Santa Fe (New Mexico) hear · Hear in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
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Hear in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Hear in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Santa Fe is an important center for music and musical groups, the most illustrious of which is the Santa Fe Opera . The opera house is on US 285 on the north side of town and is partially "open air," so that opera goers get attractive views of the Jemez Mountains near Los Alamos as an additional backdrop to what's on stage. The Santa Fe Opera is known around the world for staging American and even world premieres of new works, the operas of Richard Strauss, and promising new artists on their way up (and, to be fair, one or two aging superstars each season who are on their way down, not up). Opera season is the summer, with opening night (tickets are almost impossible to get) usually around July 1 and the last performances in mid-August. (Bring a light jacket/wrap and an umbrella to the later performances; the open-air nature of the house can make August performances nippy and drippy, although seats are protected from the rain.) Many performances sell out well in advance, so book early. (KHFM radio, frequency 95.5 MHz, airs a "ticket exchange" that may be helpful in finding tickets to sold-out performances, if you find yourself in town on the spur of the moment during opera season; they currently stream their broadcast on-line at , so you can check the ticket exchange even before you arrive.) People-watching here can be as much fun as the opera itself; you'll see folks in the most expensive formal wear sitting next to others in jeans, which is typical of Santa Fe. Dressing up at least a little from jeans is a good idea, though. Pre-performance "tailgate dinners" in the parking lot, as though you were attending a football game or such, are part of the tradition and color; you can bring your own, or see under "Eat/Other/Splurge" below.
Other important musical/performing-arts venues in town are:
Armory for the Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail; mainly theater.
GiG, 1808 Second St., +1 505 989-8442, , a spinoff (they describe themselves as a "stepchild") of the Jazz Festival; coffee-house environment with jazz, folk music, etc.
Greer Garson Theatre, 1600 St. Michael's Drive, +1 505 473-6511. On the campus of the College of Santa Fe ; visit the web site to see what's playing there. Comfortable, with good acoustics.
James A. Little Theater, 1060 Cerrillos Road. On the campus of the New Mexico School for the Deaf, remarkably enough.
Lensic Performing Arts Center, 225 W. San Francisco Street, box-office phone +1 505 988-1234. A converted movie theater with a pleasant atmosphere. As with most downtown sites, parking can be a pain, but there is a parking garage a block west that's usually OK in the evening.
Paolo Soleri Theater, 1501 Cerrillos Road, +1 505 989-6300. An outdoor amphitheater at the Santa Fe Indian School, popular for events in spring, summer and fall.
St. Francis Auditorium, at the New Mexico Museum of Art (see above).
In addition, many churches host concerts of various kinds, among them St. Francis Cathedral and the Santuario de Guadalupe downtown, and the remarkable Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Community far out on the south side of town (11 College Avenue) -- extraordinary acoustics at the latter.
Some of the musical groups using these spaces are:
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet . A professional ballet company that splits its time between Santa Fe and Aspen, Colorado. Three or four performances a year, usually at the Lensic.
Juan Siddi Flamenco Theatre Company, . Santa Fe's premier flamenco troupe performing six nights a week June through September.
Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco/Institute for Spanish Arts . Internationally renowned Spanish/flamenco dance and music, they also offer classes (+1 505 955-8562 for class information).
Moving People Dance A contemporary dance company that throws the annual Santa Fe Dance Festival each June.
Musica Antigua de Albuquerque . Many groups based in Albuquerque do performances in Santa Fe as well; this one specializes in music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque, performed with period instruments as well as voices.
MusicOne: The Santa Fe Concert Association . Not a performing group but rather the body that brings in many visiting artists.
Sangre de Cristo Chorale . One of the best of the many "community-based" choral groups drawing on the enormous pool of skilled singers in northern New Mexico. Two repertoires per year (usually Christmas, with a well-regarded dinner concert, and spring), as well as special events throughout the year.
Santa Fe Desert Chorale . Fully professional choral music, with summer and winter programs, including works specifically commissioned for the ensemble.
Santa Fe Pro Musica . Chamber orchestra, multiple performances from September through April.
Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus . Classical and contemporary works performed September through May, including interpretive lectures and occasional youth concerts.
Santa Fe Women's Ensemble . A 12-voice choral group, performances Christmas and spring.
Serenata of Santa Fe. Yet another choral group with a September-to-May schedule.
There are others; if you hear one you like, add it.
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Santa Fe (New Mexico) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.