The Festival draws inspiration from its namesake hometown, which is famously and affectionately known as the City Different. And things are different here, both in Santa Fe and at the Festival.

Schedule of Events

July 14 and 15, 2024

6pm: Beethoven, Ligeti & Mendelssohn

Our 51st season begins with a thrilling program that spotlights the genius of three masters. Ligeti's enchanting Six Bagatelles is a playful excursion through the wide range of delights only a wind quintet can offer, and Beethoven's landmark Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 69, revels in the virtuosic demands placed on both the piano and cello, played here by Jon Kimura Parker and, in his Festival debut, Narek Hakhnazaryan, whose performances the San Francisco Chronicle hailed as "nothing short of magnificent." The program comes to a spectacular close with Mendelssohn's superlative D Minor Piano Trio, which Schumann called "the master trio of our time."

Ligeti Six Bagatelles for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn

Beethoven Sonata in A Major for Piano and Cello, Op. 69

Mendelssohn Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 49

July 17, 2024

12pm: Will Liverman & Myra Huang Recital

Michael Ippolito The Long Year (2021)

Winter Night

Spring Song

The Faun

Mariposa

If Still Your Orchards Bear

The Oak Leaves

The Buck In The Snow

William Grant Still "Grief" (1953)

Ralph Vaughan Williams Songs of Travel (1901-04)

The Vagabon

Let Beauty Awake

The Roadside Fire

Youth and Love

In Dreams

The Infinite Shining Heavens

Whither must I Wander?

Bright is the Ring of Words

Francis Poulenc "Avant de Cinéma" from Quatre Poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire (1931)

Carl Loewe "Erlkonig", Op. 1, No. 3 (1824)

Sergei Rachmaninoff "Sud‘ba", Op. 21, No. 1 (1900)

6pm: Bartok & Dvorak

This program spans three eras of classical music: the Romantic, the avant-garde, and the contemporary. Anthony Manzo, solo bassist of San Francisco's New Century Chamber Orchestra, makes his Festival debut in Dvorak's sonorous and sunny String Quintet in G Major, and violinist Yura Lee and pianist Zoltan Fejérvari present a riveting dialogue of rhythmic complexity in Bartók's vibrant Sonata No. 1. Dutilleux's Les Citations weaves a rich tapestry of sound with its unusual instrumentation of harpsichord, oboe, bass, and percussion.

Dutilleux Les Citations

Bartok Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano, Sz. 75

Dvorak String Quintet in G Major, Op. 77

July 20, 2024

5pm: French Baroque Masters: Rameau & Lully

Immerse yourself in the delights of high French Baroque music—from the passion of Rameau to the poise of Lully—with this keyboard-centered program performed by New York Philharmonic harpsichordist Paolo Boridignon, violinist Yura Lee, flutist Tara Helen O'Connor, and cellist Peter Stumpf.

Rameau Selections from Suite in D Major, Pieces de clavecin

Rameau Concert No. 5 in D Minor from Pièces de clavecin en concerts for Flute, Cello, and Harpsichord

Mondonville Sonata No. 1 in G Minor for Violin and Harpsichord from Pièces de clavecin en sonates, Op. 3

Rameau Concert No. 1 in C Minor from Pièces de clavecin en concerts for Violin, Cello, and Harpsichord

Lully Trios pour le coucher du roi, LWV 35

July 21 and 22, 2024

6pm: Dvorak & Prokofiev

British composer Julian Anderson's The Bearded Lady and Prokofiev's Flute Sonata—featuring virtuoso interpretations by clarinetist Todd Levy and flutist Tara Helen O'Connor, respectively—take listeners on journeys that are equally playful and poignant. To close out the program, the Calidore String Quartet joins forces with violist Toby Appel and cellist Peter Stumpf for Dvorak's one and only String Sextet, which marked a turning point in the up-and-coming composer's career.

Julian Anderson The Bearded Lady for Clarinet and Piano

Prokofiev Sonata in D Major for Flute and Piano, Op. 94

Dvorak String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48

July 23, 2024

12pm: Haochen Zhang Piano Recital

Pianist Haochen Zhang, who won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at the age of 19 and has been described as "an artist of rare talent" by Gramophone, plays two of Beethoven's final piano sonatas—profound and deeply personal works that represent the culmination of Beethoven's development of the form.

