Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1 Harbor View Lawn became an open-air concert venue Wednesday as the Metropolitan Opera brought its Summer Recital Series to the East River waterfront through the NYC Parks Foundation's SummerStage program.
Audience members arrived with picnic blankets and folding chairs, filling the lawn for an evening of free live music overlooking New York Harbor. Families, neighborhood residents, visitors and opera enthusiasts gathered to enjoy the performance, drawing a large crowd on a warm summer evening.
Founded in 1883, the Metropolitan Opera is one of the world's leading opera companies. Through its annual Summer Recital Series, the organization brings performances beyond Lincoln Center and into communities across New York City's five boroughs, offering free access to opera in public spaces.
The Brooklyn program featured three artists from the Met's 2026 Summer Recital Series: soprano Emily Pogorelc, tenor Joshua Blue and baritone Edward Nelson. Accompanied by pianist Dimitri Dover, the performers presented a program of arias, duets and works by American composers.
The selection of music also reflected the nation's approaching 250th anniversary, highlighting both opera's longstanding traditions and American musical influences.
As evening settled over the waterfront, the performance unfolded against views of Lower Manhattan and New York Harbor. Ferries crossed the East River while the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges lit up the skyline, providing a backdrop for the outdoor recital.
The free performance was part of the Metropolitan Opera's ongoing effort to bring opera to audiences outside traditional theater settings and one of many cultural events featured in this year's NYC Parks Foundation SummerStage lineup.
Information about upcoming Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series performances and the full SummerStage schedule is available here.
