Dear Symphony Friends,

This season, the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus celebrates 27 years of bringing great music to life. One of the most gratifying aspects of this legacy has been working with the hundreds of wonderful and talented people who have helped make the Symphony one of Santa Fe’s most vital cultural institutions: our instrumentalists and choristers, guest artists, dozens of Board members past and present, as well as our loyal donors, audience members, and volunteers.

The commitment and dedication of these remarkable individuals has fostered the Santa Fe Symphony & Chorus’ maturation into a leading contributor to the performing arts community in Santa Fe.  Annually, we present ten to twelve subscription concerts, a free Christmas concert at the Cathedral Basilica, more than a dozen free performances at retirement homes and schools (through FanFare), and participate in citywide events such as the Santa Fe’s 400th anniversary celebrations. Indeed, despite difficult times, Santa Fe’s only full-sized professional symphony orchestra enjoys notable stability and community engagement.

Our success to date rests in no small measure upon our unique governance structure that endeavors to serve the common interests of musicians, audience, boards, and management—a guiding philosophy of governance that has brought the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus to our 27th season.  This approach fundamentally acknowledges that a performing arts organization comprises three critical constituencies: 1) the performers—orchestra, Music Director, chorus, Chorus Director; 2) the audience—ticket buyers and contributors; and 3) the Board of Directors, General Director, staff, and administration. Together they form the base upon which the organization stands; if one leg is weak, then the other two cannot function effectively. The composition of our Board of Directors reflects this interdependence, and our musical excellence is the ultimate expression of the merit of our cooperative philosophy.
 
In order to highlight the importance of this unique structure, each of our program inserts this season will feature introductions to, and short biographies of, the dedicated people who bring it to life. From Board members, instrumentalists, and choristers to volunteers and music mentors, these individuals represent a truly remarkable range of experiences, affiliations, and positions in the community. That the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus family is looking toward its 30th anniversary with great confidence is a testament to those who, singly and in concert (so to speak), have believed in the value of a resident, professional symphony orchestra with chorus in Santa Fe.

Whether you are a first-time ticket buyer or have attended concerts each season since our first performance on September 2, 1984, on behalf of the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, I sincerely applaud and thank you.  Bravo!

Sincerely,
Gregory W. Heltman, Foudner & General Director