| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Contact: Helen Pinch, Performance Santa Fe Phone: (505) 984 8759 Email: hpinch@performancesantafe.org Promotional Photos Full Press Release |
Northern New Mexico’s longest running concert presenter brings 23 performances of the world’s best music, dance, and theater to Santa Fe, with a focus on immersive experiences, community participation, collaborations, and special events.
April 18, 2023, Santa Fe, New Mexico— Performance Santa Fe announces its 2023–2024 season, which runs from July 28, 2023 to May 12, 2024, and features 23 performances of music, dance, and theater at five venues across Santa Fe.
Of the season’s unique offerings, Executive + Artistic Director Amy Iwano says: “Performance Santa Fe’s 2023-24 season brings not only exceptional artists but also out-of-the-ordinary artistic experiences to Santa Fe. Several of the performances happen in non-traditional concert settings, and audiences will have the opportunity to be fully immersed in the performance. It will be an unforgettable season full of special and unique experiences.”
The organization also announces a new special events series, titled Creative Connections. The series is intended to connect audiences with work being presented on the concert stage. Speaking about the new series, Iwano says: “Our new Creative Connections events amplify our performances with opportunities to meet the artists and get closer to the art by learning more about their programs.”
Performance Santa Fe welcomes a record number of program partners for its 23–24 season. Of the new relationships forged through artistic programming, Iwano says: “Collaborations are an important element to the new season. We strive to form meaningful partnerships with a diverse array of organizations to make our offerings more exciting, inclusive, and relevant to our community. We are happy to welcome a record number of program partners in our 87th year.”
Performance Debuts
This season welcomes new performers and productions to the city of Santa Fe and the state of New Mexico.
Making New Mexico performance debuts are singers Huw Montague Rendall, Samantha Hankey, Robert Watson, Lauren Snouffer, and Rolando Villazón; trumpet player, composer, and bandleader Arturo Sandoval; soprano Camilla Tilling; pianist Benjamin Grosvenor; viola da gambist Jordi Savall with early music ensemble Hespèrion XXI; and the Isidore String Quartet.
Productions being staged for the first time in New Mexico as part of the 23–24 season are Matthew Duvall and Matthew Burtner’s Transient Landscapes; Bill Barclay’s Secret Byrd with the Gesualdo Six and Abendmusik; Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein; and Indigenous Performance Productions’ The Aunties.
Making its world debut on Performance Santa Fe’s 23–24 season is Bill Barclay and Bjarte Eike’s Winter Wassail, a co-production of Music Before 1800.
Ticketing Information
April 24–May 26: Subscriptions on sale to 22–23 season subscribers and Annual Fund members
May 1–26: Subscriptions on sale to all
May 31–June 2: Annual Fund member presale days (for single tickets)
June 6: Single tickets on sale
To purchase subscriptions, download, fill out, and return a Subscription Order Form to Performance Santa Fe by May 26, or call the Performance Santa Fe Box Office at 505 984 8759. Visit www.PerformanceSantaFe.org/Subscriptions for more information.
To purchase single tickets, visit www.PerformanceSantaFe.org beginning June 6.
Performance Santa Fe is offering season subscriptions at the following discounted rates:
15+ performance package: save 25%
10–14 performance package: save 20%
5–9 performance package: save 10%
Due to rising costs, Performance Santa Fe is instituting a 4$ per ticket Box Office fee beginning in the 23–24 season. Patrons who purchase their subscription by May 26 will have this fee waived.
About the Season
Stars of American Ballet
Friday, July 28 | 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 29 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$125, $105, $85, $65, $40
- What happens when the legendary Daniel Ulbricht takes New York City’s best dancers on the road? Santa Fe knows the answer— two magical nights of performance by Stars of American Ballet! Praised by The Boston Globe as “An unapologetic showcase of virtuosity,” Stars of American Ballet brings together today’s most remarkable ballet talents. Led by Daniel Ulbricht and featuring a cast of principal and soloist dancers from the New York City Ballet and other renowned companies, this collective returns with two unforgettable programs.
July 28 performance is presented through the support of Timothy and Mary Mitchell and Cynthia and Alan Coleman
July 29 performance is presented through the support of Linda Cohen in loving memory of James Cohen
10th Anniversary of Festival of Song
Now in its 10th year, Festival of Song presents stars of the opera world in intimate recitals at the Scottish Rite Temple. All performances are followed by a reception in the Grand Ballroom where you are invited to meet the artists.
