Only the fifth person to serve in this capacity, Ms. Lew Harder follows in the footsteps of former legendary voices of the Met, Milton Cross (1931–1975), Peter Allen (1975-2004), Margaret Juntwait (2004–2015), and, most recently, Mary Jo Heath (2016–2021).
Ms. Lew Harder comes to the Met from WRTI, the classical music and jazz public radio station in Philadelphia. At the Met, her responsibilities will include hosting the Toll Brothers–Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcasts that air from December through June, and the twice-weekly broadcasts on Met Opera Radio on SiriusXM Channel 355 throughout the season.
Ms. Lew Harder's duties began with the September 27 SiriusXM broadcast of Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in My Bones, marking the opening of the Met's 2021–22 season.
Ms. Lew Harder said she sent in her resume and cover letter "on a lark, noting that the Met presents and amazing opportunity. Her interview included reading a synopsis of Giacomo Puccini's La bohème and conducting an impromptu interview on Verdi's Requiem.
The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD theater presentations begin on October 9th with Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov. The Saturday live radio broadcasts run December 4th through June 11th. The radio broadcast season begins with a Met Premiere of Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice.
