George Frideric Handel’s glorious Messiah is a landmark oratorio, with soaring arias, memorable choruses, and a hallmark Baroque flourish. This beloved masterwork is perhaps one of the most enduring messages of hope in the orchestral and choral repertoire. Don’t miss The Symphony’s annual performance at The Lensic—a Santa Fe tradition and a musical rite of the holiday season—conducted by Maestro Thomas Heuser and featuring the full Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with choral direction by Carmen Flórez-Mansi. The brilliant cast of rising stars from the Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Program features Caitlin Gotimer, Soprano; Kathleen Felty, Mezzo-Soprano; Philippe L’Esperance, Tenor; and Cory McGee, Bass-Baritone. The run time for this abridged version of Messiah is approximately 2.5 hours, with one intermission.

PROGRAM

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

Messiah

Part I Sinfonia (overture)
Comfort ye (tenor recitative)

Every valley (tenor aria)
And the glory of the Lord (chorus)
Thus saith the Lord (bass recitative)
But who may abide the day of his coming (alto aria)
And He shall purify (chorus)
Behold, a virgin shall conceive (alto recitative)
O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (alto aria and chorus)
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth (bass recitative)
The people that walked in darkness (bass aria)
For unto us a child is born (chorus)
Pifa (“Pastoral Symphony”)
There were shepherds abiding in the field (soprano recitative)
And lo, the angel of the Lord (soprano recitative)
And the angel said unto them (soprano recitative)
And suddenly there was with the angel (soprano recitative)
Glory to God (chorus)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (soprano aria)
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened (alto recitative)
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd (soprano and alto duet)
His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light (chorus)

The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Thomas Heuser, Guest Conductor
Carmen Flórez-Mansi, Choral Director
Caitlin Gotimer, Soprano
Kathleen Felty, Mezzo-Soprano
Philippe L’Esperance, Tenor
Cory McGee, Bass-Baritone
Paul J. Roth, Collaborative Piano

Tickets start as low as $25. Subscriptions (five or more concerts) are available only by phone through The Symphony Box Office at 505.983.1414. Half-priced tickets for children 6 to 14 years of age can also be purchased by phone.

Join us for a FREE 30-minute preview talk about the performance presented from The Lensic stage by Maestro Heuser Saturday at 6:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM.

INTERMISSION

Part II Behold the Lamb of God (chorus)
He was despised (alto aria)
Surely He hath borne our griefs (chorus)
And with His stripes we are healed (chorus)
All we like sheep have gone astray (chorus)
All they that see him (tenor recitative)
He trusted in God (chorus)
Thy rebuke hath broken His heart (tenor recitative)
Behold and see (tenor aria)
He was cut off (tenor recitative)
But Thou didst not leave His soul in Hell (tenor aria)
Why do the nations so furiously rage together? (bass aria)
Let us break their bonds asunder (chorus)
He that dwelleth in heaven (tenor recitative)
Thou shalt break them (tenor aria)
Hallelujah (chorus)
Part III I know that my Redeemer liveth (soprano aria)
Since by man came death (chorus)
Behold, I tell you a mystery (bass recitative)
The trumpet shall sound (bass aria)
Then shall be brought to pass (alto recitative)
O death, where is thy sting? (alto and tenor duet)
But thanks be to God (chorus)
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain (chorus)
Amen (chorus)

I

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Thomas Heuser, Guest Conductor

American conductor Thomas Heuser has been widely recognized for his stirring leadership and energetic presence both onstage and in the community. Currently he serves as Music Director of the Idaho Falls Symphony in Idaho Falls, Idaho, as well as the San Juan Symphony, an innovative regional orchestra based in Durango, Colorado, and Farmington, New Mexico, that serves the Four Corners. Thomas lives in scenic Durango with his wife, violinist Lauren Avery, and their son Theodore.

Caitlin Gotimer, Soprano

Praised for her “full, focused soprano,” Caitlin Gotimer made her role debut as Tosca with Arizona Opera, followed by her Dallas Opera debut as Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte in the 2022–2023 season. She joined the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice program during the summer of 2023 where she covered the role of Tosca. Caitlin completed a residency with the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio. During the 2021–2022 season, Caitlin was seen as Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, Mrs. Anderssen in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, and Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte.

Kathleen Felty, Mezzo-Soprano

Praised for her “powerful, rich, nuanced” voice and “emotionally moving” performances, Kathleen Felty is a recent alumna of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center. Felty received attention from the Chicago Tribune for her “clarion tone” and “compelling acting” in her mainstage debut as Laura in Verdi’s Luisa Miller in 2019. She went on to perform alongside Sondra Radvanovsky in Lyric’s production of The Three Queens, which was released as an album in 2022.

Philippe L’Esperance, Tenor

Philippe was a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist for Summer 2023. Praised for his “agility, range, and pleasant timbre”(Opera News), he has appeared as Ernesto in Don Pasquale and as Alessandro in Mozart’s Il re Pastore at the New England Conservatory. A recent alumnus of the Merola Opera Program, he participated in a virtual opera, “Back Home: Through the Stage Door,” where he performed selections from La Cenerentola and Die Fledermaus. Philippe has appeared as a Gaddes Festival artist and Gerdine Young Artist with the Opera Theater of Saint Louis.

Cory McGee, Bass Baritone

Hailing from Stafford, Virginia, bass-baritone Cory McGee opened his 2023–2024 season performing the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Wolf Trap Opera and making his debut with Opera Philadelphia as Pietro in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. He will also portray Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Atlanta Opera, as well as Second Knight in Wagner’s Parsifal and the Imperial Commissioner in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, both with Houston Grand Opera.