Festival News

On Monday, July 29, kids and adults came together to hear the music of Beethoven, performed by Ran Dank, piano, Daniel Phillips, violin, and Eric Kim, cello with arts educator and host Oliver Prezant. Young concert-goers listened to melody, repetition, emotion, and musical conversations between artists. By the end, students were familiar with Beethoven’s Piano Trio, Op. 70, No. 2!

See the video!

This week, you can hear the Verona Quartet—hailed as an “outstanding ensemble of young musicians” by The New York Times—in their first-ever Festival performances!

On July 30 at noon, they present a fascinating, one-hour program that features an early quartet by Mozart (written when he was 17), Britten’s last instrumental work (composed the year before he died), and Verdi’s only string quartet (written while the composer was stranded in Naples after a production of his new opera, Aida, was delayed due to its star falling ill).

Elizabeth Ogonek: Lightenings Strikes Twice!

Both the opening work for the Wednesday, July 24, evening program and the composer who wrote it have a special connection to the Festival.

Lightenings, by Elizabeth Ogonek, was commissioned by the Festival in 2016, and on July 28 of that year, it was given its world premiere in St. Francis Auditorium in the New Mexico Museum of Art—the same wonderfully intimate spot where Wednesday’s concertgoers can experience a special encore performance of the work!

Flutist Tara Helen O’Connor is an in-demand artist around the world—including here in Santa Fe!

O’Connor made her Festival debut in 1993, and she’s returned every season since. Last year, she appeared in the documentary Vibrations in the Air, which the Festival commissioned in honor of its 50th anniversary, and she talked about why she’s been drawn to the City Different for the past 30 years.

We’re so excited about our upcoming Young People’s Concert! The music, the musicians, and our very special audience members! Among our attendees will be friends from Girls, Inc., Children’s Adventure Company, Girl Scouts of New Mexico, Assistance Dogs of the West, and Northern New Mexico Regional Arts Center!

In the world of classical music, few names resonate as profoundly as Yura Lee. With her captivating performances and remarkable technical prowess, Lee has established herself as a violinist of extraordinary talent. We are extremely excited that she is performing at the festival this year!

Praised by The Washington Post for combining “staggering technical prowess, a sense of command and depth of expression,” Li possesses an effortless grace, poised authority, and brilliant virtuosity far beyond his years.

Hi Everyone! This is conductor and arts educator Oliver Prezant, inviting you to join us for a fun and friendly exploration of music for piano trio by Ludwig van Beethoven, featuring Festival artists Ran Dank, piano, Daniel Phillips, violin, and Eric Kim, cello.

The world of opera is seeing a shift, and at the forefront of this change is the acclaimed baritone Will Liverman. Lauded as “a voice for this historic moment” by the Washington Post, Liverman isn’t just a talented singer; he’s a multifaceted artist pushing boundaries and bringing fresh perspectives to the operatic stage.

Toshio Hosokawa is Japan’s leading living composer. Inspired by a birth, Violin Concerto ‘Genesis’ places the violin soloist (Paul Huang) as the human protagonist in a universal drama of finding harmony through conflict. Toshio Hosokawa was born on October 23, 1955 in Hiroshima. He went to West Berlin to study composition with Isang Yun at the Hochschule der Künste in 1976. From 1983 to 1986, he studied with Klaus Huber at the Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg.

These New York City-based virtuosos have carved their name into the world of chamber music, captivating audiences with their artistry and interpretations of a vast repertoire.