EarRelevant Staff | 29 APR 2025
SANTA FE, New Mexico— The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival will return for its 52nd season this summer with an ambitious slate of programming that blends contemporary innovation with classical tradition in one of the Southwest’s most picturesque cultural destinations.
Running from July 13 to August 18, the 2025 festival will feature more than 40 concerts performed by nearly 100 musicians from around the world, including 12 artists and ensembles making their Santa Fe debuts. The season will showcase six premieres—including two world premieres, three U.S. premieres, and a New Mexico premiere—as well as a new educational initiative exploring the connections between music and neuroscience.
Concerts will take place at two historic venues in the heart of Santa Fe: the St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art and The Lensic Performing Arts Center.
Among this year’s headline events is the launch of BAM!! (Brain and Music), a new Monday noon lecture series curated by Artistic Director Marc Neikrug. The series features three prominent researchers who will discuss how music influences cognition, memory, and child development. Neikrug said the initiative reflects growing interest in the neurological impacts of music, from therapeutic uses to developmental effects in children.
Featured BAM!! speakers include Elizabeth Margulis of Princeton University (July 14), who will address the science of musical immersion; music therapist Concetta Tomaino (August 4), who will explore music’s role in treating Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases; and Assal Habibi of USC (August 11), who will present research on music’s influence on brain development in children.
The 2025 season also benefits from a new long-term commitment to contemporary music. A major philanthropic gift from Susan and Conrad DeJong will support a decade-long commissioning project. The first work funded by the initiative—a piano trio by Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg—will premiere in 2026.
New music is a prominent theme this summer as well. Highlights include world premieres by young composers Tyson Gholston Davis and Ania Vu, whose string quartets will be performed by the JACK Quartet on August 1. Additional premieres include Julian Anderson’s String Quartet No. 4 (U.S. premiere by the Escher String Quartet, August 6), Freya Waley-Cohen’s Stone Fruit for Percussion Quartet (August 11), and works by Dani Howard and Sean Shepherd.
Percussionist Colin Currie, known for championing new repertoire, will give the Festival’s first solo percussion recital and appear in multiple programs, including the U.S. premiere of a piece by Howard. Currie will be joined by fellow percussionists Daniel Druckman, Doug Perkins, and Gregory Zuber for the Waley-Cohen premiere.
Returning artists include violinists Leila Josefowicz and Jennifer Frautschi, pianist Juho Pohjonen, clarinetist David Shifrin, and Stefan Dohr, principal horn of the Berlin Philharmonic. Vocal programs feature sopranos Erika Baikoff, Emily Pogorelc, and Liv Redpath, as well as baritone Michael Hix, who will also star in Peter Maxwell Davies’s Eight Songs for a Mad King, performed by the Chatter Ensemble in a Festival first.
The Festival’s repertoire spans seven centuries, with performances of Renaissance-inspired music, Baroque masterworks like Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and contemporary works by composers including Arvo Pärt, Caroline Shaw, and Helmut Lachenmann.
Special programming includes a staged production of Neikrug’s Through Roses, a World War II–set play with music, directed and performed by actor John Rubinstein. Recital and chamber series such as Music at Noon and Saturday Baroque will spotlight a roster of artists to include pianists Kirill Gerstein, Shai Wosner, and Gilles Vonsattel; the Dover, Calidore, Escher, and Miami String Quartets; and violin-piano duos Paul Huang and Orion Weiss, and Chad Hoopes and Katia Skanavi.
The Festival will also continue its commitment to youth outreach. Two Summer Young People’s Concerts—featuring violinist Paul Huang and pianist Orion Weiss (July 21), and Weiss with the Calidore String Quartet (July 28)—offer free, family-friendly programming at the St. Francis Auditorium.
Kicking off the season is the Festival’s Opening Weekend Gala, Cirque des Sons, held July 11 at Bishop’s Lodge, a luxury resort nestled in the Sangre de Cristo foothills just outside downtown Santa Fe.
For visitors and music lovers alike, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival continues to blend high artistic achievement with the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage, making it a signature summer destination for chamber music. ■
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival 2025 Season Programs
- Sunday, July 13, 2025, 6:00pm
Monday, July 14, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Liv Redpath, soprano; George Fu, piano; Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Leila Josefowicz, violin; Yura Lee, violin; Paul Watkins, cello; Todd Levy, clarinet.
