Almost every city has an opera house, but not every visitor goes beyond the obligatory photo op. Expand your musical horizons and hear an opera classic at one of these world famous houses.
Wiener Staatsoper
The Staatsoper is one of the world’s most renowned opera houses, built in 1869 for an inaugural performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. It was destroyed and rebuilt after World War II, opening with Bethoven’s Fidelio, a musical ode to freedom.
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi is certainly a formidable venue, surviving almost two centuries of fires, wars and revolutions. It’s also extremely lavish in its architecture and décor, often housing premiers by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.
Sydney Opera House
Sydney has what is probably the most recognizable opera house in the world. It’s actually a multi-venue performing arts center, the magnum opus of Danish architect Jørn Utzon.
Teatro Colón
Opera isn’t strictly a European tradition; it’s also quite popular in South America. Located in Buenos Aires, it was designed to compete with the best opera houses of the world in terms of luxury and acoustics.
Metropolitan Opera
The Met might be the best place for classical music in North America. It’s part of the Lincoln Center, which regularly films and broadcasts performances around the world. If you’re not there for opera, there’s also the New York Philharmonic, an independent theater complex, the ballet and the library.
La Scala
Operating for almost two and a half centuries, Milan’s La Scala is the most historically significant theater to visit, with its audiences having seen premiers of Bellini, Rossini, Verdi and more.
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