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Fans of opera often say that a production either ends in cheers or tears; someone winds up wed or dead. But what about podcasts?  On this final episode of Key Change, co-hosts Anna Garcia and Olga Perez Flora fire up the trusty time machine to find out. And, they've got company: OG co-hosts Andrea Fellows Fineberg and Brandon Neal. Buckle in for one last trip around the Opera For All Voices universe before this epic six-year journey comes to an end. "Key Change has been so many things for so many people, and now it's over," says Andrea, reflecting on the legacy that this podcast leaves behind. Perhaps a bit dramatic! But the show has played a vital role within the larger context of Opera For All Voices, supporting new, diverse works for smaller spaces together with major opera companies. "The things that we do that have a lasting impact are the work of the community engagement department at Santa Fe Opera and the work of the Santa Fe Opera in the first place. It's changed the capital O art form forever," Andrea observes. "And, we've all been some part of that." Audience included. The Key Change team captured intimate moments of the creative process alongside the breathless joys of performance. They chronicled moments with legendary artists (oh, hey Peter Sellars!) and students alike, and revealed the importance of telling hard truths. "I think that speaks to the longevity of the thing," says Brandon. "Key Change will reverberate as long as that work needs to be done. I think we can be happy with that." Cue curtain. KEY CHANGE RECOMMENDED EPISODES Season 1, Episode 1 - Setting the Stage - wherein Andrea and Brandon start the journey and ask, "What if we fail? What if we succeed?" Season 1, Episode 2 - What's in a name? - wherein the back-of-the-napkin planning of OFAV is discussed Season 2, Episode 2 - A Seat at the Table - wherein Brandon engages in conversation with colleagues of color from across the industry Season 2, Episode 3 - Bring Your Folding Chair - wherein that conversation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging continues Season 2, Episode 6 - The Universe is Made of Stories featuring Peter Sellars - wherein we all bask in the glow of stage director Peter Sellars Season 3, Episode 2 - Singing a Call to Action - wherein we learn about producing opera during a global pandemic Season 4, Episode 7 - Telling Hard Truths featuring Jacqueline "Cookie" Hamer Flakes - wherein we listen and take in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer's daughter Season 6, Episode 3 - Taking Care of the Art featuring Chandler Johnson - wherein we get a candid look at what it takes to build a career in opera Season 6, Episode 4 - Rise to the Occasion of Your Opera Career featuring Chandler Johnson - wherein the conversation continues with audition insights most young singers never get to hear FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Olga Perez Flora - Co-Host of Key Change and Associate Professor of Voice, University of New Mexico Anna Garcia - Co-Host of Key Change and Arts Administrator Andrea Fellows Fineberg - Writer, Producer, and Former Director Of Community Engagement & Education, Santa Fe Opera, Co-Creator of Opera For All Voices, and Original Co-Host of Key Change Brandon Neal - Senior Producer of Creative Enterprise Programming, The Juilliard School; Co-Creator of Opera For All Voices and Original Co-Host of Key Change MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Opera For All Voices Santa Fe Opera Community Engagement Santa Fe Opera Young Technicians Program Santa Fe Opera Young Voices Program University Of New Mexico New Mexico Philharmonic Opera Omaha Opera on the Avalon Olga Perez Flora Car Talk *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

