The Met Opera's 22 Layoffs Are Just the Opening Act

In January 2026, the Metropolitan Opera cut 22 administrative positions, nearly 10% of its non-artistic staff. The official line was operational efficiency. The conversation circulating among people who actually know the building tells a different story, and it involves top executive compensation taking a hit alongside the headcount reduction. When a house starts cutting both the people who answer the phones and the salaries of the people who run the place, you are not looking at a trim, you are looking at a reckoning.