Santa Fe Opera
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An iconic, open-air opera house in the Land of Enchantment where music + nature harmonize 🌈⚡️🌵🎶 2026 Season July 3 - Aug. 29 #santafeopera
From the unlikeliest of beginnings—an opera company located hundreds of miles from any major city, featuring American singers in a wide-ranging and challenging repertory, and treating theatrical and musical values as equally important in its productions—The Santa Fe Opera has grown to become recognized as one of the world's leading cultural festivals. Every July and August since 1957, opera lovers have been drawn to the magnificent northern New Mexico mountains to enjoy productions by one of America's premier summer opera festivals. Here, The Santa Fe Opera's dramatic adobe theater blends harmoniously with the high desert landscape. It is this fusion of nature and art that leaves such an enduring impression on all who come. More than half the audience of 85,000 comes from outside New Mexico, representing every state in the union as well as 25 to 30 foreign countries. The mission of the Santa Fe Opera is to advance the operatic art form by presenting ensemble performances of the highest quality in a unique setting with a varied repertoire of new, rarely performed, and standard works; to help enrich the field of opera through Apprentice Programs for singers, technicians and arts administrators; and to nurture an understanding and appreciation for opera in our diverse public. More than 1,600 performances of nearly 140 different operas have been given here, including nine world premieres and 40 American premieres, among them “Lulu,” “The Cunning Little Vixen,” “Capriccio” and “Daphne.” Recent premieres include the world premiere of “Madame Mao,” commissioned from Bright Sheng, in 2003, the premiere of the revised version of Osvaldo Golijov's “Ainadamar,” in 2005, the American premiere of Thomas Ades's “The Tempest,” in 2006, and the American premiere of Tan Dun's “Tea: A Mirror of Soul” in 2007. The 2008 season included the American premiere of “Adriana Mater “by Kaija Saariaho, whose “L'amour de loin” received its American premiere here in 2002. In 2009, the world premiere of “The Letter” by Paul Moravec was performed here, and in 2017, Mason Bates’ “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” was world-premiered on the stage of the Crosby Theatre. “M. Butterfly” composed by Huang Ruo was scheduled to have its world premiere in 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic, and in the 2021 season, John Corigliano’s and Mark Adamo’s “The Lord of Cries” will receive its world premiere. The Santa Fe Opera has a wide array of education and community outreach programs to make opera accessible and appealing to a broad spectrum of the New Mexico population. One, the unique Pueblo Opera Program, serves Native American youth from nineteen pueblos and three reservations in the state. The theater itself features opera title technology, small screens in front of every seat, which allows patrons to follow the stage action in either English or Spanish. The Santa Fe Opera has become one of New Mexico's cultural and economic leaders. Its reputation attracts thousands of patrons each year, and its impact on the New Mexico's economy has been calculated at more than $200 million each year.
09/23/2026
Thanks to all who joined us for Opera in the Park! 🍿
This community gathering brought together opera lovers of all ages for a beautiful evening of music in Santa Fe’s Railyard Park. Special thanks to Sky Cinemas for generously providing the popcorn and magician extraordinaire Dave Grimm for the pre-show magic.
We look forward to continuing our free screenings throughout the spring with Opera on Screen, bringing THE MAGIC FLUTE to eight communities across New Mexico. Stay tuned for the full announcement with dates and locations!
📸 Eric J. Keller / Soulcatcher Studio for the Santa Fe Opera
09/19/2026
‼️ Important update for Opera in the Park ‼️
Due to forecasted rain in Santa Fe, (water trials… amirite?), Opera in the Park has been rescheduled to Sunday, September 20 at 6 pm. All other details remain the same.
Thank you for your understanding, and we’ll see you tomorrow!
09/16/2026
Celebrating our 2026 Outstanding Apprentices! 🌟
This season, 84 Apprentice Technicians and 43 Apprentice Singers brought their talent, dedication and hard work to the Santa Fe Opera stage and beyond.
Of these exceptional young artists, 36 received cash awards honoring their outstanding contributions to our season.
Congratulations to the entire 2026 Apprentice class! And a special shoutout to those prize winners! 🎉👏
09/10/2026
The opera season has come to an end, but the good news continues! 🎉
We’re thrilled to welcome acclaimed pianist, coach and educator Kevin Murphy as our Director of the Apprentice Program for Singers, alongside celebrated, longtime Santa Fe Opera Chorus Director Susanne Sheston as Associate Director. Together, they’ll lead the program into our 70th Season and beyond.
Murphy brings decades of experience at the highest levels of operatic performance, training and artist development, while Sheston brings nearly two decades of experience with the Santa Fe Opera and an intimate knowledge of the program and its singers, having prepared nearly twenty classes of Apprentice Singers for the demanding and acclaimed choral work at the heart of the company’s repertory.
Bonus! Applications for the 2027 Apprentice Singer class will be re-opened September 10–12! Live auditions for selected applicants will take place in Cincinnati, New York, Houston and San Francisco in October. Visit YAP Tracker to apply today.
Welcome, Kevin! And Congratulations Susanne ❤️
09/02/2026
Miss us already? We miss you more!
If you're still thinking about our 2026 Season and want more Opera (yes, please!) ... all 5 Opening Nights Radio Broadcasts are streaming now on KHFM and the Santa Fe Opera websites, and today is your last chance to stream MADAMA BUTTERFLY.
Turn it up, settle in and revisit the 2026 Season from wherever you are.
2026 Broadcasts - 95.5 Classical KHFM Opening Nights at The Santa Fe Opera on KHFM KHFM and The Santa Fe Opera present free, live-recorded radio broadcasts of the opera’s 2026 Season opening nights, airing at 6:00 pm MDT on Mondays from August 3 through 31. Following the air date, each broadcast will be available for on-demand streami...
08/30/2026
Thank you to everyone for making our 2026 Season one of dreams. 🌈
We can’t wait to see you again in 2027!
08/27/2026
The art critic says you should see LILI ELBE. We’re inclined to agree. 👀
“Lili Elbe emerges as an important opera of genuine consequence.” — Musical America
“The production could not have been bettered and was worthy of Santa Fe Opera’s international reputation.” — Opera Today
“I went to Santa Fe Opera expecting something life-changing, and I got it.” — Winter Mcmanus for The Santa Fe New Mexican
Tonight is your last chance. See what alllllll the critics are talking about!
For the final performance, we’re proud to invite our community to attend with a special low-cost ticket! Use code 2026FRIENDS for $40 LILI ELBE tickets! Visit our official website to get yours today.
📸 Production photos by Bronwen Sharp for the Santa Fe Opera
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301 Opera Drive
Santa Fe, NM
87506