2007 Santa Fe Opera Season
Fifty years of musical excellence and counting
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO April, 2007 — April, 2007: The Santa Fe Opera's 51st season picks up in 2007 right where the previous 50 years left off; with a cast of world-class performers on stage for productions both sublime and surprising. This summer's season will open Friday, June 29 with a new production of Puccini's La bohème followed the next night by a revival of Mozart's Così fan tutte. Three new productions continue the season: Richard Strauss's Daphne, the American premiere of Tan Dun's Tea: A Mirror of Soul, and Rameau's fanciful Platée. The season closes Saturday, August 25, also with La bohème.
"As our second half century begins, and as we have from the very beginning, we have partnered familiar operas with rare and unusual works, including an American first, Tan Dun's Tea: A Mirror of Soul," General Director Richard Gaddes said. "The Santa Fe Opera record of American premieres - 42 of them - has been a hallmark of the company. It is especially gratifying to us that many have entered the operatic repertory."
"The Apprentice Program has been an integral part of the company since its founding and its alumni can be found in opera houses around the world. This summer we have a superb group of former apprentice singers on the roster," said Mr. Gaddes. "We have also engaged some of opera's brightest young singers who are making their company debuts. All in all, 2007 promises to be lively, entertaining and innovative," he concluded.
A night at the Santa Fe Opera is about more than wonderful music and great performances. Spectacular sunsets, pre-performance talks, and nightly dinners on the grounds add to the memory and romance. The theater is located a short drive or shuttle ride from the heart of downtown, set between the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains and the volcanic Jemez Mountains, with commanding views of both. This scenic setting has a lot to do with what has become the opera's fine tradition of tailgate dinners both rustic and elegant. Think fine china, crystal, and gourmet food. Where else but Santa Fe?
For those without tailgates or not in the mood to cook, there is a nightly dinner on the beautiful opera grounds before each performance that includes a guest speaker offering insight into that evening's presentation. There are also nightly prelude talks before each opera; the first, two hours before the performance, and another one hour before curtain. These are free, require no reservations, and are open to ticket holders.
The theater itself is a covered amphitheater with uninterrupted sight lines throughout and a sophisticated Opera Titles translation system for each seat. The atmosphere is relaxed but always charged either with anticipation or appreciation of the night's offering. Sitting in the soft evening air of northern New Mexico, surrounded by mountains, looking through the back of the stage to the distant night sky, and experiencing performances and musicianship of the highest caliber always add up to a memorable Santa Fe experience.
It is this combination of top-drawer production values, inspired repertoire, and Santa Fe influence that have made The Santa Fe Opera a must for summer visitors for the last 50 years and will make it so for the coming 50 as well. For ticket information and additional detail see the opera's website, www.santafeopera.org
For press information and images contact: Joyce Idema, Cindy Layman press@santafeopera.org
What follows is a detailed description of the 2007 season and each performance:2007 Season
REPERTORY
Puccini, La bohème. New Production
Mozart, Così fan tutte. Revival
Strauss, Daphne. New Production
Tan Dun, Tea: A Mirror of Soul. New Production. American Premiere
Rameau, Platée. New Production. First Performance by The Santa Fe Opera
DEBUTS
SINGERS: Meredith Arwady, Markus Beam, Matthew Best, Nicole Cabell,
Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, Haijing Fu, Katharine Goeldner, Roger Honeywell,
Christian Van Horn, Gwyn Hughes Jones, Scott MacAllister, Corey McKern,
Norman Reinhardt, Garrett Sorenson, Heidi Stober, Mark Stone, Erin Wall,
James Westman
CONDUCTOR: Lawrence Renes
DIRECTOR: Amon Miyamoto
SCENIC DESIGNERS: Caroline Ginet, Kevin Knight, Rumi Matsui
COSTUME DESIGNERS: Jane Greenwood, Kevin Knight, Masatomo Ota
CHOREOGRAPHER: Seán Curran
RETURNING ARTISTS
SINGERS: Jennifer Black, Serena Farnocchia, Joshua Hopkins, Kelly Kaduce,
Nancy Maultsby, Susanne Mentzer, Susanna Phillips, Dimitri Pittas,
David Pittsinger, Dale Travis, Wilbur Pauley
CONDUCTORS: Harry Bicket, William Lacey, Kenneth Montgomery, Corrado Rovaris
DIRECTORS: Paul Curran, Mark Lamos, Laurent Pelly, James Robinson
SCENIC DESIGNER: Allen Moyer
COSTUME DESIGNERS: Laurent Pelly, David C. Woolard
LIGHTING DESIGNERS: Rick Fisher, Duane Schuler
CHOREOGRAPHER: Laura Scozzi
Additions to the cast are indicated in bold.