SCHUBERT: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock) for Soprano, Clarinet, and Piano, D. 965 (1828)
ENESCU: Sonata in A Minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 25, Dans le caractère populaire roumain (1926)
SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 67 (1944) - Monday, July 14, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
BAM!! Insights on the Brain and Music
Elizabeth H. Margulis, PhD
How Music Captivates: The Science - Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Ran Dank, piano; Leila Josefowicz, violin; Paul Watkins, cello.
Sean SHEPHERD: Latticework for Violin and Cello (Festival Co-Commission, New Mexico Premiere) (2024)
RACHMANINOFF: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 36 (1913)
RAVEL: Sonata for Violin and Cello, M. 73 (1920-22) - Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 12:00pm
Liv Redpath, soprano; George Fu, piano.
WOLF: “An eine Äolsharfe” from Mörike-Lieder (1888)
SCHUBERT: “Ganymed,” D. 544 (1817)
STRAUSS: “Malven” (1948)
GRIEG: “Die verschwiegene Nachtigall,” Op. 48, No. 4 (1884-88)
SCHUBERT: “Suleika I,” D. 720 (1821)
GRIEG: “Ein Traum,” Op. 48, No. 6 (1884-88)
STRAUSS: Three Lieder of Ophelia, Op. 67 (1918)
DEBUSSY: “La Fille aux cheveux de lin” (1881)
DEBUSSY: “Jane” (1881)
DEBUSSY: “Regret: Devant le ciel” (1884)
DEBUSSY: “Clair de lune” (1882)
DEBUSSY: “Les Papillons” (1881)
DEBUSSY: “La romance d’Ariel” (1884)
DEBUSSY: “Romance: Silence ineffable de l’heure” (1883) - Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Ran Dank, piano; Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Yura Lee, violin; Mark Kosower, cello; Paul Watkins, cello; Robert Ingliss, oboe; Todd Levy, clarinet; Julia Harguindey, bassoon; Jennifer Montone, horn.
BEETHOVEN: Quintet in E-flat Major for Piano and Winds, Op. 16 (1796)
SCHUBERT: Sonata in A Minor for Cello and Piano, D. 821, Arpeggione (1824)
MENDELSSOHN: Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 66 (1845) - Thursday, July 17, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Gilles Vonsattel, piano
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 7 (1796-97)
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in E Minor, Op. 90 (1814)
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in A Major, Op. 101 (1816) - Saturday, July 19, 2025, 5:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Ran Dank, piano; Yura Lee, violin; Mark Kosower, cello.
BACH: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (c. 1720)
BACH: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005 (ca. 1720)
BACH: Keyboard Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828 (1726-31) - Sunday, July 20, 2025, 6:00pm
Monday, July 21, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Juho Pohjonen, piano; Paul Huang, violin; Ida Kavafian, violin; Yura Lee, violin & viola; Toby Appel, viola; Nicholas Canellakis, cello; Mark Kosower, cello.
SCHUBERT: Drei Klavierstücke, D. 946 (1828)
SCHUBERT: Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano, D. 574 Duo (1817)
KORNGOLD: String Sextet in D Major, Op. 10 (1915) - Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Juho Pohjonen, piano
Jyrki LINJAMA: Prélude oublié (2022)
LISZT: Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi sonata from Années de pèlerinage (1859-61)
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1, Quasi una fantasia (1800-01)
MESSIAEN: Le Baiser de l’enfant-Jésus from Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus (1944) - Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Emily Pogorelc, soprano; Julius Drake, piano.
MAHLER: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) (1883-85)
KORNGOLD: Abschiedslieder (Songs of Farewell), Op. 14 (1920-21)
WOLF: Selected Songs
BRITTEN: On This Island, Op. 11 (1937) - Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Juho Pohjonen, piano; Orion Weiss, piano; Paul Huang, violin; Nicholas Canellakis, cello; Mark Kosower, cello.
PIATTI: Serenade for Two Cellos and Piano (1890)
BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 (1801-02)
DVOŘÁK: Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 90, Dumky (1890-91) - Thursday, July 24, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Paul Huang, violin; Orion Weiss, piano.
