Community Calendar

Elysian Nights Gala & Recital
July 16–17, 2026 | Santa Fe
Celebrate the opening of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival season with two nights of music and fine dining. The internationally acclaimed duo of violinist Leonidas Kavakos and pianist Enrico Pace perform an intimate recital on July 16 at St. Francis Auditorium. The following evening, the Elysian Nights Gala at Bishops Lodge features elevated Aegean cuisine, superb wines and cocktails, and a festive gathering in a stunning mountain setting to benefit year-round youth music education curricula and Festival programs.

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.

Free Family Films at Sky Cinemas Midtown presented by City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department

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.

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.

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.

Free Family Films at Sky Cinemas Midtown presented by City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department

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.

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.