Join Key Change for one last spin around the season six universe. Co-hosts Anna Garcia and Olga Perez Flora recall their favorite moments, including reflections on the exciting collaboration between Santa Fe Opera and the University of New Mexico.  Then, the Key Change team transports us to the first-ever libretto reading workshop for NOVA. Meet the cast of this intergalactic opera and discover how they're interpreting familiar sci-fi tropes, such as colonization, survival, and belonging, through a uniquely Indigenous lens—featuring Robert Mesa (Navajo Nation and the Soboba Band of Mission Indians), ShanDien LaRance (Hopi, Tewa, Navajo and Assiniboine), and Ehren Kee Natay (Diné/Kewa Pueblo). NOVA combines Indigenous futurism and humor with a choose-your-own-adventure ending to examine existential questions of personal responsibility and integrity. "That's very much how many Indigenous tribes are bringing up their children," explains Ehren, a multi-disciplinary artist who plays KID. "Not by telling them what to do or how to be, but to tell them these old stories that provide a moral compass of how your decisions will affect an outcome." Robert, an accomplished film and TV actor who plays Doc, a member of the NOVA crew, welcomes this era of Indigenous collaboration in opera. "It's only within the past six or seven years that there has been a big burst of Native stories finally being put in the mainstream media," he observes. "We're breaking glass ceilings so generations behind us can flourish." "To be a young Indigenous woman living in these times, I think a lot about our history, our traditions," adds ShanDien, a Native hoop dancer and instructor who plays NOVA. "But, I also carry with us that modernism and the way into the future and how we can sustain both." KEY CHANGE RECOMMENDED EPISODES NOVA: Opera After the End of the World Taking Care of the Art with Chandler Johnson, Director of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers Rise to the Occasion of Your Opera Career with Chandler Johnson, Director of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers True Magic from Classroom to Stage with the Santa Fe Opera Young Voices and University of New Mexico Students An Opportunity To Encounter Excellence (And Big News!) Connections Across Time and Space: Opera in the Cosmos FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Robert Mesa - Doc ShanDien LaRance - NOVA Ehren Kee Natay - Kid MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Hopi Nation Navajo Nation Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Santa Fe Opera Community Engagement University Of New Mexico Grey's Anatomy Accused Dark Winds The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen Appian Way Productions Reservation Dogs Flash Gordon Star Trek Star Wars Alcina at Santa Fe Opera 2017 Jenůfa at Santa Fe Opera 2019 No Greater Act: Pueblo Resistance Circles: Honoring Indigenous Santa Fe Little Globe Liz Lehrman Critical Response Method *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

A sneak peak behind the scenes of our first reading of the libretto for NOVA, our latest new works commission at the Santa Fe Opera! *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

Ready for a choose-your-own cosmic adventure? On this episode of Key Change, co-hosts Anna Garcia and Olga Perez Flora make way for old friends and new. Andrea Fellows Feinberg returns as guest host to introduce the creative team behind the intergalactic opera NOVA, a subversive meditation on responsibility and personal choice set against the end of the world––featuring Composer Brent Michael Davids, Librettist Marcie Rendon, and Music Director Sara Jobin. "We're gonna mess with the traditional opera genre of tragedies and comedies, do something interesting with it, and make two different endings," confides Brent. He also messes with ideas around conventional sci-fi protagonists and cultural stereotypes. NOVA, for instance, is a brilliant Native American astrophysicist and head of NASA, the Native American Space Agency. Accompanying NOVA are her chief medical officer, Doc, and KID, a bionically modified mischief-maker. Brent hopes these narrative elements will inspire and empower Native youth. If the premise for NOVA sounds vaguely familiar, we teased its development in 2023. Back then, this Opera For All Voices commission was known as Interplanetary Opera. A lot has changed since then, notably the addition of Marcie and Sara, plus Andrea as the production's dramaturg. What hasn't changed is the show's existential ruminations or its humor. "I think that's something I love about this piece and that people might not expect," notes Sara. "There's a lot of humor in it." "It's Native humor," Marcie clarifies. "I wasn't sure that anybody would get it." A recent run-through alleviated her fears. "People did," she says, "and that was great!" KEY CHANGE RECOMMENDED EPISODE Connections Across Time and Space: Opera in the Cosmos FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Brent Michael Davids - Composer Marcie Rendon - Librettist Sara Jobin - Music Director Andrea Fellows Fineberg - Dramaturg and Key Change Guest Host  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Hidden Figures Minnesota Children's Museum Red Eye Theater Clue  Christopher Hitchens Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

Set for a choose-your-own cosmic adventure? Get ready to meet the creative team behind the intergalactic opera, NOVA, on the next episode of Key Change.  *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