10th Anniversary of Festival of Song is presented through the support of Bruce Donnell and in collaboration with the Santa Fe Opera
Samantha Hankey and Huw Montague-Rendall
with Robert Tweten, piano
Sunday, July 30 | 4 pm
Scottish Rite Temple
$95, $75, $45
- Festival of Song returns! Performance Santa Fe opens the series with an enchanting recital by baritone Huw Montague Rendall and mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey, the leads of the Santa Fe Opera’s Pelléas et Mélisande. Making their SFO debut this summer, these are two of the most exciting talents of opera today.
Huw Montague Rendall and Samantha Hankey–New Mexico recital debuts
Ailyn Pérez and Robert Watson
with Robert Tweten, piano
Sunday, August 6 | 4 pm
Scottish Rite Temple
$95, $75, $45
- The second installment of Festival of Song brings together the “meltingly beautiful” soprano Ailyn Pérez and the “well-wrought” tenor Robert Watson (San Francisco Examiner; Dallas Morning News). These two formidable artists will appear in the Santa Fe Opera’s 2023 production of Dvořák’s Rusalka as Rusalka and The Prince. They present afternoon of powerful artistry and song.
Robert Watson–New Mexico recital debut
Lauren Snouffer and Rolando Villazón
with Robert Tweten, piano
Sunday, August 13 | 4 pm
Scottish Rite Temple
$95, $75, $45
- Two inventive singers unite at the Scottish Rite Temple to close the 10th Anniversary of Festival of Song: Lauren Snouffer and Rolando Villazón. Snouffer, one of the most versatile and respected sopranos on the international stage, will open the Santa Fe Opera’s Orfeo as La Musica. We also welcome the production’s Orfeo, legendary tenor and Renaissance man Rolando Villazón, praised the world over as “the most charming of today’s divos” (The Times). The final Festival of Song celebrates the voices of these critically acclaimed artists.
Lauren Snouffer and Rolando Villazón–New Mexico recital debuts
Transient Landscapes
Saturday, September 16 | 6 pm
St. John’s College Activities Field
$49
- Experience the sound of an Alaskan glacier in Transient Landscapes, an extraordinary, fully immersive live performance installation created by composer Matthew Burtner and percussionist Matthew Duvall. Featuring percussion, keyboards, voice, and field recordings of Alaska’s Matanuska Glacier, Transient Landscapes explores a performative means of remapping climate change into sound. In Burtner’s own words, “this work confronts the transience of interconnected and human-altered landscapes… in which glacial melt becomes flood water on the other side of the world.” Join us for this monumental, once-in-a-lifetime sonic experience! Transient Landscapes will be performed outdoors.
New Mexico production debut
Presented in partnership with St. John’s College and Santa Fe Desert Chorale
This production is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein
Tuesday, September 26 | 7:30 pm | Lensic Performing Arts Center
$115, $95, $75, $55, $35
- Love, loss, and creation merge in unexpected ways as Manual Cinema presents its thrilling version of the Gothic tale Frankenstein. In this groundbreaking production, Manual Cinema stitches together shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, sound effects, and live music to tell the tale of Frankenstein, his monster, and the biography of author Mary Shelley. The result is an unexpected lesson about the beauty and horror of creation, exposing how family, community, and education shape personhood – or destroy it by their absence. Manual Cinema electrifies Mary Shelley’s timeless novel for a new generation.
New Mexico production debut
Arturo Sandoval
Tuesday, October 3 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$115, $95, $75, $55, $35
- Much more than a virtuosic trumpeter, Cuban American Arturo Sandoval has won 10 Grammy awards for his vivacious and dynamic compositions, led bands on tours around the globe, won an Emmy for his film scoring, and wrote a book about his experience as a protégé of Dizzy Gillespie. His music has, time and time again, pushed jazz and Latin music to new heights. This concert will feature selections from Sandoval’s most recent album Rhythm and Soul (2022) and promises to be an exhilarating night of masterful music.
New Mexico performance debut
Arturo Sandoval is presented through the support of Cherie and Michael Gamble
Camilla Tilling, soprano, and Emanuel Ax, piano
Jenny Lind: Love and Lieder
Wednesday, October 25 | 7:30 pm
Cristo Rey Church
$115, $95, $75, $55, $35
- Jenny Lind, (1820–1887), known as the ‘Swedish Nightingale,’ was the reigning soprano of her day. A truly larger than life figure, Jenny counted among her friends Felix Mendelssohn and P.T. Barnum and garnered the admiration of all who heard her sing, including Hans Christian Andersen and Queen Victoria. Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling revisits her career with collaborative pianist Emanuel Ax, embarking on a touching journey through the lesser known and documented final 30 years of Jenny’s life during which her focus shifted from the world of opera to the art of song and Lieder.
