Community Calendar

Celebrate Saint Paddy’s Day at our Whisky Hoedown. Raise a glass to the holiday and our award-winning Farmhouse Whisky while enjoying live music from Glorieta Pines. Food and drink specials start at 4 PM.

Hitting the road together for the first time, Jordan Wax and Jake Shulman-Ment draw from many combined decades as bearers and innovators of klezmer and Yiddish song. They masterfully traverse oceans and centuries to conjure ancestral melodies and songs, landing in a playfully genre-bending 21st century America. Their live performance, rich with musical virtuosity as well as the oral history and lore that connects their music to centuries of culture, is a testament to the magic that has sustained secular Yiddish creativity in the face of incredible odds and continues to shed a unique light on the contemporary human condition.

The New Mexico Performing Arts Society is preparing to kick off the spring half of the 2025-2026 season with a chamber concert spotlighting its top-notch featured artists.

Audience members are invited to St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church on Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m. to enjoy a program of romantic and contemporary chamber music for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. Featured artists include three long-time NMPAS musicians—Carla Kountoupes on violin, Sally Guenther on violin, and Natasha Stojanovska on piano—and two emerging artists—Hyorim Kim on flute and Jerry Weimer on clarinet.

The program includes classic works by Philippe Gaubert and Bohuslav Martinů, as well as more contemporary pieces by Michael Heizler, Astor Piazzola, and NMPAS composer Aaron Alter. The full program includes:

Trois Aquarelles for Flute, Cello, and Piano by Philippe Gaubert
Madrigal Sonata for Flute, Violin, and Piano by Bohuslav Martinů
Lied ohne Worte / Song without Words by Michael Heizler
Libertango for Clarinet and Piano by Astor Piazzola
First Time Meeting for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano by Aaron Alter

Admission ranges in price from $24 to $40. Tickets are available for purchase online at nmpas.org/tickets or by calling Hold My Ticket at 877-466-3404. Tickets may also be purchased at the door with cash or check.

More information about performances and tickets can be found on our website, nmpas.org/events.

New Mexico Roots Music Summit – April 19 in Santa Fe

The New Mexico Roots Music Summit will take place Saturday, April 19 at 9:00 a.m. at Queen Bee Music Association in Santa Fe. The event features panels and discussions for independent musicians on topics including touring, songwriting, and career development, along with a community lunch (included in ticket price.)

The day concludes with a public open mic at 3:00 p.m. at El Rey Court, featuring performances by summit participants that the public is welcome to attend.

More information: swrfolkalliance.org

Celebrate 4/20 at High Desert Haze, a psychedelic DJ set from Future Babel on the Tumbleroot patio. Expect deep reggae cuts, stoner hip-hop, and trippy electronic grooves—perfect for a laid-back sunset session in the high desert. Come early for this FREE outdoor set, then head inside for the 7:30 PM Cydeways show (ticketed).

Saturday, April 25, 2026
The Big Sing: 3:00–5:00 PM
Ever belt out your favorite song in the car and think, “I wish I could do this with other people,”? Here’s your chance! Special guest Moira Smiley, a GRAMMY®-nominated singer, composer, and educator, will lead us through an afternoon of music-making that’s as fun as it is freeing.Think of this event as a musical gathering place where everyone is welcome and no preparation is required. Moira will guide you through simple vocal warmups that feel like games, folk songs that’ll get stuck in your head (in the best way), and gorgeous harmonies that you’ll help create. With a string quartet of New Mexico musicians adding their magic to the mix, you’ll be amazed at the sound we can all create.
All ages, all levels, all voices are welcome. That includes yours! Minors must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Seating will be available for all, with occasional invitations to stand as songs come together.

Join us for our biggest community singing event yet!

Moira Smiley & Quartet in Concert: The Rhizome Project
7:00 PM
Moira returns to the stage with four of the finest local string players for a one-night-only performance of “chamber-folk” music, featuring songs from her latest album The Rhizome Project.

“The Rhizome Project celebrates all the powerful ways we are connected, though, like the rhizome roots, those connections may be hidden or forgotten.” – Moira Smiley

Whether you prefer classical chamber music or indie folk tunes, whether you prefer to sit back and enjoy listening or join in the musical fun, this concert is for you!

Discover Europe's Musical Masterpieces

July 12 - August 1, 2026

Journey into the heart of Spain and Italy, where a resplendent world of Renaissance and Early Baroque sounds awaits. Twenty Desert Chorale artists—joined by the early music ensemble Incantare, theorbo, and organ—will transport you to the hallowed halls of grand cathedrals, the mountains and seasides of the Mediterranean, and beyond. Experience the breathtaking polyphony of these sacred and secular works, creating a captivating tapestry of interwoven melodies that will fill you with the same wonder felt by those who first heard these masterworks centuries ago.

Familiar Sights and New Horizons

July 19 - August 2, 2026

Marking our nation’s 250th anniversary, this program celebrates the rich yet comforting sounds of American roots choral music. Twenty-four professional vocalists from across the country will unite to perform fresh compositions by Shawn Kirchner, Moira Smiley, and Shavon Lloyd. These celebrated composers, known for their masterful blending of classical choral traditions with American folk influences, will explore themes of community and belonging. Piano, violin, and cello join the Desert Chorale for Alex Berko’s Sacred Place. This moving piece interweaves the structure of a Jewish service with environmental texts, reflecting on the beautiful world we call home. Rounding out this program is the premiere of Cranes Coming Home by emerging composer Taja Astar, winner of Chicago a cappella’s HerVoice competition. Find your own sense of home within this inspiring evening.

A Sanctuary of Sound

July 23 - 31, 2026

Last performed in 2016, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale is thrilled to continue the tradition of presenting Sergei Rachmaninoff’s profoundly beautiful and deeply spiritual All-Night Vigil (popularly known as Vespers). This cornerstone of choral music consists of fifteen movements of unaccompanied voices creating a cathedral of sound, resonating with both the ancient and the innovative. Composed in less than two weeks in 1915 against the backdrop of war, Rachmaninoff’s masterpiece marries traditional Orthodox chants with his distinctive harmonic language, creating a work of great emotional depth. From the grand opening of “Come, Let Us Worship” to the famous low B-flat descent in “Now Lettest Thou,” the Vespers showcases the full expressive range of the human voice. The Desert Chorale will expand to 32 top-tier professional vocalists to tackle this Herculean work. Whether you’re hearing the Vespers for the first time or revisiting a beloved favorite, this program promises to be an unforgettable journey through what many consider to be the pinnacle of Russian choral music.

Familiar Sights and New Horizons

July 19 - August 2, 2026

Marking our nation’s 250th anniversary, this program celebrates the rich yet comforting sounds of American roots choral music. Twenty-four professional vocalists from across the country will unite to perform fresh compositions by Shawn Kirchner, Moira Smiley, and Shavon Lloyd. These celebrated composers, known for their masterful blending of classical choral traditions with American folk influences, will explore themes of community and belonging. Piano, violin, and cello join the Desert Chorale for Alex Berko’s Sacred Place. This moving piece interweaves the structure of a Jewish service with environmental texts, reflecting on the beautiful world we call home. Rounding out this program is the premiere of Cranes Coming Home by emerging composer Taja Astar, winner of Chicago a cappella’s HerVoice competition. Find your own sense of home within this inspiring evening.