THE CONQUISTADOR (1993)
opera in three acts
Libretto: Don Moreland

First Performance: San Diego Opera, San Diego, CA, Mar. 1, 1997

Set in Mexico, the opera is about Conquistador Don Luis de Carvajal - a devout Catholic and founder of the city of Monterey, Mexico - who is discovered to have had Jewish lineage and is destroyed by the Mexican Inquisition.

“masterful…skillfully uses the orchestra as punctuation and accompaniment. [Fink] sets every word to be understood. He knows how to let the voice operate in its most naturally lyrical way… Best of all, THE CONQUISTADOR is the kind of opera needed to help whet audiences’ appetite for new work.”
- Mark Swed, The Los Angeles Times

“The subject matter of Myron Fink’s new opera is perfectly riveting… The score is expertly crafted, ingeniously orchestrated (words easily audible)… Development is what THE CONQUISTDOR deserves, some discrete trimming, some sharpening, some workshopping: the pertinent subject matter alone should guarantee the opera’s future.”
- The London Times

"a satisfying experience -- memorable for the occasion, the lush production, the singers and the score. . . .the production is one of San Diego Opera's best. . . Future works in the [North American Voices] project will have a new standard to measure against."
- North County Times

"a magnificent production . . . a remarkable orchestrator . . . a profound impact" San Diego - Jewish Press Heritage