Destination Santa Fe Opera

Even folks who've never seen a performance of The Marriage of Figaro will instantly recognize its famous overture from numerous films, commercials and cartoons.

Jane Trembley talks with Colombian-American soprano Vanessa Vasquez about her upcoming turn as Countess Almaviva in the Santa Fe Opera's 2021 Season production of Mozart's beloved romantic comedy. Vanessa also gives listeners a glimpse into an opera singer's life during lockdown, including the silver linings that have kept her sane, as well as her preparations for returning to peak vocal form just in time for summer.

On its surface, The Marriage of Figaro is a comedic commentary on the social classes. Dig deeper, however, and audiences will find more than embarrassing situations set to catchy music. There's a subtler supporting theme at play, one that coaxes Countess from listless, disparaging teenager to self-assured woman.

"I think the strongest, most resonant theme of the opera is reconciliation," says Vanessa. The character's personal growth has informed Vanessa's professional development since she first began exploring the role at 19. "I learned most everything I know about long, beautifully sustained, and spinning legato lines from her," she says fondly of Countess, adding, "she's still teaching me new things every time."

As the staff assembles to welcome guests back to the Santa Fe Opera, Vanessa's preparations are in full swing as well. Stamina, she says, is key to getting from rehearsals to opening night. Thanks to the new tennis hobby she took up during lockdown, she won't have to worry about lagging energy!

Jane couldn't let her guest go without asking what advice the gifted soprano might lend aspiring opera singers. Vanessa, who captured the Santa Fe Opera audience's attention in 2019 with her swoon-worthy turn as Mimi in La Bohème, urges young performers to just go for it.

"Don't wait. I think personally I was sort of waiting for this moment of 'I'm ready, I'm perfect, I feel polished.' I was waiting for that feeling, and it never came."

Hear Vanessa singing "Porgi, Amor":

The Marriage of Figaro | Santa Fe Opera

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Destination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Mixed by: Edwin R. Ruiz

Hosted by: Jane Trembley

Featuring:

Vanessa Vasquez, Colombian-American soprano

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Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @santafeopera.

A great voice isn't the only requirement for admission into the Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera program. Nor is vocal technique the program's sole focus.

Host Jane Trembly chats with program director Kathleen Clawson and John Daugherty, a graduate of the program's inaugural class, and now Assistant Director of Voice and Opera Program Director at the University of North Florida. They discuss the program's early days, why such training matters, and how a pivot to virtual learning has expanded the program's reach. Jane's guests also share their favorite performance memories, sprinkled with a staged beheading and an Elvis impersonation!

Pre-professional arts programs like the Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera shape the singing stars and music lovers of tomorrow. "And, it is the very best job," Kathleen confirms of her most cherished role in an impressive career.

As you'd expect, the program provides its participants with access to the highest caliber voice lessons, musical coaching, masterclasses, and community performance opportunities.

What may come as a surprise is the level of support offered beyond the rehearsal room: college audition preparations, guidance on school choice, lovingly crafted letters of recommendation , even help with self-recording and video editing at home, necessitated by pandemic restrictions. The Young Voices program prepares students for success whether they choose to pursue a career in opera or venture beyond. Shares Kathleen, "It's our belief that the skills needed to study music at a high level carry over to anything that you want to do."

A passion for classical singing and a chance to immerse himself in the craft attracted John Daugherty to the Young Voices' inaugural class back in 2008. "It was really fulfilling, and it was demanding. And I loved it!"

Looking back on those two years, he says, "It was all about Fallout Boy and Green Day at the time. And suddenly I was with a group of kids my own age, who thought that opera was also awesome."

He credits the program for providing him with a skillset that has taken him all across the country. "Any success that I have encountered... has been a trickle-down from that overarching lesson that I learned in a program such as the Santa Fe Opera Young Voices."

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Destination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Mixed by: Edwin R. Ruiz

Hosted by: Jane Trembley

Featuring:

Kathleen Clawson, Program Director, Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera

John Daugherty, Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera Program Director, University of North Florida

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Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @santafeopera.

What does it take to remain cool as cucumber water amid the intense technical demands of the world's grandest art form? Jane dishes about the drama with guest Chelsea Antrim Dennis, Santa Fe Opera's Director of Production.

Trap door danger! Raging storms! Mid-performance fainting! Chelsea has navigated a few professional storms in her 16 seasons with SFO. Her responsibilities aren't limited to the action on stage; Chelsea is known as the voice of the Santa Fe Opera (her dulcet tones grace the pre-show announcement) and she oversees health and safety protocols throughout the opera's sprawling campus.

Jane gets the inside scoop on what infrastructure changes patrons, staff, and artists can expect at the opera this summer in response to COVID-19.

In her current role since 2020 (the first woman to hold the position in Santa Fe Opera history!), Chelsea supervises multiple departments including scenery, props, costumes, electrics, and wigs and makeup. She approaches the dynamic needs of each artisan under her supervision with a collaborative attitude.

Each production presents its own artistic and practical pieces to puzzle out. Chelsea maintains an incomparable ability to adapt when those circumstances tip beyond her control - including that time she lost consciousness in the middle of calling a live performance! True to form, she ensured that the show went on.

Chelsea's no less determined to provide everyone with a safe and enjoyable experience this season. The tried and true masking, social distancing, and contactless strategies the company has put in place extend far beyond the audience spaces of SFO's majestic desert setting. "I think that everybody's so excited to be able to get back to work and are prepared to follow those in order to have a safe season."

Jane couldn't let her guest go without a rapid round of final questions. As expected, Chelsea remained calm under pressure!

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Destination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Mixed by: Edwin R. Ruiz

Hosted by: Jane Trembley

Featuring: Chelsea Antrim Dennis, Director of Production, The Santa Fe Opera

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Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @santafeopera.

