Editing Santa Fe Opera (section)

==Programming and organizational philosophy==
From the beginning, certain characteristics of what was to become a typical season emerged. It runs annually from late June or the beginning of July to the third week of August, with five operas presented in rotating repertory.

Generally, from the time of Crosby's inception of the company, two popular operas opened the season. An American (or world) premiere was generally in the program and these included works commissioned by the company. A lifelong lover of the operas of [[Richard Strauss]], Crosby regularly scheduled one and presented many American premieres of the composer’s work, an example being the 1964 U.S. premiere of the 1938 ''[[Daphne (opera)|Daphne]]''. Finally, the fifth opera was often a rarely performed work. The same philosophy continues to the present day. For modern works, US premiere productions of contemporary operas include [[Thomas Adès]]' ''[[The Tempest (opera)|The Tempest]]'' (2006), [[Tan Dun]]'s ''[[Tea: A Mirror of Soul]]'', [[Kaija Saariaho]]'s ''[[Adriana Mater]]'',<ref>Anne Constable, "SFO lineup includes U.S. debut, favorites", ''The Santa Fe New Mexican'', 10 May 2007.</ref> the July 2009 world premiere of ''[[The Letter (opera)|The Letter]]'', by composer [[Paul Moravec]] and librettist [[Terry Teachout]], and the first full production of [[Lewis Spratlan]]'s ''[[Life Is a Dream (opera)|Life Is a Dream]]'' in July 2010.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/arts/music/26dream.html | title=Overdue Debut for Composer and Exiled Prince |work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Anthony Tommasini|author-link=Anthony Tommasini| date=25 July 2010 | access-date=5 August 2010}}</ref> World premieres have included Theodore Morrison's ''[[Oscar (opera)|Oscar]]'' (2013),<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/article_50026d30-9f9c-576a-be63-aec997baf526.html | title=Opera review: ''Oscar'' unveiled at Santa Fe Opera | work=The Santa Fe New Mexican | author=James M Keller | date=2013-07-28 | access-date=2013-10-03}}</ref> [[Jennifer Higdon]]'s ''[[Cold Mountain (opera)|Cold Mountain]]'' (2015).,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.denverpost.com/2015/08/04/santa-fe-opera-ascends-with-jennifer-higdons-cold-mountain/ | title=Santa Fe Opera ascends with Jennifer Higdon's "Cold Mountain" | work=Denver Post | author=Ray Mark Rinaldi | date=2015-08-04 | access-date=2016-12-26}}</ref> and [[Mason Bates]]' and Mark Campbell's ''[[The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs]]'' (2017), <ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-steve-jobs-opera-review-20170728-htmlstory.html | title=The man, the machine and now Steve Jobs, the opera |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]| author=Mark Swed | date=2017-07-27 | access-date=2017-08-14}}</ref> and also ''M. Butterfly'' (2022) a re-envisioned and socially updated telling of ''Madama Butterfly.'' <ref>{{Cite news |last=McLister |first=Iris |date=August 2022 |title=Oh, the Drama! |pages=64 |work=New Mexico Magazine}}</ref> In a recent 2018 world premiere, ''Doctor Atomic'' was presented. The opera tells the story of the day before the atomic bomb was tested at the Trinity Site just a couple hundred miles south of Santa Fe and the man who helped to create it, J. Robert Oppenheimer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aug. 30 |first=Elena Saavedra Buckley News |last2=Now |first2= |date=2018-08-30 |title=The West’s atomic past, in opera halls |url=https://www.hcn.org/issues/50.16/social-justice-santa-fe-atomic-opera-gives-new-voice-to-trinity-test-downwinders-in-congress |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=www.hcn.org |language=en-us}}</ref> They are also scheduled this summer to premiere another American opera called "The Righteous" in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-07 |title=Santa Fe Opera to premiere 'The Righteous' by Spears, Smith in July 2024 |work=The Independent |access-date=}}</ref>

Santa Fe Opera House declared it would open its 2021 season in July. This post-pandemic decision led them to introduce a new position; Covid Compliance and Safety Manager. With a lead from Mike VanAartsen, the Santa Fe Opera began to build protocol surrounding the pandemic, working towards their upcoming season.Their COVID-safe protocols book pulls from VanAartsen's experience with OSHA, federal COVID and Emergency regulations, and suggestions from the AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Eddy |first=Michael |year= |orig-date=Jun2021 |title=Forging a New Role |journal=Stage Directions |volume=34 |issue=6 |pages=16-17 |via=Supplemental Index}}</ref> Pushing to maintain their audience and keep appealing to the younger generations, simulcasts of the dress rehearsals and shows were broadcast outside as a drive-in theater. In the 2021 season, Santa Fe Opera put on four productions and returned to five the following year.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-04 |title=Our View: For Santa Fe Opera, a season of adjustments |work=The Santa Fe New Mexican}}</ref>

===Leadership===
'''General Directors'''
* John Crosby (1957–2000)
* Richard Gaddes (2000–2008)
* Charles MacKay (2008–2018)
* Robert Meya (2018–present)

