The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Supports New Works Initiative
2012-08-22
THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION SUPPORTS NEW WORKS INITIATIVE
Santa Fe, NM. August 16, 2012. The Santa Fe Opera has been awarded a grant of $1 million from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the production of new operas in the next three years, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The grant is the third the Company has received from the Mellon Foundation since 2009. Announcement was made today by General Director Charles MacKay at a press conference attended by Don Randel, President of the Foundation.
The current award of $1 million will cover the production costs for Oscar by Theodore Morrison in 2013, Dr. Sun Yat-sen by Huang Ruo in 2014, and Cold Mountain by Jennifer Higdon in 2015. Oscar and Cold Mountain are co-commissions by The Santa Fe Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia. Dr. Sun Yat-sen is an American premiere.
In 2007 the Mellon Foundation gave $200,000 for the commissioning of The Letter by Paul Moravec as part of the New American Works Commissioning Project. In 2009 the Company received $800,000 to cover costs associated with the production of new and rarely performed works: Life is a Dream by Lewis Spratlan (2010), The Last Savage by Gian Carlo Menotti (2011), and this season, Karol Szymanowski’s King Roger.
Grants from the Mellon Foundation total $2,075,000. (This figure includes $75,000 awarded for the Company’s New Media Project.)
“The Santa Fe Opera has a long tradition of presenting new and unjustly neglected operas to our audiences,” said Mr. MacKay in making the announcement. “We are proud of our record and deeply grateful to the Mellon Foundation for helping us continue our mission to build the repertory for the 21st Century.”
The following are operas supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
2009 The Letter, Paul Moravec, World Premiere
2010 Life is a Dream, Lewis Spratlan, World Premiere
2011 The Last Savage, Gian Carlo Menotti, Rarely performed
2012 King Roger, Karol Szymanowski, Rarely performed
2013 Oscar, Theodore Morrison, World Premiere
2014 Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Huang Ruo, American Premiere
2015 Cold Mountain, Jennifer Higdon, World Premiere
CONTACT: Joyce Idema, Cindy Layman press@santafeopera.org
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