Santa Fe Opera To Present Digital Premiere Of ‘The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next’ Nov. 25
Fashion designer Patricia Michaels of Taos Pueblo gives an interview on stage at the Santa Fe Opera. Production still courtesy of Beverly R. Singer for the Santa Fe Opera
SFO News:
SANTA FE — The Santa Fe Opera will present the free digital premiere of The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next, a documentary directed by Beverly R. Singer of Santa Clara Pueblo.
Produced by the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council (POCC) in collaboration with the Santa Fe Opera, the film 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.
From Nov. 25 through Dec. 31, 2024, the film will be available to stream for free at santafeopera.org and the company's YouTube channe. The film premiered in July 2023 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center and in October 2023 was a featured selection at the Santa Fe International Film Festival. The Nov. 25 digital premiere marks the first opportunity for the public to view the film virtually.
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.
"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," Opera Director Peter Sellars said.
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.
Watch the trailer for The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next.
About the Pueblo Opera Program
The Santa Fe Opera's 2023 Season marked 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 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 to work together. The work began with a series of gatherings that resulted in the formation of the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council, 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. 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 Cultural Council and the Santa Fe Opera present the digital premiere of The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next. This documentary details the long-standing history between the pueblos and the opera and how their programs can further articulate cultural connections in the future.
About the Santa Fe Opera
Recognized in 2022 as "Festival of the Year" at the International Opera Awards, 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 180 operas by 92 composers spanning five centuries of opera, creating a legacy of 45 American premieres and 19 world premieres.
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