CARMEN to Return to the Metropolitan Opera in October
Performances will begin on October 28.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 07, 2025
Carrie Cracknell’s production of Carmen will return to the Met for 13 performances beginning October 28. For the fall run of eight performances through November 29, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard makes her Met role debut as Carmen. Leonard Will also star as Frida Kahlo in the Met premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank’s El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego later in the season.
Don José will be portrayed by tenor Michael Fabiano for the first four performances, through November 7. Tenor Matthew Polenzani, who makes his Met role debut, returns for the final four November performances, beginning on November 14. This cast also includes soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan as Micaëla and bass-baritone Adam Plachetka as Escamillo. Fabien Gabel, in his company debut, conducts the fall run.
Beginning January 11, there will be five additional performances, starring mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina, who opened the production in the title role to critical acclaim when it was new in the Met’s 2023–24 season. She will be joined by Fabiano, returning as Don José, soprano Janai Brugger as Micaëla, and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as Escamillo. This cast is led by conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi. Derrick Inouye conducts the January 23 performance.
Cracknell’s creative team included set designer Michael Levine, Costume Designer Tom Scutt, lighting designer Guy Hoare, projection designer rocafilm/Roland Horvarth, and choreographer Ann Yee. Carmen is the fourth most performed opera in Met history, with 1,041 performances prior to this season.
Met Under 40
The Met’s popular young-audience program, Met Under 40, expands this season with discounted ticket options for audiences aged 40 and under in the Orchestra, Grand Tier, and Dress Circle sections for select performances. A special Met Under 40 party will also be held ahead of the performances of Carmen on November 21, 2025, and January 11, 2026, featuring complimentary wine, hors d’oeuvres, and more. For further details, please click here.
Carmen Broadcasts on Radio and Online
The October 28, November 17, and January 17 performances of Carmen will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on the SiriusXM app. Audio from the October 28 and November 17 performances will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, metopera.org. The January 17 performance will also be broadcast live over The Robert K. Johnson Foundation–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.
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