Apprentice Scenes

Step into the future of opera at the iconic Santa Fe Opera Theater, where the next generation of extraordinary vocal talent takes center stage. The Apprentice Scenes program showcases the company's most gifted young artists — carefully selected singers from around the world who have earned coveted spots in one of America's most prestigious opera training programs. Set against the breathtaking high desert landscape of northern New Mexico, these performances offer an intimate and electric glimpse into the making of tomorrow's opera legends. Join us for two unforgettable evenings on August 17 and August 24, 2026, as Santa Fe Opera's apprentice singers bring beloved operatic scenes to life with passion, precision, and raw artistic brilliance. Each program is thoughtfully curated to highlight the exceptional range and dramatic depth of these emerging performers, drawing from a rich repertoire of classical masterworks. The open-air theater, with its sweeping views of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains under a vast desert sky, creates a setting that is simply unmatched anywhere in the operatic world. Whether you are a lifelong opera devotee or a curious newcomer, the Apprentice Scenes offer an accessible and deeply moving introduction to the art form. These performances carry an added layer of magic — you are witnessing artists at a pivotal moment in their careers, performing with the hunger and immediacy that only the earliest chapters of greatness can produce. Come early, soak in the golden New Mexico sunset, and prepare to be astonished.