LA BOHÈME
Giacomo Puccini
Sung in Italian
Last performed in 1993
June 29; July 4, 7, 13, 20, 30; August 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25Mimi
+Jennifer Black (June 29-July 20)
Serena Farnocchia (July 30-August 25)Rodolfo
*Gwyn Hughes Jones (June 29-July 13)
+Dimitri Pittas (July 20-August 25)Musetta
*Nicole Cabell
Marcello
+*Corey McKern (June 29-July 13)
*James Westman (July 20-August 25)Schaunard
+*Markus Beam
Alcindoro
+Wilbur Pauley
Conductor
Corrado Rovaris
Director
Paul Curran
Scenic and
Costume Designer*Kevin Knight
Lighting Designer
Rick Fisher
"The director Paul Curran and scenic and costume designer Kevin Knight have taken a fresh look at this perennial opera favorite, setting it in Paris during World War I," said Mr. Gaddes. Jennifer Black, remembered for her poignant portrayal of Micaela in last summer's Carmen, will share the role of Mimi with Serena Farnocchia. Ms. Black will sing the June and early July performances; Ms. Farnocchia will join the company on July 30 for the remainder of the season. The Italian soprano won high praise for her performance of Liù in the 2005 Turandot. Nicole Cabell, who will sing Musetta, triumphed in Berlin in December in a concert version of Romeo and Juliet. Also in Berlin, she was singled out for her performance as Ilia in Idomeneo. Joining the cast in his company debut is former apprentice Markus Beam as Schaunard. Santa Fe Opera veteran Wilbur Pauley is Alcindoro.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sung in Italian
Last performed in 2003
June 30; July 6, 11, 31; August 6, 13, 20, 24Fiordiligi
+Susanna Phillips
Dorabella
*Katharine Goeldner
Ferrando
*Norman Reinhardt
Guglielmo
*Mark Stone
Don Alfonso
Dale Travis
Despina
Susanne Mentzer
Conductor
William Lacey
Director
James Robinson
Scenic Designer
Allen Moyer
Costume Designer
David C. Woolard
Lighting Designer
Duane Schuler
Mozart's Così fan tutte is a revival of the very popular 2003 production. The conductor will be William Lacey who led The Magic Flute last summer. Susanna Phillips, who appeared as Pamina in the last two performances of The Magic Flute last season, will sing the role of Fiordiligi; Susanne Mentzer will sing Despina, replacing previously announced Lillian Watson. Ms. Mentzer, who was Octavian in the Santa Fe Opera production of Der Rosenkavalier in 1992, has appeared regularly in leading opera houses. She was a member of the cast of the Metropolitan Opera's recent premiere production of Tan Dun's The First Emperor.
DAPHNE
Richard Strauss
Sung in German
Last performed in 1996
July 14, 18, 27; August 2, 8, 17Daphne
*Erin Wall
Apollo
*Scott MacAllister
Leukippos
+*Garrett Sorenson
Gaea
*Meredith Arwady
Peneios
*Matthew Best
Conductor
Kenneth Montgomery
Director
Mark Lamos
Scenic Designer
Allen Moyer
Costume Designer
*Jane Greenwood
Lighting Designer
Rick Fisher
Choreographer
*Seán Curran
The rising young Canadian-American singer Erin Wall will make her company debut in the demanding title role. Ms. Wall, an alumna of the Chicago Lyric Opera Center for American Artists, has been winning admiration for her appearances with Lyric Opera, Vancouver Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Paris Opera. Alex Ross of The New Yorker praised her performance at the Mostly Mozart Festival saying, "I hope someone from the Met was taking notes."
Also making their debuts are contralto Meredith Arwady as Gaea, and bass Matthew Best as Peneios. Ms. Arwady was a winner of the 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a member of the Chicago Lyric Opera Center for American Artists, and the San Francisco Opera's Merola Program. Her recent engagements include performances with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia and Glimmerglass Opera. Mr. Best has established himself as one of Europe's leading singers, having appeared with Scottish Opera, Covent Garden, and the Salzburg Festival, among many. He has also participated in the annual Lincoln Center Festival.
