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Saturday Afternoon Opera Logo

Saturdays at 1:00 pm


Maine Public Classical is proud to share world-class performances from operatic stages across the globe, including the great opera houses of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Vienna, Paris and Milan.

Join us for weekly broadcasts on Saturdays at 1:00 PM. From December to early June, hear the Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast Series, hosted by Debra Lew Harder, and from late June to November, hear a variety of American and international productions through the WFMT Radio Network Opera Series, hosted by Lisa Flynn.

2024-25 Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast Series


 

May 31

Rossini: IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

Andrey Zhilikhovsky (Figaro), Aigul Akhmetshina (Rosina), Jack Swanson (Count Almaviva) and Peter Kálmán (Dr. Bartolo). Conductor Giacomo Sagripanti.

 

June 7

Tchaikovsky: THE QUEEN OF SPADES

Brian Jagde (Hermann), Sonya Yoncheva (Lisa), Violeta Urmana (Countess), Igor Golovatenko (Prince Yeletsky) and Maria Barakova (Pauline). Conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson.

 

June 14

G. Verdi: LA FORZA DEL DESTINO

From La Scala in Milan, Italy. Anna Netrebko (Donna Leonora), Ludovic Tézier (Don Carlo di Vargas), Brian Jagde (Don Alvaro), La Scala Chorus and Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly, conductor.

 

June 21

P. Tchaikovsky: EUGENE ONEGIN

From La Scala in Milan, Italy. Aida Garifullina (Tatiana), Alexey Markov (Onegin), Dmitry Korchak (Lensky), Elmina Hasan (Olga), La Scala Chorus and Orchestra, Timur Zangiev, conductor.

 

June 28

A. Cesti: L’ORONTEA

From La Scala in Milan, Italy. Stéphanie d’Oustrac (Orontea), Mirco Palazzi (Creonte), Francesca Pia Vitale (Silandra), La Scala Orchestra, Giovanni Antonini, conductor.

 

July 5

J. Rameau: LES FÊTES D'HÉBÉ

From Les Arts Florissants and Opéra Comique in Paris, France. Emmanuelle de Negri, (Hébé / The Naiad), Lea Desandre (Sapho / Iphise / Eglé), Ana Vieira Leite (Cupid / A Spartan woman / The stream / A shepherdess), Antonin Rondepierre (Thélème), Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, conductor.

 

July 12

D. Auber: MANON LESCAUT

From Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy. Rocío Pérez (Manon Lescaut), Sébastien Guèze (Des Grieux), Armando Noguera (Le Marquis d'Hérigny), Francesco Salvadori (Lescaut), Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro Regio, Turin, Guillaume Tourniaire, conductor.

 

July 19

J. Massenet: MANON

From Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy. Ekaterina Bakanova (Manon Lescaut), Atalla Ayan (Le Chevalier des Grieux), Björn Bürger (Lescaut), Roberto Scandiuzzi (Le Comte des Grieux) Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro Regio, Turin, Evelino Pidò, conductor.

 

July 26

G. Puccini: MANON LESCAUT

From Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy. Erika Grimaldi (Manon Lescaut), Roberto Aronica (Des Grieux), Alessandro Luongo (Lescaut), Carlo Lepore (Geronte), Giuseppe Infantino (Edmondo), Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro Regio, Turin, Renato Palumbo, conductor.

 

August 2

L. Bernstein: TROUBLE IN TAHITI / A QUIET PLACE

From the Royal Ballet and Opera in London, England.

Trouble in Tahiti: Henry Neill (Sam), Wallis Giunta (Dinah), Kirsty McLean (Trio), Guy Elliott (Trio), Peer Edge (Trio).

A Quiet Place: Grant Doyle (Sam), Henry Neill (Junior), Rowan Pierce (Dede), Elgan Llŷr Thomas (François).

Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Nicholas Chalmers, conductor.

 

August 9

G. Puccini: TURANDOT

From the Royal Ballet and Opera in London, England. Sondra Radvanovsky (Turandot), SeokJong Baek (Calaf), Gemma Summerfield (Liù), Adam Palka (Timur), Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Rafael Payare, conductor.

 

August 16

R. Wagner: DIE WALKÜRE

From the Royal Ballet and Opera in London, England. Christopher Maltman (Wotan), Elisabet Strid (Brünnhilde), Natalya Romaniw (Sieglinde), Stanislas de Barbeyrac (Siegmund), Soloman Howard (Hunding), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Sir Antonio Pappano, conductor.

 

August 23

J. Massenet: WERTHER

From Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, France. Benjamin Bernheim (Werther), Marina Viotti (Charlotte), Jean-Sébastien Bou (Albert), Sandra Hamaoui (Sophie), Les Siècles, Orchestre National de France, Marc Leroy-Calatayud, conductor.

 

August 30

R. Strauss: DER ROSENKAVALIER

From Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, France. Marlis Petersen (The Marschallin), Marina Viotti (Octavian), Regula Mühlemann (Sophie), Peter Rose (Baron Ochs), Orchestre National de France, Henrik Nánási, conductor.

 

September 6

H. Purcell: DIDO AND AENEAS / K. Weill: THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

From the Danish National Symphony Orchestra in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Dido and Aeneas: Danielle De Niese (Dido), Jóhann Kristinsson (Aeneas), Julie Roset (Belinda)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Danielle De Niese (Anna I and Anna II), Kristoffer Appel (Father), Benjamin Nellemose (Brother), Mads Skovgaard Andersen (Brother), Per Hoyer (Mother).

Malmö Opera Chorus and Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Geoffrey Paterson, conductor.

 

Music pieces played on Saturday Afternoon Opera: