Calling all opera lovers — are you a fan of the Metropolitan Opera but can’t make it to New York to enjoy it in person?
No sweat — The Met: Live in HD comes to the rescue.
Since December 30, 2006, the Metropolitan Opera has been presenting a lineup of great operas each year transmitted live via satellite in high-definition format to select movie theatres in the United States, Canada and around the world.
This brilliant initiative was the brainchild of Peter Gelb, who took up his position as the Met’s general manager in 2006. The first transmission was a condensed, English language version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. With ticket prices costing a fraction of an in-house ticket, it was a huge bargain.
It caught on in no time.
Starting with that Mozart gem and every year since, except for the 2020-21 COVID season, Met Live in HD has helped the Metropolitan Opera build a huge international following, not to mention the enormous audience goodwill it is enjoying. I count myself as an avid attendee, never missing a show if I could help it.
The upcoming 2025-26 season consists of eight live transmissions, a mix of warhorses and new works, starring top singers in quality productions that few opera houses can match. Below is the list, with my personal take on each show. Like any opera fan, I have my personal preferences. That said, I honestly expect each show will be enjoyable. As a bonus, Cineplex is throwing in two encores: The Magic Flute (December 20) and Cendrillon (February 21), making a total of ten shows.
Met Opera Live In HD 2025-26 Season: At A Glance
Bellini: La Sonnambula (October 18)
This bel canto gem by Bellini is chockful of great tunes and a melodramatic storyline that defines grand opera. American soprano Nadine Sierra, with her gleaming high soprano and sympathetic stage persona will be an ideal Amina the sleepwalker. As Elvino, Spanish tenor Xabier Anduaga, a winner of Operalia a few years ago, will dazzle us with his terrific high register. Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov is Count Rodolfo and Italian Maestro Riccardo Frizza conducts.
Puccini: La Boheme (November 8)
Ranked third in popularity (after La Traviata and The Magic Flute) in terms of number of performances worldwide, this Puccini masterpiece stars Italian-British tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Rodolfo, opposite the Mimi of Armenian soprano Juliana Grigoryan. American baritone Lucas Meachem, no stranger to COC audiences, is Marcello. Canadian Maestra Keri-Lynn Wilson conducts.
Strauss: Arabella (November 22)
Fans of Richard Strauss will rejoice in the opportunity of experiencing this rarely performed opera. The Met has assembled a fine cast, led by American soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen in the title role. I saw her Ariadne in Hong Kong in 2024 and she was totally memorable. British soprano Louise Alder is Zdenka, and Czech tenor Pavol Breslik is Matteo. Polish baritone Tomasz Konieczny is Mandryka. Fast-rising Australian conductor Nicholas Carter is at the helm.
Giordano: Andrea Chenier (December 13)
This Italian verismo opera demands great voices and over-the-top theatricality. To that end, the Met has assembled a stellar cast, with Polish tenor Piotr Beczala and Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva as the lovers. Russian baritone Igor Golovatenko is the bad guy, Carlos Gerard. Italian maestro Daniele Rustioni will give it all the fire and brimstone it requires.
Mozart: The Magic Flute (Encore / December 20)
A reprise of the abridged, English-language version that marked the very first Met Live in HD transmission way back in December 30, 2006. I recall really enjoyed seeing it in the movie theatre nearly 19 years ago. It boasts a great cast in Matthew Polenzani, Ying Huang, Erika Miklosa, Rene Pape and Nathan Gunn. The late Met music director James Levine conducts.
Bellini: I Puritani (January 10)
Bellini fans are going to be overjoyed, with two of his operas in the lineup this season. This Puritani stars Lisette Oropesa (Elvira) and Lawrence Brownlee (Arturo) as the lovers. Polish baritone Artur Rucinski sings Riccardo, and bass Christian Van Horne, a voice familiar to COC audiences, is Elvira’s uncle Giorgio. Italian maestro Marco Armiliato is right in his element in this bel canto gem.
Massenet: Cinderella (Encore / February 21)
With the Met closed in the month of February, Cineplex is re-transmitting this Massenet opera, shown on January 1, 2022. On the Cineplex website, it’s erroneously listed as sung in German. It stars Isabel Leonard in the title role and Canadian mezzo Emily D’Angelo as Prince Charming. A great show, well worth seeing again.
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (March 21)
I can honestly say I look forward to all ten operas this coming season, but if I must pick a favourite, it has to be this Tristan und Isolde. Soprano Lise Davidsen is rightfully considered the greatest Norwegian soprano since Kirsten Flagstad. Her incredible voice will be ideal as Isolde. Not far behind is the new Heldentenor sensation, American Michael Spyres, as Tristan. The rest of the cast — Ekaterina Gubanova, Ryan Speedo Green and Tomasz Konieczny are terrific. Canadian Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts a work new to his repertoire. I can’t wait!
Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin (May 2)
This run of Onegin is sung by almost an all-Slavic cast, led by the fabulous Russian baritone Igor Golovatenko in the title role. Armenian soprano Asmik Grigorian sings Tatiana. Tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac, a voice unfamiliar to me, is Lensky. The only non-Slavic singer is American mezzo Stephanie Blythe as Filippeyvna. Thirty-something and highly rated Russian conductor Timur Zangiev is on the podium. Not to be missed.
Gabriela Lena Frank: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego (May 30)
The Met deserves credit for commissioning and staging new works, a practice that carries financial and artistic risks. This new opera by Gabriela Lena Frank on the life of legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is the most recent in a string of operatic and musical works about her. Others include the opera Frida by composer Robert Xavier Rodriguez back in 1991. The Lena Frank opera also includes the personage of Kahlo’s lover and fellow painter Diego Rivera. It stars well known Mexican American mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard (Kahlo) and Spanish baritone Carlos Alvarez (Diego), conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin. For a taste of this very interesting work, there’s a video clip you can check out here.
- For times and locations of all Met: Live in HD screenings in Canada, you can check out the Cineplex website [HERE].
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