SANTA FE FESTIVAL

Katya Kabanova, The Barber of Seville, Turandot, Così fan tutte and the American Premiere of Brett Dean's Of One Blood. Plus the Apprentice Scenes concert and 2 concerts at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

Private lectures, superb meals, Inn of the Anasazi.

Santa Fe is one of our favourite destinations, and the Santa Fe Opera Festival is one of our favourite (and most popular) tours—proof that you needn’t travel across the globe for a very special opera getaway. What makes Santa Fe different is how wonderful it feels just being there – something about the magical combination of perfect weather, breathtaking landscape, charming Southwest architecture and friendly locals, as well as the scores of shops and galleries that make it impossible to walk the historic streets of this city without a smile on your face. And of course the quality of the performances that take place each night and the quality of the venue itself, the glorious mesa-top Crosby Theatre, is often a surprise to attendees.

The Santa Fe Opera celebrates its 70th Season with tales of power and pleasure, featuring works by Puccini, Rossini, Mozart, Janáček and a new opera about Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots by composer Brett Dean ­­– all in the most beautiful outdoor theater on earth!The popular Apprentice Scenes return, showcasing the opera’s singing and technical apprentices along with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra.

As always, we include noontime concerts at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and we embark on tours that explore and celebrate the regional indigenous culture.

Deluxe accommodation for 7 nights at the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, located just steps from the Historic Plaza. 

With private lectures, and tour direction/guiding by Peter Camara, no one does Santa Fe better.

To reserve your space, click here.

ITINERARY

Monday, August 9

Upon arrival in Albuquerque Sunport (or Santa Fe Airport) you are met and transferred to the elegant Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, ideally-located near the Plaza. 18.45 This evening, we gather for introductions and then enjoy Welcome Dinner at the hotel.

Tuesday, August 10

10.00 Following breakfast (included each day), depart on a private “hidden gems” tour of Santa Fe, including historic sites near The Plaza.  

11.45 Take our seats at St. Francis Auditorium for our first Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival recital (TBA).

17.00 Tonight we walk to dinner at La Plazuela and then depart by private coach to the Santa Fe Opera for Katya Kabanova. 

This new production of Janáček’s Kátya Kabanová is directed by David Pountney and conducted by Harry Bicket. Pountney returns to Santa Fe following his widely celebrated production of Rusalka (2023), bringing to Janáček’s work a career-long engagement with Czech repertoire and a deep understanding of its linguistic and theatrical nuances.

With scenic design by Leslie Travers, the production centers on a stark wooden house inspired by Shaker architecture, enclosed within a circular landscape suggestive of encroaching mud rather than flowing water, creating a spatial confinement that reflects the oppressive social and communal forces shaping Kátya’s fate. Costumes are by Marie-Jeanne Lecca, and lighting is by Malcolm Rippeth.

Celebrated soprano Ailyn Pérez, whose portrayal of Rusalka under Pountney’s direction was among the most memorable achievements of recent seasons, reunites with the director in the title role. Several in the cast make company debuts: tenor John Findon as Boris Grigorjeviċ; mezzo-soprano Rosie Aldridge as Marfa Kabanová; tenor Ryan Capozzo as Váňa Kudrjaš; mezzo-soprano Emily Sierra as Varvara. The ensemble is complete with Peixin Chen as Dikój and John Daszak as Tichon Kabanov. Susanne Sheston is the Chorus Director.

Wednesday, August 11

10.00 This morning we enjoy a private opera talk in the hotel's Library.

11.30 We then walk to the St. Francis Auditorium for a midday recital (TBA).

17.00 Tonight we dine at La Boca prior to Brett Dean's Of One Blood at Santa Fe Opera.

Though buried side by side in Westminster Abbey, Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots — cousins “of one blood” — never met in life. Their intertwined reigns ignited a ruthless clash of faith and power that ended in Mary’s execution by Elizabeth’s command.

