The Santa Fe Opera has appointed five musicians to join the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra at the start of the 2020 Season.

The company announced that after competitive auditions which occurred on-site in August 2019, the ensemble will add Steven Moeckel as its new concertmaster, Margot Schwartz as Assistant principal second violin, Jennifer Best Takeda as Section violin,  Alistair Eng as Assistant principal cello, and Rachel Blumenthal as Second flute/piccolo.

A record-topping 276 applications were received for the various positions which were then winnowed to a select number of invitations for auditions.

“It is with great excitement that we welcome this infusion of new talent. The quality of playing heard throughout the audition process has never been better,” The Santa Fe Opera General Director Robert K. Meya said in a press release. “The musicians selected are of the highest caliber, ensuring that we not only retain the level of excellence our audiences have come to know, but that together we will reach ever-new heights of artistry.”

The  2020 Santa Fe Opera season is set to open on July 3 with “The Barber of Seville”