Beethoven

Sonata in E Major, Op. 109

Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111

July 24, 2024

12pm: Benjamin Appl & Simon Lepper Recital

In their Festival debuts, two renowned artists—baritone Benjamin Appl, called "the most promising of today's up-and-coming song recitalists" by the Financial Times, and pianist Simon Lepper—present The Sound of Silence, an intimate recital program that focuses on pauses and silences in music as well as on introspection as the starting point for inspiration. Appl was one of legendary German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's final students, and here he showcases his extraordinary artistry in Schumann's complete Liederkreis, an arresting Gregorian chant, and moving works by Schubert, Monteverdi, Richard Strauss, and other masters.

Anonymous "domine, exaudi"

Schubert "der tod und das madchen," d. 531

Monteverdi "tu se' morta" from l'orfeo, sv 318

Schubert "meeres stille," d. 216

Schumann liederkreis, op. 39

Schubert "der einsame," d. 800

Wolf "wir haben beide lange zeit geschwiegen" from italienisches liederbuch

Wolf "begegnung" from morike-lieder

Wolf "verschwiegene liebe" from eichendorff-lieder

Schubert "der doppelganger" from schwanengesang, d. 957

James macmillan "the children"

Strauss "morgen!," op. 27, no. 4

6pm: Ravel & Brahms

Two crown jewels of the chamber music repertoire— Ravel's hypnotic Piano Trio and Brahms's grand Piano Quartet in A Major—share a program with Elizabeth Ogonek's Lightenings, a stunning and complementary piece that the Festival commissioned and premiered in 2016. Pianist Ran Dank, whom The Washington Post praised for playing with "explosive force and triumphant exultation," is featured in the Ravel and Ogonek, and Haochen Zhang, hailed for his "preternatural virtuosity" by The Boston Music Intelligencer, joins violinist Paul Huang, violist Toby Appel, and cellist Peter Stumpf for the Brahms.

Elizabeth ogonek lightenings, (festival commission)

Ravel piano trio in a minor

Brahms piano quartet in a major, op. 26

July 25, 2024

12:00pm: Gilles Vonsattel Piano Recital

Pianist Gilles Vonsattel gives an all-Beethoven recital that includes the revolutionary Appassionata Sonata, written during the same visionary period as the Eroica Symphony and considered by the composer to be one of his finest piano sonatas.

Beethoven

Sonata in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2

Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 26, Funeral March

Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57, Appassionata

July 27, 2024

5pm: All Bach

Four virtuoso soloists are featured in works by two illustrious members of the Bach family. Oboist Robert Ingliss and violinist Daniel Phillips play J. S. Bach's lively and warm-hued Concerto for Oboe and Violin, flutist Bart Feller performs C. P. E Bach's popular D Minor Flute Concerto, and pianist Gilles Vonsattel closes the program with J. S. Bach's E Major Keyboard Concerto, a work that's both lighthearted and full of challenging complexity.

J. S. Bach concerto in c minor for oboe and violin, bwv 1060

C. P. E. Bach flute concerto in d minor, h. 484.1, wq. 22

J. S. Bach keyboard concerto in e major, bwv 1053

July 28 and 29, 2024

6pm: Schubert & Beethoven

This piano-trio program unfolds entirely in the key of E-flat Major—a key that often expresses grandeur and majesty. The program opens with the floating theme of Schubert's Notturno; moves to Beethoven's uncommonly lighthearted Op. 70, No. 2; and closes with a masterpiece from Schubert's final year: his D. 929. An internationally renowned lineup of artists comes together for this tender yet thrilling program.

Schubert notturno in e-flat major for piano, violin, and cello, d. 897

Beethoven piano trio in e-flat major, op. 70, no. 2

Schubert piano trio in e-flat major, d. 929

July 30, 2024

12pm: Verona Quartet

The Verona Quartet-called a "powerhouse" ensemble by Classical Voice America-makes their Festival debut with a rich and wide-ranging recital program that includes the last of Mozart's charming Milanese quartets, Britten's delicate and ethereal Third Quartet, and Verdi's only string quartet, which transports listeners into the world of Italian opera on a small yet potent scale.

Mozart string quartet in e-flat major, k. 160

Britten string quartet no. 3, op. 94

Verdi String Quartet In E Minor

July 31, 2024

12pm: Annika Schlicht & Donald Runnicles Recital

The stunning German mezzo-soprano Annika Schlicht is joined by Donald Runnicles (the renowned conductor) on the piano for this beautifully crafted recital, which features 19th- and 20th-century works by Debussy, Brahms, Lili Boulanger, and Roger Quilter that transport listeners along an international journey of song.

