Orchestra of The Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Founded in 1883 along with the company. Popularly known as the MET Orchestra.
James Levine was the Music Director from 1976 - 2016. Yannick Nézet‐Séguin was appointed Music Director in 2018.
For the Chorus, please use Metropolitan Opera Chorus.Principal conductors::
In the Met's inaugural season of 1883–1884, Auguste Vianesi, who conducted most of the performances that season including opening night, was listed in the playbills as "Musical Director and Conductor." The Met did not have another officially designated "music director" until Rafael Kubelik in 1973. However, a number of the Met's conductors have assumed a strong leadership role at different times in the company's history. They set artistic standards and influenced the quality and performance style of the orchestra, but without any official title. The Met has also had many famed guest conductors who are not listed here.
Anton Seidl (1885–97)
Walter Damrosch (1884–1902)
Alfred Hertz (1902–15, leading conductor of German repertory)
Gustav Mahler (1908–10)
Arturo Toscanini (1908–15)
Artur Bodanzky (1915–39, leading conductor of German repertory)
Tullio Serafin (1924–34)
Fausto Cleva (1931–71)
Bruno Walter (1941–51, 1956, 1959)
Ettore Panizza (1934–42, leading conductor of Italian repertory)
Erich Leinsdorf (1938–42, leading conductor of German repertory)
George Szell (1942–46)
Cesare Sodero (1942–47)
Fritz Busch (1945–49)
Fritz Reiner (1949–53)
Dimitri Mitropoulos (1954–60)
Erich Leinsdorf (1957–62)
Kurt Herbert Adler (1943–73, chorus master and conductor)
Rafael Kubelik (music director 1973–74)
James Levine (music director 1976–2016; artistic director 1986–2004; music director emeritus 2016–2017)
Valery Gergiev (principal guest conductor 1997–2008)
Fabio Luisi (principal guest conductor 2010–2011; principal conductor 2011–2017)
Yannick Nézet-Séguin (music director 2018–)