Philip Glass’s Akhnaten returns to the Met on May 19

• Members from the original Grammy-winning cast, led by countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo as the title pharaoh, return for the first revival since the production’s triumphant 2019 premiere
•  Director Phelim McDermott’s staging incorporates a troupe of jugglers, with choreography by Sean Gandini that complements Glass’s hypnotic music

 New York, NY (May 16, 2022)—Philip Glass’s Akhnaten returns to the Metropolitan Opera for six performances, May 19–June 10, 2022. The modern masterpiece features many artists from the production’s triumphant Grammy Award–winning cast. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo reprises his acclaimed portrayal of the title pharaoh who introduced the concept of monotheism to ancient Egypt. Mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb joins the cast and makes her role debut as Nefertiti. Along with Costanzo, returning artists also include soprano Dísella Lárusdóttir as Queen Tye, tenor Aaron Blake as the High Priest of Amon, baritone Will Liverman as Horemhab, bass-baritone Zachary James as Amenhotep III, and bass Richard Bernstein as Aye. Conductor Karen Kamensek returns to the podium to conduct Glass’s hypnotic score, which bursts to life in director Phelim McDermott’s vivid production. Sean Gandini also returns to choreograph a troupe of jugglers, who fill the air above the stage with as many as 50 flying objects at a time, amplifying the percussive rhythms of Glass’s music.

Akhnaten Worldwide Broadcasts in Radio and Online

The May 19 and 28, 2022, performances of Akhnaten will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SiriusXM Channel 355. The May 28, 2022, performance will also be broadcast over the Toll Brothers–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

Audio from the May 19 performance will be streamed live on the Met’s website, metopera.org.

For More Information

For further details on Akhnaten, please click here.