WFMT Radio Network Opera Series 2026
June 6
The Bartered Bride
COMPOSER: Bedřich Smetana
VENUE: Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
CAST:
Krušina Franz Xaver Schlecht
Ludmila Margaret Plummer
Mařenka Slávka Zámečníková
Mícha Ivo Stanchev
Háta Monika Bohinec
Jeník Pavol Breslik
Vašek Michael Laurenz
Kecal Peter Kellner
Director of the Comedians Matthäus Schmidlechner
Esmeralda Ilia Staple
Comedian Alex Ilvakhin
ENSEMBLE: Vienna State Opera Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Tomáš Hanus
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Sung in German
June 13, 2026
Fidelio
COMPOSER: Ludwig van Beethoven
VENUE: Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
CAST:
Don Fernando Simonas Strazdas
Don Pizarro Christopher Maltman
Florestan David Butt Philip
Leonore Malin Byström
Rocco Tareq Nazmi
Marzelline Kathrin Zukowski
Jaquino Daniel Jenz
First Prisoner Daniel Lökös
Second Prisoner Panajotis Pratsos
ENSEMBLE: Vienna State Opera Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Franz Welser-Möst
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 27 minutes
Sung in German
June 20
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
COMPOSER: Dmitri Shostakovich
VENUE: Teatro all Scala, Milan, Italy
CAST:
Boris Timofeyevich Izmaylov Alexander Roslavets
Katerina Lvovna Izmaylova Sara Jakubiak
Sergey Najmiddin Mavlyanov
Shabby Peasant Alexander Kravets
Priest Valery Gilmanov
Zinovy Borisovich Izmaylov Evgeny Akimov
Steward Jiří Rajniš
Chief of Police Oleg Budaratskiy
Aksinya Ekaterina Sannikova
Sonetka Elena Maximova
ENSEMBLE: La Scala Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Riccardo Chailly
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 55 minutes
Sung in Russian
June 27
Ariodante
COMPOSER: George Frideric Handel
VENUE: Paris Opera, Paris, France
CAST:
Ariodante Cecilia Molinari
Il Re di Scozia Luca Tittoto
Ginevra Jacquelyn Stucker
Dalinda Sabine Devieilhe
Lurcanio Ru Charlesworth
Polinesso Christophe Dumaux
Odoardo Enrico Casari
ENSEMBLE: Pygmalion Ensemble; Paris Opera Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Raphaël Pichon
Approx. Length: 3 hours, 28 minutes
Sung in Italian
July 4
Aida
COMPOSER: Giuseppe Verdi
VENUE: Paris Opera, Paris, France
CAST:
Aida Saioa Hernández
Radamès Piotr Beczała
Amneris Eve-Maud Hubeaux
Amonasro Roman Burdenko
Ramfis Alexander Köpeczi
Il Re Krzysztof Bączyk
Un messagiero Manase Latu
Sacerdotessa Margarita Polonskaya
ENSEMBLE: Paris Opera Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Michele Mariotti
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Sung in Italian
July 11
The Makropulos Affair
COMPOSER: Leoš Janáček
VENUE: Royal Ballet & Opera, London, England
CAST:
Emilia Marty Aušrinė Stundytė
Albert Gregor Sean Panikkar
Baron Jaroslav Prus Johan Reuter
Dr. Kolenatý Henry Waddington
Vítek Peter Hoare
Janek Daniel Matoušek
Count Hauk-Šendorf Alan Oke
Kristina Heather Engebretson
ENSEMBLE: Chorus & Orchestra of The Royal Opera
CONDUCTOR: Jakub Hrůša
Approx. Length: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Sung in Czech
July 18
Boris Godunov
COMPOSER: Modest Mussorgsky
VENUE: Royal Ballet & Opera, London, England
CAST:
Boris Godunov Sir Bryn Terfel
Pimen Adam Pałka
Andrei Shchelkalov Andrei Kymach
Grigory Otrepiev Jamez McCorkle
Prince Shuisky John Daszak