Fire up the Key Change time machine! We're charting our course for the collaborative partnership between Santa Fe Opera and the University of New Mexico (UNM).  Never experienced time-machine travel before? No problem! Key Change co-hosts Olga Perez Flora and Anna Garcia are experienced pilots. They introduce us to students participating in the Young Voices residency and steer our audience through an exciting day of master classes and workshops on the UNM campus. And don't worry if you're new to this bold, creative initiative. Olga and Anna provide episode recommendations to help you navigate the journey.  "It's such a wonderful opportunity," says Jamie Flora, esteemed tenor and professor at UNM, of the university's collaboration with Santa Fe Opera. The dynamic program includes master classes on technique, audition logistics, performance critique, and resumé building, all designed to bridge the academic and professional opera worlds.  "We're planting seeds in their minds that this is possible!" explains Kristin Ditlow, Associate Professor of Vocal Coaching at UNM and Music Director of its Opera Theater. "We have pathways and relationships that get you from school to being a working singer." Quiara Cortez followed one of those pathways to UNM, where she is now studying. She credits the collaboration with Santa Fe Opera for nurturing her artistic development. "Being able to talk with the best of the best and seeing what our next steps as people who are already in college might be. And having something big and professional to look forward to is wonderful." KEY CHANGE RECOMMENDED PLAYLIST Where Talent Meets Opportunity: Career Trajectories in Opera with Kristin Ditlow & Jamie Flora What's Opera to a Bunch of High School Students? Young Voices, "The New Crop" Taking Care of the Art with Chandler Johnson, Director of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers Rise to the Occasion of Your Opera Career with Chandler Johnson, Director of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers Safe Space for Creative Risks with Community Engagement and Education Hometown to the World: Discovering "Postville" with Laura Kaminsky and Kimberly Reed Making Learning Sticky: Creative Compassion for Kids & Educators Through Opera with Charles Gamble Harmony in Process: The Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera with Amy "Process" Owens An Opportunity to Encounter Excellence (and Big News!) FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Kristin Ditlow - Associate Professor of Vocal Coaching, University of New Mexico; Music Director, University of New Mexico Opera Theater James Flora - Lecturer II in Voice and Opera, University of New Mexico Opera Theater Michael Hix - Chair, Department of Music University of New Mexico; Professor of Voice, University of New Mexico Andrea Klunder - Producer, Key Change Podcast Amy Owens - Director of the Young Voices of Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera Young Voices participants – Rylee Baca, Elsa Dhonau-Egan, Landen Kessler, Eleanor Lucas, Ava Mitchie, Alexander Nicholas Neas University Of New Mexico participants - Maria Bollinger, Quiara Cortez, Alexandra King, Ryan Lopez, Taylor Stanley MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE La Traviata | Santa Fe Opera Hometown to the World | Santa Fe Opera Eugene Onegin | Santa Fe Opera University Of New Mexico - Department Of Music Apprentice Program for Singers | Santa Fe Opera Opera Storytellers Summer Camp | Santa Fe Opera Opera Makes Sense | Santa Fe Opera The Philadelphia Orchestra The Inner Voice: The Making Of A Singer Classical Singer Music Awards Paula Corbin Swallin *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange

What have our favorite high school aged singers been up to? Hear from the Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera themselves on the next episode of Key Change... coming soon! *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

