Editing Santa Fe Opera (section)

==General history==
[[File:SFO-Crosby plaque outside theatre.jpg|thumb|Plaque outside the Crosby Theatre commemorating the contributions of the founding general director, John Crosby, and his parents Laurence and Aileen]]
John Crosby, who was a New York-based conductor, founded the company in 1956, initially with the financial support of his parents, who helped in the acquisition of the land and the building of the first opera house. One goal was to give American singers the opportunity to learn and perform new roles while having ample time for rehearsal and preparation in the context of a summer festival situation with the presentation of five operas in repertory. Its first season began on 3 July 1957 with a performance of [[Puccini]]'s ''[[Madama Butterfly]]'' with a seating capacity of nearly 500. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Golden Years |url=https://www.operanews.com/operanews/issue/article.aspx?id=1663&issueID=72 |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=operanews.com}}</ref>

Crosby remained as general director until 2000, the longest general directorship in US opera history.<ref>{{cite news|first=Allan|last=Kozinn|author-link=Allan Kozinn|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/06/arts/stepping-aside-operatic-oasis-founding-director-santa-fe-opera-looks-back-43.html|title=Stepping Aside at an Operatic Oasis; Founding Director of the Santa Fe Opera Looks Back on 43 Years of Innovation|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date= 6 September 2000}}</ref> [[Richard Gaddes]] served as the company's general director from 2000 through 2008.<ref>Craig Smith, "SFO to hunt for director's successor". ''[[The New Mexican]]'', 9 August 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6903.html | title=Santa Fe Opera General Director Submits (Eventual) Resignation | work=[[Playbill]] Arts | author=Matthew Westphal | date=2007-08-09 | access-date=2007-08-10}}</ref> In November 2007, SFO named [[Charles MacKay]] the company's third general director, effective 1 October 2008.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/7341.html | title=Santa Fe Opera Appoints New General Director | work=Playbill Arts | author=Matthew Westphal | date=2007-11-09 | access-date=2007-11-09}}</ref> In August 2017, the company announced the intention of MacKay to stand down as its general director after the 2018 season.<ref name="Keller">{{cite news | url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/charles-mackay-will-exit-as-head-of-santa-fe-opera/article_d6196f00-7ed9-11e7-a56b-cbc868e03422.html | title=Charles MacKay will exit as head of Santa Fe Opera | work=[[The Santa Fe New Mexican]]| author=James M Keller | date=2017-08-11 | access-date=2017-08-14}}</ref>

In addition to being the opera company's founding general director, Crosby had simultaneously served as its ''de facto'' first principal conductor. [[Alan Gilbert (conductor)|Alan Gilbert]] became the company's first [[music director]] from 2003 to 2006. [[Kenneth Montgomery]], a regular guest conductor starting in 1982, served as interim music director for the 2007 season.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6460.html | title=Alan Gilbert Steps Down as Music Director of Santa Fe Opera | work=Playbill Arts | author=Matthew Westphal | date=2007-05-08 | access-date=2007-05-12}}</ref><ref>Anne Constable, "Santa Fe Opera music director steps down". ''The Santa Fe New Mexican'', 9 May 2007.</ref> In July 2007, [[Edo de Waart]] was named as chief conductor, effective 1 October 2007, with an initial contract was of four years. He was the first conductor to hold that title with the company<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6832.html | title=Santa Fe Opera Names Edo de Waart Chief Conductor |work=Playbill Arts| author=Matthew Westphal | date=24 July 2007 | access-date=25 July 2007}}</ref><ref>Craig Smith, "Dutch maestro takes over as chief conductor". ''The New Mexican'', 24 July 2007.</ref> However, in November 2008, the company announced that de Waart stood down from the post before the end of his contract, with de Waart citing health and family reasons for this decision.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/santa-fe-opera-De-Waart-out-as-chief-conductor | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523092021/http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/santa-fe-opera-De-Waart-out-as-chief-conductor | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 May 2011 | title=De Waart out as Santa Fe Opera's chief conductor | work=The New Mexican | author=Craig Smith | date=7 November 2008 | access-date=9 November 2008 }}</ref> In May 2010, the company announced the appointment of [[Frédéric Chaslin]] as the company's next chief conductor, effective 1 October 2010, with an initial contract of three years.<ref>"Frederic Chaslin Appointed Chief Conductor". Santa Fe Opera, 3 May 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/LocalNews/Santa-Fe-Opera-Composer--pianist-takes-on-new-role-as-chief-con | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229191732/http://www.santafenewmexican.com/LocalNews/Santa-Fe-Opera-Composer--pianist-takes-on-new-role-as-chief-con | url-status=dead | archive-date=29 February 2012 | title=Composer, pianist to take over as opera conductor | work=The New Mexican | author=Anne Constable | date=4 May 2010 | access-date=24 June 2010 }}</ref> However, in August 2012, Chaslin resigned as the Opera's chief conductor.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/082912Chaslin | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901183749/http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/082912Chaslin | url-status=dead | archive-date=2012-09-01 | title=Santa Fe Opera's chief conductor resigns | work=The New Mexican | author=James M Keller | date=2012-08-28 | access-date=2012-08-31 }}</ref> In April 2013, the company announced simultaneously the appointments of [[Harry Bicket]] as its next chief conductor, effective 1 October 2013, and of Montgomery as conductor laureate for the 2013 season.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/article_dab153da-b28e-59d8-9204-0240a748fed9.html | title=Harry Bicket named new chief conductor of Santa Fe Opera | work=The Santa Fe New Mexican | author=Anne Constable | date=24 April 2013| access-date=1 May 2013}}</ref> In November 2016, the company announced the extension of Bicket's contract as chief conductor through 30 September 2020.<ref>{{cite press release | title=Santa Fe Opera 2016 Season in Review | url=https://d8fw0912mtjqw.cloudfront.net/pdf/2016-11-17%202016%20Season%20in%20Review.pdf | publisher=Santa Fe Opera | date=17 November 2016 | access-date=2016-12-27}}</ref>

In February 2018, the company announced the appointments of Robert K. Meya as its next general director and of Alexander Neef as its first-ever artistic director, and the elevation of [[Harry Bicket]] from chief conductor of the company to its music director, with three appointments effective as of 1 October 2018.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.santafeopera.org/opera-blog/post/2018/february/new-general-director | title=SFO Names General Director | publisher=Santa Fe Opera | date=9 February 2018 | access-date=2018-02-10}}</ref>  In October 2018, the company announced the extension of Bicket's contract as music director through the 2023 season.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.santafeopera.org/media-lounge/news-releases/2018-season-in-review | title=The Santa Fe Opera's 2018 Season in Review | publisher=Santa Fe Opera | date=4 October 2018 | access-date=2018-10-27}}</ref>  Neef stood down as artistic director in 2021, following his appointment to the [[Paris Opera|Opéra national de Paris]].<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.santafeopera.org/company/press-news-media/santa-fe-opera-confirms-alexander-neefs-appointment-at-paris-opera/ | title=Santa Fe Opera Artistic Director Alexander Neef Will Be the Next Director of Paris National Opera | publisher=Santa Fe Opera | date=27 July 2019 | access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>  In February 2021, the company announced the appointment of David Lomelí to its newly created post of chief artistic officer, a combination of the past posts of artistic director and director of artistic administration, effective 1 May 2021.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.santafeopera.org/media-lounge/news-releases/santa-fe-opera-appoints-chief-artistic-officer | title=The Santa Fe Opera Appoints David Lomelí as Chief Artistic Officer | publisher=Santa Fe Opera | date=12 February 2021 | access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>