Another summer has somehow come and gone — my second as an Apprentice Singer at the Santa Fe Opera. It's been even better this time around, with more performing and learning, and most notably my main stage debut as Teacher in the world premiere of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.
What an experience, and what a piece! Having workshopped this role three times — once in Santa Fe and twice in San Francisco — I feel qualified to comment on how thrilling it was to watch this monumental work grow into its present form — a form that brought audiences to their feet every night. So in case anyone was wondering whether opera is alive and well... YUP.
Other summer highlights include covering the role of Amelfa and singing in the chorus of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Golden Cockerel. It's always a pleasure to perform in my native language, and to share the extraordinary music of the great Russian composers with curious and receptive audiences.
Another particularly special experience was sharing a stage with the one and only Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is truly one of the most inspiring humans alive today, and meeting and performing with her was the greatest cherry on top of this fantastic summer in Santa Fe.
Next up: a little time in San Francisco, and then on to Miami to start work as a Young Artist at Florida Grand Opera! If anyone has advice on how to manage the size of my hair there, I'd definitely appreciate it!