The Santa Fe Opera presents the American premiere of Lili Elbe on August 1 and “Transformative Voices,” a series of ancillary events throughout July
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Santa Fe, NM – From August 1, the Santa Fe Opera’s 2026 Season culminates with the American premiere of Lili Elbe, a two-act opera based on the true story of Lili Elbe, one of the first individuals to undergo gender affirmation surgery in the early 20th century with the support of her wife, artist Gerda Wegener. With music by Grammy Award-winning composer Tobias Picker and a libretto by Aryeh Lev Stollman, Lili Elbe features baritone and former Apprentice Singer Lucia Lucas, who brings lived experience and artistry to the dual role of dramaturg and title character. Recipient of the 2023 OPER! Award for Best World Premiere, Lili Elbe explores a deeply human story set in 1920s-30s Copenhagen, Paris and Dresden, and is the first full-scale opera about a transgender protagonist written for a transgender singer.
In conjunction with the American premiere of Lili Elbe, the Santa Fe Opera will present “Transformative Voices,” a series of conversations, performances and film screenings in Santa Fe and Albuquerque throughout July exploring themes of identity, artistry, history and representation in partnership with the Lensic Performing Arts Center, Center for Contemporary Arts, CHATTER, Guild Cinema and Jean Cocteau Cinema. The series culminates in a free, day-long Symposium, “Lili Elbe: Art, Life and Opera,” on Sunday, July 26 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in downtown Santa Fe.
FOR CALENDAR KEEPERS
Transformative Voices Symposium: Lili Elbe, Art, Life and Opera
An all-day event kicks off with a talk by the Transgender Cultural Resource Center of New Mexico, followed by a panel with the creative team of the opera, including composer Tobias Picker, librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman, director James Robinson, set designer Allen Moyer, and performances by singers Lucia Lucas (Lili Elbe) and Sylvia D’Eramo (Gerda Wegener). The day ends with a panel of scholars reflecting on the life of Lili Elbe, the paintings of Lili and her wife, Gerda Wegener, and the gender fluidity of the operatic voice.
When: Sunday, July 26 | 10 AM – 3:30 PM
Where: Lensic Performing Arts Center | Santa Fe
211 W San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Admission: Free; Reservations required
Reservations: https://official.santafeopera.org/13156/13185
10 – 10:30 AM | Transgender Cultural Fluency
Adrien Lawyer, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico
11 AM – 1 PM | Panel Featuring the Creative Team of Lili Elbe
Moderated by Alexis Corbin of KHFM
Panelists: Tobias Picker, Aryeh Lev Stollman, Lucia Lucas, Sylvia D’Eramo, James Robinson, Allen Moyer
2 – 3:30 PM | Scholars Respond to Lili Elbe
Panelists:
Pamela Caughie (Loyola University Chicago), editor of Man Into Woman: A Comparative Scholarly Edition
Kirstin Ringelberg (Elon University), on the paintings of Lili Elbe & Gerda Wegener
Sasha Geffen, author of Glitter Up the Dark: How Pop Music Broke the Binary
Edward and Maria Gale, Presenting Sponsors
OTHER LILI ELBE EVENTS
Film Series: Documenting Musical Lives
A series of films focused on the lives of trans and non-binary performers, featuring after-screening conversations and cocktails.
FILM SERIES SANTA FE
Where: Jean Cocteau Cinema | Santa Fe
418 Montezuma Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501
July 9 at 7 PM
No Ordinary Man (The Life and Death of Jazz Legend Billy Tipton)
Introduced by Emerson Corley, Entourage Jazz
July 16 at 7 PM
Keyboard Fantasies (A Black Transgender Musician Becomes a Cult Icon)
Introduced by Adrien Lawyer, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico
July 23 at 7 PM
The Sound of Identity (Lucia Lucas Performs as Don Giovanni)
Pre-screening panel with Lucia Lucas and post-screening DJ hosted by 505omatic
July 30 at 7 PM
Any Other Way (The Jackie Shane Story)
Introduced by D’Santi Nava, a New Mexico musician
FILM SERIES ALBUQUERQUE
Where: Guild Cinema | Albuquerque
3405 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
When: July 25 at 1 PM
The Sound of Identity (Lucia Lucas Performs as Don Giovanni)
Introduced by Adrien Lawyer, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico
CHATTER: Del Sol Quartet
Centering Tobias Picker’s opera Lili Elbe, this program explores the inner and outer landscapes of transformation, with chamber music by Picker, initi figgis-vizueta and world premieres by Aeryn Santillan & Andromeda Wen.
SANTA FE
When: Saturday, July 18 | 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Where: CHATTER NORTH (Santa Fe)
1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Admission: $5 – 17
Tickets and Information: https://www.chatterabq.org/product/july-18-2026-chatter-north/
ALBUQUERQUE
When: Sunday, July 19 | 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Where: CHATTER (Albuquerque)
912 3rd St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Admission: $5 – 17
Tickets and Information: https://www.chatterabq.org/product/july-19-2026-chatter-sunday/
Transformative Voices: Culture and Cabaret
An evening of conversation, music and celebration featuring artists and cultural workers from trans, non-binary and two-spirit communities.