MOZART: Sonata in F Major for Violin and Piano, K. 376 (1781)
Arvo PÄRT: Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in Mirror)
PROKOFIEV: Sonata in F Minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 80 (1938-46) - Saturday, July 26, 2025, 5:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Orion Weiss, piano
BACH: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (1742) - Sunday, July 27, 2025, 6:00pm
Monday, July 28, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Julius Drake, piano; Orion Weiss, piano; Calidore String Quartet (Jeffrey Myers, violin; Ryan Meehan, violin; Jeremy Berry, viola; Estelle Choi, cello); Robert Ingliss, oboe; Todd Levy, clarinet; Julia Harguindey, bassoon; Julia Pilant, horn.
MOZART: Quintet in E-flat Major for Piano and Winds, K. 452 (1784)
SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 (1960)
SCHUMANN: Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 (1842) - Tuesday, July 29, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Calidore String Quartet (Jeffrey Myers, violin; Ryan Meehan, violin; Jeremy Berry, viola; Estelle Choi, cello)
HAYDN: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76, No. 5 (1797)
Caroline SHAW: Entr’acte (2011)
KORNGOLD: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 34 (1945) - Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 12:00pm – St. Francis Auditorium
Erika Baikoff, soprano; Julius Drake, piano
SCHUBERT: “Alinde,” D. 904 (1827)
SCHUBERT: “Die Götter Griechenlands” , D. 677 (1819)
SCHUBERT: “Schwestergruss” D. 762 (1822)
SCHUBERT: “Viola”, D. 786 (1823)
LISZT: “Die Macht der Musik” (The Power of Music), S. 302 (1848)
TCHAIKOVSKY: “Ya li v pole da ne travushka bila?”, Op. 47, No. 7 (1880)
TCHAIKOVSKY: “Nochi bezumnïye”, Op. 60, No. 6 (1886)
TCHAIKOVSKY: “Solovey”, Op. 60, No. 4 (1886)
TCHAIKOVSKY: “Nam zvyozdï krotkiye siyali”, Op. 60, No. 12 (1887)
TCHAIKOVSKY: “Den’ li tsarit?”, Op. 47, No. 6 (1880) - Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Orion Weiss, piano; Jennifer Frautschi, violin; Ida Kavafian, violin; Benny Kim, violin; Toby Appel, viola; Scott Lee, viola; Felix Fan, cello; Keith Robinson, cello; Robert Ingliss, oboe; Kevin Vigneau, oboe; Julia Derosa, English horn.
BEETHOVEN: Variations on Mozart’s “Là ci darem la mano” for Two Oboes and English Horn, WoO 28 (1795)
BRIDGE: Piano Trio No. 2, H. 178 (1929)
MENDELSSOHN: String Quintet in B-flat Major, Op. 87 (1845) - Thursday, July 31, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Miami String Quartet (Benny Kim, violin; Cathy Meng Robinson, violin; Scott Lee, viola; Keith Robinson, cello).
HAYDN: String Quartet in C Major, Hob. III:77 (Op. 76, No. 3), Emperor (1797)
SCHULHOFF: String Quartet in G Major, Op. 25 (1918) - Friday, August 1, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Jack Quartet (Christopher Otto, violin; Austin Wulliman, violin; John Pickford Richards, viola; Jay Campbell, cello).
Anthony CHEUNG: Twice Removed (2024)
Tyson Gholston DAVIS: New Work for String Quartet (Festival Commission, World Premiere) (2025)
Ania VU: New Work for String Quartet (Festival Commission, World Premiere) (2025)
Helmut LACHENMANN: String Quartet No. 3, Grido (2001) - Saturday, August 2, 2025, 5:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Jack Quartet (Christopher Otto, violin; Austin Wulliman, violin; John Pickford Richards, viola; Jay Campbell, cello).
