Benjamin BeilmanDaniel HopeEric KimHaochen ZhangJessica LeeJoseph JohnsonPatrick MessinaShai WosnerSoyeon Kate LeeStefanie Przybylska

Santa Fe Desert Chorale


 
2012 marked the 30th anniversary of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, New Mexico’s first professional choir and now one of the premiere choral ensembles in the United States.  Each summer, and again during the December holiday season, some of the finest singers from the Southwest and around the country come to Santa Fe to rehearse and perform works from the rich choral tradition, as well as new compositions commissioned by the Chorale from a broad range of international composers.

Hear the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in all four Years of Wonder performances below

Monday, August 12, 6:00 PM at The Lensic Performing Arts Center
Years of Wonder, Chorale & Chamber Stars 1 of 4

Wednesday, August 14, 6:00 PM at The Lensic Performing Arts Center
Years of Wonder, Chorale & Chamber Stars 2 of 4

Thursday, August 15, 6:00 PM at The Lensic Performing Arts Center
Years of Wonder, Chorale & Chamber Stars 3 of 4

Monday, August 19, 6:00 PM at The Lensic Performing Arts Center
Years of Wonder, Chorale & Chamber Stars 4 of 4

Founder Lawrence Bandfield conducted the first season in 1983 and established the Desert Chorale as New Mexico’s first professional choir.  A champion of Hispanic music, Mr. Bandfield collaborated with scholars throughout the United States to revive some of the great sacred music that arrived in the Americas via the Spanish Empire.  Not only were Mr. Bandfield and the Desert Chorale instrumental in the preservation of Hispanic music, but they also added to the repertoire with commissions of new music representative of the eclectic cultures of northern New Mexico.

The values that founder Lawrence Bandfield established sustain the Desert Chorale today: diverse repertory performed by the finest professional musicians, an intimate rapport with audience members and supporters, and string relationships within the community of Northern New Mexico, including collaborations with The Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus, Santa Fe New Music, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

Youth education and community outreach remain an important part of the Desert Chorale’s mission and have included All-County Youth Chorus, the Desert Chorale’s Children’s Choir, public lectures, pre-concert lectures, open rehearsals and performances at community events on the Plaza and elsewhere in the city, at schools, and at senior residence communities.  In the summer of 2011, Desert Chorale served as mentors for the choral program of Santa Fe Public Schools’ second annual Summer Music Camp.

National radio broadcasts of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale performances are frequently on Performance Today.  The current recording catalogue includes 14 titles, representing the four talented music directors who have led the ensemble of the course of its history – Mr. Bandfield, Dennis Shrock, Linda Mack, and now Joshua Habermann.