Classical music can soothe the moment
The winding down of the classical music of summer can be bittersweet. The Santa Fe Desert Chorale finished its performances this month, with its final event, the Rio Meets Santa Fe gala celebration, on Tuesday. The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival wraps up over the weekend, with the last performance Monday. Fans of the festival also know to watch for the annual free Indian Market Concert — it takes place from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, in St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art.
Art lovers off to gallery openings or an early dinner have been known to stop in their tracks, drawn by the sweet sounds wafting from the auditorium. It’s always a treat, a
moment to let the music surround you, this year with guitarist Robert Capocchi performing Bach, Villa-Lobos, Mertz and Regdondi.
Continuing past this busy market weekend is the Santa Fe Opera season, wrapping up Aug. 24. That means just one more week to enjoy the performances that have engrossed audiences all summer long, set against some of the most spectacular skies seen in years. The lightning storms themselves have been worth the price of admission. And, oh, the music, the performances and the staging — always an incredible combination of story and presentation that makes grand opera so memorable.
Now, we are saying goodbye, but not before thanking the backers, performers and supporters of the art organizations that make our city unique. Few cities the size of Santa Fe could support so many classical organizations; fewer still offer the excellence we sometimes take for granted.
Even for people who don’t attend operas or chamber music performances, there are opportunities to tap into the richness of the music.
Friday, as we mentioned, there will be the free Indian Market concert presented by the Chamber Music Festival, which also opens rehearsals at no charge. Parents take their children to youth concerts — at the opera and the festival — during the summer, introducing them to classical music early and creating traditions that will bring lifelong joy. The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, in addition to its performances, engages in vigorous outreach. It is committed to bringing along a new generation of singers, as well as serving communities that otherwise might not have access to choral music.
In every way, these groups enrich our city and our people. We are fortunate.
Santa Fe is known as an artistic, creative city. We see that in our architecture, public art and, this weekend in particular, in the flood of artistry available because of Santa Fe Indian Market and other events that accompany the world’s largest juried Indian art show.
Bolstering all that visual creativity is the need to make music, to hear music and to let the music fill the moment. Before the summer ends, take time to stop. Listen. Because in Santa Fe, the music will get you, if you let it.