Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts

For the Sirius XM channel, see Metropolitan Opera Radio (Sirius XM).

Metropolitan Opera
Genrefull-length live opera performances
Running time3.5 to 4 hours, weekly
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
(Spanish in selected countries)
Syndicates300+ U.S. stations
Stations in 40 countries
Sirius XM Satellite Radio
AnnouncerMilton Cross (1931–1975)
Peter Allen (1975–2004)
Margaret Juntwait (2004–2014)
Mary Jo Heath (2015–2021)
Debra Lew Harder (2021–present)
Recording studioMetropolitan Opera
Original release1931 –
present
No. of series80+
No. of episodes1,500+
Websitewww.metopera.org/season/radio/

The Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts are a regular series of weekly broadcasts on network radio of full-length opera performances. They are transmitted live from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network airs the live performances on Saturday afternoons while the Met is in season, typically beginning the first Saturday in December, and totaling just over 20 weekly performances through early May. The Met broadcasts are the longest-running continuous classical music program in radio history,[1] and the series has won several Peabody Awards for excellence in broadcasting.

The series is currently broadcast on over 300 stations in the United States, and stations in 40 countries on 5 continents. These countries include Canada, Mexico, 27 European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, China, and Japan.[2] The broadcasts are also listenable online via streaming audio;[3] and select broadcasts and excerpts are listenable year-round on the "Met Opera on Demand" service[4][5] and on the free online service Rhapsody.[6]

  1. ^ Official site Archived 2002-12-12 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Metropolitan Opera Radio Station Finder
  3. ^ Metropolitan Opera via Streaming Audio
  4. ^ "Met Opera on Demand" On-demand video and audio
  5. ^ Tsioulcas, Anastasia. "The Metropolitan Opera Anytime — And Anywhere — You Want It". NPR Classic (blog). March 15, 2012.
  6. ^ The Met on Rhapsody