The Santa Fe Opera House

Location

301 Opera Dr
Santa Fe, NM 87506

About

Vistas beckon from every side. There are the rugged mountains to the east, the far reaches opening up to the north, the rolling hills to the south, the limitless sunset horizon to the west.

The house itself is a point of visual and architectural wonder, an aria given shape under the overarching sky. Every part directs our attention toward the stage, where the disciplines of music and stagecraft at the highest level combine to challenge the notion of what is possible on the opera stage. Production after production, night after night, the Santa Fe Opera upholds the highest standards of professionalism in opera and strives to raise them.

Working at this level takes more than a spectacular opera house. It takes a village — or, perhaps more accurately, a small city. Only a fraction of the company’s buildings and operations are visible to the audience. To each side of the house, down the turn of the hill and tunneling deep below the stage itself lie nerve centers of industry — a concealed city of wonders.

There is Stieren Orchestra Hall, with its large two-story orchestral and rehearsal room, an exact reproduction in size of the expansive stage. A large costume storage facility extends beneath. Nestling to the west and east, below the level of the house itself, are costume, wig and makeup areas; several huge stage elevators, scaled to accommodate whole scenes and heavy sets; an orchestra lounge and music office; and broad and high spaces dedicated to a scene shop, a paint shop and a properties construction workshop. Even more storage and work spaces are on levels below.

Then there is the company’s busy central office complex, set at the site of the original ranch house that housed singers and company members during the early years. It hums year-round with work that balances the practical and creative sides of opera production — artistic administration along with production preparation, marketing, media and public relations, human resources and operations, education and community programs, to finance and fundraising.

Dotting the surrounding grounds — laid out originally by founder John O. Crosby and his parents — are rehearsal halls also built to mimic the size and layout of the stage, studios for vocal coaching and recording and a comfortable cantina. There is even a swimming pool, the most recent in a series that dates back to the mid-20th century, when the complex was a guest ranch.

Together, these unseen spaces comprise thousands of cubic yards of creative space. To fill them and help the music and drama come to vibrant life, the company’s year-round staff of 70 expands to 700 during the height of the season. Each member is an individual, important component in the complex “machinery” that is essence of the Santa Fe Opera. Experience always exceeds expectations here because everyone in the company is fiercely committed to striving for the best. As Crosby memorably put it, “Quality counts, always. Quantity must take a second place, if necessary.” Thanks to quality, the Santa Fe Opera remains a world leader in defining, refining and celebrating the art of opera.