The American premiere of Of One Blood is composed by Brett Dean with a libretto by Heather Betts. The work marks the second instalment in a series of American premieres at the Santa Fe Opera and is presented as part of an international co-commission and co-production consortium led by the Bavarian State Opera. Of the 2026 world premiere, the Financial Times wrote, “A tale of Elizabethan intrigue makes a thrilling 21st century opera…with a pungent, propulsive score and gutsy singing, this world premiere at the Bayerische Staatsoper deserves to be heard widely.”

Exploring dynastic power, religious division and contested legitimacy through the story of two royal cousins – Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I – whose claims to authority are shaped by blood and belief, the work closes the 2027 Season with a contemporary examination of political and spiritual authority.

Directed by Claus Guth, the creative team from the world premiere in Munich returns for the Santa Fe production, with scenic design by Etienne Pluss and costumes by Ursula Kudrna. Michael Bauer provides lighting, with choreography by Sommer Ulrickson.

The cast features former Apprentice Singer Emily Richter as Mary Stuart in her company debut, and soprano Ambur Braid in her company debut as Elizabeth I. Soprano Mirjam Mesak sings Female Consort 2 in her company debut, and Lotte Betts-Dean makes her American debut as Female Consort 3. Several former Apprentice Singers return to the Santa Fe Opera: Gretchen Krupp as Female Consort 5/Jane Kennedy, Spencer Hamlin as Male Consort 1/Lord Darnley and Terrence Chin-Loy as Male Consort 2. Thomas Mole sings Male Consort 4, William Guanbo Su sings Male Consort 5/Executioner and Jory Vinikour is the Harpsichordist. Susanne Sheston is the Chorus Director.

Thursday, August 12

10.00 Today we enjoy a guided tour to Los Alamos, site of the Manhattan Project. Back to the hotel by 14.00.

17.00 This evening we dine at The Compound prior to Rossini's beloved The Barber of Seville.

“Figaro, Figaro, FI-GA-RO!” The Count is in love with Rosina, who is being forced to wed old Doctor Bartolo. Can his wily barber Figaro help him get the girl? Power relations get turned upside down in this tunefully hilarious comedy, which returns in a beloved revival directed by Stephen Barlow and conducted by Principal Conductor Iván López Reynoso.

First presented by the company in 2022, the production received critical acclaim:

“Barlow engineered a nonstop mix of physical hijinks and on-point confrontations that almost always fit snugly with Rossini’s bubbly music.”

—Harvey Steiman, Seen and Heard International

“All in all, The Barber of Seville is the funniest, wittiest and best-sung comedy here since Laurent Pelly’s Platée in 2007.”

—Mark Tiarks, Santa Fe New Mexican

“This production is a milestone in the history of The Barber of Seville. It will be hard to equal such an amount of talent and creativity, let alone surpass it.”

—Christian Dalzon, Concerto Net

In Stephen Barlow’s clever staging, Seville and Santa Fe meet and merge in a whimsical world where anything can happen. The familiar sunbaked colors of southern Spain meld seamlessly with the Santa Fe Opera’s beloved natural backdrop, and Andrew D. Edwards’s scenic design features a revolving stage that adds a multiplicity of possible locales — including a giant bust of Rossini himself! — to the usual interior and exterior settings of the opera, while his costumes, based on 18th-century period clothing, freely embrace fantasy. Mitchell Harper’s choreography surprises at every turn in this charming production, illuminated by lighting designer Christopher Akerlind.

Following her Santa Fe Opera debut in 2026 as Suzuki, Sun-Ly Pierce sings the role of Rosina. Former Apprentice Singers Jonah Hoskins and Luke Sutliff sing Count Almaviva and Figaro, respectively. Kevin Burdette returns as Bartolo, reprising a performance widely praised for its theatrical precision and physical comedy. William Guanbo Su returns to the Santa Fe Opera as Don Basilio. Susanne Sheston is the Chorus Director.

Friday, August 13

09.00 This morning we offer a guided tour at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

14.00 Following lunch at leisure, we have our final talk with Oliver Prezant at the hotel.

17.00 This evening we dine at Coyote Café prior to Puccini's Turandot.

“What is like ice, but burns?” In a mythical past, a decree states that Princess Turandot must ask her suitors three riddles. Those who fail will be executed. Will anyone succeed and melt the Princess’s heart?

