "The Barber of Seville" and "Turandot" and performances by some of opera's biggest names, including Reneé Flemming, Placido Domingo and Anna Netrebko, the series brings the best of modern opera into American homes.

Where to Watch: PBS

Official Site

Next Air Time: Sat, Mar 21 2026 1:00 AM GMT+0000

Seasons & Episodes

Season 2007

1 episode

Season 2015

1 episode

Season 2016

11 episodes

E01

ILTrovatore

Sat, Jan 23 2016 2:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

Verdi's classic opera stars Anna Netrebko in her Met role debut as Leonora. Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings Count di Luna, with Yonghoon Lee as Manrico, the title character, Stefan Kocan as Ferrando and Dolora Zajick as the gypsy Azucena.

E02

Otello

Mon, Feb 22 2016 2:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

Verdi's "Otello," about a Moorish general (Aleksandrs Antonenko) who comes to suspect his wife (Sonya Yoncheva) of infidelity due to seeds of doubt sowed by a treacherous aide (Zeljko Lucic).

E03

Tannhauser

Mon, Mar 14 2016 1:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

A production of Richard Wagner's "Tannhauser," in which a minstrel knight (Johan Botha) is torn between a saintly woman (Eva-Maria Westbroek) and the sensual love goddess Venus (Michelle DeYoung).

E04

Lulu

Mon, Apr 11 2016 1:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

Alban Berg's "Lulu," a tragedy about a woman (Marlis Petersen) who ruins the lives of those around her.

E05

The Pearl Fishers

Mon, May 23 2016 1:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

A production of Georges Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers" ("Les Pêcheurs de Perles"), a sweeping romance about a Hindu priestess (Diana Damrau) pursued by rival pearl divers (Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecien).

E06

Turandot

Mon, Jun 13 2016 1:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

Soprano Nina Stemme sings the title role of Puccini's final work, "Turandot," about an imperious Chinese princess and an unknown prince (Marco Berti) who falls for her.

E07

Madama Butterfly

Mon, Jul 18 2016 1:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

A production of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly," about a callous Navy lieutenant (Roberto Alagna) and a Japanese geisha (Kristine Opolais), whom he marries for convenience rather than for love.

E08

Manon Lescaut

Sun, Aug 21 2016 6:00 AM GMT+0000 150 min

Puccini's "Manon Lescaut," about a country girl (Kristine Opolais) who's torn between an impoverished student (Roberto Alagna) who loves her and a rich man (Brindley Sherratt) who wants her to be his mistress.

E09

Roberto Devereux

Sun, Aug 28 2016 11:00 PM GMT+0000 180 min

Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux," in which Elizabeth I (Sondra Radvanovsky) signs the death warrant for the nobleman (Matthew Polenzani) she loves when he's accused of treason, not because he's guilty but because of spite—he loves another.

E10

Elektra

Sun, Sep 18 2016 11:00 PM GMT+0000 120 min

Richard Strauss' blazing tragedy is presented in the late Patrice Chereau's production, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, with Nina Stemme as the vengeful princess and Waltraud Meier, Adrianne Pieczonka, Eric Owens and Burkhard Ulrich.

E11

Vienna Philharmonic Sumer Night Concert 2016

Sat, Oct 1 2016 1:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

Season 2017

4 episodes

E01

Tristan und Isolde

Mon, Jan 30 2017 12:00 AM GMT+0000 300 min

Experience the Met's new production of Wagner's epic work, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Nina Stemme stars with heldentenor Stuart Skelton, directed by Mariusz Trelinski. Also with Ekaterina Gubanova, Evgeny Nikitin and Rene Pape.

E02

Don Giovanni

Mon, Feb 20 2017 12:00 AM GMT+0000 210 min

Simon Keenlyside makes his Met role debut as the unrepentant seducer in Tony Award-winner Michael Grandage's staging of Mozart's masterpiece. Met principal conductor Fabio Luisi conducts.

E03

L'Amour de Loin

Sun, Apr 9 2017 12:30 AM GMT+0000 150 min

One of the most highly praised operas of recent years, which had its premiere at the Salzburg Festival in 2000, Kaija Saariaho's yearning medieval romance L'Amour de Loin ("Love From Afar"), has its Met premiere. The production is by Robert Lepage, co-produced with L'Opera de Quebec, where it premiered to acclaim last summer, in collaboration with Ex Machina. Debuting Finnish conductor Susanna Malkki leads the performance, which stars Susanna Phillips as Clemence, Eric Owens as Jaufre, and Tamara Mumford as the Pilgrim who carries messages of love between them.

E04

Romeo et Juliette

Sat, Apr 15 2017 1:00 AM GMT+0000 180 min

The electrifying team of Vittorio Grigolo and Diana Damrau reunites for a new production of Gounod's opera based on the Shakespeare play. Damrau makes her role debut as Juliette in Bartlett Sher's new production, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Elliot Madore sings Mercutio and Mikhail Petrenko sings Frre Laurent. Sher's staging is a La Scala production, initially presented by the Salzburg Festival, where it premiered in 2008.

Season 2025

2 episodes

Season 2026

1 episode