Where Talent Meets Opportunity: Career Trajectories in Opera with Kristin Ditlow & Jamie Flora

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: agarcia@santafeopera.org 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.