- The program will include works by Mendelssohn, Chopin, and R. Schumann
Camilla Tilling–New Mexico performance debut
Secret Byrd
Tuesday, November 14 + Wednesday, November 15 | 7:30 pm
Scottish Rite Temple
Featuring The Gesualdo Six + Abendmusik
An immersive staged mass celebrating the 400-year legacy of William Byrd
Created and directed by Bill Barclay
- England’s finest Renaissance composer was a covert Catholic facing brutal prosecution in the English Reformation. Nonetheless, he persisted, composing clandestine services for worshippers who risked everything for their faith. Hear Byrd’s divine Mass for Five Voices as he intended: sung one-on-a-part in strictest secrecy. This unique concert experience theatrically places the audience in the center of a conversation around freedom of belief today. Featuring The Gesualdo Six, the renowned British singers taking the world by storm, and Abendmusik viol consort from NYC. Commissioned by St Martin in the Fields and Washington National Cathedral for Byrd400.
New Mexico production debut
Presented through the support of three anonymous donors
Jessica Vosk
Friday, December 1 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$105, $85, $65, $55, $25
- The Broadway star makes her return to Santa Fe! Following her rapturously received Santa Fe debut in 2022, Jessica Vosk leads us on another journey of song and celebration. The world first met Jessica when she blew into the Kennedy Center with the national tour of Wicked in the role of Elphaba. Since then, Jessica has toured across the United States, bringing her formidable talent to concert halls from Boston to the Bay Area. She will perform selections from her favorite artists alongside holiday classics in a show that promises fun for the whole family!
This performance will take place as a part of Performance Santa Fe’s Winter Gala
Winter Wassail
Friday, December 15 | 7:30 pm
Scottish Rite Temple
$125, $85
A new Baroque tradition
By Steven Player, with Bjarte Eike, violin, and Emi Ferguson, flute and voice
Directed by Bill Barclay
Featuring Barokksolistene
- From whence comes our American Christmas tradition? Wassailing is ancient – it has variously meant welcoming, drinking, singing along, giving alms, or celebrating them all at once with a special mulled drink: the wassail! The acclaimed nine-piece performance ensemble Barokksolistene leads us on a merry merging of music and myth, creating a vibrant new tradition that deepens our roots to our antic past. Come sing, laugh, and recall a younger time when the nights were long, the frost was deadly, and pagan spirits and holy saints mingled in harmony.
- This performance will include refreshments.
World debut performance
Presented through the support of Leah Gordon
Alash Ensemble
Friday, January 19 | 7:30 pm
St. Francis Auditorium
$75, $50, $25
- Rediscover the human voice! Alash Ensemble are masters of Tuvan throat singing (xöömei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Hailing from the Central Asian Republic of Tuva, this gifted trio has brought the unforgettable voice of their homeland to concert halls across the world. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, they infuse their sound with global styles ranging from jazz to pop to hip-hop, crafting an inventive blend like nothing else.
Santa Fe performance debut
The Aunties: Women of the White Shell Water Place
Wednesday, January 24 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$85, $70, $45, $35, $25
Directed by Kendra Potter
Andre Bouchard, Executive Creative Producer
Sean Eve, Associate Producer
Featuring Nora Naranjo Morse (Santa Clara Pueblo), Deborah Taffa (Yuma Kwaa-Tsaan/Laguna Pueblo), and Laura Tohe (Diné)
- The Aunties: Women of the White Shell Water Place is a multimedia storytelling experience conceived and created by Indigenous Performance Productions. Featuring three Native American matriarchs from Northern New Mexico, The Aunties cultivates a space for these remarkable individuals to tell the stories of their lives. Join us as we celebrate these Aunties through an evening of shared storytelling, music, and multimedia arts, collectively reflecting on their pasts as we look towards the future.
- This performance includes a talkback presented by the School for Advanced Research (SAR).
- Presented in partnership with Institute of American Indian Arts and the School for Advanced Research
New Mexico production debut
Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra
Saturday, February 10 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$115, $95, $75, $55, $35
- NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis brings the soul of New Orleans to Santa Fe! The Marsalis family are the most celebrated ambassadors of New Orleans’ unique jazz heritage. Following a decorated career as a sideman in bands with jazz legends like Ray Charles, Art Blakey, and Elvin Jones, Delfeayo formed his own band—the Uptown Jazz Orchestra. Playing a mix of original compositions and classic jazz songs, this lively band emphasizes important jazz traditions like riff playing and spontaneous arrangements. Celebrate Mardi Gras in style with the Uptown Jazz Orchestra!
