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
*All programs, repertoire, and artists are subject to change.