Margaret Juntwait
(Copyright © Beth Bergman)
Since 1940, the broadcasts have also been heard in Canada, and in 1990 they expanded to include regular transmission to Europe. Today worldwide coverage has grown to include not only more than 30 European countries, but also South America, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Through these international broadcasts, the Metropolitan Opera serves as a cultural ambassador to the world.
The 22-week 2009-10 season, carried over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network, runs through May 8 and features 20 live matinee performances broadcast direct from the Met stage, one pre-recorded performance and one archival performance. Four operas that have never been broadcast from the Met highlight the season: Verdi’s Attila, Shostakovich’s The Nose, Janáček’s From the House of the Dead, Thomas’s Hamlet, and Rossini’s Armida. Three more new productions from the Met season are also on the broadcast schedule: Tosca and Les Contes d’Hoffmann, both conducted by Met Music Director James Levine, and Carmen. Levine also conducts the broadcasts of Der Rosenkavalier, Simon Boccanegra, and Lulu. Margaret Juntwait returns for her sixth season as host of the broadcasts.
Listeners can visit www.operainfo.org for a wealth of information about the Met broadcasts. The site is rich with synopses and casting information, as well as background information about operas, performers, and conductors. Resources also include curriculum materials for teachers. For details about all Met performances this season, as well as ticket information, visit the Met’s website at www.metopera.org.
Contact Metropolitan Opera: listenerservices@wnyc.org
Show Staff
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Margaret Juntwait's experience as a lyric soprano and work on Sirius, PBS, and WNYC broadcasts propelled her into the prized position as host of the Met Opera broadcasts. She is only the third person to hold the position since the series launched in 1931.
