Sweet music fills the air as the Santa Fe Desert Chorale returns for its 43rd season, bringing songs to excite, engage, and inspire. Composed of 24 professional singers from across the country, the Chorale has been sharing powerful performances since 1982 — and this summer promises to be one of its most compelling yet.
Running from July 13 to August 1, 2025, the Summer Festival is one of the largest choral events in the nation. This season’s program features three concert series: Cantos y Cuentos, Mass for the Endangered, and Roots & Rivers — along with a special Artist Spotlight Recital on July 30.
To close out the year, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale will return for its Winter Festival and a heartfelt performance of Carols & Lullabies: Luminaria.
About the Santa Fe Desert Chorale
Under the direction of Artistic Director Joshua Habermann, who has led the group for over 16 years, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s versatile repertoire spans seven centuries, from early polyphony to contemporary works. In choosing which pieces to include, Habermann uses a very organic approach.
Sometimes a performance centers on a certain piece of music, and sometimes Habermann will select a theme and find music to fit it. In all cases, he is looking for something that has a larger human connection. First and foremost, Habermann has said, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale seeks to connect people through music, no matter their previous experience with chorale music.
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale was invited to headline the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) 2025 National Conference in Dallas on March 22, 2025, performing an excerpt from their American Immigrant Experience program.
Habermann stated prior to the event, “The Desert Chorale is honored by this invitation and looks forward to sharing a bit of Santa Fe with audiences in Dallas, and conference attendees from around the world.”
Additionally, the Chorale joined Orpheus Chamber Singers for a special concert on March 23. Orpheus Artistic Director J.D. Burnett expressed, “Because the Santa Fe Desert Chorale has meant so much to me, the opportunity for the Chorale and Orpheus Chamber Singers to share a concert is the convergence of very important aspects of my artistic life so far.”
The Best in Choral Music
The Chorale itself is one of the few professional choirs in the country, composed of some of the best choral music singers, selected from all across the country. In fact, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale Summer Festival is one of the largest and most anticipated choral events in the country.
“Our singers can sing essentially anything written for voices, which makes the Santa Fe Desert Chorale very unique,” says Marketing Director Joanna Armstrong. “A lot of professional choirs focus on a certain genre or time period, but we sing the entire spectrum of music available for the human voice. There really is something for everyone.”
2025 Summer Festival Program
The centerpiece of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s 43rd season is the highly anticipated Summer Festival, a significant event on the national choral calendar, taking place July 13 – August 1, 2025.
Audiences can look forward to three captivating concert programs: Cantos y Cuentos, Mass for the Endangered, and Roots & Rivers. Adding to the excitement, the Desert Chorale will present an Artist Spotlight Recital on July 30, 2025, showcasing the extraordinary solo talents of three featured vocalists.
Concerts take place at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe unless otherwise noted in the performance schedules below.
Supported by Sallie Bingham
This year’s Summer Festival is generously sponsored by Santa Fe-based author, playwright, and feminist philanthropist Sallie Bingham. Her longtime commitment to the arts and to amplifying women’s voices has helped shape spaces for creative expression in New Mexico and beyond.
Cantos y Cuentos
Cantos y Cuentos brings together powerful songs and stories shaping Latin America today. This summer program features 16 professional Desert Chorale artists performing music rooted in Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela, with rhythms and melodies that speak to both tradition and change.
The program includes a world premiere by Cuban-American composer Ernesto Herrera, blending Cuban musical roots with contemporary choral form. New Mexican guitarist Nacha Mendez joins the Chorale to perform familiar folk tunes with warmth and depth, creating a program that feels both grounded and forward-looking.
Cantos y Cuentos Performance Dates
Sunday, July 13, at 4 p.m.
Saturday, July 26, at 1 p.m. at Cristo Rey Church in Santa Fe
Tuesday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Mass for the Endangered
Mass for the Endangered brings together voices and instruments in a moving reflection on care, connection, and responsibility. Twenty-four Desert Chorale singers join a chamber orchestra to present remarkable works by American composers Sarah Kirkland Snider and Caroline Shaw.
Snider’s piece offers a call to protect the fragile ecosystems that sustain life, while Shaw’s To the Hands turns attention to themes of welcome and shared humanity. The program builds a quiet but powerful case for compassion — toward each other and the world we live in.
Mass for the Endangered Performance Dates
Sunday, July 20, at 4 p.m.
Friday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 31, at 7:30 p.m.
Roots & Rivers
Roots & Rivers brings together the voices of the past and present, bridging American choral traditions with forward-looking compositions. It also serves as the basis for Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s 2026 commercial album.
The program features the world premiere of The American Road: Six Songs of the Enslaved, Embattled and Emancipated, a large-scale work by Nigerian-American composer Shawn E. Okpebholo. This powerful piece reimagines American folk songs and spirituals, including an original song by Rhiannon Giddens, honoring the resilience and struggles… of those who shaped our nation.
Within the Roots & Rivers program, Reena Esmail’s The Tipping Point fuses Western and Indian musical traditions to portray the universal struggle between darkness and light and the light’s pivotal moment of victory. This evocative piece, performed by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale with pianist Nathan Salazar and tabla player Sutanu Sur, enriches the program’s exploration of American choral music’s past and future.
Also performing recent commissions such as Northland by Kile Smith and Caminante by Jocelyn Hagen, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s 24 vocal artists offer a powerful reflection on both past and future through music.
Roots & Rivers Performance Dates
Thursday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 27, at 4 p.m.
Friday, August 1, at 7:30 p.m.
Artist Spotlight Recital
Experience the captivating vocals of three Desert Chorale artists, John Buffett, Dianna Grabowski, Chelsea Helm, and pianist Nathan Salazar, as they present an afternoon of beautiful music.
Artist Spotlight Recital Performance Dates
Wednesday, July 30, at 4 p.m.
St. Bede’s Episcopal Church in Santa Fe
Plan Your Summer with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale
The 2025 Santa Fe Desert Chorale Summer Festival offers an inspiring lineup of performances, premieres, and powerful voices. Tickets are available now — don’t wait to reserve your seat.
Visit DesertChorale.org to learn more, view the full schedule, or to make a gift.
STORY SPONSORED BY SANTA FE DESERT CHORALE