When: Saturday, July 25 | 6 – 10 PM
6:15 PM – 7 PM | Panel
Panelists:
Peshawn Bread
Marx Cassity
7:15 PM – 8:45 PM | Transformative Voices Cabaret Performance
Cabaret Performers:
Marx Cassity
Lucia Lucas
Entourage Jazz
9 PM – 10 PM | DJ and Dancing
DJ: The Muse
Where: The Center for Contemporary Arts (Santa Fe)
1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Admission: Free; Reservations required
Reservations: https://official.santafeopera.org/13156/13184
Contact Us
The Santa Fe Opera is located at 301 Opera Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87506. Questions? Call the Box Office Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at 800-280-4654 or 505-986-5900 or email boxoffice@santafeopera.org.
About Lili Elbe
Director James Robinson leads a production featuring scenic design by Allen Moyer, costume design by Marco Piemontese, lighting by Marcus Doshi and projections by Greg Emetaz. Wig and makeup design is by David Zimmerman, choreography by Seán Curran and fight and intimacy direction by Andrew Kenneth Moss. Susanne Sheston is the Chorus Director.
Maestro Roberto Kalb leads the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra and a stunning cast including former Apprentice Singer Lucia Lucas making her company debut in the title role, Sylvia D’Eramo, former Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singer, as Gerda Wegener, Josh Lovell as Claude LeJeune, Lindsay Ammann as Mother Wegener and former Apprentice Singer Andrew Harris as Professor Warnekros.
Says General Director Robert K. Meya, “At the heart of any thriving society is the freedom to live truthfully — to seek self-realization without fear or denial. Lili Elbe is more than a powerful new opera; it is a poignant reminder of what it means to fight for authenticity, dignity and love. We are honored to bring this extraordinary true story to our stage and to continue championing works that reflect the full spectrum of the human experience.”
Five performances are scheduled for August 1, 5, 14, 18 & 27.
Lili Elbe
Music by Tobias Picker
Libretto by Aryeh Lev Stollman
Premiered October 22, 2023, Konzert und Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland
American premiere and a new co-production with Seattle Opera
Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, sole U.S. and Canadian agent for Schott Helicon Music Corporation, New York, NY
5 performances — August 1, 5, 14, 18 & 27, 2026
Sung in English with opera titles in English and Spanish
Approximately 2 hours 25 minutes; includes a 25-minute intermission
Production support generously provided by
Anonymous
Wyncote Foundation, as recommended by Frederick R. Haas & Rafael Gomez
TAWANI Foundation
David A. Kaplan and Glenn A. Ostergaard – Brautigam-Kaplan-Ostergaard Foundation
Robert L. Turner
Additional artistic support provided by
The Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation
Henry R. Muñoz III
The General Director’s Premiere Fund in honor of Richard Gaddes
Carol Franc Buck Foundation
The performances of Roberto Kalb are supported by
Roma Wittcoff
The performances of Lucia Lucas are supported by
The Bob Ross Foundation
The performances of Sylvia D’Eramo are supported by
The Peter B. Frank Principal Artist Fund
Creative Team
Composer Tobias Picker
Librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman
Conductor Roberto Kalb
Director James Robinson
Scenic Design Allen Moyer
Costume Design Marco Piemontese*
Lighting Design Marcus Doshi
Projections Greg Emetaz
Wig & Makeup Design David Zimmerman
Chorus Director Susanne Sheston
Choreographer Seán Curran
Fight & Intimacy Director Andrew Kenneth Moss
Dramaturgy Lucia Lucas+*
Cast
Lili Elbe Lucia Lucas+*
Gerda Wegener Sylvia D’Eramo+
Claude LeJeune Josh Lovell
Mother Wegener Lindsay Ammann
Professor Warnekros Andrew Harris+
Dagmar Deanna Ray Eberhart^
Matron Alexis Seminario^*
Hélène Allatini Anna Kelly^*
Orpheus/Anna Larssen Lindsay Martin=*
Eric Allatini Kyle White^
Marius Wegener Ryan Wolfe^
Major Fernando Porta Joshua Klein^*
The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra & Chorus
*Santa Fe Opera Debut, +Former Santa Fe Opera Apprentice, ~American Debut,
=First-year Apprentice Singer, ^Second-year Apprentice Singer
About The Santa Fe Opera – Recognized in 2022 as “Festival of the Year” at the International Opera Awards, the Santa Fe Opera annually draws 70,000 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 180 operas by 92 composers spanning five centuries of opera, creating a legacy of 45 American premieres and 19 world premieres.
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 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.
Discover More: SantaFeOpera.org
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