Mason Bates - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Yannick Nézet-Séguin)

Information

Composer: Mason Bates

• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

Andrzej Filończyk

Miles Mykkanen

Sun-Ly Pierce

Edward Nelson

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: The Metropolitan Opera

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The Metropolitan Opera’s 2025–26 season opens with the premiere of Mason Bates’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, based on Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel. Conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, this dynamic adaptation features a libretto by Gene Scheer and blending electronic elements, European classical traditions, and American popular styles. The story follows two Jewish cousins—sung by baritone Andrzej Filończyk in his Met debut and tenor Miles Mykkanen—who create an anti-fascist comic-book superhero prior to World War II. Directed by Bartlett Sher with spectacular visual projections by 59 Productions, the opera seamlessly bridges occupied Prague, mid-century New York, and vivid comic-book fantasy.

American composer and DJ Mason Bates (b. 1977) is renowned for transforming classical music through his signature integration of electronic elements, orchestral textures, and contemporary culture. As one of his generation's most-performed composers and the Kennedy Center's first composer-in-residence, his acclaimed catalog includes the Grammy-winning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Philharmonia Fantastique, and the record-breaking Metropolitan Opera hit The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Supported by major world orchestras and conductors, Bates expands classical audiences through film scores, the club-infused concert series Mercury Soul, the digital educational platform Sprite's World, and his faculty role at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin (b. 1975, Montreal) is a Canadian conductor and pianist, celebrated as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra (since 2012) and the Metropolitan Opera (since 2018). Trained at the Quebec Conservatory and Westminster Choir College, he was mentored by Carlo Maria Giulini and quickly gained recognition for his energy, musicianship, and leadership. In Philadelphia, he revitalized the orchestra, strengthening ties with the community through both formal concerts and outreach performances. He also leads Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain and is honorary conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic. A renowned opera conductor, he has appeared at Salzburg, La Scala, Covent Garden, and beyond. His acclaimed discography on Deutsche Grammophon includes collaborations with top soloists and ensembles.