New Mexico

Opera Extravaganza: The Santa Fe Opera Festival Season

Program No. 11299RJ
Attend five live performances and enjoy expert discussions on Santa Fe’s opera scene as you take in the museums, plazas and unique sites of this historic city.

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At a Glance

Explore the wonders of the opera world as you experience this season's productions of the Santa Fe Opera and enjoy the exciting combination of music, theater, writing, art and dance. Program lectures will inform you about the composer, music, singers and the story of each work you experience.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Getting on and off the motorcoach. Walking up to two miles over the course of the day on paved and unpaved surfaces. Standing up to one hour at a time. Negotiating at least one flight of stairs.

What You'll Learn

  • Attend an array of staged productions starring some of the finest singers from the U.S. and abroad in a spectacular open-air amphitheater.
  • Enjoy a Santa Fe city field trip and explore the museums at world-renowned Museum Hill.
  • Dive deep into each production with daily presentations by our expert opera instructor.

General Notes

Program limited to 70 participants, divided into two smaller groups of 35 for many activities. Small group assignments will be made approximately one month prior to the program start date. If you are traveling with companions who are not your roommate and you would like to be grouped together, please list their names on your “Personal Information & Preferences” in your Road Scholar “My Account” page.” Approximately two weeks prior to the program departure you will receive an email with your group assignment and Group Leader information. Upgraded seats available. Each program attends all five performances presented by the Santa Fe Opera; the itinerary varies by program according to the Opera's performance schedule.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Oliver Prezant
Oliver Prezant is a lecturer and educator for the Santa Fe Opera and has presented for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Guilds of the San Francisco Opera, and other organizations. He was the music director/conductor of the Santa Fe Community Orchestra, and a faculty member of the College of Santa Fe and Santa Fe University of Art and Design. He studied conducting at the Pierre Monteux School and is a graduate of the Mannes College of Music in New York City.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Oliver Prezant
Oliver Prezant View biography
Oliver Prezant is a lecturer and educator for the Santa Fe Opera and has presented for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Guilds of the San Francisco Opera, and other organizations. He was the music director/conductor of the Santa Fe Community Orchestra, and a faculty member of the College of Santa Fe and Santa Fe University of Art and Design. He studied conducting at the Pierre Monteux School and is a graduate of the Mannes College of Music in New York City.
Profile Image of Christopher Gibson
Christopher Gibson View biography
Christopher Gibson is an award-winning artist, writer, and arts educator who makes his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work includes the Cuentos del Camino series on lower Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe and mixed-media installations at numerous museums in New Mexico and California. Over the years, he has written several articles on Hispanic arts and culture for the magazines "Tradición Revista" and "Imagen."
Profile Image of Elizabeth Mesh
Elizabeth Mesh View biography
Elizabeth Mesh is an educator, artist and actor with a master’s and license in art therapy. She has led thousands of people at the SITE Santa Fe art museum. She has also been on over 20 film and TV sets in New Mexico. Biking, hiking, blue skies and clean air make New Mexico a place she loves to share. Elizabeth has been teaching traditional and expressive art for two decades and has been featured on the Home and Garden Network Television’s segment “That’s Clever!”
Profile Image of Gail True
Gail True View biography
Gail True received her first passport when she was seven months old. She spent most of her career working in Human Resources for retail organizations and hospitals. Gail has lived in Arizona, Northern and Southern California, and in West Africa during her time in the Peace Corps. Her travels have taken her to more than 30 countries with plans to visit many more. She looks forward to getting to know her fellow Road Scholars, and to sharing the history and beauty of the true West.
Profile Image of Sherry Moon
Sherry Moon View biography
Sherry Moon is a certified interpreter for the profession of heritage interpretation and an experienced group leader. She has a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and has taught communication and art. For nearly 20 years, she has been a group leader specializing in the Southwest and Alaska/Yukon. As president of the Rocky Mountain Guides Association, she is regarded as a local expert. Her interests include the arts, history, heritage, geology, reading, outdoor activities, and socializing with friends.
Profile Image of Ellen Morris Bond
Ellen Morris Bond View biography
Ellen Morris Bond has spent most of her adult years in northern New Mexico, graduating from the University of New Mexico Honors Program. She completed a Master’s Degree in Community Development at University of California-Davis. As a non-profit director, Ellen forged strong collaborations with local and regional organizations such as health councils, community foundations, tribal groups, hospitals, public schools, rural health clinics, and faith groups. She now volunteers with the local acequia/water organization and leads art and architecture groups at La Fonda of Santa Fe.
Profile Image of Jolene Catron
Jolene Catron View biography
Jolene Catron, who leads groups in the Mountain West and National Parks, weaves a rich tapestry of indigenous heritage into the fabric of the area's history. She strives to foster understanding and appreciation for the profound cultural and environmental significance of the places she leads in. During the offseason you can find her driving her taxi, listening to music, and crocheting. She is a military veteran and a citizen of the Navajo Nation with family ties to the Pueblos of Zuni and Laguna.
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