TOP PICKS FOR THE WEEK
The internationally acclaimed Elias String Quartet will play its latest piece as part of its first performance in Santa Fe this afternoon.
The European quartet, formed more than 20 years ago, is bringing its U.S. tour through New Mexico as the last show in Santa Fe Pro Musica’s String Work series.
Aside from pieces from its core repertoire by 19th-century composers Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann — the “centerpiece” of the show is a newly commissioned work by modern composer and violist Sally Beamish. The work, “9 Fragments,” was created to complement the Schumann quartet. Marie Bitlloch, the group’s cellist, said Beamish took inspiration from Schumann’s actual life and his relationship with his wife, Clara.
The Elias String Quartet’s performance is 3 p.m. today at the St. Francis Auditorium in the New Mexico Museum of Art, 107 W. Palace Ave. Tickets are $12-$80 and can be purchased at ticketssantafe.org.
COMEDY WITH CHRIS: Renowned comedian and actor Chris D’Elia is in Santa Fe on Friday as part of his “Follow the Leader” tour.
The show at the Lensic, 211 W. San Francisco, starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35. For $75, audience members can stick around for a meet-and-greet after the show. Purchase at ticketssantafe.org, by phone at 505-988-1234 or the Lensic’s box office. Important note: Cameras and cellphones may not be used during the show. Once the show begins, anyone caught with a cellphone out will be ejected without refund.
Before his Santa Fe show, D’Elia will be in Albuquerque on Thursday night at the KiMO Theater.
LOCAL FAVORITE RETURNS: Also at the Lensic is Nuestra Musica on Saturday, featuring New Mexican folk musicians who have performed regularly throughout the annual concert’s 18-year history.
They include 94-year-old accordion player Antonia Apodaca, with bass player Bernardo Jaramillo and David Garcia on violin; Roberto Mondragón and his band performing regional ballads; Cipriano Vigil alongside his children and grandchildren; and Lone Piñon, young players carrying on the legacy of the local folk styles.
La Sociedad Colonial Español de Santa Fe will perform folklorico dances and the Catholic fraternity group La Confradia de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno will contribute traditional hymns.
Nuestra Musica starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Lensic, 211 W. San Francisco St. Tickets are $10 (free for seniors.) They can be purchased using the same information above.
INTERACTIVE ART: In partnership with nationally recognized indigenous artist Cannupa Hanska Luger, Santa Fe’s Ralph T. Coe Center is holding community workshops to participate in his latest interactive art project. “Function” aims to shed light on the practical uses of clay, as well as unite people through conversation about food, art and their cultural significance. At the workshops (the first one starts Wednesday), participants will learn how to make plates that will then be used at a family-style dinner in the Coe Center Parking Lot, 1590 B Pacheco St., on August 15.
Workshops will be held Wednesday and April 9 at 5 and 7 p.m., and Saturday and April 13 at 2 and 4 p.m. at Santa Fe Clay, 545 Camino de la Familia. Each is limited to 20 people. Tickets for a workshop, as well as the August dinner, are $25 for adults, $10 for students and free for kids under 12, available at eventbrite.com. Sponsorship and group ticket sales for the dinner are also available.