The 2003-2004 season will go down in Valley opera history as one of the most eagerly anticipated seasons ever.

First of all, Arizona Opera has a new artistic director, and he’s a doozy, coming to Arizona straight from New York City’s Metropolitan Opera, bringing a Grammy Award with him.

“Joel Revzen brings a new life to Arizona Opera,” says Tom Wright, the company’s director of artistic administration. “He’s a conductor in opera and symphonic and chamber music. And to have someone who’s worked with the artists he’s worked with, that’s pretty fantastic.”

As many high-powered conductors are doing these days, Revzen will fly between New York, Tucson and Phoenix, as well as Boston, juggling three jobs at once (he is also the artistic director of the Berkshire Opera). But he is certainly up to the challenge.

He’ll have to be, considering the unusual opera season in front of him.

Arizona Opera’s 2003-2004 season is one of the most challenging in years, combining both the beloved (Puccini’s “La Boheme”) and the Wow! (Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”).

“Some people will say, ‘Wait a minute, "Sweeney Todd" isn’t an opera,’ but if you ask the musicians, they’ll tell you that it is performed exactly like an opera,” Wright says. I think we’ll see some exciting ticket sales this year.”

In addition to “Sweeney” and “Boheme,” Arizona Opera is producing Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale,” giving it a Western flavor; Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado”; and Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers,” an Arizona premiere.

“This is one of the most diverse seasons we’ve ever had,” Wright says.

ASU’s Lyric Opera is adding to the season's diversity with productions of “Der Schauspieldirektor,” “Riders to the Sea,” “La Finta Giardiniera” and the world premiere of “Caterina’s Son,” an opera about Leonardo da Vinci.