This performance will take place as part of the 2024 Art + Sol Winter Arts Festival
Delfeayo Marsalis is presented through the support of Elaine and Michael Brown
Giordano Dance Chicago
Wednesday, February 21 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$115, $95, $75, $55, $35
- Feel the radiance of Giordano Dance Chicago! America’s original jazz dance company return to Santa Fe for a night of timeless dance performance. From its origins in the family-run studio of Gus Giordano, the godfather of jazz dance, to its current incarnation as a professional organization with over 60 years of worldwide performance history, Giordano Dance Chicago’s imprint on the art form of jazz dance is profound and far-reaching. The company’s new works continually expand the boundaries of jazz and contemporary dance, stunning audiences across the globe.
Giordano Dance Chicago is presented through the support of Mary and Timothy Mitchell and Cherie and Michael Gamble
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
Wednesday, March 6 | 7:30 pm
St. Francis Auditorium
$65, $35, $95
- Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor is truly “one in a million” (The Independent). He first achieved prominence in 2004 as the youngest-ever winner of the keyboard section of the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year Competition at age 11. Now a storied performer of international acclaim, he has taken his place as one of today’s most exceptional musicians, whose virtuosic interpretations are underpinned by a unique balance of technical mastery and intense musicality. Benjamin Grosvenor will perform gorgeous selections from Lizst and Chopin, with an enthralling twentieth-century twist from Soviet-Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina.
Gubaidulina: Chaconne (1962)
Chopin: Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35
Listz: Berceuse in D-flat Major, S. 174
Listz: Sonata in B minor, S. 178
New Mexico performance debut
Benjamin Grosvenor is presented through the support of JS Charitable Trust
Kronos Quartet
Tuesday, March 19 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$115, $95, $75, $55, $35
David Harrington, violin
John Sherba, violin
Hank Dutt, viola
Paul Wiancko, cello
- For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has combined a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience. In the process, they have created 70 critically acclaimed recordings, collaborated with visionary artists and composers, and performed thousands of concerts across the globe. to The San Francisco-based ensemble celebrates its 50th anniversary with the KRONOS Five Decades tour, bringing new commissions, signature works from its repertoire, and pieces from Kronos’ Fifty for the Future project to Santa Fe.
Kronos Quartet is presented through the support of Natalie Beller
Kenny Barron, piano, and Regina Carter, violin
Wednesday, April 3 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$115, $95, $75, $55, $35
- Revered innovators of two generations of jazz music join forces for a very special performance: pianist Kenny Barron and violinist Regina Carter. Both Barron and Carter have the distinguished honor of being named NEA Jazz Masters, Barron in 2010 and Carter in 2023. Longtime friends and collaborators, their 2000 recording, Freefall, earned them accolades for its “passion and dynamic feeling… the cohesion and joy of this duo’s music-making is consistent from beginning to end” (Jazz Times). They appear in Santa Fe in celebration of Barron’s 80th birthday.
Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI
Tuesday, April 16 | 7:30 pm
Lensic Performing Arts Center
$115, $95, $75, $55, $35
HESPÈRION XXI
Jordi Savall, Director, viola da gamba soprano e a baja
Xavier Díaz-Latorre, chitarra e tiorba
Andrew Lawrence-King, arpa doppia
Philipe Pierlot, viole da gamba soprano e basso
Xavier Puertas, violone
David Mayoral, percussion
- Be transported to a world of emotion and beauty by the true maestro of the early music movement! For more than 50 years, Jordi Savall, one of the most versatile musical personalities of his generation, has rescued musical gems from obscurity and given them back for all to enjoy. Now, he and his ensemble Hespèrion XXI bring Le Nuove Musiche to Santa Fe. Exploring the music of the Baroque revolution in Europe, this program features works by Giovanni Kapsberger, Emilio de’ Cavalieri, and Andrea Falconiero, performed by six musicians on historical instruments, including Savall himself on viola da gamba.
New Mexico performance debut
Jordi Savall is presented through the support of Leslie Jones and Paul Zeller
Takács Quartet + Julien Labro, bandoneon
Friday, April 19 | 7:30 pm
St. Francis Auditorium
$95, $65, $35
Edward Dusinberre, Harumi Rhodes, violins
Richard O’Neill, viola
András Fejér, cello
- The almost fifty-year legacy of the Takács Quartet is one of constant discovery and rediscovery. The Grammy-award winning group infuses deep richness and fresh insight into each performance, cultivating a “warmth to their sound” (The Washington Post) that makes every concert a treasure. This season, Takács Quartet is joined by bandoneon player Julien Labro for two new commissions by Bryce Dessner and Clarice Assad for quintet. To bring us home, Takács closes the program with Ravel’s String Quartet (1903), the composer’s first masterpiece.
