'Manon Lescaut' Broadcast on Met Opera Radio Feb.16

Finnish soprano Karita Mattila sings the title role of Puccini's Manon Lescaut which will be broadcast live over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network at 1PM EST on February 16, 2008.  Ms. Mattila sings Manon Lescaut at the Met for the first time this season.  The opera, which also features Marcello Giordani as the Chevalier des Grieux and baritone Dwayne Croft as Lescaut, will be led by Maestro James Levine.  This performance will also be relayed live in high definition to movie theaters around the world, the fourth in the Met's series of eight transmissions.

Intermission content will feature the beloved Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera Quiz, featuring legendary soprano Renata Scotto as quizmaster.  The renowned Renée Fleming will also go backstage to interview some of the artists involved with the production.

For more than seven decades, the Metropolitan Opera Radio Broadcasts have brought opera into millions of homes and enriched the lives of many, playing a vital and unparalleled role in the development and appreciation of opera in this country. Since 1940, the broadcasts have been heard in Canada, and in 1990 they expanded to include regular transmission to Europe.  Today worldwide coverage has grown to include not only more than 30 European countries, but also South America, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and China.

Listeners can visit www.operainfo.org for a wealth of information about the Met broadcasts.  For details about all Met performances this season, as well as ticket information, visit the Met's website at www.metopera.org.