Santa Fe Opera
world class music in the high desert
Welcome to Postcards from New Mexico!
Two Sundays a month, I share beauty, stories, and culture from this region that has been my home since 2008.
Every summer for 68 years now, music lovers of all ages come together for an annual ritual – opera season at the Santa Fe Opera, a spectacular setting located in the hills just north of the city. This year’s season opens on June 27 with a performance of La Boheme by Puccini.
Even if you think you don’t like opera or you’ve never been to one, bear with me because this will be worth it. I had my own big aversion to opera when I moved to New Mexico in 2008, and for my first few years here I completely ignored all the buzz around the season. My aversion was rooted in being dragged to operas when I was a little kid by my dad, who loved classical music. But it was excruciating for ten-year-old me to have to sit inside a dark concert hall for hours listening to large adults sing in foreign languages while I’d rather have been across town hearing Elton John play at Dodger Stadium.
It wasn’t until I was a Road Scholar tour guide in Santa Fe from 2015 to 2018 that I had a chance to have a corrective experience. I was assigned the opera tour, which involved taking our group to five shows in five nights. Talk about immersion! Every morning we’d be treated to a scintillating lecture about each opera by Oliver Prezant, a local musician and teacher. Then every night we’d head to the theater for Candide, Madame Butterfly, Dr. Atomic, The Italian Girl in Algiers, and Ariadne auf Naxos (that was the 2018 line up). Something happened that week and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Let’s begin with the venue, surely one of the most beautiful places in the world to watch a musical performance. The Crosby Theatre sits on the side of a hill like a gorgeous musical instrument, with sweeping lines and a stage that opens to the west for a view of the Jemez Mountains. The acoustics are divine, and even if you’re sitting in the last row you can still hear the un-amplified singers with astounding clarity. The theater is covered so you’re protected from the elements (and shows don’t get cancelled if there’s rain), but the design allows for visuals of the surrounding high desert and mountains so you always feel that you’re outside, and Nature herself has a role to play in whatever opera you’re watching.
And then there are the productions themselves. Since its humble beginnings in 1956 when John Crosby bought the piece of land (formerly a pig farm) and drove around in a jeep with a shotgun to discern the best acoustics for situating a theater, the Santa Fe Opera has become one of the leading opera companies in the world. Every year the company chooses five operas to produce, usually including one premiere. The sets are innovative, the wardrobes spectacular, the singers at the top of their game. Santa Fe Opera also has an acclaimed apprentice program which you can learn more about it in the If You Go/Local’s Tips section below.
On top of all this, the Santa Fe Opera is a scene! You can get as dressed up or down as you wish, it’s not like there’s a dress code but lots of folks have a lot of fun with what they wear and it’s a delight to walk around during intermission and take in the glittery sequins, turquoise cowgirl boots, and colorful silk shawls. People sometimes dress up according to the theme of the opera they’re attending. Celebrity sightings are common. Ruth Bader Ginsberg used to be a huge opera fan and she’d turn up at the SFO on a regular basis. When she did, the entire audience would give her a standing ovation much to her delight.
And then there are the elaborate tailgate picnics that folks organize in the parking lot before the performance. Yes, just like a football game — but imagine folding tables decked out with the best wines and champagnes and gourmet foods that people either made themselves, picked up at one of their favorite restaurants in town, or order from the SFO (see this page). It’s a blast.
If you’re new to opera and intimidated by the whole thing, Santa Fe Opera has you covered. In front of every seat there’s a small screen that houses the “Electronic Libretto System” — you’ll see an instantaneous translation from whatever language the opera is in to English. This makes it easy to follow along with what’s going on.
It all adds up to a tremendous night out on the town… well, out on the hilltop in this case. Look through the 2025 schedule and choose an opera that calls to you (I’m still partial to the old Italian classics by Verdi and Puccini), get your tickets, come early for a tailgate picnic with friends, and thoroughly enjoy an extraordinary experience you’ll remember for a lifetime.
I’ve included a few more insider tips that will help you make the most of the Santa Fe Opera (and also save money) below the paywall.
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