Isidore String Quartet
Sunday, May 12 | 4:00 pm
St. Francis Auditorium
$95, $65, $35
Adrian Steele and Phoenix Avalon, violins
Devin Moore, viola
Joshua McClendon, cello
- Winners of the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2022, the Isidore String Quartet embodies the excitement, dedication, and creativity of young classical musicians today. Named after Isidore Cohen of the Juilliard String Quartet, the Isidore Quartet infuses the repertory with life by approaching the established as if it were brand new and the new as if it were firmly established. Welcome these remarkable musicians for their Santa Fe concert debut, following performances at Alice Tully Hall and the Kennedy Center!
- Isidore String Quartet will be in residence with Performance Santa Fe from May 9–12, working with audiences of all ages.
- Phoenix Avalon, violin, was a participant in Performance Santa Fe’s EPIK Artist Program, which served most technically and musically advanced young musicians in the Santa Fe area. The EPIK Artist Program aided these students by bringing in nationally recognized teachers, sending them to nationally recognized teachers and summer music camps, and awarding scholarships for study outside the state, competition expenses, preparation, videos/CDs, and conservatory application fees.
Haydn: String Quartet in C Major, Op. 20 No. 2
Childs: String Quartet No. 2, Awakening
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132
New Mexico performance debut
Creative Connections Series
Performance Santa Fe’s Creative Connections Series (formerly the Overture Series) offers exciting, interactive experiences to complement the 23–24 performance season. Events include lectures, dinners, artist talks, and more. Venues, prices, and more information to be announced.
Reflections: Arts and the Changing Landscape
A moderated discussion with the creators of Transient Landscapes
Thursday, September 14, 2023 | 5:30 pm | Santa Fe Art Institute
Art Songs/Heart Songs
A fun and friendly preview of Camilla Tilling and Emanuel Ax’s program over dinner with conductor and arts educator Oliver Prezant
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | 5:15 pm
Mass in Secret: The Underground Music of William Byrd
Learn about William Byrd, the master of Renaissance sacred polyphony, with conductor and arts educator Oliver Prezant
Saturday, November 4, 2023 | 10 am
A Celebration of Aunties
Family event with Native American vendors, food, music, and a special presentation from Indigenous Performance Productions
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | 5:30 pm
Tradition and Invention: American Jazz Dance with Nan Giordano
Reception and presentation with Nan Giordano, Artistic Director of Giordano Dance Chicago
Tuesday, February 20, 2024 | 5:30 pm
The Revolutionary Baroque
A pre-concert preview and discussion of Jordi Savall’s program over dinner, featuring author James Keller
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | 5:15 pm
Mother’s Day Brunch with the Isidore String Quartet
Sunday, May 12, 2024 | 11 am
All events are ticketed and open to the public. Prices vary based on event, and programs subject to change.
May 31–June 2: Annual Fund members get early access to the Creative Connections Series during Annual Fund ticket presale days
June 6: Creative Connections tickets on sale to the public
Please note: Tickets to Creative Connections events are sold separately from season subscriptions.
Venues
Cristo Rey Church
1107 Cristo Rey St, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Lensic Performing Arts Center
211 W San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM 87501
St. Francis Auditorium
107 W Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501
St. John’s College Fields
1160 Camino De Cruz Blanca, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Scottish Rite Temple
463 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Program Partners
Performance Santa Fe thanks its program partners for the 2023–2024 season, which include Art + Sol Winter Arts Festival, Indigenous Performance Productions, Institute of American Indian Arts, International Folk Art Market, Music Before 1800, National Dance Institute New Mexico, Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Santa Fe Opera, St. John’s College, Concert Theater Works, and School for Advanced Research.
About Performance Santa Fe
Performance Santa Fe has been bringing the world’s best music, dance, and theater to iconic Santa Fe locations since 1937. The organization upholds excellence in the performing arts and brings joy and enrichment to the community. Alongside its extensive performance season, the organization runs dynamic, exciting, and inclusive educational programs for students in the community. Experience the extraordinary with Performance Santa Fe’s 23–24 season, featuring 23 performances of music, dance, and theater. Learn more at www.PerformanceSantaFe.org. Performance Santa Fe is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Press inquiries: Helen Pinch | hpinch@performancesantafe.org | (505) 984 8759
Tickets or general questions: Eliana O’Brien | eliana@performancesantafe.org | (505) 984 8759
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