A Santa Fe

Dear Opera Friends and Family,

So we left for the annul trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, yesterday.  For those unaware, Santa Fe hosts one of the best summer opera festivals in the world.  What does this mean?  Well, many places (such as Des Moines in my earlier posts) around the world offer the opportunity to go to a lovely place…say, Santa Fe, NM, and see one opera a night for up to a week.  Bayreuth (in Germany) is probably the best example, showcasing Wagner’s works but there are several other options.  This country actually has a number of opportunities; Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Glimmerglass Opera are two of them (and highly recommended by this author).  One of the attractions for Julie and me attending this particular event is that we took the motorcycle and spent two lovely days getting here via the San Juan Skyway through Ouray, Silverton and Durango.  If you haven’t taken this road, you must.  Only caveat is you musn’t be afraid of heights.  We stayed at a B&B in Ouray called the Black Bear Inn.  Apparently, it is aptly named as one of the guests regaled us with a story of seeing a bear rummaging in the trash bin the morning of our arrival.  I’ve seen bears up close before and while I appreciate them and wish they were friendlier, I am fine if I don’t see one in close proximity ever again.  That stated, Ouray is an amazing little town reminiscent of some I have seen in Switzerland; a small valley at just under 8,000 feet surrounded by 13 and 14 thousand foot peaks.  All at the beginning of one of the most stunning roads ever created for auto (and, better yet, motorcycle).

So…we arrived here today after a lovely ride.  Santa Fe is truly a beautiful place and the clouds do something in this part of the world that I don’t see anywhere else.  Perfectly defined and yet undefinable all at the same time.   If you are a painter, you’ll find it mesmerizing. Clearly Georgia O’Keeffe did.

So, why am I here besides it being a lovely place?  As I stated earlier, festivals are a place to see multiple operas in short order.  So, beginning tomorrow (Tuesday) I see at least three operas in four nights.  Add to this, it is the week that Artistic and General Directors from around the country are invited and treated to networking events.  Also, auditions for all the young artists this summer are arranged in the actual performance space.  So…a chance to see world-class opera, make deals with colleagues from other companies and hear the next generation of opera artists.   Should be a good week.  I’ll keep “blogging” and let you know how it goes.

cm