ENSEMBLE: Chorus & Orchestra of The Royal Opera
CONDUCTOR: Mark Wigglesworth
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 24 minutes
Sung in Russian
July 25
The Marriage of Figaro
COMPOSER: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
VENUE: Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Glyndebourne, England
CAST:
Figaro Tommaso Barea
Susanna Johanna Wallroth
Count Huw Montague Rendall
Countess Louise Alder
Bartolo Alessandro Corbelli
Marcellina Madeleine Shaw
Cherubino Adèle Charvet
ENSEMBLE: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
CONDUCTOR: Riccardo Minasi
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 38 minutes
Sung in Italian
August 1
The Elixir of Love
COMPOSER: Gaetano Donizetti
VENUE: Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Spain
CAST:
Adina Pretty Yende
Nemorino Michael Spyres
Belcore Jan Antem
Dulcamara Fabio Capitanucci
Giannetta Núria Vilà
ENSEMBLE: Gran Teatre del Liceu Orchestra & Chrous
CONDUCTOR: Diego Matheuz
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 38 minutes
Sung in Italian
August 8
Pelléas et Mélisande
COMPOSER: Claude Debussy
VENUE: Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy
CAST:
Pelléas Bernard Richter
Mélisande Sara Blanch
Golaud Simon Keenlyside
Geneviève Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Arkel John Relyea
ENSEMBLE: La Scala Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Maxime Pascal
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 55 minutes
Sung in French
August 15
Faust
COMPOSER: Charles Gounod
VENUE: Bavarian State Opera, Munich, Germany
CAST:
Faust Jonathan Tetelman
Méphistophélès Kyle Ketelsen
Marguerite Olga Kulchynska
Valentin Florian Sempey
Wagner Thomas Mole
Siebel Emily Sierra
Marthe Schwerdtlein Dshamilja Kaiser
ENSEMBLE: Bavarian State Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Nathalie Stutzmann
Approx. Length: 3 hours, 9 minutes
Sung in French
August 22
Luisa Miller
COMPOSER: Giuseppe Verdi
VENUE: Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
CAST:
Graf von Walter Roberto Tagliavini
Rodolfo Freddie De Tommaso
Federica Daria Sushkova
Wurm Marko Mimica
Miller George Petean
Luisa Nadine Sierra
ENSEMBLE: Vienna State Opera Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Michele Mariotti
Approx. Length: 2hours, 40 minutes
Sung in Italian
August 29
Die Fledermaus
COMPOSER: Johann Strauss II
VENUE: Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
CAST:
Gabriel von Eisenstein Jonas Kaufmann
Rosalinde Diana Damrau
Frank Jochen Schmeckenbecher
Prinz Orlofsky Daria Sushkova
Alfred Jörg Schneider
Dr. Falke Adrian Eröd
Dr. Blind Lukas Schmidt
Adele Ilia Staple
Ida Hannah-Theres Weigl
Frosch Michael Niavarani
ENSEMBLE: Vienna State Opera Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Markus Poschner
Approx. Length: 3 hours, 38 minutes
Sung in German
September 5, 2026
Lucia di Lammermoor
COMPOSER: Gaetano Donizetti
VENUE: La Scala, Milan
CAST:
ENRICO ASHTON Boris Pinkhasovich
MISS LUCIA Rosa Feola
EDGARDO DI
RAVENSWOOD Piero Pretti
ARTURO BUCKLAW Leonardo Cortellazzi
RAIMONDO BIDEBENT Michele Pertusi
NORMANNO Paolo Antognetti
ALISA Hyeonsol Park
ENSEMBLE: La Scala Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Speranza Scappucci
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 50 minutes
September 12
Carmen
COMPOSER: Georges Bizet
