Internationally acclaimed conductor to lead Puccini’s La bohème at The Metropolitan Opera this fall
NAPLES, FL (September 22, 2026) – Opera Naples proudly announces that its Artistic and Music Director, Maestro Ramón Tebar, will make his highly anticipated conducting debut at The Metropolitan Opera this fall, leading 13 performances of Giacomo Puccini’s beloved masterpiece La bohème from September 25 through October 31.
Tebar will take the podium at the Metropolitan Opera in New York beginning September 25, marking a significant milestone in his distinguished international career and further underscoring the extraordinary caliber of artistic leadership at Opera Naples.
“Opera Naples is incredibly proud to celebrate this extraordinary achievement for Maestro Ramón Tebar,” said Melanie Kalnins, Executive Director of Opera Naples. “His Metropolitan Opera debut is a tremendous personal and professional milestone, and it is also a moment of pride for our entire Opera Naples family. Ramón brings an exceptional level of artistry, musicianship and international perspective to our organization, and our community is fortunate to have him leading our artistic vision.”
Tebar, who serves as Opera Naples’ Artistic and Music Director, has established an international reputation for his dynamic conducting, musical sensitivity and commitment to both established masterpieces and innovative programming. His career has taken him to leading opera houses and concert halls throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America, working with acclaimed singers, orchestras and opera companies. His recent collaboration with San Francisco Opera, conducting La bohème, was praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as “as close to musical and dramatic perfection as you can get.”
His Metropolitan Opera debut conducting La bohème represents another major chapter in a career that continues to expand his presence on the world’s most prestigious stages.
“Making my Metropolitan Opera debut is a dream, an extraordinary honor and a deeply meaningful milestone in my journey as a conductor,” said Ramón Tebar. “I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to conduct La bohème at the Met and to bring my own musical voice to one of the world’s great opera houses. That same sense of artistic purpose is at the heart of my work with Opera Naples, which has become an important artistic home for me. I am very proud of what we are building there and look forward to continuing to bring exceptional opera and musical experiences to our community while strengthening the connection between Southwest Florida and the broader international world of opera.”
At Opera Naples, Tebar is helping shape the company’s artistic direction and its commitment to presenting exceptional singers, conductors, directors and musicians while expanding the organization’s artistic reach and relevance within Southwest Florida and beyond. He is also dedicated to fostering the next generation of opera talent with projects such as the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition.
“Ramón’s achievement is a wonderful reflection of the artistic excellence we strive for at Opera Naples,” Kalnins added. “We look forward to cheering him on as he steps onto the Metropolitan Opera stage and to sharing this exciting moment with our patrons and supporters.”
Opera Naples invites the Southwest Florida community to join in celebrating Maestro Tebar’s Metropolitan Opera debut and to experience the artistry and vision he brings to the company’s upcoming season.
Tebar’s leadership is an important component of Opera Naples’ 2026/27 season, which features a diverse lineup of opera and musical performances, including Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, the Opera Naples Chorus in Handel’s The Messiah, among many other titles. Tickets are now on sale for the entire 2026/27 Opera Naples season and can be purchased here.
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Opera Naples is an artistic powerhouse, dedicated to presenting high-quality opera productions and concerts featuring prominent international, national and regional performers and directors. Opera Naples has presented well-known grand operas such as La bohème, Carmen, Faust, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, Tosca and more. An advocate of community service and education outreach, Opera Naples introduces opera to thousands of children each year through various programs, including in-school programs and performances in Collier and Lee counties, the Resident Artists Program and Summer Youth Program. The company is also committed to nurturing promising young talent through the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples Academy led by a faculty of prominent opera luminaries who offer an immersive program of vocal instruction, lectures and masterclasses. In collaboration with the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, Opera Naples also hosts an International Voice Competition, in partnership with Florida Gulf Coast University. The company has earned local, regional and state government support.
Media contact:
Melanie Kalnins, mkalnins@operanaples.org, (239) 359 4956
Website: operanaples.org
Facebook: facebook.com/operanaples
Instagram: @opera_naples