07: The View From 20,000 Feet: An interview with General Director Charles MacKay

Key Change: Creating Opera for All Voices

All the way back in episode 01, we began this season in New York City, celebrating the career of Charles MacKay, who has been the General Director of the Santa Fe Opera since 2008.

Charles is a known visionary in the opera industry who has given opportunities to countless new artists, musicians, and administrators during his 50-year tenure.

His artistic leadership has furthered The Santa Fe Opera’s tradition of bold and innovative repertory with the commission of five mainstage world premieres – including Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain in 2015 and Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs in 2017.

In this episode, Brandon has an exclusive and thoughtful conversation with Charles as they explore the state of the industry and the future of the art form through the unique lens of opera company leadership.

***

Key Change is a production of The Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Opera For All Voices.

Produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios

Hosts: Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal

Audio Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe

Theme music by Rene Orth with Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano, and Joe Becktell, cello.

Cover art by David Tousley

OFAV Consortium Members: Lyric Opera for Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera.

This podcast is made possible due to the generous funding from the Melville Hankins Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

To learn more about Opera for all voices, visit us at SantaFeOpera.org