Christopher OTTO: Angelorum Psalat (2011/c. 1390) after Rodericus
Juri SEO: Three Imaginary Chansons (2024)
Christopher OTTO: Fumeux par fumée (2018/c. 1390) after Solage
Keir GOGWILT: Treatise on Limited Freedoms: Future Mode 1 (2024)
Christopher OTTO: Miserere (2023/1594) after Nathaniel Giles
Caleb BURHANS: Contritus (2016) - Sunday, August 3, 2025, 6:00pm
Monday, August 4, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Shai Wosner, piano; Jennifer Frautschi, violin; Joseph Johnson, cello; Miami String Quartet (Benny Kim, violin; Cathy Meng Robinson, violin; Scott Lee, viola;Keith Robinson, cello); David Shifrin, clarinet.
BEETHOVEN: String Trio in D Major, Op. 9, No. 2 (1798)
BARTÓK: Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano, Sz. 76 (1922)
WEBER: Clarinet Quintet in B-flat Major, Op. 34 (1811-15) - Monday, August 4, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
BAM!! Insights on the Brain and Music
Concetta M. Tomaino, DA, LCAT, MT-BC
Music, Memory, and the Aging Brain - Tuesday, August 5, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Shai Wosner, piano.
BACH: Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971 (1735)
BEETHOVEN: Bagatelle in C Major, Op. 119, No. 2 (1820-22)
George BENJAMIN: Relativity Rag (1984)
HAYDN: Andante and Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII:6, Un piccolo divertimento (1793)
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57, Appassionata (1805) - Wednesday, August 6, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Escher String Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, violin; Brendan Speltz, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Brook Speltz, cello)
MENDELSSOHN: Andante and Scherzo for String Quartet, Op. 81 (1847)
Julian ANDERSON: String Quartet No. 4 (Festival Co-Commission, U.S. Premiere) (2024)
DVOŘÁK: String Quartet in A-flat Major, Op. 105 (1895) - Wednesday, August 6, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Soyeon Kate Lee, piano; Jennifer Frautschi, violin; Daniel Phillips, violin; Toby Appel, viola; Ida Kavafian, viola; Eric Kim, cello; David Shifrin, clarinet; Stefan Dohr, horn.
MOZART: String Quintet in C Minor, K. 406 (1782-84)
SCHUMANN: Sonata in A Minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 105 (1851)
DOHNÁNYI: Sextet in C Major for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano, Op. 37 (1935) - Thursday, August 7, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
COLIN CURRIE, percussion
Kevin VOLANS: Asanga (1997)
Dani HOWARD: New Work for Solo Percussion (2025)
Tansy DAVIES: Dark Ground (2005)
Andy AKIHO: Spiel (2013 / rev 2020)
Toshio HOSOKAWA: Reminiscence (2002)
Rolf WALLIN: Realismos Mágicos (2014) - Saturday, August 9, 2025, 5:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord; Daniel Phillips, violin; Felix Fan, cello; Tara Helen O’connor, flute; Frank Rosenwein, oboe.
PLATTI: Sonata in G Minor for Oboe and Continuo (c. 1745)
BACH: Sonata “Sopr’il Soggetto Reale” for Flute, Violin, and Continuo, from A Musical Offering, BWV 1079 (1747)
TELEMANN: Quartet in G Major from Tafelmusik, TWV 43:G2 (1733)
BIBER: Sonata No. 3 in F Major for Violin and Continuo, C. 140 (1681) - Sunday, August 10, 2025, 6:00pm
Lensic
Kirill Gerstein, piano; Soyeon Kate Lee, piano; William Hagen, violin; Chad Hoopes, violin; Ida Kavafian, violin; Milena Pajaro-Van De Stadt, viola; Eric Kim, cello; Escher Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, violin; Brendan Speltz, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Brook Speltz, cello); Carol Mcgonnell, clarinet; Stefan Dohr, horn.
BARTÓK: Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano, Sz. 111 (1938)
LIGETI: Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano, Hommage à Brahms (1982)
ENESCU: String Octet in C Major, Op. 7 (1900) - Monday, August 11, 2025, 6:00pm
Lensic
Kirill Gerstein, piano; Martin Beaver, violin; William Hagen, violin; Milena Pajaro-Van De Stadt, viola; Eric Kim, cello; Stefan Dohr, horn; Colin Currie, percussion; Dan Druckman, percussion; Doug Perkins, percussion; Gregory Zuber, percussion.
