Public Programming
Public programming offers discussions and performances around the city, shedding light on the creative process behind the operas on our stage. All events are free or low cost, offering the public access to a behind-the-scenes perspective on the art form.
Stay tuned for registration information in the coming weeks.
Friday, September 18 | 6PM Doors, 6:30PM Event
Author Talk: Anthony Tommasini on the Life and Artistry of Marian Anderson
List Hall
Join us in celebrating the launch of Anthony Tommasini’s new book, Voice of a Century. Chief classical music critic for The New York Times from 2000 to 2021, Tommasini brings his decades of musical expertise to bear upon Marian Anderson’s artistry and the adversity she overcame as she opened possibilities for singers for generations to come. Part discussion, part musical demonstration, Tommasini joins celebrated mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves to reflect on the legendary contralto’s legacy and offer keen insights into the magic of Anderson as an operatic icon. Free; registration required.
September 25 (Rain Date September 26) | 6PM
Death of Classical Co-Presents a Lincoln in the Bardo Cemetery Preview
Green-Wood Cemetery
Enjoy an immersive preview of Lincoln in the Bardo, the major new opera based on the Booker Prize–winning novel by George Saunders. Travel deep into the heart of Green-Wood along a path brought to life by music, dance, spoken word, and theatrical encounters inspired by the novel’s haunting world of spirits. As night falls, the journey culminates in an intimate performance featuring stars of the production and a conversation with composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek, moderated by music journalist Amanda Petrusich. Tickets required.
September 30 | 6PM
WNYC’s Get Lit with All Of It Book Club
In Person and Livestreamed at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library
WNYC and the New York Public Library’s Get Lit with All Of It book club partners with the Met to celebrate George Saunders’s Booker Prize–winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which will have make its operatic debut when Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s new adaptation has its world premiere this fall. Free; registration is required.
October 5 | 7PM
Works & Process: Lincoln in the Bardo
Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Guggenheim Museum
In advance of the world premiere of Lincoln in the Bardo, get an insider look into the creative process behind composer Missy Mazzoli and libretto by Royce Vavrek’s haunting new opera. Met General Manager Peter Gelb moderates a discussion with Mazzoli and Vavrek about adapting George Saunders’s celebrated novel and speaks to the members of the production’s creative team about bringing this supernatural story to the Met stage. Artists from the all-start cast will also perform highlights from the score, and all attendees are invited to continue the conversation at a reception in the rotunda following the presentation. Tickets required.
October 6 | 7PM
LIVE from NYPL: Lincoln in the Bardo
In Person and Livestreamed at the Celeste Bartos Forum at the New York Public Library
The Met returns to LIVE from NYPL for an evening of performance and discussion with author George Saunders, composer Missy Mazzoli, and librettist Royce Vavrek. Free; registration is required.
October 15 | 6:30PM
Ghosts in the Graveyard with Death of Classical
Trinity Church
In a special collaboration between the Met, Trinity Church, and Death of Classical, experience an intimate preview of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Lincoln in the Bardo. The evening begins with a twilight walk through Trinity’s historic churchyard, followed by a reception, an exclusive performance featuring members of the cast, and a conversation with the opera’s composer and librettist. Set within the extraordinary acoustics and atmosphere of Trinity Church, this one-night-only event invites audiences into the bewitching world of one of today’s most acclaimed composer-librettist teams. Tickets required.
