NORTH BY SOUTHWEST
Emily D’Angelo (Dorabella) in Santa Fe Opera’s Così fan tutte
The connection between Santa Fe Opera and the Canadian Opera Company, which goes back to the era of late SFO founder/conductor John Crosby and late COC General Director Richard Bradshaw, has just gotten stronger with the appointment of COC General Director Alexander Neef to a newly created post, as SFO’s Artistic Director.
[Breaking news: Since writing, Neef has been named General Director of Paris Opera beginning in 2021/22, so it remains to be seen if he will continue in his SFO role.] Artists with Canadian connections abounded in four of the five operas at this summer’s, Robert Pomakov in , COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducting , and Camellia Koo designing the costumes in . It would have been all five, but soprano Kirsten MacKinnon withdrew from . I attended “Press Week” during which all five works were staged on consecutive nights.