'''Conductors in leadership positions'''
* John Crosby (1957–2000, ''de facto'' principal conductor)
* Alan Gilbert (2003–2006, Music Director)
* Kenneth Montgomery (2007, Acting Music Director)
* Edo de Waart (2007–2009, Chief Conductor)
* Frédéric Chaslin (2010–2012, Chief Conductor)
* Kenneth Montgomery (2013, Conductor Laureate)
* Harry Bicket (2013–2018, Chief Conductor; 2018-present, Music Director)

===Apprentice programs===
In his first season, Crosby created the Apprentice Singer Program, whereby eight young people were to be given living expenses and paid per performance to be members of the chorus and to cover (understudy) major roles. Unusual for its time in America in the 1950s, the Apprentice Singers Program helped young singers to make the transition from academic to professional life. To date, over 1,500 aspiring opera singers have participated. As Crosby noted:

: "In this country young artists have to do something which is impossible – gain experience. But with our plan, these young people will be scheduled in small roles and will have the opportunity of working with their older brothers and sisters who have already won their spurs. To get such experience now, a young artist has to go to Europe."<ref name="Scott">Scott, p. ??{{page number missing|date=February 2018}}</ref>

The Apprentice Program for Technicians was added in 1965.

The program has formal academic goals in addition to the "hands on" experience provided by the preparation for and participation in professional productions. Seminars and master classes are conducted; singers receive coaching in voice, music, body movement, career counseling, and diction. Technical apprentices are provided with instruction in stage operations, stage properties, costume and wig construction, scenic art, wigs and make up, music services, and stage lighting.

The Apprentice Program for Singers and Technicians continues at The Santa Fe Opera today. Typically, about 1,000 aspiring young singers and 600 technicians apply; in 2014, 43 singers and almost 90 technical apprentices worked at the opera. The Santa Fe Opera offers the only technician apprentice program at an opera house with a budget larger than $15 million in the U.S. <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rosenbaum |first=Dave |date=April 1, 2022 |title=Making Welding Magic at the Santa Fe Opera |journal=Welding Journal |pages=46-49 |via=Applied Science and Technology Source}}</ref>

The singers act as the chorus for each opera, as well as performing small roles. In addition, apprentices "cover" some leading roles, and on occasion have been known to have performed, replacing contracted singers who have been indisposed.

The Technical Apprentices perform a variety of backstage functions. They are divided into five separate running crews: costumes, scenery, electrics, properties, and production/music services. These five crews perform the majority of work on the daily changeovers between the five operas of the summer season and also fill positions crucial to the live running of productions. At the end of the summer, the apprentice crews are invited to apply for staff positions for the two weekends of "Apprentice Scenes", a showcase for the apprentice singers, and can serve as everything from costume and lighting designers, to lighting and stage supervisors, to follow spot operators and assistant stage managers and more. There is even an apprentice technicians program for young local high school students who can use what they've learned in school and bring it to a worksite. <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rosenbaum |first=Dave |date=April 1, 2022 |title=Making Welding Magic at the Santa Fe Opera |journal=Welding Journal |pages=46-49 |via=Applied Science and Technology Source}}</ref>

===Notable past apprentices===
Some major American opera singers who have been company apprentices include the sopranos [[Susanna Phillips]] (2004), [[Judith Blegen]] (1961), [[Ashley Putnam]] (1973 and 1975), and [[Celena Shafer]] (1999–2000); mezzos [[Joyce DiDonato]] (1995), [[Susan Quittmeyer]] (1978), and [[Michelle DeYoung]] (?); tenors [[Carl Tanner]] (1992,93), [[William Burden (tenor)|William Burden]] (1989–90), Richard Croft (1978), [[Chris Merritt]] (1974–75), and [[Neil Shicoff]] (1973); baritones [[David Gockley]] (1965–67; later general manager of the [[Houston Grand Opera]] and the [[San Francisco Opera]]) and [[Sherrill Milnes]] (1959); and basses [[Mark Doss]] (1983), [[James Morris (bass-baritone)|James Morris]] (1969) and [[Samuel Ramey]] (1966).

Many former apprentice singers have returned to perform major roles with the company. These have included Mark Doss in the 2011 ''[[Faust (opera)|Faust]]''; [[Joyce DiDonato]] in the 2006 ''[[Cendrillon (Massenet)|Cendrillon]]'' (and again in 2013 in ''[[La donna del lago]]''); Chris Merritt also in 2006 in ''[[The Tempest (opera)|The Tempest]]''; [[Carl Tanner]] in the 2005 production of ''[[Turandot]]''; and [[Joyce El-Khoury]] (2006 and 2008 Apprentice Singer) as Micaëla in the 2014 production of ''[[Carmen]]''. Beth Clayton, an apprentice singer during the 1995 season, returned in 2002 in the production of ''Eugene Onegin.'' <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Adams |first=Gladi |date=August 2015 |title=Patricia Racetter and Beth Clayton: Opera's Gorgeous and Talented Divas |journal=Lesbian Times |volume=41 |issue=1 |pages=7-12 |via=Academic Search Complete}}</ref>