Episodes

Distinguished conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the fourth annual Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night 2012 concert to be telecast on Great Performances, Friday, August 31, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

John Neumeier -- director and chief choreographer for Hamburg Ballet -- blends dance, dramatic storytelling and spectacle into a unique interpretation of a classic Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. With choreography, sets, costumes, and lighting, all by Neumeier, this ballet—as much theater as it is dance—takes the dancers into deep emotional terrain.

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of this spectacular concert and experience the artistry of the world’s most popular tenor. Recorded on a rainy night in September 2011 in one of the world’s most iconic parks, stars Céline Dion, Tony Bennett, Chris Botti and David Foster joined classical performers for a mix of opera and pop as a gift of music to the city of New York.

Based on the Academy Award-winning 1994 Italian film andthe 1985 novel Ardiente Paciencia by Antonio Skarmeta, Il Postino tells the story of a young postman who discovers the courage to pursue his dreams through his daily deliveries the poet Pablo Neruda, played by Placido Domingo. Daniel Catan's Il Postino from LA Opera airs Friday, November 25 at 9 p.m. ET, as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival.

An American favorite for his award-winning role in the hit TV series House, the versatile British actor Hugh Laurie showcases his musical side in an atmospheric personal odyssey filmed on location in New Orleans. Hugh Laurie: Let Them Talk - A Celebration of New Orleans Blues airs on Great Performances Friday, September 30 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

The great Spanish tenor Placido Domingo looks back on his illustrious career - one which has been bountifully preserved on film and video. The celebrated tenor as he looks back and reflects with heartfelt candor on his choicest roles from opera houses around the world in this comprehensive performance documentary. The program airs Friday, September 23 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Watch an unedited version of the program on the Great Performances Web Site.

Distinguished conductor Valery Gergiev leads the third annual Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night concert to be telecast on Great Performances, Friday, August 19, 2011 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). This year's theme revolves around "Virtuoso Pictures," as exemplified by the works of Franz Liszt, Niccolo Paganini, Modest Mussorgsky, and Johann Strauss.

Renee Fleming sings one of her signature roles, the elegant Countess in Richard Strauss's Capriccio, on Great Performances at the Met Sunday, August 14 at 12 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). Andrew Davis, who led the Met premiere of the opera in 1998, returned to conduct its first revival.

A trio of bel canto stars--Juan Diego Florez, Diana Damrau, and Joyce DiDonato--headline the Met's first-ever production of Le Comte Ory, Rossini's final comic masterpiece. Bartlett Sher's hit production will air on Great Performances at the Met Sunday, July 24 at 12 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).

Directed by Marco Bellocchio, Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto from Mantua stars Placido Domingo as Rigoletto; Julia Novikova as his daughter Gilda; Vittorio Grigolo as the Duke; and Ruggero Raimondi as the assassin Sparafucile. Recorded in Mantua, Italy and broadcast live around the world on September 4 and 5, 2010, that broadcast airs Friday, July 15 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Lucia di Lammermoor, with French soprano Natalie Dessay in one of her greatest roles as Donizetti's fragile heroine, will air on Great Performances at the Met Sunday, June 26 at 12 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). In New York, THIRTEEN will air the production on Thursday, June 23 at 8 p.m.

In June 2010, Eric Clapton gathered the world's most talented guitar players at the third Crossroads Guitar Festival. All profits benefited The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility Clapton founded to help people suffering from chemical dependency. Two hours of highlights, Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival 3, will air June 6 at 9 p.m. (check local listings).

Taped at Sarasota’s The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the program, co-hosted by David Foster, celebrates the release of her first full-length solo album. Jackie Evancho: Dream with Me in Concert, marks the solo concert debut of the 10-year-old girl with the extraordinary soprano voice. The Great Performances special will be telecast in June on PBS stations.

The Metropolitan Opera's premiere production of John Adams' Nixon in China, conducted by the composer and staged by internationally acclaimed director Peter Sellars, will air in primetime on THIRTEEN's Great Performances at the Met Wednesday, June 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).