We often say that the road to a successful opera career can be a winding one—and we've got the receipts to prove it! Join Key Change co-hosts Anna Garcia and Olga Perez Flora as they discuss career trajectories, academic journeys, and artistic life with two legendary performers and educators: Kristin Ditlow, Associate Professor of Vocal Coaching and Opera Conductor at the University Of New Mexico, and James Flora*, acclaimed American tenor and Lecturer in Voice and Opera, also at UNM. Our conversation sets the stage for an exciting collaboration between Santa Fe Opera and UNM. "The position that I have (at UNM) has evolved with me," says Kristin, who has worked around the world as a conductor and a pianist. "That's a testament to a healthy place that's willing to grow along with its faculty and allow them to grow in a position." It's also a verdant artistic environment where raw talent is refined, and practice leads to proficiency.   Jamie hopes that the next generation of opera professionals will bring the art form's epic storytelling and staging to a broader audience. "I'd love for opera to step away a little bit from exclusivity," he says, reflecting on how the perceived cliquishness couldn't be farther from the true experience of a live opera. "A lot of people who grew up in small towns like I did didn't understand the opera was for them," he says, adding, "Opera's for everyone!" *That surname is no coincidence. Jamie also holds the title of spouse to our very own Olga. KEY CHANGE RECOMMENDED PLAYLISTS Catch up on the full story of Hometown To The World: Season 1, Ep 6: Hometown to the World: Discovering Postville Season 2, Ep 9: America Is Impossible Without Us Season 3, Ep 3: Responding to the World Season 3, Ep 8: Bridging Communities with Carmen Flórez-Mansi Season 4, Ep 1: This Doesn't Happen Without Audience; The Hometown to the World Premiere Season 4, Ep 2: Influence and Inclusion: The Impact of Hometown to the World with Youth Chorus Season 4, Ep 8: Hometown to the World Debuts on Broadway Hear the evolution of This Little Light of Mine: Season 2, Ep 7: Mother of a Movement: This Little Light of Mine BONUS: Is This America?  Season 3, Ep 4: Singing A Call to Action: Is This America?  Season 3, Ep 5: Making a Choice With Conviction: A conversation with Jeri Lynne Johnson Season 3, Ep 6: Building a Better Society with Florida International University Music Students Season 3, Ep 7: Lighting a Fire: The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer Season 4, Ep 6: A Day in the Life Before a World Premiere Season 4, Ep 7: Telling Hard Truths FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Kristin Ditlow James Flora MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE IMSLP - Petrucci Music Library for scores in public domain Apprentice Program for Singers | Santa Fe Opera Cold Mountain | Santa Fe Opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs | Santa Fe Opera Hometown to the World | Santa Fe Opera This Little Light Of Mine | Santa Fe Opera Der Rosenkavalier | Santa Fe Opera The Turn Of The Screw | Santa Fe Opera Die Walküre | Santa Fe Opera La bohème | Santa Fe Opera Rigoletto | Santa Fe Opera A Midsummer Night's Dream | Santa Fe Opera Little Women | UNM Opera Oberlin Conservatory of Music Westminster Choir College Boston Symphony Opera BSO | Tanglewood San Francisco Opera | Merola Opera Program Arizona Opera The Glimmerglass Festival Pittsburgh Opera Central City Opera Kentucky Opera Metropolitan Opera This is Spinal Tap New Jersey Opera Theater Opera Steamboat The Three Feathers Benjamin Britten Star Wars Psycho Opera Company of Middlebury *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

Coming up on the next episode of Key Change... the trajectory of an opera career from academia to the main stage with musicians & opera educators Jamie Flora and Kirstin Ditlow. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

We love an encore! And this one's got it all: audition trends, futurecasting, and pragmatic advice for young opera talent. Key Change co-hosts Anna Garcia and Olga Perez Flora also serve up plenty of musical memories, behind-the-scenes intel, and a little love for the Santa Fe Opera as a venue as they continue their visit with Chandler Johnson. When we last met Chandler, he had introduced us to career paths less traveled. "There's more to this business than just singing," he continues. Chandler knows this truth better than most. After discovering opera in his early teens, he pivoted from singing to arts administration. Chandler credits his years spent auditioning and performing for exposing him to career opportunities beyond the stage.  "Singing was my path to get to this place," he confides, before launching into an impressive list of creative, collaborative opportunities within the opera ecosystem. "You can go into development, marketing and PR, media and AV. You can go into costuming and set design," he says, adding, "Having the experience of being a singer informs where you pivot in your life and in this art form." As for the art form in question, Chandler is not one to tinker with what works. "I wouldn't change anything about opera. I truly love the glitz, the glamor, the opulence, the stories, the chaos. I love it all!" he muses before offering one final piece of advice. "We just have to keep doing good art––keep doing good opera!––and the people will come."  KEY CHANGE RECOMMENDED PLAYLIST Taking Care of the Art with Chandler Johnson What's Opera to a Bunch of High School Students? Young Voices, "The New Crop" Harmony in Process: The Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera with Amy "Process" Owens FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Chandler Johnson, Director, Apprentice Program For Singers | Santa Fe Opera MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Apprentice Program For Singers | Santa Fe Opera Preview Dinners | Santa Fe Opera University Of New Mexico Opera Theatre | UNM Music Department Cincinnati Opera The Maryland State Boychoir Atlanta Public Schools Choir The Baltimore County Honor Choir Leontyne Price  Messa di requiem | Giuseppe Verdi The Defiant Requiem Foundation Fach System Rigoletto Lohengrin Verdi's Macbeth  Berlin State Opera Bavarian State Opera *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

