SPOTLIGHT

PBS - Great Performances and Live at Lincoln Center

(check your local station)

PBS offers a range of opera performances along with other Classical Music and Arts programming under the Great Performances and Live from Lincoln Center series. While Metropolitan Opera performances are scheduled ahead of time, some of the performances are available to view until a set date. The search feature of the PBS website can help you find operas or you can find it under the Great Performances tab. 

Metropolitan Opera:

The Metropolitan Opera boasts the most robust and established streaming offerings of any major classical music institution. Not only do they feature the Live in HD broadcasts of select productions to movie theaters around the country, but they offer Met Opera on Demand. For $14.99/month (or $149.99/year), viewers can watch modern and historical productions from the opera on any device.

Lyric Opera of Chicago:

The Lyric offers Lyric Audio Streaming, which allows listeners to listen to select productions from the company’s history through major music streaming platforms. The company also offers virtual events which audiences can watch for free with registration. Unlike other major opera houses, the Lyric does not offer video streaming of its productions, which seems to be a missed opportunity, given they are a leading commissioning partner of new works and productions.

San Francisco Opera:

At San Francisco Opera, the third performance of each mainstage opera is available as a livestream, with tickets to these online viewings costing $27.50. These are offered through their in-house streaming service entitled Front Row, which offers unique digital offerings such as “In Song” and “Atrium Sessions” alongside livestreams. There are also free offerings available on Front Row.

LA Opera:

What differentiates the streaming offerings of LA Opera from the rest of the field is their unparalleled investment into original content for digital viewing through LA Opera On Now. With world premieres of new works, digital shorts, and films featuring original music, most of these digital offerings are free to view.