Metropolitan Opera House

Metropolitan Opera House
Name	Metropolitan Opera House
Caption	The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Address	30 Lincoln Center Plaza
City	New York City
Country	United States
Architect	Wallace K. Harrison
Owner	Metropolitan Opera Association
Capacity	3,850
Type	Opera house
Opened	September 16, 1966
Othernames	The Met
Website	https://www.metopera.org

Metropolitan Opera House. The Metropolitan Opera House is the home of the Metropolitan Opera, one of the world's leading opera companies, located within the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Opened in 1966, this modern structure succeeded the company's original historic home on Broadway and 39th Street. It is renowned for its grand scale, innovative technical capabilities, and as a central hub for opera in the United States, hosting a vast repertoire and pioneering media broadcasts.

History

The Metropolitan Opera Company was founded in 1880 and first performed in a building on Broadway between 39th Street and 40th Street, designed by architect J. Cleaveland Cady. After decades in that venue, plans for a new home coalesced in the mid-20th century as part of the ambitious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts redevelopment project led by figures like John D. Rockefeller III. The current opera house, designed by architect Wallace K. Harrison, opened on September 16, 1966, with the world premiere of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, starring Leontyne Price. This move symbolized the company's embrace of a new era, leaving its Gilded Age past for a modern cultural complex.

Architecture

The building's exterior features a series of soaring concrete arches and a grand staircase, fronted by the iconic Marc Chagall murals "The Triumph of Music" and "The Sources of Music". The interior is dominated by the magnificent auditorium, adorned with distinctive Nuremberg-style gilt starburst chandeliers donated by the Austrian government. The Proscenium arch is one of the world's largest, framing a sophisticated stage designed for massive productions. Acoustic design was a paramount concern, involving consultants from Bolt, Beranek and Newman, resulting in a space celebrated for its clarity and warmth, essential for both vocal and orchestral performance.

Notable performances and premieres

The stage has hosted countless historic performances, including the company premieres of major works like Richard Wagner's complete Der Ring des Nibelungen in the landmark production by director Otto Schenk and designer Günther Schneider-Siemssen. Notable world premieres include John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles and more recent works like Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Legendary singers such as Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, and Renée Fleming have defined eras here, while productions by directors like Franco Zeffirelli, Robert Lepage, and David Hockney have become iconic.

Artistic leadership and company

The artistic direction of the Metropolitan Opera has been shaped by a succession of influential general managers, including Rudolf Bing, who oversaw the move to Lincoln Center, and more recently, Peter Gelb. The company maintains its own orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, long led by eminent conductors such as James Levine and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who serves as Music Director. The Metropolitan Opera Chorus and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet are integral to productions, with the entire organization operating under the auspices of the Metropolitan Opera Association.

Broadcasts and media

The Met is a global media pioneer, most famously through the "Metropolitan Opera Radio Broadcasts", a live series inaugurated in 1931 and sponsored for decades by the Texaco oil company. Since 1977, the company's "Live from the Met" television broadcasts have brought opera into homes worldwide. In the 21st century, it launched The Met: Live in HD, a revolutionary series of live high-definition cinema transmissions to theaters globally, and the Met Opera on Demand streaming service, vastly expanding its audience.

Facilities and venues

Beyond the main auditorium, the complex houses the Dag Hammarskjöld Rehearsal Stage, a full-scale replica of the main stage used for set construction and practice. The Metropolitan Opera Archives preserve the company's extensive history, while public spaces include the Grand Tier restaurant and bars. The opera house shares the Lincoln Center plaza with fellow institutions like the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at David Geffen Hall, the New York City Ballet at the David H. Koch Theater, and the Juilliard School.

Category:Opera houses in New York City Category:Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Category:Music venues completed in 1966 Category:Metropolitan Opera