VENUE: La Scala, Milan
CAST:
CARMEN Clémentine Margaine
MICAËLA Natalia Tanasii
DON JOSÉ Vittorio Grigolo
ESCAMILLO Giorgi Manoshvili
LE DANCAÏRE Pierre Doyen
LE REMENDADO Loïc Felix
MERCÉDÈS Marine Chagnon
FRASQUITA Sarah Dufresne
ENSEMBLE: Treble Voice Chorus from La Scala Academy; La Scala Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Myung-Whun Chung
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 35 minutes
September 19
Falstaff
COMPOSER: Giuseppe Verdi
VENUE: LA Opera
CAST:
DR. CAIUS Nathan Bowles
SIR JOHN FALSTAFF Craig Colclough
BARDOLPH Yuntong Han
PISTOL Vinícius Costa
MEG PAGE Sarah Saturnino
ALICE FORD Nicole Heaston
MISTRESS QUICKLY Hyona Kim
NANNETTA Deanna Breiwick
FENTON Anthony León
FORD Ernesto Petti
ENSEMBLE: LA Opera Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 20 minutes
September 26
James Conlon Farewell Concert
Excerpts from La forza del Destino; The Marriage of Figaro, and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Excerpts)
COMPOSER: Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner
VENUE: LA Opera
ACTS THREE AND FOUR OF LA FORZA DEL DESTINO
Giuseppe Verdi
CAST:
DON ALVARO Rodrick Dixon
DON CARLO DI VARGAS Ernesto Petti
SURGEON Craig Colclough
PREZIOSILLA Sarah Saturnino
TRABUCO Yuntong Han
ACT TWO FINALE OF THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
CAST:
COUNT ALMAVIVA Hyungjin Son
COUNTESS ALMAVIVA Nicole Heaston
SUSANNA Gabrielle Turgeon
FIGARO Craig Colclough
ANTONIO Vinícius Costa
MARCELLINA Hyona Kim
DON BASILIO Nathan Bowles
DOCTOR BARTOLO Vinícius Costa
EXCERPTS FROM ACT THREE OF DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG
Richard Wagner
CAST:
HANS SACHS Martin Gantner
EVA Nicole Heaston
WALTHER VON STOLZING Nathan Bowles
MAGDALENA Hyona Kim
DAVID Yuntong Han
VEIT POGNER Craig Colclough
ENSEMBLE: LA Opera Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
Approx. Length: 1 hour, 55 minutes
October 3
Das Rheingold
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner
VENUE: China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts
CAST:
WOTAN Egils Silins
DONNER Robert Bork
FROH Wang Chuan
LOGE Christian Franz
FRICKA Bettina Ranch
FREIA Tanja Kuhn
ERDA Niu Shasha
ALBERICH Tomas Tomasson
MIME Arnold Bezuyen
FASOLT Andrea Silvestrelli
FAFNER Guan Zhijing
WOGLINDE Qin Kanru
WELLGUNDE Xu Xiaoying
FLOSSHILDE Zhang Yajie
ENSEMBLE: NCPA Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Lü Jia
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 40 minutes
October 10
La Traviata
COMPOSER: Giuseppe Verdi
VENUE: China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts
CAST:
VIOLETTA VALERY Ekaterina Bakanova
ALFREDO GERMONT Shi Yijie
GIORGIO GERMONT LiaoChangyong
FLORA BERVOIX Zhang Yajie
GASTONE Jin Zhengjian
BARON DOUPHOL Mei Jie
MARCHESE D’OBIGNY Zhao Ming
DOCTOR GRENVIL Guan Zhijing
ANNINA Zhou Yuqian
DOMESTICO Sun Weibo
GIUSEPPE Liang Yufeng
COMMISSIONARIO Chai Jin
ENSEMBLE: NCPA Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Yu Long
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 25 minutes
October 17
Tosca
COMPOSER: Giacomo Puccini
VENUE: China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts
CAST:
TOSCA Monica Zanettin
CAVARADOSSI Han Peng
SCARPIA Ambrogio Maestri
CESARE ANGELOTTI / CARCERIERE Guan Zhijing
SAGRESTANO Wang Meng
SPOLETTA Liu Naiqi
SCIARRONE Chen Lei
