All Metropolitan Opera Events

Founded in 1880 as an alternative to New York’s old Academy of Music, the Metropolitan Opera has since become the largest classical music organization in North America. Based at the ornate Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, the renowned company presents nearly 30 different operas per season between September and May. The opera’s repertoire consists of a wide range of styles, from 18th-century Baroque to the Minimalism of the mid-1900s, and the performances are staged in styles that span from traditionally elaborate to conceptual and modern. With a unique rotating schedule that allows for up to 7 performances of 4 different works each week, the Met offers tickets to delight opera lovers of all kinds.

History of the Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera first began as an alternative to the Academy of Music, where having a subscription to one of the private boxes represented the highest status of New York society. However, the old-money families of the 19th century were not keen to welcome the newly rich industrialists into their long-established social circle. So, in April of 1880, a group of 22 men gathered to discuss founding their own company where their new-money families could display their wealth and establish their prominence. Opening 3 years later in Midtown, the Met’s first subscribers included members of Vanderbilt, Roosevelt, and Morgan families. The company became an instant success, both artistically and socially, and ultimately put the Academy out of business within just 3 seasons. More than a half century later, in the 1960s, the company moved from its original location to Lincoln Center, where they still perform today.

The Met Today

Today, the Metropolitan Opera puts on some of the most acclaimed musical performances in the world, with stars like Renee Fleming and Placido Domingo frequently joining the show. The company also consists of a massive symphony orchestra, freelance ballet dancers, and a chorus and children’s choir. With tickets for the Metropolitan Opera, get swept away by the stirring musical, impeccable choreography, and elaborate sets of beloved classics such as La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, and Hansel and Gretel.

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