Merrin Lazyan

One of the most famous questions in English literature gets answered anew with a modern operatic adaptation.

In the vast catalogue of great, doomed love affairs, the story of an Irish Princess, a Cornish Knight, and a potion switcheroo takes you to a whole new realm.

Sometimes the journey to self-acceptance begins when you find the strength to face your past and leave it the road.

With text from the Book of Psalms and an unforgettable melody, Giuseppe Verdi proved that there’s no place like home, especially when you can never return.

Love and great art have the power to transform you, especially when you’re wearing pants. 

A woman loses her grasp on reality and finds the only freedom available to her in murder and madness.

A tsar comes to power, but quickly realizes he’s powerless.

A great woman dies, and lives forever.

What separates humans from machines is our ability to love, to dream, and to believe in an illusion.

Sometimes the most terrifying thing in life -- and in opera -- is to be alone with your thoughts. In her solitary moments, Richard Strauss's Elektra is consumed by one, dark obsession. 

What will you think about before you die?

In order to be a Roman Emperor, you have to be entirely cold-blooded. So what happens if you’re not?

Have you heard the one when Johnny Cash, Igor Stravinsky, and William Hogarth walk into a podcast? Well, you will this week on Aria Code.

A powerful man abuses his privilege then lashes out when he learns women are not his playthings. Classic Mozart comedy? Yes! Real life? Most definitely.

Gioachino Rossini’s most famous opera The Barber of Seville is more than a comedic romp. Underneath the zany plot and cheerful music is a story about a woman’s determination to be free.

There’s no place like home, the saying goes, but Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida realizes she’ll never see her homeland again.

“Nessun Dorma” has long been opera’s crossover hit. But in the last year, it’s become something more -- an anthem of hope.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin concludes and celebrates his summer series with Grand Finales – a selection of the final works written by composers, as well as bittersweet songs of farewell.