The Met Presents the Company Premiere of John Adams’s Antony and Cleopatra on May 12

Starring soprano Julia Bullock and bass-baritone Gerald Finley, Directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer in her Met debut

John Adams returns to the Met podium for the first time in nearly 15 years

New York, NY (April 3, 2025)—Renowned American composer-conductor John Adams’s most recent opera, Antony and Cleopatra, will have its company premiere on May 12, the final new production of the 2024–25 season. This marks the fifth opera by John Adams presented by the Met—a distinction last achieved by Richard Strauss. Soprano Julia Bullock stars as Cleopatra, having made her company debut last season in another Adams opera, El Niño. Bullock is joined by bass-baritone

Gerald Finley, who returns to the Met stage as Antony. Finley previously earned acclaim for his performances at the Met, including as Robert Oppenheimer in the Met premiere of Adams’s Doctor Atomic in 2008. In her Met debut, director Elkhanah Pulitzer transports the story from ancient Rome to the Golden Age of Hollywood, inspired by iconic cinematic interpretations of Cleopatra.

Having last conducted his Nixon in China in 2011, Adams returns to the Met podium for the first time in nearly 15 years. Tenor Paul Appleby takes on the role of Caesar, and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong sings Octavia, Caesar’s sister. The cast also includes mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven as Charmian, in her Met debut; tenor Brenton Ryan as Eros; and bass-baritone Alfred Walker as Enobarbus.

The creative team also includes set designer Mimi Lien, lighting designer David Finn, sound designer Mark Grey, and choreographer Annie-B Parson. Costume designer Constance Hoffman, projection designer Bill Morrison, dramaturg Lucia Scheckner, and fight director Chris Dumont all make their house debuts.

Gallery Met

In connection with the new production of Antony and Cleopatra and as part of the company’s Gallery Met initiative, the Met will display a banner by artist 

Toyin Ojih Odutola on the façade of the opera house from April 14 to June 9. The piece on which the banner is based will also be on view inside the opera house. A gift from Marie Schwartz made the Gallery Met initiative possible in 2006.

Learn more about Gallery Met, curated by Dodie Kazanjian, here.

Public Programs and Special Events

In anticipation of the arrival of Antony and Cleopatra, the Met will present a series of events that explore John Adams’s new opera. The list of events and details are below.

Works & Process at the Guggenheim: Antony and Cleopatra
Monday, April 28, 7PM
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue

Met General Manager Peter Gelb moderates a discussion with director Elkhanah Pulitzer, set designer Mimi Lien, and choreographer Annie-B Parson. Soprano Julia Bullock, bass-baritone Gerald Finley, tenor Paul Appleby, and pianist Laura Poe perform highlights from the score and join the panel in conversation.
For further details, please click here.

Verse to Voice: The Musical World of Antony and Cleopatra
Monday, May 5, 7 PM
Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St, New York 

The Met and the Public Theater will present a captivating conversation, hosted by Robert Marx, bringing together composers John Adams and Michael Thurber (Goddess, Othello, Twelfth Night) with actor Chukwudi Iwuji (Othello, Hamlet, Guardians of the Galaxy) to explore how music elevates the drama of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpieces. Registration will open in mid-April.

Fridays Under 40

The Met’s Fridays Under 40 series continues May 30 with a party ahead of the evening performance of Antony and Cleopatra. Available exclusively for operagoers 40 and under, the event features complimentary wine, themed activities, and more. All Friday performances at the Met are available to Fridays Under 40 audiences at special discounted rates. For further details, please click here.

Antony and Cleopatra Worldwide Broadcasts on Radio and Online

The May 12 and 24 and June 3 performances of Antony and Cleopatra will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on the SiriusXM app. Audio from the May 24 performance will also be broadcast over The Robert K. Johnson Foundation–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. Audio from the May 12 and June 3 performances will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, metopera.org.

Toll Rush Tickets
The Met Opera app is now available for download on mobile devices, offering users a new way to purchase Toll Rush Tickets via an automated lottery. Lotteries open two weeks prior to a performance, and winners are notified the day before the performance. Toll Rush Tickets can also be purchased on a first-come, first-served basis by visiting metopera.org at 12PM for weekday performances, 2PM for Saturday evening performances, and four hours before curtain for matinee performances. Learn more about the Met Opera app here.

For More Information

For further details on Antony and Cleopatra, including casting by date, please click here.