Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia Returns to the Met on April 15, Starring Mezzo-Sopranos Aigul Akhmetshina and Isabel Leonard

Conductor Giacomo Sagripanti and tenor Jack Swanson make their Met debuts Tenor Lawrence Brownlee reprises the role of Count Almaviva

Baritones Davide Luciano and Andrey Zhilikhovsky make their Met role debuts as the titular barber of Seville

Spring Open House returns on Saturday, April 19

The Met: Live in HD transmission of Il Barbiere di Siviglia to be broadcast worldwide on May 31

New York, New York (March 13, 2025)—Bartlett Sher’s production of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia returns to the Met for 12 performances beginning April 15. Mezzo-sopranos Isabel Leonard and Aigul Akhmetshina share the role of Rosina. Akhmetshina makes her Met role debut following her critically acclaimed performances in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen last season. The cast is led by Maestro Giacomo Sagripanti in his company debut.

Singing opposite Leonard and Akhmetshina, respectively, are tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Jack Swanson as Count Almaviva. Brownlee reprises the role that he sang alongside Leonard in the 2014–15 season. Swanson makes his anticipated Met debut on May 16.

Both making their Met role debuts as Figaro are baritones Davide Luciano and Andrey Zhilikhovsky. Joining them are baritone Nicola Alaimo and bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi in their Met role debuts and bass-baritone Peter Kálmán in his company debut as Dr. Bartolo. Bass Alexander Vinogradov makes his Met role debut as Don Basilio, following his performance as Ramfis earlier this season in the Met’s new production of Verdi’s Aida.

The creative team includes set designer Michael Yeargan, costume designer Catherine Zuber, and lighting designer Christopher Akerlind. Sher’s production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia premiered in 2006. Il Barbiere di Siviglia has been performed 632 times at the Met.

On Saturday, April 19, at 11AM, children and families are invited to experience the Met’s immersive Spring Open House, with behind-the-scenes demonstrations by members of the Met’s backstage and artistic staff. For the first time, members of the Children’s Chorus will also have a station with information for attendees and their guardians to learn more about auditioning for singing and non-singing roles. The event is free to all ticketholders for the matinee performance.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia Broadcasts in Cinemas, on Radio, and Online

The matinee performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia on Saturday, May 31, will be transmitted live to movie theaters around the globe as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

The April 15 and May 31 performances of Il Barbiere di Siviglia will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on the SiriusXM app. Audio from the April 15 performance will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, metopera.org. Audio from the May 31 performance will also be broadcast over The Robert K. Johnson Foundation–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

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.

For More Information

For further details on Il Barbiere di Siviglia, please click here.