What opera adaptation of The Great Gatsby premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1999?

The opera adaptation of The Great Gatsby that premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1999 was John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby.

Harbison wrote both the music and the libretto, adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel for the stage. The Metropolitan Opera commissioned it to mark music director James Levine’s 25th anniversary with the company. Its world premiere took place on December 20, 1999, with Levine conducting and Mark Lamos directing.

The premiere cast included Jerry Hadley as Jay Gatsby, Dawn Upshaw as Daisy Buchanan, and Dwayne Croft as Nick Carraway. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson portrayed Myrtle Wilson. The opera ran for twelve performances at the Met across two seasons before reaching Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2000.

A common mix-up is confusing this opera with later stage adaptations. Harbison’s work is distinct from the Broadway musical The Great Gatsby, which opened in 2024, and from other theatrical, ballet, and film versions of Fitzgerald’s story.