Maestro James Gaffigan discusses his approach to conducting the music of Wagner on New Mexico PBS’s iCOLORES!
About Die Walküre at the Santa Fe Opera
The 2025 Season is made complete with the company premiere of Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre, which marks only the third Wagner opera in the company’s 68-year history and follows on the heels of two highly acclaimed productions: Tristan und Isolde (2022) and The Flying Dutchman (2023).
English director Melly Still makes her Santa Fe Opera directorial debut. She asks, “What was the ripple that created the ripples? Where will it end?” These questions guided the thinking of her team in developing a new production that delves right into the action: a barren land where rules no longer apply, corruption and manipulation are at large and those in power are driven by fear and insecurity. The answer to an existential crisis trickled down from the Gods is that only when there is real love does nature respond. And so, the drama centers around Brünnhilde’s evolving moral compass. Still adds, “She is determined to dismantle the corruption she is wrapped up in. Is Brünnhilde the hope for the future?”
Leslie Travers serves as Scenic and Costume Designer, along with Malcolm Rippeth, who designs the lighting. Choreography is by Tinovimbanashe Sibanda in her company debut. David Zimmerman designs wigs and makeup and Andrew Moss serves as Fight and Intimacy Director.
Maestro James Gaffigan leads performances of DIE WALKÜRE at the Santa fe Opera, photo by Curtis Brown for the Santa Fe Opera
Conductor James Gaffigan returns to the podium to lead a stellar cast that includes three-time Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green in his role debut as Wotan. American tenor Jamez McCorkle makes his role and company debut as Siegmund and Lithuanian-born soprano Vida Miknevičiūtė makes her American and company debut as Sieglinde. Bass Soloman Howard portrays Hunding and former Apprentice singer and mezzo-soprano Sarah Saturnino makes her company debut in the role of Fricka. The 2016 Richard Tucker Award winner, soprano Tamara Wilson, returns to Santa Fe to sing Brünnhilde following her praiseworthy interpretation of Isolde in 2022. Soprano Jessica Faselt makes her company debut as Helmwige, soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer performs Ortlinde, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano sings Schwertleite and former Apprentice singer and mezzo-soprano Gretchen Krupp is Waltraute.
Making Santa Fe Opera debuts are Apprentice singers Jasmin Ward as Gerhilde, Aubrey Odle as Siegrune, Deanna Ray Eberhart as Rossweisse and Lauren Randolph in the role of Grimgerde.
Five performances are scheduled: July 26, 30; August 8, 13 and 21, 2025. To best accommodate audiences, all performances of Die Walküre begin at 8 pm.