The Santa Fe Opera
Coordinates: 35°45′50″N 105°56′49″W / 35.7640°N 105.9470°W The Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located 7 miles (11 km) north of Santa Fe in the U.S. State of New Mexico. After creating the Opera Association of New Mexico in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby, oversaw the building of the first opera house on a newly acquired former guest ranch of 199 acres (0.81 km2).
The company has presented operas each summer festival season since July 1957, and is internationally known for introducing new operas as well as for its productions of the standard operatic repertoire. Since its inception, The Santa Fe Opera has staged 43 American premieres and 14 world premieres, as of 2016.
John Crosby, who was a New York-based conductor, founded the company in 1956, initially with the financial support of his parents, who helped in the acquisition of the land and the building of the first opera house. One goal was to give American singers the opportunity to learn and perform new roles while having ample time for rehearsal and preparation in the context of a summer festival situation with the presentation of five operas in repertory. Its first season began on 3 July 1957 with a performance of Puccini's Madama Butterfly.
Crosby remained as general director until 2000, the longest general directorship in US opera history.Richard Gaddes served as the company's General Director from 2000 through 2008. In November 2007, SFO named Charles MacKay the company's third general director, effective 1 October 2008.
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