For the last two decades, Julie Taymor’s eye-popping production of The Magic Flute has served as the cornerstone of the Met’s efforts to introduce young people to the wonders of our art form, reaching more than a million people through performances in the opera house and Live in HD transmissions to cinemas around the globe.

To celebrate the milestone, we asked audience members to share their memories and tell us how The Magic Flute impacted them.

Julian Golden (Fort Lee, New Jersey): The Magic Flute was my first opera when I saw it last year, and it was a magical performance! I loved it, and I’ve seen two other operas since. I’m going to The Magic Flute again this year!

Ana-Maria Edu (Bucharest, Romania): I saw The Magic Flute at Cineplexx Băneasa in Bucharest with my parents and a high-school classmate. The sublime melodies, the talent of the performers, and the enchanting scenography transported us to a fairy-tale world. I wanted to see it again, and I eventually did as part of the Free Nightly Streams during the pandemic. I watched the streams every day, and for that I want to thank the Met very much. Opera brought hope in those days of uncertainty and made my passion for it even stronger.

Rayén Biaggi Riquelme (New York City, New York): The Magic Flute was brilliant! My favorite
character was the Queen of the Night. She had straight blue hair and looked really
pretty. I loved the big finale! Princess Pamina had a terribly wonderful voice! Papageno was so fun. It was so, so, so, so, so wonderful! My favorite part was when Papageno’s wife was dressed as an old woman.

Robert Blitz (Verona, New Jersey): Seeing The Magic Flute in 2019 at the Met was one of the most special experiences for our family. My oldest son, Zach, is autistic and non-verbal, and bringing him to any public performance is full of stress and anxiety. We wanted to expose Zach to opera, but we were prepared to walk out at any time should he become disruptive. What happened was completely unexpected. Zach was utterly focused and transfixed, and at the end of the performance, he stood up on his own and clapped, saying “Great job guys!” in an extremely clear and loud voice (which almost never happens). That one sentence, the utter joy on his face, and his determination to communicate his joy to the world is something that I will never forget. That performance is burned into our collective memories, and we have attended The Magic Flute every year since.

Anna Lowenfeld (New York City, New York): The first time I went to The Magic Flute, in 2019, I was four years old. I was fascinated by the striking costumes, the harmony of the music, and the magic that was happening on stage. I was especially mesmerized by the shimmering Queen of the Night and her unbelievable singing. I asked my mom if we could come back to watch the opera again, and I insisted on wearing a crown and a shimmering dress, just like the Queen of the Night. A week later, I did. After the pandemic, I listened to the “Here in my heart” aria again and fell in love. I dreamed of becoming an opera singer so that I could sing that aria one day. 

Kathy Gao (New York City, New York): Every year near Christmas, my parents visit New York, and I started a family tradition to do a two-day opera-ballet marathon. We see The Magic Flute and The Nutcracker the first day, and on the second day, we see The Nutcracker again and then the New Year’s Eve opera at the Met. The Magic Flute was a gateway for me—one season, I ended up seeing more than 40 operas! I’ve attended so many Magic Flutes, but Kathryn Lewek never fails to amaze me as Queen of the Night! She inspired me to start taking voice lessons last year as an adult beginner. I am no queen, but I’m inspired by the queen!

Juan Farias (New York City, New York): The Met’s holiday production of The Magic Flute was my daughter’s first opera, in 2017. She was four years old, and to prepare and celebrate the experience, we created a story where her favorite character, Papageno, visited New York City: “Papageno in Central Park.” We learned about birds of New York and made a children’s art book, which will be the first of many others. In time, birdwatching became a family hobby, and Carolina became a member of the Met Children’s Chorus.

Hannah T. Skokan (New York City, New York): The Metropolitan Opera has always been a special happy place for my family! My tiny Italian grandmother would whistle the melodies and take her children on opera dates, and when I was a child, we went to the opera more than the movies. Seeing Julie Taymor’s incredibly inventive take on The Magic Flute was a no brainer for my family in 2007, and we’ve been back so many times since! Nothing can be more magical than seeing a giant dragon slain as soon as the curtain rises, or the three spooky boys flying above the colossal stage. After buying the interactive picture book at the Met Shop, my four-year-old nephew now recognizes and loves the Queen of the Night. It’s multi- generational for us!

Barbara Wiggin (Rapid City, South Dakota): My husband took our eight- year-old granddaughter to the opera, and she loved it. Pa-Pa-Pa-Papageno is now part of our lives! 

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Photos: The Magic Flute at The Met Opera

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