The Santa Fe Opera is back! Actually, SFO never went away (hello, digital performances, and nice to meet you, TikTok!) It'll take more than a pandemic to knock a 60-something legend off its game.

Still, 2020 served this iconic organization its share of questions to consider. How does a world-class company safely reintroduce audiences to its artistry (and vice versa)? Which "lockdown lessons" does it carry forward? And what conversations should it advance - both onstage and off - in support of our country's racial reckoning?

In this episode, host Jane Trembley and special guest Robert K. Meya, General Director, discuss the exciting return of artists and audiences to SFO's striking, spaceship-like open-air stage. But before live music rings out across the high desert, the pair pull back the curtain on challenges and changes prompted by the past year.

But the reveal doesn't end there. Jane and Robert also discuss exciting programming planned for 2021 and announce exclusive details surrounding the company's 2022 Season.

Like a live wire waiting to connect, there's excitement of another kind coursing through this conversation as well: what can opera, and specifically SFO, offer a generation so intimately engaged with their screens? The question doesn't phase either Jane or Robert. They look forward to the future of opera, noting that the art form isn't weighed down by its past nor at odds with the digital age; it's energized by both.

Robert shares his own origin story, leading teens in search of the ultimate creative home by example of his career journey. Discussion about opera's collaborative vitality as well as SFO's apprentice program sparks further personal recollections from both Jane and Robert.

No episode, however, is complete without the one question that exposes a guest's true psyche: red or green? This is Santa Fe, after all, a place that's serious about its chile! Robert's answer and local recommendations add extra spice to the conversation!

The 2021 Season

The Marriage of Figaro

The Lord of Cries

Eugene Onegin

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Angel Blue in Concert

Apprentice Showcase Scenes

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Destination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Mixed by: Edwin R. Ruiz

Hosted by: Jane Trembley

Featuring: Robert K. Meya, General Director, The Santa Fe Opera

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Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @santafeopera.

Welcome to Destination Santa Fe Opera, a fresh take on our former "Beyond the Opera" podcast with even more episodes, a new host, and a deep dive into what's happening on stage AND behind the scenes.

Meet your host, Jane Trembley, an arts administrator and podcast host by day, opera singer and House Manager at Santa Fe Opera by night... But not on the same nights.

New episodes of the podcast are coming to you all spring and summer long featuring the artists, singers, technicians, and many opera professionals working behind the scenes to bring you the stories, music, and splendor on stage at the Santa Fe Opera.

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Destination Santa Fe Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Audio Engineer: Edwin Ruiz

Host: Jane Trembley

Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @santafeopera.

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 Lieder (Four Last Songs) of Richard Strauss.

Renée shares a peek inside her preparation and collaborative process for singing the role of New Mexico icon artist Georgia O'Keeffe, reflects on one of her most sung pieces of repertoire by Strauss, and shares the drive behind the growing body of arts education advocacy and neuroscience research she is championing.

Follow Renée and learn more about her advocacy work at https://reneefleming.com and on Facebook and Instagram @reneeflemingmusic and on YouTube @ReneeFlemingTV.

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Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.

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Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.

Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.

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 addressing universal themes of family, love and loss.

We also hear how the Bridge Records recording for The Thirteenth Child (recently released) almost went horribly awry and how David saved the day.

Follow Becky, David and The Thirteenth Child at http://the13thchild.com.

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The Thirteenth Child runs at the Santa Fe Opera July 27 - August 21, 2019.

Learn more and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.

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Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.

Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.

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, forgiveness, and hope.

Patricia Racette returns to the Santa Fe Opera for her 10th role on our stage in this production of Jenufa by Leos Janáček, staged by David Alden. Having performed the role of Jenufa many, many times, Patricia now takes on the role of the stepmother, Kostelnicka.

Cori and Patricia talk about what it's like to prepare for a new character in an opera she knows so well; her career expansion from ingenue to more mature, dramatic roles; her passion for coaching young singers; a return to her musical theatre roots; and the answer to the burning question on all Santa Feans' minds -- red or green?

Follow Patricia at http://patriciaracette.com on Twitter @patriciaracette and on Facebook @divapatriciaracette.

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Jenufa runs at the Santa Fe Opera July 20 - August 15, 2019.

Learn more and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.

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Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.

Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.

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 on the scene in America, with a strong emphasis on the visual aspect of performance. He recently he made a huge splash with a production of The Mother of Us All by Virgil Thomson at the Hudson Opera House in upstate New York, which was named as one of the 10 best opera performances of 2017 by the New York Times.

R.B. makes his Santa Fe Opera directorial debut with our new production of Così fan tutte, Mozart's and Da Ponte's final collaboration (after Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro), which has delighted and confounded viewers ever since its 1790 premiere in Vienna.

Find out why Cosi is one of Cori's "desert island operas" and how R.B. had to come around to it eventually.

Follow R.B. a thttps://www.rbschlather.com on Instagram @r_b_schlather.

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Cosi fan tutte runs at the Santa Fe Opera July 13 - August 22, 2019.

Learn more and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.

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Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.

Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.

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 stunning 2012 production, which was called "The best of this summer's season," by The Wall Street Journal.

They also offer advice for opera newcomers and veterans alike to get the richest possible experience during your visit.

Follow Shawna at https://www.shawnalucey.com, on Instagram @29flames, and on Twitter @shawna_lucey.

Follow Corinne at http://corinnewinters.com, on Facebook @cmwsoprano, and on Instagram @cmwsoprano.

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The Pearl Fishers runs at the Santa Fe Opera June 29 - August 23, 2019.

Learn more and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.

We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.

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Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.

Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.