The Santa Fe Opera is again offering free Opera in the Park screenings in Albuquerque and Santa Fe and radio broadcasts with 95.5 KHFM Classical Public Radio. The events are part of the opera’s 65th Festival Season celebrations and ongoing commitment to bringing the joy of opera to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and communities throughout New Mexico.
Opera in the Park
Albuquerque residents can look forward to a free screening of Bizet’s most popular opera, Carmen, at Civic Plaza on August 28. Sponsored by the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts and Culture, gates will open at 5 p.m. MDT with showtime at approximately 6 p.m. MDT. The live-recorded production will be presented on a large-scale, professional projection system and audio will be broadcast via outdoor speakers. On-site concessions and instant, on-screen translations in English and Spanish will be available.
In Santa Fe, screenings of Bizet’s Carmen and Rossini’s classic comedy The Barber of Seville will take place at SWAN Park, on September 17 and 18. Sponsored by the City of Santa Fe, doors will open at 5 p.m. MDT, with entertainment by local artists at 5:30 p.m. MDT, and both screenings will begin at 6 p.m. MDT. There will be no intermission. The opera invites opera fans and newcomers to bring a picnic or choose from food trucks at the event and spread out on the grass and enjoy the show. Two 300-square-foot LED walls will provide attendees with a state-of-the-art viewing experience, while audio will be broadcast via outdoor speakers. Instant, on-screen translations in English and Spanish will be available.
Opera in the Park Screening Schedule
August 28 at 6 p.m. MDT in Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza, The Barber of Seville
September 17 at 6 p.m. MDT in Santa Fe’s SWAN Park, Carmen
September 18 at 6 p.m. MDT in Santa Fe’s SWAN Park, The Barber of Seville
South West Area Node (SWAN) Regional Park is located at 5300 Jaguar Drive, Santa Fe 87506
The Santa Fe Opera wishes to acknowledge Opera in the Park sponsors ExxonMobil and Bank of America. The performance capture recordings are directed by Jesse Fisher of Cut Print Video Production and assistant directed by Nathan Troup, with sound engineering by Michael Schweppe Sound. Artist appearances are made possible through the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Musicians. More information about the events can be found online at santafeopera.org/opera-in-the-
Radio Broadcasts on 95.5 KHFM Classical Public Radio
To hear the music of the Santa Fe Opera’s entire 2022 Season from the comfort of your home or vehicle, tune in to 95.5 KHFM Classical Public Radio each Monday in August. Presented works will be live recordings from The Crosby Theatre of Bizet’s Carmen, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Verdi’s Falstaff, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s world premiere opera M. Butterfly 蝴蝶君. Soprano and KHFM host Kathlene Ritch is joined by co-host, tenor and Santa Fe Opera Chief Artistic Officer David Lomelí to present the broadcasts which air at 6:00 pm MDT on August 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Residents in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and the surrounding communities can tune in via 95.5 KHFM; Roswell at 103.1 FM; Taos at 106.3 FM; Ruidoso at 95.9 FM. Listeners across New Mexico, the USA, and beyond can also stream the broadcasts via a computer or mobile device at KHFM.org. Listeners can look forward to commentary in both English and Spanish.
The radio broadcasts are co-produced by KHFM Executive and Program Director Brent Stevens and Santa Fe Opera Director of Media and Public Relations Emily Doyle Moore and mixed by audio engineer Michael Schweppe for the Santa Fe Opera.
Radio Broadcast Schedule
August 1 at 6 p.m. MDT, Carmen
August 8 at 6 p.m. MDT, The Barber of Seville
August 15 at 6 p.m. MDT, Falstaff
August 22 at 6 p.m. MDT, Tristan und Isolde
August 29 at 6 p.m. MDT, M. Butterfly 蝴蝶君 (world premiere)
The 2022 Season
Running from July 1 through August 27, the Santa Fe Opera’s 65th Festival Season presents 38 performances and five new productions. The ambitious season includes the company’s 18th world premiere M. Butterfly by composer Huang Ruo, librettist David Henry Hwang and directed by James Robinson; the company premiere of Wagner’s masterpiece Tristan und Isolde co-directed by Zack Winokur and Lisenka Heijboer Castañón; a poignant retelling of Bizet’s Carmen by Mariame Clément; Verdi’s comic final opera Falstaff in a co-production with Scottish Opera by Sir David McVicar; Stephen Barlow’s inventive take on Rossini’s most popular opera The Barber of Seville; and two Apprentice Scenes featuring the opera’s talented singing and technical apprentices.
About 95.5 KHFM Classical Public Radio
KHFM is New Mexico’s only 24-hour Classical music radio station. Founded in 1954 by two Albuquerque teachers, KHFM became a public, non-commercial station in 2017. Serving Santa Fe, Albuquerque and surrounding communities at 95.5 FM, KHFM also reaches the communities of Taos, Ruidoso and Roswell via translators. KHFM is proud to partner with local arts organizations to promote the performing arts and arts education throughout the state. The station has a global following in 80 countries and in 43 of the United States via live streaming at KHFM.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 177 operas by 90 composers spanning five centuries of opera, creating a legacy of 45 American premieres and 17 world premieres.
This article was posted by Jesse Williams