The Santa Fe Opera Celebrates 2020 Season with New Digital Performance Series "Songs from the Santa Fe Opera"
Viewers Can Tune in Online to Enjoy Well-Known Arias by the Artists Scheduled to Grace the Santa Fe Opera Stage in 2020, Along with Insights from Conductors, Directors and More
View or Print Press Release (PDF)
Santa Fe, NM — The Santa Fe Opera announces Songs from the Santa Fe Opera, a digital performance series celebrating the opening nights of the five originally-scheduled operas that were to comprise the 2020 Summer Festival Season. Susan Graham, acclaimed mezzo-soprano and Santa Fe Opera audience favorite, hosts the Opening Night of the season and a celebration of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville from the stage of the Santa Fe Opera on Friday, July 3, followed by other opera luminaries in later presentations. Then, from July 11 through August 1, viewers can tune in each Saturday evening to enjoy well-known arias by artists who were scheduled to grace the Santa Fe Opera stage, along with insights from conductors, directors and more. Free to watch, each video premieres on the Santa Fe Opera’s Facebook page, YouTube channel and website at 7 pm MT, and will remain available to view thereafter. Pre-recorded from the Santa Fe Opera stage and in artist’s homes around the world, Songs from the Santa Fe Opera presents fresh content and never-before-seen archival footage. All activities are done in accordance with current safety guidelines.
This new, first-ever digital performance initiative by the company follows the cancellation of the 2020 Season as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Says General Director Robert K. Meya, “We feel strongly about bringing the joy of opera to our communities during this difficult time. What’s exciting about Songs from the Santa Fe Opera is that it affords everyone around the globe a front row seat. Through these digital opening nights, we can come together while remaining safely apart and enjoy the beauty and inspiration opera provides. It is my hope that the events offer a spiritual healing of sorts for the loss of our season, as well as the cancellation of so many other arts and cultural events here in Santa Fe and around the world. I encourage opera lovers and opera newcomers alike to join us virtually and raise a glass in celebration until we can meet in person next season.”
The Santa Fe Opera encourages audiences to dress up in their most festive opera-going attire (#SFOFashion) and experience each virtual Opening Night with a tailgate party from their homes and gardens (#ShowUsYourTailgate), with takeout from local restaurants. The opera will also partner with its longtime Opening Nights sponsor, The Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado, to create opera-themed cocktail recipes that viewers can create at home.
The Santa Fe Opera wishes to thank Thornburg Investment Management for their generous sponsorship of Songs from the Santa Fe Opera. “Both the Santa Fe Opera and Thornburg have long histories in Santa Fe, and we are so pleased to partner with them on their virtual Songs from the Santa Fe Opera program,” shares Garrett Thornburg, founder and chairman of Thornburg Investment Management. “As avid supporters of arts and culture in our community, we applaud the opera for boldly reimagining this season, and the opportunity to enjoy performances from timeless masterpieces and new works.”
Following the cancellation of the opera’s 2020 Season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, over 3,000 patrons have donated the value of their tickets back to the opera. The Santa Fe Opera extends deepest thanks to these supporters for their enormous help in ensuring the organization’s future. The value of all donated tickets are being matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of generous friends. The opera is delighted to announce that the Matching Challenge Campaign also applies to contributions going forward. The Campaign will extend through the end of September, aiming to raise an additional $1 million to help offset lost revenue in the wake of the pandemic. The Santa Fe Opera asks supporters to consider a gift during this time of great need. Upon the premiere of each Songs from the Santa Fe Opera episode, patrons and viewers will have the opportunity to make a donation online.
The opera previously announced its commitment to providing a level of compensation to all artists, musicians, artisans and seasonal employees who were engaged for the 2020 Season. Says baritone Joshua Hopkins, “I hold my past experiences working and creating in Santa Fe among the most rewarding of my career. I was incredibly touched that the Santa Fe Opera is supporting its artists to help keep us afloat during this challenging time. We all appreciate this and I’m so grateful for my Santa Fe Opera family.” Joshua Hopkins, who was scheduled to sing Figaro in a new production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, will now appear in the Opening Night celebration episode on July 3.
The Santa Fe Opera’s 64th Festival Season was scheduled to open on July 3 and run through August 29 to present 39 performances of five operas, including the world premiere of Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly; two company premieres, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Dvořák’s Rusalka; Steven Barlow’s inventive new production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville; the revival of Tim Albery’s much-loved production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute; and two Apprentice Scenes performances. The 2020 Season reflected the time-tested programming model pioneered by Santa Fe Opera founder John Crosby: a balanced and varied repertory of new, rarely performed and standard works portrayed in a new light.
Songs from the Santa Fe Opera Program Schedule
The Barber of Seville, Friday, July 3 At 7 PM MT
Hosted by mezzo-soprano Susan Graham
The Magic Flute, Saturday, July 11 at 7 PM MT
Hosted by baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore
Tristan Und Isolde, Saturday, July 18 at 7 PM MT
Hosted by bass-baritone Ryan McKinny
Rusalka, Saturday, July 25 at 7 PM MT
Hosted by soprano Amanda Echalaz
M. Butterfly, Saturday, August 1 at 7 PM MT
Hosted by tenor Joshua Dennis
Three Ways to Watch Songs from the Santa Fe Opera
Santa Fe Opera Facebook | Santa Fe Opera YouTube | Santa Fe Opera Website
Viewers can follow along with the festivities and participate at home by tagging @santafeopera and using one or more of the following hashtags to share their content with the Santa Fe Opera and other fans and followers:
#SantaFeOpera #SongsfromSFO #ShowUsYourTailgate #SFOFashion
The Santa Fe Opera wishes to thank Thornburg Investment Management for its generous sponsorship of Songs from the Santa Fe Opera.
Matching Challenge Campaign Sponsors
The Santa Fe Opera wishes to thank the following donors for their generous support of the Matching Challenge Campaign. Their collective gifts will match all gifts in support of the Santa Fe Opera dollar-for-dollar.
Avenir Foundation, Inc.
David Henry Jacobs
Jane Stieren Lacy
Susan & Philip Marineau
Susan F. & William C. Morris
Linda Pierce
Sarah Billinghurst Solomon & Howard Solomon
Gene & Jean Stark
Carl & Marilynn Thoma
Robert L. Turner
Robert & Ellen Vladem
The Wyncote Foundation as recommended by Frederick R. Haas & Rafael Gomez
About the Santa Fe Opera
Lauded by The Wall Street Journal as “the Rolls-Royce of American summer opera festivals,” the Santa Fe Opera annually draws 85,000 people from New Mexico and around the globe. Nestled atop a mountain vista in northern New Mexico, the company’s iconic Crosby Theatre offers a nightly seating capacity of 2,126. The covered theatre is open on three sides, allowing visitors to enjoy performances complemented by the elements. Since 1957 the company has presented over 2,000 performances of 175 different operas by 89 composers spanning five centuries of opera, creating a legacy of 45 American premieres and 16 world premieres.
The mission of the Santa Fe Opera is to advance the operatic art form by presenting ensemble performances of the highest quality in a unique setting with a varied repertory of new, rarely performed, and standard works; to ensure the excellence of opera’s future through apprentice programs for singers, technicians, and arts administrators; and to foster an understanding and appreciation of opera among a diverse public.
The opera’s new digital performance series, “Songs from the Santa Fe Opera” offers everyone the chance to see a performance at the Santa Fe Opera. Photo by Dune Alford.