Debussy trois melodies de verlaine, l. 81

Brahms "therese," op. 86, no. 1

Brahms "in stiller nacht," woo 33, no. 42

Brahms "auf dem kirchhofe," op. 105, no. 4

Brahms "O WUBT ICH DOCH DEN WEG ZURÜCK," OP. 63, NO. 8

Brahms "sapphische ode," op. 94, no. 4

Brahms "von ewiger liebe," op. 43, no. 1

L. Boulanger "attente"

L. Boulanger "Le Retour"

L. Boulanger "Reflets"

Quilter Selections from Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, Op. 12

6pm: Russian Odyssey: Rachmaninoff & Prokofiev

This program celebrates the rich variety and enduring beauty of the Russian repertoire—from the intricate textures in Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins and the aching beauty in Rachmaninoff's Trio élégiaque to the stark, powerful expressions in Ustvolskaya's Clarinet Trio. Violin virtuosos Paul Huang and Danbi Um-described, respectively, by The Strad as possessing an "unfailingly attractive, golden, and resonant tone" and being an "utterly dazzling" artist-share the Festival stage for the first time.

Prokofiev Sonata in C Major for Two Violins, Op. 56

Ustvolskaya Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano

Rachmaninoff Trio élégiaque?in D Minor for Piano Trio, Op. 9

August 1, 2024

12:00pm: Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind

Grammy-nominated clarinetist Todd Palmer joins the Verona Quartet in Osvaldo Golijov's celebrated quintet The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, an epic journey that invokes both the divinity of prayer and the freewheeling world of klezmer. The Verona then joins guitarist ?ukasz Kuropaczewski for Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Guitar Quintet, which the composer described as a "melodious and serene work written almost in a Schubertian vein."

Osvaldo golijov the dreams and prayers of isaac the blind

Castelnuovo-tedesco quintet for guitar and strings, op. 143

August 3, 2024

5pm: Italian Splendor: Vivaldi, Giuliani & Paganini

International guitar sensation ?ukasz Kuropaczewski is joined by violinist Danbi Um, the Verona Quartet, and double bassist Mark Tatum for a program of Italian charm and splendor. Two dazzling duo sonatas by Giuliani and Paganini are framed by two of Vivaldi's warm and energetic guitar concertos in this tribute to the guitar's beauty, versatility, and enduring appeal.

Vivaldi guitar concerto in d major, rv 93

Giuliani grand duo concertante in a major for violin and guitar, op. 85

Paganini sonata concertata in a major for violin and guitar, op. 61, ms 2

Vivaldi guitar concerto in c major, rv 425

August 4 and 5, 2024

6pm: Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Donald Runnicles makes his Festival debut conducting Mahler's consummate fusion of song cycle and symphony, Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), performed here in its intimate chamber orchestra version. Mahler was reeling from the loss of his daughter and other crises when he wrote this deeply moving work, and the poems he set to music evoke the beauty, sadness, and transience of life. An all-star ensemble is joined by two extraordinary soloists who are also making their Festival debuts: German mezzo-soprano Annika Schlicht, whose voice OperaWire has praised as "extraordinary for its beauty of tone," and American heldentenor Clay Hilley, who was lauded by The New York Times for his "vocal heft [and] clarion sound."

Mahler das lied von der erde
(arr. Schoenberg/riehn)

August 6, 2024

12pm: Souvenirs de Voyage

The world premiere of a Festival-commissioned work by composer Xinyang Wang, who draws equal inspiration from classical music and traditional Chinese arts, opens this program, which also features clarinetist Todd Levy in Academy Award–winning composer Bernard Herrmann's quintet Souvenirs de Voyage, a cinematic journey through England, Ireland, and Italy.

Xinyang Wang (Plodding into a Starlit Dream) for Flute, Harp, Percussion, Violin, Cello, and Piano (Festival Commission, World Premiere)

Herrmann Souvenirs de Voyage for Clarinet Quintet

August 7, 2024

12:00pm: Jamie Barton & Julius Drake Recital

Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton—hailed as "a once-in-a-generation voice" by Opera magazine—makes her highly anticipated Festival debut in a recital with renowned pianist Julius Drake. Barton's passion for telling stories through song provides the vibrant underpinning for an enthralling and eclectic program of works by Dvorak, Ives, Duparc, and Sibelius.

