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A soprano in a vibrant red gown performs on stage during a production at the Santa Fe Opera Festival in New Mexico.
New Mexico

Opera Extravaganza: The Santa Fe Opera Festival Season

Program No. 11299RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
8 days
7 nights
What's Included
16 meals ( 7B, 4L, 5D )
6 expert-led lectures
4 expert-led field trips
5 performances
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously). This program takes place at 7000 feet elevation, so all physical activity, including walking and climbing stairs, will be more challenging than at sea level. Daytime temps are quite warm. If you are traveling with companions who are not your roommate and you would like to be grouped together, you must list their names on your “Personal Information & Preferences” in your Road Scholar “My Account” page.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. It is recommended to book dinners on your own in advance. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Participants will be assigned to one of two groups. If you are traveling with someone and wish to be grouped with them, please be sure to identify each other on your participant information and preferences. You will not be able to change groups after arriving at the program. This program will attend five performances at the Santa Fe Opera.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Take the rest of the evening to continue getting to know your fellow participants, relax, and get a good night’s sleep for the full day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving ~15 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time to/from opera house. Walking up to 2 miles over varied terrain at lunch and Opera House tour; several hundred feet to/from opera house; navigating stairs to/from opera seats. Santa Fe is at 7,000 ft elevation, summer temps are quite warm; all physical activity, including walking and climbing stairs, is more challenging than at sea level. The backstage visit involves walking uphill and several flights of stairs.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll be joined by our expert instructor in the hotel meeting room who will lead a discussion about tonight’s opera. Each day, we’ll have the opportunity to dive deep into each production, examining the story, composer, music, and performers with our opera expert.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
Next, we’ll ride to the Santa Fe Opera House for a docent-led backstage exploration. As we go behind the scenes to see the production areas, we'll gain a better understanding of all of the parts and processes involved in producing the beautiful performances we'll see this week. We’ll return to the hotel for some downtime before dinner.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
As we will before each performance, we’ll board our motorcoach and depart from the hotel at 7:15 p.m. for the Santa Fe Opera house. Tonight's performance is Katya Kabanova,music by Leos Janacek, libretto by Leos Janacek based on The Storm, a play by Alexander Ostrovsky, translated by Vincenc Cervinka and sung in Czech. A neglected young wife follows her growing feelings for a charming man, but their forbidden romance is threatened by forces that could destroy them both. We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving ~15 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time to/from the opera house. Walking up to 2 miles over varied terrain including lunch and the Santa Fe history tour; several hundred feet to/from opera house; negotiating stairs to/from opera seats. Santa Fe is at 7,000 ft elevation and with summer temps, all physical activity, including walking and climbing stairs, is more challenging than at sea level. Each opera goes late into the evening.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, our expert will debrief last night’s performance and discuss tonight's opera.
Lunch:
At a popular local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Our Group Leader will lead us on an exploration of Santa Fe’s Plaza area, the historic heart of the city. We’ll visit the impressive Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the lovely Loretto Chapel with its intriguing spiral staircase, and other sites as time permits. We’ll return to the hotel with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost so that you can enjoy what you wish or sample the local fare. Santa Fe is known for the breadth and depth of its culinary offerings. Not to be confused with "Tex-Mex," New Mexican cuisine is a fusion of Native American and Spanish influences. There are a number of fine restaurants within walking distance of the Santa Fe Plaza. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and directions. (Advance reservations recommended.)
Evening:
We will depart from the hotel at 7:15 p.m. for the Santa Fe Opera house. Tonight's performance is Of One Blood, music by Brett Dean, libretto by Heather Betts and sung in English. Despite never meeting, two royal cousins, Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, became fierce rivals in a struggle for power and religion that ultimately led to one queen ordering the other's execution.br> We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 15 miles (1/2 hour driving time) to/from the opera house; walking up to 2 miles over varied terrain including lunch, museums and several hundred feet to/from opera house; negotiating stairs to/from opera seats. Walking and standing for up to one hour during field trip.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, our expert will debrief last night’s performance and discuss tonight's opera.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Boarding the coach, we will take a brief ride to the Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum. The Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum, formerly known as the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, is located in the only John Gaw Meem-designed residential building open to the public in Santa Fe. It is home to a remarkable collection, library, and archive of regional art, mostly from New Mexico, including historic pieces from around the world for comparative purposes. Return to the hotel.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
As we will before each performance, we’ll board our motorcoach and depart from the hotel at 7:15 p.m. for the Santa Fe Opera house. Tonight's performance is The Barber of Seville, music by Gioachino Rossini, libretto by Cesare Sterbini and sung in Italian. A clever barber helps a young nobleman win the woman he loves and outsmart the older man determined to marry her, creating a lively comedy full of schemes and surprises.br> We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 15 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time. Walking from several hundred feet up to 2 miles over paved and unpaved terrain over the course of the day; walking to lunch and in museums, several hundred feet to/from opera house; negotiating stairs to/from seats at the opera; standing for up to two hours at museums.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, our expert will debrief last night’s performance and discuss tonight's opera.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll board our coach and depart for Museum Hill for self-directed visits at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art. The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture offers a huge collection of pottery, basketry, rugs, jewelry, and artifacts, mostly from tribes of the southwest region. The exhibits are beautifully displayed and documented. The Museum of International Folk Art’s holdings constitute the largest collection of international folk art in the world, including wings featuring some of the 106,000 pieces donated by collectors Alexander and Susan Girard and Lloyd Cotsen’s Neutrogena collection. Returning to the hotel, we’ll have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
We will depart at 7:15 p.m. for tonight's performance. Tonight's performance is Turandot,music by Giacomo Puccini, libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, and sung in Italian. A fearless prince risks his life to solve a princess’s deadly riddles, hoping to win both her hand in marriage and her guarded heart. We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 15 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time to/from the opera house. Walking several hundred feet to/from opera house; negotiating stairs to/from seats at the opera. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, our expert will debrief last night’s performance and discuss tonight's opera.
Lunch:
On your Own.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
On your own.
Evening:
We will depart at 7:15 p.m. for tonight's performance. Tonight's performance is Cosi Fan Tutte,music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, and sung in Italian. In a 1920s French casino, a man bets that his friends’ fiancées will be unfaithful, sparking a humorous story about love, trust, and risk. We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.
Activity Note
Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, our expert instructor will present a final wrap-up of last night’s opera and will debrief our week of performances.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
We will wrap up the program in the meeting room and say farewell to new friends. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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