logo
An ‘Opera Camp' Flourishes in the New Mexico Desert

An ‘Opera Camp' Flourishes in the New Mexico Desert

New York Times20-05-2025

In 1956, in the high desert just north of Santa Fe, N.M., a young New York conductor had a vision to build an outdoor opera house. Many scoffed at such an idea in the Southwest, but John Crosby persisted. He had fallen in love with opera as a young man attending the Metropolitan Opera.
Nearly 70 years later, the Santa Fe Opera, which opens its annual two-month season on June 27, attracts singers, directors, stage designers and conductors from across the globe. In many ways it has a sort of operatic pipeline to New York and the Metropolitan Opera.
'There's this wonderful legacy of artists who have had their debut here and gone onto the Met and other houses,' Robert K. Meya, general director of the Santa Fe Opera, said during a recent phone interview. 'And John Crosby's vision was very tied to the Metropolitan Opera. He first heard Richard Strauss at the Met, and he moved very quickly to bring many of Strauss's first operas to Santa Fe years later.'
That early vision of championing Strauss's lesser-known works defined the company — six of his operas had their professional U.S. debuts in Santa Fe, including 'Capriccio' in 1958 and 'Intermezzo' in 1984 — in the decades after his death in 1949.
Crosby's vision to stage a world premiere or a U.S. premiere almost every season among its five annual productions has also distinguished the company.
'That's 20 percent of the season,' the director Bruce Donnell, who has staged many productions in Santa Fe and at the Metropolitan Opera, said in a recent phone interview. 'Imagine the Met or a major opera house doing 20 percent of their repertory in new works.'
Crosby had attended a boys school in nearby Los Alamos in his teens (relocating because of asthma) and after attending Yale and Columbia nurtured the idea of an opera house in Santa Fe, a city long associated with the arts for its stunning setting and its allure for artists in the early 20th century such as Marsden Hartley and, most famously, Georgia O'Keeffe.
Crosby borrowed $200,000 from his parents to lease land on a former ranch (the company now owns its 155-acre spread) and opened a 480-seat outdoor wooden theater in the summer of 1957.
Igor Stravinsky came out the first season, at Crosby's invitation, for a production of his opera 'The Rake's Progress.' The lyric soprano Kiri Te Kanawa made her U.S. debut at the opera in 1971. Many established names followed.
The current theater, built after the wooden structure burned in 1967 and renovated extensively in 1998 (including covering the partially open roof that too often became part of the show during New Mexico's rainy season), seats about 2,100 with the sides of the house still open to the elements. Translation titles, almost identical to the ones at the Metropolitan Opera, are on the back of each seat (in English and Spanish), rather than above the stage.
In addition to the setting and the big names it attracts, the company is known for nurturing young talent.
'We have the oldest apprentice program in the U.S. started in 1957,' Meya said. 'The big houses come to Santa Fe for what we call industry week with directors, artistic directors, agents and general managers from all over the world. From those two days, our 40 apprentices are hired to sing at the Met and all over the world.'
This summer is an example of several returning artists and role debuts. The bass baritone Ryan Speedo Green — who debuted in the title role of 'Don Giovanni' in Santa Fe last summer and will perform it at the Met this fall — returns to the Santa Fe Opera this summer for his role debut as Wotan in 'Die Walküre.' And Tamara Wilson, who made her role debut in 'Tristan und Isolde' in 2022, will debut as Brünnhilde in 'Die Walküre' this summer.
'Singers love going to Santa Fe for its beautiful surroundings and the laid-back atmosphere,' Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, wrote in an email. 'As America's leading summer opera festival, it has also been a launchpad for the careers of rising young singers, both from this country and abroad.'
For many singers, Santa Fe — and the opera — are home.
'In 1989 I was invited by John Crosby to cover in 'Chérubin' after I had done it at Manhattan School of Music, and he also let me sing Flora in 'Traviata,'' the mezzo-soprano Susan Graham recalled in a recent phone interview. 'Someone else got sick singing Annina in 'Der Rosenkavalier,' then I sang in 'Ariadne auf Naxos' in 1990 and Cherubino in 'The Marriage of Figaro' in 1991, and then I made my Met debut as the Second Lady in 'The Magic Flute' that same year.'
Graham, who grew up in Roswell, N.M., and has owned a home in Santa Fe since 2002, has seen the company lure more singers who hear about its reputation and dramatic setting.
'It's like a working vacation, and many of us call it opera camp,' Graham recalled. 'I feel like the place itself is magic and the opera company optimizes that.'
Donnell started on the stage crew at the Santa Fe Opera in 1967 and began directing there in 1987.
'We were paid $20 a week, and after one week on the job I was totally caught up in all of it,' Donnell said. 'John Crosby was like Rudolf Bing in that he had a vision of what he wanted an opera company to be.'
In fact, Bing, the Austrian-born general manager of the Metropolitan Opera from 1950 to 1972, didn't quite understand Crosby's vision, Donnell recalled, even though Crosby credited Bing's outsize influence on opera as his inspiration for creating the Santa Fe Opera.
Despite coming out for the opening season and encouraging Crosby for many years, Bing initially was confused, Donnell said.
'He famously asked Crosby, 'Where is Santa Fe?''

