Anniversary of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Passing
Anniversary of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Passing
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the cast of Lucia di Lammermoor backstage at the Santa Fe Opera, 2017. Photo by Brandon Soder.
Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, was an accomplished attorney, jurist and international feminist icon. To Santa Fe Opera audiences, she was a kindred spirit, a fellow opera lover.
Justice Ginsburg attended opera performances around the country, always including Santa Fe in her summer itinerary. She often enjoyed preview dinners before performances, and as her national profile grew, the audience greeted her with standing ovations whenever she entered the theater.
After performances, she would visit artists backstage. Once, she was overheard telling the men’s chorus of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd, “I would have pardoned him.”
In 2017, she hosted an event titled Justice at the Opera that featured select opera scenes performed by members of the Apprentice Program for Singers. Prior to each scene, she offered legal commentary on the characters’ circumstances.
The Santa Fe Opera was honored to count Justice Ginsburg among our friends and fans. She inspired us, not only with her groundbreaking career and record of public service, but with her true love of the art form. In her own words, “Music is the one time my head isn’t filled with briefs and opinions. All that is put on a shelf and I just enjoy.”
In recognition of her longtime friendship, the Santa Fe Opera is honored to dedicate seat G117, one of her favorite seats, to the memory of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.