Beverly Sills Tribute at The Met 9/16, Broadcast on XM

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Metropolitan Opera, and New York City Opera will present A Tribute to Beverly Sills, a free public event dedicated to the memory of the great soprano, on September 16 at 5PM at the Metropolitan Opera. Sills, one of the most popular figures in the history of opera and a champion of the performing arts, died on July 2, 2007 at the age of 78.

Artists scheduled to perform at the event include soprano Natalie Dessay, tenor Plácido Domingo, soprano Anna Netrebko, and bass-baritone John Relyea. Met Music Director James Levine and Director of Music Administration Craig Rutenberg will play the piano.

Speakers at the event will include Susan Baker, Chairman of the Board of New York City Opera; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Chairman of Lincoln Center; Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; Carol Burnett; Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera; Henry Kissinger; Nathan Leventhal, former President of Lincoln Center; Julius Rudel, conductor and former General Director of New York City Opera; Stanley Sills, brother of Ms. Sills; and Barbara Walters.

Tickets to A Tribute to Beverly Sills will be free of charge and available at the Metropolitan Opera box office on a first-come, first-served basis starting at noon on September 16 (limit two tickets per person). The tribute will be heard on Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirius, the 24-hour satellite radio channel, and streamed live via RealNetworks at www.metopera.org. The radio program will begin at 4:30PM with recordings featuring the late soprano, followed by the live program from the Metropolitan Opera House stage at 5PM.

The musical program will feature Handel's "Ombra mai fu" from Serse, sung by Plácido Domingo with James Levine at the piano, and three art songs with Craig Rutenberg as pianist: Rimsky-Korsakov's "Nightingale and the Rose (Oriental Romance)" sung by Anna Netrebko; Schubert's "An die Musik" sung by John Relyea; and Richard Strauss's "Ich wollt ein Sträusslein binden" sung by Natalie Dessay.

A renowned coloratura soprano and a popular media personality in America, Beverly Sills lent her fame, energy, and business acumen to promote the cause of opera and the performing arts following her celebrated singing career. Among other prominent roles, she served as General Director of the New York City Opera; Chairman of Lincoln Center; and Managing Director, Chairman, and Chairman Emerita of the Board of the Directors of the Metropolitan Opera.