I was delighted that Becoming Santa Claus was as happy an experience for The Dallas Opera, which commissioned and introduced it, as it had been for me, and more delighted still when they requested this arrangement of Queen Sophine’s climactic aria to include on the competition list for TDO’s groundbreaking Linda and Mitch Hart Women Conductor’s Institute. The wonderful Eve Gigliotti first sang this arrangement in 2016: Jennifer Rivera, the first and indelible queen (pictured,) reprised it the following year.