Franco Farina, making his Philharmonic debut, will replace Vargas in performances scheduled for March 29 and 30 and April 1 and 4. Lorin Maazel will conduct.
Connecticut-born Farina is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and has appeared with opera companies including the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera, Paris Op_ra, and Munich's Bavarian Staatsoper. He made his Met debut as Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohme opposite Mirella Freni in 1990; this season he appeared with the company as Radames in Aida.
