The Metropolitan Opera is a vibrant home for the most creative and talented singers, conductors, composers, musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers, and dancers from around the world.

Since the summer of 2006, Peter Gelb has been the Met’s general manager. Under his leadership, the Met has elevated its theatrical standards by significantly increasing the number of new productions, and has launched a series of initiatives to broaden its reach internationally. To revitalize its repertoire, the Met regularly presents modern masterpieces alongside the classics.

The Metropolitan Opera was founded in 1883, with its first opera house built on Broadway and 39th Street by a group of wealthy businessmen. Hänsel und Gretel was the first complete opera broadcast from the Met on Christmas Day 1931. In 1977, the Met began a regular series of televised productions. In 1995, the Met introduced Met Titles, a unique system of real-time translation. Met Titles appear on individual screens mounted on the back of each row of seats, for those members of the audience.