Opera Matinee

WETA Classical is Washington's home for opera year round. From December through early June, experience the power and passion of the Metropolitan Opera's Saturday Matinee Broadcasts. The rest of the year features performances from leading opera houses around the world.

Next Episode

Boris Godunov

August 8, 2026 1:00 pm

Modest Mussorgsky

Mussorgsky's opera is based on the tragic story of the real-life 17th century Russian tsar whose reign was marked by uncertainty, fear and paranoia about the murder of the real heir apparent to the throne. A recorded performance from the Royal Opera in London, featuring Sir Bryn Terfel in the title role.

  • The Marriage of Figaro

    The Marriage of Figaro

    August 15, 2026 1:00 pm

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Mozart’s light-hearted take on love, marriage and fidelity within the household of the Count Almaviva, along with a scheme to stop the Count in his amorous adventures. A recorded performance by the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, led by Riccardo Minasi.
  • The Elixir of Love

    The Elixir of Love

    August 22, 2026 1:00 pm

    Gaetano Donizetti

    Always an audience favorite, The Elixir of Love is lighthearted, charming opera buffa, with delightful arias and engaging ensembles pieces in the story of a young man who seeks love with the help of a love potion. A recorded performance of Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Spain.
  • Pelléas et Mélisande

    Pelléas et Mélisande

    August 29, 2026 1:00 pm

    Claude Debussy

    Debussy's innovation opera is a mood piece, steeped in sensuality and atmosphere, about a mysterious young woman and her ill-fated love affair with her husband's brother. A recorded performance from La Scala in Milan, conducted by Maxime Pascal.
  • Faust

    Faust

    September 5, 2026 1:00 pm

    Charles Gounod

    The Faust legend -- a man, disillusioned by life, makes a bargain with the devil to gain knowledge and power -- is treated in this opera of Charles Gounod, considered to be his masterpiece. A recorded performance from the Bavarian State Opera, conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann.
  • Luisa Miller

    Luisa Miller

    September 12, 2026 1:00 pm

    Giuseppe Verdi

    From Verdi's middle period, this emotional family drama explores a love torn by family and societal obligations based on disparate social classes, as well as malevolent and selfish forces. A recorded performance from Vienna State Opera, starring Nadine Sierra in the title role.
  • Die Fledermaus

    Die Fledermaus

    September 19, 2026 1:00 pm

    Johann Strauss II

    A most Viennese operetta, Die Fledermaus is a cheerful, comic tale, based on French Vaudeville, a fun farce about revenge, suspicion, disguises and two friends who engage in a battle of pranks -- with lots of waltzes. A recorded performance by Vienna State Opera.