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' eerie favorite TV show revealed at trial
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' eerie favorite TV show revealed at trial

Yahoo

time29 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' eerie favorite TV show revealed at trial

An alleged victim of Sean "Diddy" Combs is revealing the embattled mogul's favorite TV show is a true-crime franchise. Combs' ex-girlfriend "Jane," testifying under a pseudonym in Combs' federal sex-crimes trial, shared in court Tuesday, June 10, the eerie TV show Combs allegedly counts as his favorite. Under cross-examination, Jane said that she "endured" nights in hotels with escorts because she wanted to spend time with Combs – bathing him, rubbing his feet, cuddling with him and watching his favorite TV show, "Dateline," until he fell asleep. "I felt loved by him because we experienced these things together," Jane said on the stand. Diddy trial live updates: Jane was jealous over Yung Miami relationship, said 'I'm not Cassie' USA TODAY reached out to reps for "Dateline" for comment. When questioned by Combs' lawyer Teny Geragos, Jane also testified that she still loves Combs to this day. Combs, 55, was arrested in September and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. "Dateline" features main host Lester Holt, the former host of "NBC Nightly News," and correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Blayne Alexander, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy. The show also features Kate Snow, Craig Melvin and Meredith Vieira. The popular show also streams on Peacock. A centerpiece of "Dateline" programming is highlighting injustices and crimes perpetrated by men against women, which Morris discussed during a 2021 USA TODAY interview. Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more "Dateline" mainstay Morrison believes more women tune in to "Dateline" so they can "know the lay of the land when it comes to interpersonal crime." Celebrities tell all about aging, marriage and Beyoncé in these 10 bingeable memoirs "That lays open what I think 'Dateline' has exposed over the years, which is one of the worst epidemics we have: the epidemic of spousal abuse, of women being harmed by men. And I hate to say it, but that's really the basis of so much of the crime that occurs," Morrison said. Holt also told USA TODAY that the show's stories are "relatable" because "you realize that people that do bad things could be across the street from you, their kids could go to school with yours." "A lot of the people in these stories were good people, up until the moment they weren't, or they were living normal lives like ours and then one day they became a victim of something really horrible," Holt said. Contributing: Anika Reed This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy trial: 'Dateline' is Sean Combs' favorite, Jane claims

WNBA Star Alyssa Thomas' Strong Statement to Future Wife on Indiana Fever
WNBA Star Alyssa Thomas' Strong Statement to Future Wife on Indiana Fever

Yahoo

time32 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

WNBA Star Alyssa Thomas' Strong Statement to Future Wife on Indiana Fever

The Indiana Fever started their 2025 WNBA season with a win against the Chicago Sky on Saturday in Indianapolis, with a final score of 93-58. Veteran DeWanna Bonner had an incredible night. Not only did she contribute to the dominant victory with seven points, bringing her career total to 7,489, but she also moved her into the Top 3 all-time in WNBA scoring. She sits behind retired legend Diana Taurasi, who scored 10,646 points during her career and the Connecticut Sun's Tina Charles, who has scored 7,696 points so far. Advertisement Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Arizona, the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Seattle Storm on the same night during their season opener, with a score of 81-59. In a press conference, Mercury forward and Bonner's fiancée, Alyssa Thomas, told sports writer Jeff Metcalfe about her thoughts on her fiancée's achievement after the game. Sports journalist Hayden Cilley posted the video to X on Saturday night. "I'm super proud of her. I've been along for the ride as she moved up the ranks. I know how much it means to her," Thomas responded. "It's unheard of to be Top 3 [in scoring]. That speaks so much to what she does and what she's about. I wish I could have been there to witness it." Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (25) celebrates her shot with forward DeWanna Bonner (24) during the first half against the Minnesota Lynx of game one of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finalsMatt Krohn-Imagn Images Essence reported that the couple has been dating for over four years. The WNBA stars knew of each other because they are both in the basketball world and had mutual friends, but didn't start dating until Bonner signed with the Connecticut Sun in 2020. They got engaged during the 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. Related: Caitlin Clark Sends Strong Message on DeWanna Bonner's Character After Fever Practice

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store