Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

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The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus is Santa Fe's flagship professional musical organization. Performances are given at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe.

[edit] Beginnings

The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra was born on September 2, 1984 at a free concert given at the St. Francis Auditorium in Santa Fe. That initial concert included a Rossini overture, Handel’s Water Music, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2. Donations totaled $1,800, which were later supplemented by further contributions. Thus the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra began on a very meager budget, with the musicians contributing their services either for free or a fraction of the customary rate. The Chorus of Santa Fe was founded five years earlier in 1979 and merged with the Symphony in 1986.

Gregory Heltman is the SFSO founder and general director. The present music director is Steven Smith (beginning in 2000), with choral director Linda Raney (who came on board in 1997).