Destination Santa Fe Opera

For opera lovers, today's guest needs no introduction. Renée Fleming is one of the most celebrated and cherished singers worldwide.  In the midst of a whirlwind tour, Renée had a moment to chat with dramaturg Cori Ellison about her Santa Fe Opera debut in a concert featuring Letters from Georgia by Kevin Puts and Vier letzte Liede r (Four Last Songs) of Richard Strauss.  Renée shares a peek inside...

Beloved musicians and founders of Bridge Records , Becky and David Starobin make their debut as librettists in collaboration with composer Poul Ruders on this brand new fairytale thriller opera adapted from "The Twelve Brothers" by the Brothers Grimm. Cori digs deep with Becky and David into the collaborative process, the necessary changes to the source material to make it stage worthy, and addres...

All eyes in the village are on Jenufa. Her fiancé sees only a trophy wife. Her rejected suitor sees a chance to avenge the most cutting wrongs in his past. Her righteous stepmother sees her own life's tragedy about to play out again for her child. The results are two unspeakable crimes which lead to the opera's true theme—that the wounds of troubled lives can be assuaged through acceptance, forgiv...

What makes the seemingly ridiculous plot of  Così fan tutte  such a compelling study of the duality of human nature that we revisit time and again? How do we understand the play of gender norms and societal pressure through a contemporary lens? And what's a director to do about a plot point that revolves around mustaches?  R.B. Schlather is one of the most creative and exciting new opera directors...

A conversation from the "feminine perspective" about the often underestimated opera by Georges Bizet, The Pearl Fishers,  reveals insights into key themes of power dynamics, the intrinsic conflict of character Leïla, and what it means to be a leader in this day and age. Director Shawna Lucey, soprano Corinne Winters, and host Kathleen Clawson give us a fresh take on the 2019 revival of our stunnin...

Baritone Zachary Nelson started his professional opera singing career as an apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera, following college and swiftly made his way onto the main stage in what to him felt like a dream come true. In the 2019 season, he's singing Marcello in the Santa Fe Opera's new production of Puccini's  La   bohème.   Kathleen Clawson talks with Zach about all things La b ohème , his whirlw...