Dvorak Ciganské melodie, Op. 55

Ives "the things our fathers loved," s. 372

Ives "grantchester," s. 258

Ives "religion," s. 331

Ives "the cage," s. 221

Ives "the housatonic at stockbridge," s. 266

Duparc "l'invitation au voyage"

Duparc "extase"

Duparc "phidylé"

Sibelius "svarta rosor," op. 36, no. 1

Sibelius "saf, saf, süsa," op. 36, no. 4

Sibelius "flickan kom ifran sin alsklings mote," op. 37, no. 5

Sibelius "marssnon," op. 36, no. 5

Sibelius "var det en drom?," op. 37, no. 4

6pm: Mozart Clarinet Quintet

The dramatic dynamism of the duo form is spotlighted in the first half of this program, which features two vastly different works: Mozart's perfectly crafted Duo in G Major, performed by violinist William Hagen and violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, and Kodaly's thrilling and demanding Duo for Violin and Cello, played by Leila Josefowicz and Paul Watkins. Mozart is featured again in the second half, as his exquisite Clarinet Quintet showcases the soaring artistry of clarinetist David Shifrin and the Escher String Quartet.

Mozart duo in g major for violin and viola, k. 423

Kodaly duo for violin and cello, op. 7

Mozart clarinet quintet in a major, k. 581

August 8, 2024

12:00pm: Schumann & Beethoven

Pianist Julius Drake joins horn player Nathaniel Silberschlag and violinist William Hagen in treasured works by Schumann and Beethoven, which provide a lyrical and emotive frame for Schoenberg's fiendishly difficult String Trio, performed here by violinist Leila Josefowicz, violist Milena-Pajaro-van de Stadt, and cellist Paul Watkins.

Schumann adagio and allegro in a-flat major for horn and piano, op. 70

Schoenberg string trio, op. 45

Beethoven violin sonata in a major, op. 30, no. 1

August 10, 2024

5pm: Bach, Telemann & Zelenka

Telemann's lyrical expressiveness, Zelenka's harmonic inventiveness, and Vivaldi's pyrotechnics are all on display in this program of Baroque riches, which culminates with Bach's immortal Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. The evening's celebrated soloists include violinist William Hagen, violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, National Symphony Orchestra Principal Bassoon Sue Heineman, and Nashville Symphony Principal Trumpet William Leathers.

Zelenka trio sonata no. 3 in b-flat major for oboe, bassoon, violin, and continuo, zwv 181/3

Telemann viola concerto in g major, twv 51:g9

Vivaldi bassoon concerto in g major, rv 493

Bach brandenburg concerto no. 2 in f major, bwv 1047

August 11, 2024

6pm: Escher String Quartet Plays Bartók

Widely considered the most influential quartet cycle after Beethoven's, Bartók's collection of six string quartets is a landmark artistic achievement. The rare opportunity offered here—to experience the full quartet cycle performed over the course of one evening—gives listeners a unique insight into Bartók's creative development as he revolutionized the string quartet genre and moved from composing in the late-Romantic style to pioneering modernism. The Escher String Quartet, praised by The New York Times for their "penetrating intelligence" and "gorgeous tonal sheen," plays the six quartets in order, with two intermissions.

Bartok

String Quartet No. 1, Sz. 40

String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67

String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85

String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91

String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102

String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114

August 12, 2024

6pm: Mozart & Brahms Masterworks

On this powerful program, eight acclaimed wind players—including Minnesota Orchestra Principal Oboe Nathan Hughes and Cleveland Orchestra Principal Horn Nathaniel Silberschlag—come together to play Mozart's earliest masterpiece for wind ensemble, the Serenade, K. 375, and violinist William Hagen leads an all-star ensemble in Brahms's Piano Quintet, which one of the composer's contemporaries, conductor Hermann Levi, described as "beautiful beyond words."

Mozart serenade in e-flat major, k. 375

Brahms piano quintet in f minor, op. 34a

6pm: Dvorak & Janacek: Czech Icons

In this season-finale concert, violinist John Storgards and pianist Kirill Gerstein play Janacek's Violin Sonata, which is noted for both its urgency and lyricism, and, for the first time ever, Gerstein joins forces with the Dover Quartet for a performance of one of the standouts of the chamber music repertoire: Dvorak's rousing Piano Quintet, Op. 81. The modal harmonies and improvisational feel of Janacek's sonata coupled with the dumka and Bohemian dances in Dvorak's quintet offers an invigorating taste of the folk music these two composers brought from their shared homeland and onto the international concert stage.

