The Santa Fe Opera Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Pueblo Opera Program Through Documentary Film Premiering July 30

Five Decades of Impact: The Santa Fe Opera Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Pueblo Opera Program Through Documentary Film Premiering July 30

Santa Fe, NM — The Santa Fe Opera celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Pueblo Opera Program (POP) with a documentary film to premiere July 30 at 4:00 pm at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe. The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next, directed by Beverly R. Singer of Santa Clara Pueblo and produced by the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council (POCC) in collaboration with the Santa Fe Opera, chronicles the 50-year history between the Santa Fe Opera and the Pueblo and Tribal Nations of New Mexico and how its innovative programming has inspired Pueblo and Tribal youth to learn about opera, attend performance rehearsals and perform at the Santa Fe Opera.

The documentary explores the program’s future, including initiatives to expand its reach to more communities and engage a wider audience in the power of opera as a tool for cultural exchange and understanding. Says opera director Peter Sellars, “Fifty years is probably a second and a half, but it’s also a time a child grows up and becomes an adult and leader of a community. It’s a human span and it’s a generation…by the age of 50 ready for a larger responsibility, a larger emotion, a larger imagination of what could be next.”

The Santa Fe Opera invites everyone to attend this free event honoring a remarkable milestone. Free and open to the public with reservations required at The Lensic Performing Arts Center, the screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker, members of the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council and other special guests, offering an opportunity for attendees to learn more about this unique and impactful collaboration. Support for The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next is generously provided by the Hankins Foundation, Inc., Principal Sponsor of Education at the Santa Fe Opera; PNC Foundation; a Civic Practice Grant from OPERA America’s Opera Fund; and Newman’s Own Foundation, in memory of Arthur Newman.

About the Pueblo Opera Program —The Santa Fe Opera’s 2023 Season marks the 50th anniversary of the Pueblo Opera Program. Since 1973, more than 100,000 children and families from New Mexico’s 23 Sovereign Nations have attended the Santa Fe Opera. The Pueblo Opera Program thrives on the shared value and belief in the power of storytelling. It is led by an advisory council that includes many past participants and Tribal Elders from around the state. Over the years POP members have participated in Youth Nights, student-produced operas, fashion shows, and the historic offering of a corn dance before and during performances of Doctor Atomic in 2018.

About Youth Nights — Youth Nights are evenings at the opera dedicated to youth groups and local organizations that serve children. Dating back to 1959, Youth Nights have introduced over 100,000 children to opera. Today, the Santa Fe Opera continues to provide an opportunity for youth to experience the exciting world of high musical drama, grand sets, costumes and strong emotions by working with the Guilds of the Santa Fe Opera, the Pueblo Opera Program and community organizations. The opera is pleased to confirm the following Youth Nights for the 2023 Season: Rusalka on July 18 and Orfeo on July 25. For those interested in organizing youth group attendance, please contact Marissa Aurora at maurora@santafeopera.org.

About the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council — In the 2018 Festival Season, audiences at the opera experienced an unprecedented and historical expression of community as members of San Ildefonso Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo and Tesuque Pueblo joined together to offer a corn dance before and during performances of Doctor Atomic. All involved wished to continue to explore opportunities for working together. The work began with a series of gatherings that resulted in the formation of the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council, composed of six members from San Ildefonso Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo and Tesuque Pueblo. Their mission is to share their living indigenous cultural existence through knowledge of prayer, dance, song, music and art.

For Calendar Keepers — The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next
Directed by Beverly R. Singer, Santa Clara Pueblo
Produced by the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council (POCC) in collaboration with the Santa Fe Opera
Premiering July 30, 4:00 pm, Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W. San Francisco St., 505-988-1234

Who: The Pueblo Opera Cultural Council in collaboration with the Santa Fe Opera
What: The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next documentary film premiere followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Beverly R. Singer and special guests
Where: The Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W. San Francisco St.
When: July 30, 2023 | 4:00 pm
Tickets: Free with ticket reservations required | https://lensic.org/events/pueblo-opera-program/

The 50th Anniversary of the Pueblo Opera Program Celebration is presented by PNC Bank

Support for The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next is generously provided by:

The 2023 Season — Scheduled in the Santa Fe Opera’s 66th Festival Season are 38 performances including two evenings of Apprentice Scenes. The company holds to its mission and time-tested programming model: a balanced and varied repertory of new, lesser-performed and standard works. Opening on June 30 and July 1 are two standard works, Tosca and The Flying Dutchman, followed by two lesser-performed works, Pelléas et Mélisande and Rusalka, on July 15 and July 22. Rounding out the season and presented for the first time on July 29 will be Monteverdi’s seminal Orfeo with a world premiere orchestration by American composer Nico Muhly. Tickets are on sale now at santafeopera.org.

About The Santa Fe Opera — The Santa Fe Opera annually draws 85,000 people from New Mexico and around the globe. Nestled atop a mountain vista in northern New Mexico, the company’s iconic Crosby Theatre is open on three sides, allowing visitors to enjoy performances complemented by the elements. Since 1957 the company has presented over 2,000 performances of 179 operas by 91 composers spanning five centuries of opera, creating a legacy of 45 American premieres and 18 world premieres. In November 2022, the company was recognized as “Festival of the Year” at the International Opera Awards.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at the Santa Fe Opera — Opera has the power to speak truth, broaden perspectives and invite empathy. The Santa Fe Opera is committed to the continuous work of becoming an antiracist and anti-oppressive organization and incorporating the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. Our goal is to create a joyful and engaging environment in which a diverse community of artists, staff, volunteers and audiences alike belong.

The photo above features the POCC composed of seven members from three Pueblos: Antoinette Herrera, Santa Clara Pueblo; Leon Roybal, San Ildefonso Pueblo; Claudene Martinez, San Ildefonso Pueblo; Andreemina Harvier, Santa Clara Pueblo; Andrew Jordan Harvier, Santa Clara Pueblo; Marita Hinds, Tesuque Pueblo; Renee Roybal, San Ildefonso Pueblo.

Photo Credit: Kristin Hullihan

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 repertory of new, rarely performed, and standard works; to ensure the excellence of opera’s future through apprentice programs for singers, technicians and arts administrators; and to foster an understanding and appreciation of opera among a diverse public.