In collaboration with Dejan Vukosavljevic

On the heels of its 2020-21 season cancelation, the Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2021-22 season.

The company will present six new productions including three company premieres. Here is a look at the new season.

New Productions 

The season opens with “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” by Terence Blanchard. The opera will be conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin in a production by James Robinson and Camille A. Brown. The opera marks the first time an opera by an African American composer will appear on the Met stage. The cast will include Will Liverman stars as Charles, Angel Blue as Destiny/Loneliness/Greta, and Latonia Moore as Billie. The opera (in this expanded version) is commissioned by the Met with the Opera Theater of Saint Louis, co-commissioned by Jazz St. Louis.

Performance Dates: Sept. 27-Oct. 23, 2021

Matthew Aucoin’s “Eurydice” makes its Met premiere with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting Mary Zimmerman’s new production. The cast includes Erin Morley in the title role, baritone Joshua Hopkins as Orpheus, and countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński as his otherworldly alter-ego. The cast also includes Nathan Berg, and Barry Banks.

Performance Dates: Nov. 23-Dec. 16, 2021

On New Year’s Eve, the Met will open a new “Rigoletto” with Daniele Rustioni conducting Bartlett Sher’s new production. The production is set to star Quinn Kelsey in the title role, Rosa Feola as Gilda and tenor Piotr Beczała as the Duke of Mantua. In the second cast baritone Ludovic Tézier will take on the title role alongside soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan, and tenor Stephen Costello. Karel Mark Chichon conducts.

Performance Dates: Dec. 31,2021-June 11, 2022

Verdi’s “Don Carlos” will get a new production by David McVicar. The opera will be presented for the first time in French and will be conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The cast includes Matthew Polenzani in the title role, soprano Sonya Yoncheva as Élisabeth de Valois, and mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča as Eboli. Basses Günther Groissböck and John Relyea are Philippe II and the Grand Inquisitor, and baritone Etienne Dupuis rounds out the principal cast as Rodrigue.

Performance Dates: Feb. 28-March 26, 2022

Riccardo Frizza conducts a new production of Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Simon Stone. Nadine Sierra sings the title role alongside Javier Camarena, Artur Ruciński, and Matthew Rose.

Performance Dates: April 23-May 21, 2022

Brett Dean’s “Hamlet” is set to be conducted by Nicholas Carter and directed by  Neil Armfield. The Met premiere will star Allan Clayton in the title role, Nicholas Carter, Brenda Rae as Ophelia, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly as Gertrude, baritone Rod Gilfry as Claudius, and bass Sir John Tomlinson as the ghost of Hamlet’s father.

Performance Dates: May 13-June 9, 2022

Holiday Presentation 

For the holiday season, the company will present a new Abridged English-Language production of Massenet’s “Cinderella.” Emmanuel Villaume conducts the work with Isabel Leonard in the title role, Emily D’Angelo as Prince Charming, Jessica Pratt as the Fairy Godmother, and Stephanie Blythe and Laurent Naouri as Cinderella’s feuding guardians.

Performance Dates: Dec. 17, 2021-Jan.3, 2022

The Met will also showcase Julie Taymor’s production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” The production will star Matthew Polenzani as Tamino, Hera Hyesang Park as Pamina, Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night, Morris Robinson as Sarastro, and Rolando Villazón in the baritone role of Papageno. Jane Glover conducts. The opera will also star Eric Ferring, Will Liverman, and Peixin Chen.

Performance Dates: Dec. 10, 2021-Jan. 5, 2022
Philip Glass’ opera “Akhnaten” will star Disella Larusdottir as Queen Tye, Rihab Chaieb as Nefertiti, Anthony Roth Costanzo in the title role, Aaron Blake as the High Priest of Amon, Will Liverman as Horemhab, Richard Bernstein in the role of Aye, and Zachary Hames as Amenhotep III. Karen Kamensek will conduct the production by Phelim McDermott.

Performance Dates: May 19–June 10, 2022

Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” returns with a cast that includes Brenda Rae as Zerbinetta, Brandon Jovanovich as Bacchus, Lise Davidsen in the title role, Isabel Leonard as The Composer, Johannes Martin Kränzle as the Music Master, and Sean Michael Plumb as the Harlequin. Marek Janowski conducts.

Performance Dates: March 1–17, 2022

The Met will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The opera will star Anita Hartig, Maria Agresta, and Eleonora Buratto alternating in the role of Mimì, Federica Lombardi, Gabriella Reyes, and Aleksandra Kurzak as Musetta; Charles Castronovo and Yusif Eyvazov in the role of Rodolfo; Artur Rucinski, Joo Won Kang, Lucas Meachem, and Quinn Kelsey as Marcello; Alexander Birch Elliott and Iurli Samoilov as Schaunard; Ryan Speedo Green, Peter Kellner, and Nicolas Testé as Colline; and Donald Maxwell and Arthur Woodley in the role of Alcindoro. Carlo Rizzi and Eun Sun Kim alternate at the pit.

