Little Carver Theatre to Premiere Nathan Felix’s ‘El Conquistador’

By David Salazar

Little Carver Theatre in San Antonio, Texas is set to present “El Conquistador,” a new opera by composer Nathan Felix.

The 75-minute work explores the life of Hernán Cortés and his conquest of Tenochtitlan. It also explores the life and impact of La Malinche,” an enslaved Indigenous girl who became Hernán Cortés’ interpreter and cultural translator. ” The work serves as a prequel to Felix’s “La Malinche.”

“As a hispanic composer, I felt inspired to tell a story of duality that addresses the pain often associated with the mention of Cortés in South Texas and Mexico,” Felix told OperaWire. “I want this opera to spark conversation about our common history in what I see as shifting and surviving.”

Opening on March 2, 2024, the work stars Thomas Soto as Cortés, Celeste Morales as La Malinche, Jeremiah Drake as Moctezuma, Kim Sandoval as Catalina Suarez Marcyda, and Emily Anderson as Diego Velásquez de Cuéllar.

Nieves Villasenor conducts an ensemble featuring violinist Jose Irizarry, violist Ptotia Furlow, cellist Stephen Young, and choral singers Steph Huskin, Laura Grindle, Kelly Vix-Miller and Christiana Davis.

Categories

IndieOpera