Adapted from a production first developed at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, Italy, the staging is directed by Paul Curran and conducted by John Fiore, with sets by Gary McCann, lighting and projections by Driscoll Otto and costumes by the celebrated Italian couturier Roberto Capucci, whose sculptural designs define the production’s visual identity. The scenic environment creates an abstract, ice-like architectural landscape that mirrors the emotional severity of its heroine and underscores the opera’s exploration of sovereign power and isolation.

In her Santa Fe Opera debut, soprano Angela Meade sings the titular role of Princess Turandot, bringing commanding dramatic authority to one of opera’s most formidable portrayals of mythic power. Tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz sings Calàf in his company debut, and soprano Kathleen O’Mara, First Prize winner of the 2024 Operalia Competition, makes her company debut as Liù. The principal cast is complete with Peixin Chen as Timur, Thomas Mole as Ping in his company debut, and former Apprentice Singers Terrence Chin-Loy and Spencer Hamlin as Pang and Pong. Susanne Sheston is the Chorus Director.

Saturday, August 14

10.00 This morning we explore the shops and galleries on Canyon Road, with some of the finest native and contemporary art in the region.

17.00 Tonight we dine at Santacafé before returning to the opera house for Mozart's Così fan tutte.

How much would you bet on human nature? Set in a casino in 1920s France, Don Alfonso wagers his two young friends that their fiancées will cheat on them by the end of the day. All bets are off in a fresh production of this comedic masterpiece, where speculation — financial and romantic — always entails risk.

The production is directed by British opera director Amy Lane, who recently assumed the role of Director of Opera at Opera Australia and previously held the position of Head Staff Director at the Royal Opera and Ballet, and is conducted by German-born conductor Erina Yashima, former First Kapellmeister of the Komische Oper Berlin and Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Both make their company debuts.

Scenic and costume designer Emma Ryott sets the action in a 1929 Normandy casino; the staging reimagines the opera’s “wager” as a culture of financial speculation, where the young officers become Wall Street stockbrokers and the “war” that propels the drama is recast as the market crash. Lighting by Charlie Morgan Jones and associate and movement direction by Tim Claydon complete the production’s visual landscape.

Mané Galoyan and Samantha Hankey return to Santa Fe as Fiordiligi and Dorabella, following acclaimed appearances in prior seasons, joined by Giovanni Sala and Justin Austin in their company debuts as the young officers, Ferrando and Guglielmo. Former Apprentice Singers Mattia Venni and Elisa Sunshine sing Don Alfonso and Despina. Susanne Sheston is the Chorus Director.

Sunday, August 15

10.00 This morning we meet in the lobby and depart by coach for a tour of the Santuario de Chimayo and the Santo Nino de Atocha Chapel, and, time permitting, an historic Trading Post.

17.00 Tonight we enjoy our Farewell Dinner at Geronimo, one of Santa Fe's best restaurants, before returning to the opera house for the Apprentice Scenes concert.

Monday, August 16

Transfers to Albuquerque or Santa Fe Airport are included and will be advised on-site.

TOUR INCLUDES

• Top Category seats for 5 operas and 3 concerts

• 7 nights Deluxe accommodation at the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi

• Full breakfast daily, plus 7 dinners 

• Private tours as listed

• Airport-hotel transfers 

• On-site Tour Direction

• Comprehensive Tour Guidebook

FLIGHTS

Flights are not included in tour pricing. Return flights should be booked to either Albuquerque (ABQ) or Santa Fe (SAF) for arrival on August 9, departure on August 16.

TRANSFERS

We provide airport/rail station—hotel transfers for arrivals and departures within within 3 days of the start/end of our tour. We also provide transfers for group meals and performances that are beyond a 10 minute walk.

MOBILITY

There is minimal walking with some stairs and eneven terrain during the guided tours. As for all of our tours, we are happy to accommodate you regardless of your mobility level. Please make clear your mobility concerns at the time of registration. We provide transfers for group meals and performances that are beyond a 10 minute walk.

INSURANCE

We strongly recommend that all tour members purchase cancellation insurance upon registration. We can assist you with this, though you are welcome to purchase a policy at your own discretion. For more information about our travel insurance, click here.