Performance Dates: Nov. 9, 2021-May 27, 2022

Mussorgsky’s opera “Boris Godunov” will spotlight David Butt Philip as Grigory, Maxim Paster as Shuisky, Alexey Markov in the role of Shchelkalkov, Ain Anger as Pimen, Stanislav Trofimov in the role of Varlaam, and René Pape in the title role. Sebastian Weigle conducts the acclaimed production by Stephen Wadsworth.

Performance Dates: Sept. 29–Oct. 17, 2021

Nina Stemme returns to her acclaimed turn in Strauss “Elektra.” She will be joined by Lise Davidsen as Chrysothemis, Michaela Schuster in the role of Klytämnestra, Stefan Vinke as Aegisth, and Greer Grimsley as Orest. Donald Runnicles conducts the production by Patrice Chéreau.

Performance Dates: April 1–20, 2022

Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” will showcase Ailyn Pérez as Tatyana, Varduhi Abrahamyan as Olga, Piotr Beczala in the role of Lenski, Ain Anger as Prince Gremin, and Igor Golovatenko in the title role. James Gaffigan conducts.

Performance Dates: March 25–April 14, 2022

Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Tauride” will feature Ben Bliss and David Portillo as Pylade, Etienne Dupuis as Oreste, Elchin Azizov in the role of Thoas, and Kate Lindsey in the title role. Nathalie Stutzmann conducts the production by Stephen Wadsworth.

Performance Dates: Sept. 29–Oct. 15, 2021

Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will spotlight Eleonora Buratto in the role of Cio-Cio-San, Elizabeth DeShong as Suzuki, Brian Jagde in the role of Pinkerton, and Davide Luciano and David Bizic alternating in the role of Sharpless. Alexander Soddy conducts the production by Anthony Minghella.

Performance dates: March 19–May 7, 2022

Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” will be led by Sir Antonio Pappano, who returns to the Met stage after 25 years ago. The cast is led by Lise Davidsen, Klaus Florian Vogt, Michael Volle, Paul Appleby, Johannes Martin Kränzle, Georg Zeppenfeld, and Alexander Tsymbalyuk.

Performance Dates: Oct. 26-Nov. 14, 2021

Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” is set to be conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin with a cast that includes Christiane Karg, Federica Lombardi, Lucy Crowe, Aida Garifullina, Sasha Cooke, Anna Stephany, Christian Gerharer, Gerald Finley, Ryan McKinny, and Christian Van Horn.

Performance Dates: Jan. 8-April 21, 2022

The Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” returns to the repertoire with Angel Blue and Eric Owens in the title roles. The work will also star Janai Brugger as Clara, Latonia Moore as Serena, Denyce Graves as Maria, Frederick Ballentine as Sportin’ Life, Alfred Walker as Crown, and Ryan Speedo Green as Jake. John Wilson takes the podium in his Met debut. The opera will also showcase Elizabeth Llewellyn, Jacqueline Echols, and Ryan Speedo Green.

Performance Dates: Oct. 31-Dec. 12, 2021

The final revival of the season will Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress,” which will be conducted by Susanna Mälkki. The cast will include Golda Schultz as Anne Trulove, Alice Coote as Baba the Turk, Ben Bliss as Tom Rakewell, and Christian Van Horn as Nick Shadow.

Performance Dates: May 30-June 11, 2022

Handel’s “Rodelinda” returns to the stage with Elsa Van den Heever in the title role, Jamie Barton, Iestyn Davies, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Paul Appleby, and Adam Plachetka. Harry Bicket conducta.

Performance Dates: March 11-30, 2022

Puccini’s “Tosca” will return in with Sondra Radvanovsky, Elena Stikhina, and Aleksandra Kurzak sharing the title role. Brian Jagde, Joseph Calleja, and Roberto
Alagna will star as Cavaradossi and Evgeny Nikitin, George Gagnidze, and Željko Lučić will bring their acclaimed Scarpia. Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Carlo Rizzi share conducting duties.

Performance Dates: Dec. 2, 2021-March 12, 2022

Puccini’s “Turandot” returns, with Christine Goerke and Anna Netrebko sharing the title role. Marco Armiliato conducts the legendary production, which is set to star Nicole Car, Michelle Bradley, Yusif Eyvazov, Yonghoon Lee, James Morris, Ferrucio Furlanetto, and Alexander Tsymbalyuk.

Performance Dates: Oct. 7, 2021-May 14, 2022

Concerts 

The Met will showcase diva Anna Netrebko in a concert with the Met Orchestra, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Performance Date: Oct. 10, 2021

Soprano Sonya Yoncheva will give a solo recital on the Met stage accompanied by Malcolm Martineau.

Performance Date: Jan. 23, 2022,