PASTORE Zhang Wenqin
ENSEMBLE: NCPA Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Xu Zhong
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 15 minutes
October 24
Die Walküre
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner
VENUE: China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts
CAST:
SIEGMUND Daniel Brenna
SIEGLINDE Manuela Uhl
HUNDING Liang Li
BRÜNNHILDE Ewa Vesin
WOTAN Egils Silins
FRICKA Okka von der Damerau
GERHILDE XU Xiaoying
ORTLINDE ZHOU Fan
WALTRAUTE ZHANG Yuan
SCHWERTLEITE WANG Hongyao
HELMWIGE QIN Kanru
SIEGRUNE NIU Shasha
GRIMGERDE XU Xiaoyi
ROSSWEISSE ZHAO Kehan
ENSEMBLE: NCPA Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Pietari Inkinen
Approx. Length: 4 hours
October 31
Pagliacci
COMPOSER: Ruggero Leoncavallo
VENUE: North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois
CAST:
NEDDA Michelle Allie Drever
CANIO Jonathan Burton
TONIO Franco Pomponi
PEPPE Jerek Fernández
SILVIO Jonathan Wilson
ENSEMBLE: Opera Festival of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Emanuele Andrizzi
Approx. Length: 1 hour, 35 minutes
November 7
Peter Grimes
COMPOSER: Benjamin Britten
VENUE: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, England
CAST:
PETER GRIMES Allan Clayton
ELLEN ORFORD Maria Bengtsson
CAPTAIN BALSTRODE Sir Bryn Terfel
SWALLOW Clive Bayley
NED KEENE Jacques Imbrailo
AUNTIE Catherine Wyn-Rogers
MRS SEDLEY Christine Rice
BOB BOLES John Graham-Hall
HOBSON Barnaby Rea
REV. HORACE ADAMS James Gilchrist
FIRST NIECE Jennifer France
SECOND NIECE Natalia Labourdette
ENSEMBLE: Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
CONDUCTOR: Jakub Hrůša
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 39 minutes
November 14
Rienzi
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner
VENUE: Bayreuth Festspielhaus, Germany
CAST:
RIENZI Andreas Schager
IRENE Gabriela Scherer
STEFFANO COLONNA Andreas Bauer Kanabas
ADRIANO Jennifer Holloway
PAOLO ORSINI Michael Nagy
CARDINAL RAIMONDO Vitalij Kowaljow
BARONCELLI Matthias Stier
CECCO DEL VECCHIO Michael Kupfer-Radecky
MESSENGER OF PEACE Victoria Randem
ENSEMBLE: Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Nathalie Stutzmann
Approx. Length: 3 hours, 44 minutes
November 21
Adriana Lecouvreur
COMPOSER: Francesco Cilea
VENUE: Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
CAST:
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR Ermonela Jaho
MAURIZIO Luciano Ganci
PRINCESS DE BOUILLON Elīna Garanča
PRINCE DE BOUILLON Simonas Strazdas
MICHONNET Roberto Frontali
THE ABBÉ DE CHAZEUIL Andrea Giovannini
QUINAULT Ivo Stanchev
POISSON Carlos Osuna
MAJOR-DOMO Carl Tertio Druml
JOUVENOT Ileana Tonca
DANGEVILLE Jana Markovic
ENSEMBLE: Vienna State Opera Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Marco Armiliato
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 27 minutes
November 28
La clemenza di Tito
COMPOSER: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
VENUE: Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
CAST:
TITO Katleho Mokhoabane
VITELLIA Hanna-Elisabeth Müller
SERVILIA Florina Ilie
SESTO Emily D’Angelo
ANNIO Alma Neuhaus
PUBLIO Matheus França
ENSEMBLE: Vienna State Opera Orchestra & Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Pablo Heras-Casado
Approx. Length: 2 hours, 17 minutes
*All programs, repertoire, and artists are subject to change.