Kenneth Montgomery, who will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of his company debut, will conduct. Over the span of 25 years Mr. Montgomery has led some 16 different productions, most recently last year's Cinderella. Allen Moyer, the scenic designer, created the 2003 production of Così fan tutte, which is having a revival this season. He also designed the 2004 production of Agrippina. Jane Greenwood, making her company debut, is the costume designer. Her credits include a number of Broadway productions that have received Tony Award nominations, including the 2005 revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? She was costume designer for the David Mamet film, Glengary Glen Ross. Choreographer is Seán Curran, founder and director of the dance company that bears his name. The internationally known director, Mark Lamos, as previously announced, will stage the production.
The Santa Fe Opera gave the American premiere of this work in 1964; it was last performed here in 1996.TEA: A MIRROR OF SOUL
Tan Dun
Sung in English
American Premiere
July 21, 25; August 3, 9, 15, 23Lan
Kelly Kaduce
Lu
+Nancy Maultsby
Seikyo
*Haijing Fu
Emperor
*Christian Van Horn
Prince
*Roger Honeywell
Conductor
*Lawrence Renes
Director
*Amon Miyamoto
Scenic Designer
*Rumi Matsui
Costume Designer
*Masatomo Ota
Lighting Designer
Rick Fisher
The conductor of Tea: A Mirror of Soul is Lawrence Renes in his company debut. Born and educated in the Netherlands, Mr. Renes led performances of Tea in Amsterdam in 2003. The director is Amon Miyamoto who staged Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures on Broadway in 2004. Rumi Matsui, one of Japan's leading scenic designers, was the scenic designer for this Tony Award-nominated production. Her 2001 production of Anna Karenina won Japan's prestigious Yomiuri Grand Drama Award. The costume designer is Masatomo Ota who worked with Mr. Miyamoto on a production of Bernstein's Candide in Osaka and Nagoya in 2004. All three are among Japan's most distinguished theater personalities and winners of the country's most important drama awards. Additions to the cast, in their debuts, include Christian Van Horn as the Emperor and Roger Honeywell as the Prince. Both are alumni of the Chicago Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. As previously announced, heading the cast is Haijing Fu, who appeared in the world premiere in Japan in 2002. He also was in the cast of Tan Dun's The First Emperor at the Metropolitan Opera.
PLATÉE
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Sung in French
First performance by The Santa Fe Opera
July 28; August 1, 10, 16, 22Platée
*Jean-Paul Fouchecourt
La Folie/Thalie
*Heidi Stober
L'Amour/Clarine
Leena Chopra
Cithéron
David Pittsinger
Momus
Joshua Hopkins
Jupiter
+Wilbur Pauley
Junon
Ariana Chris
Conductor
Harry Bicket
Director
Laurent Pelly
Scenic Designer
*Caroline Ginet after Chantal Thomas
Costume Designer
Laurent Pelly
Lighting Designer
Duane Schuler
Choreographer
Laura Scozzi
David Pittsinger, Escamillo in last summer's Carmen, returns to sing the role of Cithéron in the company's first production of Platée. Joshua Hopkins, who sang Papageno in last summer's The Magic Flute, is Momus; Wilbur Pauley is Jupiter. Heidi Stober, in her company debut, has joined the cast as La Folie/Thalie. She is a recent graduate of Lawrence University, and was a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. Her engagements include appearances with the Houston Grand Opera, Wolf Trap, and the Boston Lyric Opera. Two second year apprentices, Leena Chopra and Ariana Chris, will appear as L'Amour/Clarine and Junon, respectively. Caroline Ginet will design the scenery based on the original Paris Opera production by Chantal Thomas. Long-time member of the company, Duane Schuler, is lighting director.
*Debut
+Former Apprentice SingerTickets for all performances are available by calling The Santa Fe Opera Box Office: 505 986 5900, toll free: 800 280 4654. They are also available on line: www.santafeopera.org.
The Santa Fe Opera receives funding from the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission and the 1% Lodgers' Tax; New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs; New Mexico Department of Tourism; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Opening night performances are sponsored by Las Campanas Santa Fe. American Airlines is the company's official airline.
Biographies of the artists and synopses of the operas can be found on the Opera's website: http://www.santafeopera.org.
Press photos available at: http://www.santafeopera.org/PressPhotos/PressPhotos.htmContact:
Steve Lewis
LOCAS Communications
1916 Camino Lumbre
Santa Fe, NM 87505
505.473.9002 / fax 505.473.3899
Jennifer Hoffman
jennifer@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 505 216 0889
Cell: 505 603 8643
http://www.ballantinespr.com
