A brand-new opera is having its world premiere on Saturday March 2, 2024, at the Little Carver Theater. Composer Nathan Felix and the cast of "El Conquistador" joined us at TPR's studios to perform some of the music and talk about it live on KPAC 88.3 FM.
Says Felix, "I wanted to delve into [Hernán] Cortés and his encounters with Montezuma." It's a story that flows in the DNA of many San Antonians.
Talking about putting on a new opera, tenor Thomas Soto points out, "It's a little more challenging than some that are already together because you don't have any reference—you've got to make it your own."
Soprano Celeste Morales says, "There's not many Spanish operas being done. It's a Romantic language; we have a lot of passion in our language.... It's special, because it's what a lot of us grew up with."
Use the audio player at the top of this story to hear an exclusive live performance of excerpts from the opera.
GUESTS:
Nathan Felix, composer; Ernie Ramirez, Carver Center
Celeste Morales, Soprano; Thomas Soto, tenor; Emily Anderson, mezzo; Wesley Freeland, pianist
World Premiere Opera: "El Conquistador"
8:00 p.m. Saturday March 2, Little Carver Theater
