Met Summer Concert: Live in Prospect Park has the potential of being attended by an audience of up to 150,000 people, who will be drawn from all five boroughs and the suburbs. The performance will be broadcast live on WQXR-FM (96.3 FM).
“We are trying something new this summer, which we think will be especially appealing to all New Yorkers,” said Met General Manager Peter Gelb. “This is the first time in some years that leading Met stars will sing outdoors in a parks concert.”
The married star couple of Gheorghiu and Alagna will sing popular arias and duets by Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, Massenet, and others, conducted by Ion Marin. Gheorghiu and Alagna will perform on a larger than normal stage in Prospect Park’s Long Meadow baseball fields, surrounded by six jumbo video screens that will be strategically placed throughout the area to maximize the viewing experience.
Met Summer Concert: Live in Prospect Park is presented in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Kate D. Levin; Department of Parks & Recreation, Commissioner Adrian Benepe; Bank of America, corporate sponsor; and the office of the Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, with support from the Borough Presidents of Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island.
“This concert builds on the Metropolitan Opera’s extraordinary history of free presentations in the City’s parks,” said Commissioner Levin. “Peter Gelb and the Met leadership are committed to reaching new audiences, and this summer’s concert in Brooklyn provides a unique opportunity for thousands of New Yorkers to experience some of the most exciting performers in opera today.”
“For forty-two years, the Metropolitan Opera has brought world-class performances to New Yorkers free of charge,” said Commissioner Benepe. “We are thrilled that this summertime tradition will return on the eve of the summer solstice to Prospect Park, one of the largest public greens in the United States.”
In order to attract the widest possible audience for Met Summer Concert: Live in Prospect Park, 25,000 pre-paid MTA MetroCards will be provided by Bank of America at selected banking locations in each of the five New York City boroughs. The MetroCards, which come in a commemorative holder, will be available beginning Monday, June 16, on a first-come, first-served basis at the following bank branches (one in each borough): 1515 Times Square (Manhattan); 449 Myrtle Avenue (Brooklyn); 299 East 204th Street (Bronx); 90-53 Sutphin Boulevard (Queens); and 2196 Forest Avenue (Staten Island).
“Bank of America was the first sponsor of the Metropolitan Opera free parks concerts, and has supported the Met in this role for the past eight years,” said Rena DeSisto, Bank of America Global Arts & Culture Executive. “As one of this country’s leading supporters of arts and culture, we believe in the power of the arts to create and sustain economic vitality. It has been gratifying to be a part of these programs that reach our communities – and our customers – so effectively. As a member of the Metropolitan Opera family, we are delighted to be associated with one of the world’s premier music institutions and to work with them as they seek ways to bring the opera to more people throughout this country and around the globe.”
Each person who picks up a MetroCard will also receive a card that, once scanned at Prospect Park, will make them eligible for free prizes, which include tickets to a performance during the Metropolitan Opera’s upcoming season, or Grand Prizes of a vacation package or a cash gift provided by the bank.
“Brooklyn has produced some of the most celebrated voices in opera, so it’s only fitting that two of the world’s biggest opera stars will be performing in our beloved Prospect Park. I thank Bank of America for its ongoing support of the Parks series, and look forward to welcoming the thousands of opera fans who will certainly be singing Brooklyn’s praises as the cultural capital of New York City. This summer, the Met—and opera—hit the big time!” said Borough President Markowitz. -- www.metoperafamily.org