Janacek sonata for violin and piano

Mozart string quartet in e-flat major, k. 428

Dvorak piano quintet in a major, op. 81

August 13, 2024

12pm: Kirill Gerstein Piano Recital

Longtime Festival collaborator Kirill Gerstein, praised by The Guardian as "a peerless performer," offers a rich Romantic recital program that includes Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasy—a visionary work that, while writing the piece, the composer described as something he didn't "yet know what to call"; Liszt's flamboyant, Chopin-influenced Polonaise No. 2; and Schumann's Carnival Scenes from Vienna, which moves masterfully and innovatively between the festive and the somber.

Chopin polonaise-fantasy in a-flat major, op. 61

Liszt polonaise no. 2 in e major, s. 223

Schumann faschingsschwank aus wien (carnival scenes from vienna), op. 26

August 14, 2024

12:00pm: Fleur Barron & Julius Drake Recital

Mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron, hailed as a "knockout performer" by The Times, and pianist Julius Drake, who made their Festival debuts together in 2022, present a children-themed recital that evokes both humor and tragedy. The duo performs selected songs by Schumann and gives the first-ever Festival performances of Mahler's Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children) and Mussorgsky's Detskaya (The Nursery).

Schumann "tragodie" (part i and part ii), op. 64, no. 3

Schumann "der soldat," op. 40, no. 3

Schumann "die kartenlegerin," op. 31, no. 2

Schumann "schneeglockchen," op. 79, no. 26

Schumann "der sandmann," op. 79, no. 12

Schumann "muttertraum," op. 40, no. 2

Mahler kindertotenlieder (songs on the death of children)

Mussorgsky selections from detskaya (the nursery)

6pm: Beethoven & Weinberg

Violinist Ida Kavafian, violist Steven Tenenbom, and cellist Eric Kim play an early work by Beethoven—the seminal String Trio in C Minor—and violinist John Storgards and pianist Katia Skanavi join all three musicians for the Festival's first presentation of Weinberg's haunting Piano Quintet, a rarely performed masterpiece that stands as one of the great piano quintets of the 20th century.

Beethoven string trio in c minor, op. 9, no. 3

Weinberg piano quintet, op. 18

August 15, 2024

12pm: dover quartet

The Dover Quartet makes their first Festival appearance of the season playing Janacek's poignant testament to love, Intimate Letters, and a landmark work by Tchaikovsky: the Quartet in D Major, Op. 11, whose famous second movement had once (the composer proudly noted) moved the great Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy to tears.

Janacek string quartet no. 2, intimate letters

Tchaikovsky quartet in d major, op. 11

August 17, 2024

6pm: handel: water music

In his first-ever Festival appearance, Santa Fe Opera Music Director Harry Bicket leads an ensemble of Opera musicians in music from Handel's regal Water Music, which was originally performed on the River Thames for King George I and went on to enthrall audiences over the centuries with its enchanting melodies, spirited rhythms, and vibrant orchestral colors.

Handel Water Music, Hwv 348–350

August 18, 2024

6pm: Rossini & Brahms

Members of the Dover Quartet join other Festival artists in the youthfully exuberant, Classical-era Sonata a quattro No. 1, written by Rossini when he was 12 years old, and Brahms's sweeping String Sextet in G Major. Between the two works, the Festival presents the US premiere of a commissioned quintet by Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen, who Gramophone notes "[fuses] jazz and classical idioms" and "draws on her Lapland roots and on the mystery and melancholy of life in the north."

Rossini Sonata a quattro No. 1 in G Major
Outi tarkiainen sensory flashbacks for clarinet, piano, and strings (festival co-commission, us premiere)
Brahms string sextet in g major, op. 36

August 19, 2024

6pm: Dvorak & Janacek: Czech Icons

In this season-finale concert, violinist John Storgards and pianist Kirill Gerstein play Janacek's Violin Sonata, which is noted for both its urgency and lyricism, and, for the first time ever, Gerstein joins forces with the Dover Quartet for a performance of one of the standouts of the chamber music repertoire: Dvorak's rousing Piano Quintet, Op. 81. The modal harmonies and improvisational feel of Jana?ek's sonata coupled with the dumka and Bohemian dances in Dvorak's quintet offers an invigorating taste of the folk music these two composers brought from their shared homeland and onto the international concert stage.

Janacek sonata for violin and piano

Mozart string quartet in e-flat major, k. 428

Dvorak piano quintet in a major, op. 81

Date:
July 14 - August 19, 2024

Location:
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival,
208 Griffin St, Santa Fe,
Santa Fe, NM 87501

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