It has been 20 years since the Met Orchestra has toured in Europe, and with the staggering costs of touring for orchestras, few thought they would be returning any time soon.

That’s all about to change with the surprise announcement of the Met Orchestra’s upcoming summer tour of Europe in 2021.

Under the baton of Music Director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, The Met orchestra will perform five concerts over three venues, including the Barbican Centre in London (June 29, 2021), the Philharmonie in Paris (June 30 and July 1, 2021), and the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden (July 3 and 4, 2021).

“This is a major milestone in the Met’s recent history,” exclaimed Nézet-Séguin in a press release statement. “I am very grateful for the music we make all season long at the Met, and I cannot wait to have European audiences experience the Met Orchestra’s brilliant artistry in person.”

The tour will feature Joyce DiDonato singing selections from Berlioz’s Les Troyens at all three stops. Christine Goerke, Brandon Jovanovich, and Günther Groissböck join the tour in Paris and Baden-Baden to sing the first act of Wagner’s Die Walküre, and Strauss’ Don Juan.

The tour will also include contemporary American composer Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres). Missy Mazzoli had recently been in Toronto this past November for the premiere of her first ballet, Orpheus Alive.

“These concerts will show off the Met Orchestra at full capacity under Yannick,” said Met General Manager Peter Gelb, “demonstrating their dual strengths in symphonic and operatic repertoire.”

The last time the Met Orchestra toured Europe was with James Levine in 2002. Tour stops included Salzburg, Austria; Lucerne, Switzerland; and Baden-Baden and Wiesbaden, Germany.

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Michael Vincent

Michael Vincent is the Editor-in-chief Ludwig Van and CEO of Museland Media. He publishes regularly and writes occasionally. A specialist in digital media for over 15 years, he has worked as a senior editor and is a former freelance classical music critic for the Toronto Star. Michael holds a Doctorate in Music from the University of Toronto.

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