UTSA scholar writes opera about San Pedro Creek
John Phillip Santos wrote opera about San Pedro Creek's legacy
(September 6, 2016) -- John Phillip Santos, a distinguished scholar at The University of Texas at San Antonio Honors College, has used his expertise about mestizo cultural studies and San Antonio history to write an opera that shares the story of San Pedro Creek’s legacy in the city.
The first act of the opera, titled Las Fundaciones de Béjar, will be performed at the groundbreaking of the first phase of the San Pedro Creek Improvements project.
“I collaborated with historians and designers on the San Pedro Creek project,” said Santos. “What emerged is a mythic narrative of the creek which is an important feature of the city and its history.”
Santos said his expertise teaching several seminars at UTSA helped him get involved with the project.
“I was not familiar with writing an opera but already had a narrative of the creek ready to go,” he said.
Santos got composer Julian Gonzalez involved with this historic project. The two have been collaborating with Opera San Antonio since late May.
“The opera is a chance to tell what is unique about the San Antonio legacy,” said Santos. “This is a mythic telling of the history and origins of San Antonio; it is not a reenactment.”
Las Fundaciones de Béjar will be performed on Thursday, September 8, 2016 at Fox Tech High School Football Field in conjunction with a groundbreaking ceremony for the San Pedro Creek project.
Santos was the first Latino Rhodes Scholar in the United States and was appointed to the UTSA Honors College as a University Distinguished Scholar in Mestizo Cultural Studies.
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