Lawrence Rennes will conduct Tea: A Mirror of Soul in its American premiere on July 21. The opera, based on a true story about a doomed love affair between a Japanese monk and a Chinese princess, was first staged at Tokyo's Suntory Hall in 2002 and has since been performed in China, Europe, and New Zealand. The cast includes Haijing Fu, Kelly Kaduce, and Nancy Maultsby.

The company's production of Plat_e, its first staging of a Rameau opera, is directed by Laurent Pelly, based on his Paris Opera production. Jean-Paul Fouch_court makes his company debut as Plat_e; Harry Bickett returns to conduct.

The new Daphne will be staged by Mark Lamos and features Scott MacAllister making his company debut as Apollo.

"I often think of the Santa Fe Opera as a musical elixir, in which we try to blend just the right artistic talents to produce a vintage season" said Gaddes. "We are launching our second half-century with an extension of John Crosby's formula in founding the company—a judicious mix of popular favorites, less frequently performed works, an opera by Richard Strauss, and an important premiere. The 2007 season repertory offers a many-faced exploration of love, with all its exhilaration, complications, and heartbreak."