The Metropolitan Opera at Its Best

An American Institution

The Metropolitan Opera was founded in 1883 by New York's new industrial aristocracy — the Vanderbilts and their peers, who found the Academy of Music's box holders too exclusive. In the 140 years since, it has become what they could not have imagined: the world's largest opera company and America's preeminent musical institution.

The Caruso Era

Enrico Caruso's Metropolitan career (1903–1920) established the house as a world institution. Caruso's voice — the most recorded of the early 20th century — was incomparable: power and beauty in a combination that seemed to come from outside ordinary human physiology. The Met became, partly because of Caruso, the place where the world's greatest voices came.

The Bing Era

Rudolf Bing's tenure as general manager (1950–1972) was the Met's artistic apex. Bing brought discipline, theatrical sophistication, and an extraordinary roster: Leontyne Price, Birgit Nilsson, Montserrat Caballé, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti. He also desegregated the company — engaging Marian Anderson in 1955, the first Black principal artist in Met history.

The HD Era

The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD — launched in 2006 — brought Met performances to cinema screens worldwide and created a new relationship between the house and its global audience. The HD broadcasts have also produced extraordinary documents: Renée Fleming's farewell Der Rosenkavalier (2017) is among the most moving filmed opera performances in history.