Pop quiz: Name an opera training initiative that creates space for self-discovery, serious fun, and a bit of Broadway adoration. Spoiler alert: there's only one answer. On this episode of Key Change, co-hosts Anna Garcia and Olga Perez Flora get to know Chandler Johnson, Director of Santa Fe Opera's Apprentice Program for Singers, and uncover what early-career singers selected for this internationally acclaimed program can expect from their 13 weeks in the desert.  "It's a pressure cooker!" exclaims Chandler of the four-month-long apprenticeship, initially developed by John Crosby, founder of the Santa Fe Opera. How prestigious is the program, you might ask? We did the math. Out of a thousand applicants, less than 5% have a chance of making it in. That's 36-46 participants annually. And once those folks are accepted? They're met with a 360º view of the industry including an intense rehearsal regime, mainstage experience, individual scene recitals, donor events, and off-campus performances. Chandler's circuitous route to Apprentice Program director includes five different administrative titles at Santa Fe Opera alone, proving that the stage isn't the only avenue to an illustrious career (although he's got some amazing performance credits to his name). "I still sing for fun," he says. "My roots were church music, musical theater, R & B, that kind of stuff. And, I'm always singing along to my favorite pop girlies."  Now, he's happy to guide the next generation of talent, offering honest assessment and encouragement in equal measure. "I've had some singers come back and be, like, that one thing you said to me, that really changed the trajectory." KEY CHANGE RECOMMENDED PLAYLIST Season 2, Episode 8: Gender is Not Genre: Women in Opera - featuring Susanne Sheston, Santa Fe Opera Chorus Master FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Chandler Johnson, Director, Apprentice Program For Singers | Santa Fe Opera MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Apprentice Program For Singers | Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program For Technicians | Santa Fe Opera Young Artists Program | Chautauqua Opera The Glimmerglass Festival Opera Santa Barbara Jessica Vosk Kathryn Henry Lina González-Granados | LA Opera Duke Kim *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

Audition trends, career pivots, and pragmatic advice for young opera talent... It's all coming up in our 2-part series of Key Change with Chandler Johnson, Director of the world renknowned Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers. *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

