Yonghoon Lee to Continue in CARMEN at the Met This Saturday; Jonas Kaufmann Still Ill

Jonas Kaufmann has canceled his performance as Don José in Bizet's Carmen this Saturday, March 7 matinee, as he is still ill with the flu and unable to travel to New York. Yonghoon Lee, who substituted for Kaufmann at last evening's performance, has agreed to sing Don José on Saturday.

Lee, who stars in the title role of Verdi's Don Carlo at the Met beginning March 30, made an acclaimed company role debut as Don José in the company's 2012-13 season; he has also sung that role with the Bavarian State Opera, Lyon Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Deutsche Oper Berlin. He made his Met debut as Don Carlo in 2010 and has also sung Ismaele in Verdi's Nabucco with the company. This fall, he will sing his first Met performances of Manrico in Verdi's Il Trovatore opposite Anna Netrebko in her North American role debut as Leonora.

The March 7 matinee performance of Carmen, conducted by Louis Langrée, also stars El?na Garan?a in the title role, Ailyn Pérez as Micaëla, and Gábor Bretz as Escamillo.