Steve REICH: Mallet Quartet (2009)
DOHNÁNYI: Serenade in C Major for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 10 (1902)
Freya WALEY-COHEN: Stone Fruit for Percussion Quartet (2024, Festival Co-Commission, U.S. Premiere)
BRAHMS: Horn Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40 (1865) - Monday, August 11, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium (approx. 1hr)
BAM!! Insights on the Brain and Music
Assal Habibi, PhD
Music and Child Brain Development - Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Chad Hoopes, violin; Katia Skanavi, piano.
BRAHMS: Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 100 (1886)
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 47, Kreutzer (1802-03) - Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Kirill Gerstein, piano
SCHUMANN: Blumenstück, Op. 19 (1839)
György KURTÁG: Flowers We Are, Frail Flowers from Játékok (Games) (2010)
RACHMANINOFF: Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5 (1900-1902)
GRAINGER: Paraphrase on Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers (1901)
Francisco COLL: Waltzes Toward Civilization (2024)
RAVEL: La Valse (1920) - Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 6:00pm
Lensic
John Rubinstein, actor & director; Marc Neikrug, conductor; Martin Beaver, violin; Steven Tenenbom, viola; Felix Fan, cello; Tara Helen O’connor, flute; Frank Rosenwein, oboe; Carol Mcgonnell, clarinet; Colin Currie, percussion; Katia Skanavi, piano; Chatter Ensemble; Michael Hix, baritone; David Felberg, violin; James Holland, cello; Jesse Tatum, flute; Jeffery Brooks, clarinet; Luke Gullickson, keyboards; Jeffrey Cornelius, percussion; Tara Khozein, director.
DAVIES: Eight Songs for a Mad King (1969)
Marc NEIKRUG: Through Roses (1980) - Thursday, August 14, 2025, 12:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Dover Quartet (Joel Link, violin; Bryan Lee, violin; Julianne Lee, viola; Camden Shaw, cello).
SCHUMANN: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 41, No. 1 (1842)
DVOŘÁK: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, American (1893) - Friday, August 15, 2025, 6:00pm
St. Francis Auditorium
Indian Market Concert
Roberto Capocchi, Guitar.
FALLA: Homenaje pour “Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy:”, G. 56 (1920)
VILLA-LOBOS: Five Preludes (1940)
Leo BROUWER: El Decameron Negro (The Black Decameron) (1981) - Saturday, August 16, 2025, 6:00pm
Lensic
Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord; Kathleen Brauer, violin; Marlena Chow Morgan, violin; Carla Ecker, violin; Chad Hoopes, violin; Daniel Jordan, violin; Bryan Lee, violin; Joel Link, violin; Philip Payton, violin; Ashley Vandiver, violin; Margaret Dyer Harris, viola; Melissa Trier Kirk, viola; Alastair Eng, cello; Felix Fan, cello; Camden Shaw, cello; Gregory Flint, horn; Hunter Sholar, horn; Mark Tatum, Double Bass.
BOCCHERINI: Cello Concerto in B-flat Major, G. 482 (late 1760s/early 1770s)
BACH: Violin Concerto in A Minor, BWV 1041 (ca. 1730)
BACH: Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043 (1720) - Sunday, August 17, 2025, 6:00pm
Lensic
Kirill Gerstein, piano; William Hagen, violin; Bryan Lee, violin; Joel Link, violin; Toby Appel, viola; Julianne Lee, viola; Steven Tenenbom, viola; Felix Fan, cello; Eric Kim, cello; Camden Shaw, cello; Bart Feller, flute.
VILLA-LOBOS: Assobio a Játo (Jet Whistle) for Flute and Cello (1950)
MOZART: String Quintet in D Major, K. 593 (1790)
BRAHMS: Piano Quartet in A Major, Op. 26 (1861-62) - Monday, August 18, 2025, 6:00pm
Lensic
Katia Skanavi, piano; William Hagen, violin; Ida Kavafian, violin; Bryan Lee, violin; Toby Appel, viola; Julianne Lee, viola; Steven Tenenbom, viola; Eric Kim, cello; Camden Shaw, cello.
BEETHOVEN: String Quintet in C Major, Op. 29, Storm (1801)
DVOŘÁK: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 87 (1889)
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival: www.santafechambermusic.com
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