Bet you didn't know that nurturing the next generation of opera performers, technicians, and enthusiasts begins in classrooms. Join Key Change co-hosts Anna Garcia and Olga Perez Flora on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Santa Fe Opera Department of Community Engagement and Education, featuring guest appearances by Season 5 favorites Charles Gamble, Director of Community Engagement, and Marissa Aurora, Community Engagement Liaison, plus new friend Olivia Dorrell, Administrative Coordinator.  "We're all moved by the extraordinary pageantry, music, and movement of opera," says Charles. "I'll be honest with you, though; the thing that most excites me is the process of being able to engage in that process with young humans and watching them do the heavy lifting of being artists."  Santa Fe Opera's myriad school programs and summer camps introduce children as young as three to the collaborative spirit of opera, while professional development workshops help teachers use opera to facilitate learning. Internships provide an essential point of entry for college-aged talent. "It's been really rewarding to see and hear from the students how it's opening their world to a lot of career paths that they didn't think were possible in New Mexico," says Marissa. Other initiatives like volunteer opportunities, the Pueblo Opera Cultura Council, and the Pueblo Opera Program ensure that Santa Fe continues to be a welcoming environment for all. Oliva agrees. "It's always lovely to welcome so many patrons to the preview dinners, some seasoned opera-goers and some attending the opera for the first time." FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE Charles Gamble, Director Of Community Engagement  Marissa Aurora, Community Engagement Liaison Olivia Dorrell, Administrative Coordinator MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Opera Storytellers Summer Camp | Santa Fe Opera Pueblo Opera Program | Santa Fe Opera Pueblo Opera Cultural Council | Santa Fe Opera ALTO: Arts Integration | Santa Fe Opera Guilds Of Santa Fe Opera, Inc Opera Theatre | University Of New Mexico Albuquerque Academy Northern New Mexico College The Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts Lucio Silla 2005 | Santa Fe Opera Der Rosenkavalier | Santa Fe Opera The Turn of the Screw | Santa Fe Opera Die Walküre | Santa Fe Opera La bohème | Santa Fe Opera KEY CHANGE RECOMMENDED PLAYLIST An Opportunity to Encounter Excellence (and Big News!) Making Learning Sticky: Creative Compassion for Kids & Educators Through Opera with Charles Gamble Harmony in Process: The Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera with Amy "Process" Owens What's Opera to a Bunch of High School Students? Young Voices, "The New Crop" Story With Purpose: The Origin of the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council with Renee Roybal and Claudene A. Martinez Spark of Imagination: Generations of the Pueblo Opera Program with Sonja & Seth Martinez From Gardening to Greeting Guests, Volunteers Run the World! with Marissa Aurora, Artist & Volunteer Liaison *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

What is the minimum age you have to be to start training at the Santa Fe Opera? What are 3 ways you can volunteer at the Santa Fe Opera? What secret do we reveal on Season 6, Episode 2 about our new Director of Community Engagement, Charles Gamble? *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.

What do disco naps, pantsuits, and chili preferences have to do with life at the opera? If you're new to the art form in general and Key Change specifically, welcome! And don't worry, all will be revealed. To our returning fans, a hearty welcome back! We're excited to share another season and a fresh focus with you. Back to that opening inquiry... "I was thinking it would be really great if we did a lightning round together where we got to know a little bit more about each other and about what's coming up this season," explains Olga, making her official debut as Key Change co-host, alongside three-season veteran Anna Garcia. Their answers reveal a lesser-known fact about opera: it's more approachable and playful than newcomers might think.  This season, we're pulling back the curtain further on accessibility via Santa Fe Opera's brand new partnership with the University of New Mexico Department of Music. But we haven't abandoned new works or the original mission of Opera For All Voices (the initiative that launched this podcast). Instead, Key Change is momentarily adjusting its spotlight to focus on the development and evolution of new voices. "I've loved learning about the process of the artists, teams, our community members, our teaching artists, and administrative staff," says Anna of this season. "Everybody has their origin story, and I think our audience really wants to hear that aspect. It's kind of like the backstage of opera." Change is key, as we like to say. We're glad you're along for the ride.  "CATCHING UP ON KEY CHANGE" RECOMMENDED PLAYLIST Season 1 Episode 1: Setting the Stage: New beginnings, heightened expectations, the heart of opera, and the Santa Fe of it Episode 5: Other Duties As Assigned: The role of education & community outreach in opera companies  Season 4 Episode 6: A Day in the Life Before a World Premiere Episode 7: Telling Hard Truths Episode 8: Hometown to the World Debuts on Broadway Season 5 Episode 3: Harmony in Process: The Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera with Amy "Process" Owens  Episode 8: An Opportunity to Encounter Excellence (and Big News!)  *** Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera, Department of Community Engagement & Education. Share your favorite opera moments and questions with Community Engagement: [email protected] Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios Hosted by Anna Garcia & Olga Perez Flora Audio Engineering: Collin Ungerleider & Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Production Support from Alex Riegler Show Notes by Lisa Widder Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello Cover art by Dylan Crouch This podcast is made possible due to the generous support of the Hankins Foundation, Principal Education Sponsor of the Santa Fe Opera. To learn more, visit SantaFeOpera.org/KeyChange.