The Metropolitan Opera Announces Free Summer Events

The Metropolitan Opera announced the return of its popular free outdoor series of summer events. For the fourth consecutive year, the Met will present operatic recitals in parks in all five boroughs, as well as a ten-day festival of encore screenings from the Met's popular HD transmissions in Lincoln Center Plaza.

The Met's 2012 Summer Recital Series, presented in collaboration with City Parks Foundation, will feature six free concerts beginning July 25 and concluding August 9. The series begins July 25, 2012, at Central Park SummerStage with an 8:00 pm recital featuring three Met stars: soprano Danielle De Niese, tenor Dimitri Pittas, and bass-baritone John Del Carlo, as well as pianist Dan Saunders. The same four artists will perform on July 27 at 7:00 pm in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1 (Brooklyn). Later recitals in the Bronx's Crotona Park (July 31), Staten Island's Clove Lakes Park (August 2), Manhattan's Jackie Robinson Park (August 7), and Queens's Socrates Sculpture Park (August 9) will feature soprano Deanna Breiwick, tenor Alexander Lewis, baritone Edward Parks, and pianist Vlad Iftinca.  No tickets are required for any of the performances; a complete schedule is below.