Santa Fe Opera
Founded 1957 By John Crosby; A 2,130 Seat Open Sided Theatre On A Mesa North Of Santa Fe, Rebuilt In 1998, Running A Five Opera Repertory Festival From Late June To Late August · Santa Fe, New Mexico
John Crosby built an opera house on a mesa north of Santa Fe in 1957 because he wanted to run a summer festival where young singers could learn roles, and the decision that made it famous was leaving the sides open. The current building, rebuilt in 1998, seats 2,130 under a sweeping roof with no walls at the flanks, so the audience looks past the stage to the Jemez Mountains forty miles away and the sun sets behind the action during the first act. Weather is part of the evening: it gets cold after dark at 7,000 feet, rain blows in sideways onto the outer seats, and lightning over the Jemez during a performance is a regular occurrence that nobody apologises for. The company premieres new work every season alongside the standard repertory, its apprentice programme has fed American opera houses for decades, and the car park tailgating before curtain is a genuine institution rather than a quirk, with tables, candles and full dinners laid out while the sun goes down.
301 Opera Drive, Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87506, United States
The season runs roughly from late June to late August, five operas in repertory, with performances most evenings and curtain around 8pm early in the season and 8:30pm at the height of summer, timed so the first act begins as the sun goes down behind the stage. The box office and gift shop open through the day in season. Backstage tours run on most weekday mornings in season. Outside those nine weeks the site is closed apart from occasional events.