Lili Elbe: Art, Life and Opera

Join the Santa Fe Opera in celebration of the American premiere of Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman’s Lili Elbe on August 1. Set in Copenhagen and Paris, Lili Elbe is a two-act opera based on the true story of a Danish landscape painter who was one of the first transgender women to undergo gender affirmation surgery in the early 20th century, with the support of her wife, artist Gerda Wegener. Recipient of the 2023 OPER! Award for “Best World Premiere,” Lili Elbe is the first full-scale opera about a transgender protagonist and written for a transgender singer, former Santa Fe Opera Apprentice, Lucia Lucas, in the title role.

This all-day event kicks off with a talk by the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, followed by a panel with the creative team of the opera, including composer Tobias Picker, librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman, director James Robinson, set designer Allen Moyer, and performances by singers Lucia Lucas (Lili Elbe) and Sylvia D’Eramo (Gerda Wegener). The day ends with a panel of scholars reflecting on the life of Lili Elbe, the paintings of Lili and her wife, Gerda Wegener, and the gender fluidity of the operatic voice.

Transgender Cultural Fluency (10 am – 10:30 am). Adrien Lawyer, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico
Panel: Featuring the Creative Team of Lili Elbe (11 am – 1 pm). Moderated by Alexis Corbin of KHFM. Panelists: Tobias Picker, Aryeh Lev Stollman, Lucia Lucas, Sylvia D’Eramo, James Robinson, Allen Moyer
Panel: Scholars Respond to Lili Elbe (2 pm – 3:30 pm)
Panelists:

• Pamela Caughie (Loyola University Chicago) Editor of Lili Elbe’s autobiography, Man Into Woman: A Comparative Scholarly Edition
• Kirstin Ringelberg (Elon University) on the paintings of Lili Elbe & Gerda Wegener
• Sasha Geffen author of Glitter Up the Dark: How Pop Music Broke the Binary

Edward and Maria Gale, Presenting Sponsors