Our Story
Bringing great music to life®.
The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus is dedicated to entertaining, educating, and engaging our community. Founded in 1984, The Symphony is one of the oldest collaboratively-operated orchestras in the United States. A group of dedicated musicians and music-lovers, led by Founder Greg Heltman, made the bold decision to establish a professional symphony orchestra in Santa Fe, founded with a model of cooperative governance. To this day, our musicians make up 25% of our Board, sit on committees, occupy staff roles, and maintain responsibility for the artistic vision and leadership of the organization.
Music Director Guillermo Figueroa Choral Director Carmen Flórez-Mansi
From thrilling classics to spirited pops presentations, The Symphony produces a wide array of concerts that excite and engage audiences of all ages. We perform a regular subscription series at the 800-seat Lensic Performing Arts Center and free choral-orchestral concerts at the Cathedral Basilica and across the region. The Symphony is recognized as a vital, community-focused musical organization. We are the only fully professional, full-sized symphony in Santa Fe, and we employ over a hundred New Mexican orchestral and choral musicians each season. Santa Fe attracts thousands of arts and culture tourists each year – patrons who are interested in the arts, humanities, and history of Santa Fe. The Symphony is a crown jewel of New Mexico’s performing arts landscape.
TWO MUSICAL LEGACIES, ONE SHARED VISION.
In 2024, SFS merged with the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association (SFYSA), offering high-quality music education for 300+ children in Northern New Mexico. Together, we have flourished, growing education offerings for people of all ages and integrating the services and mission of The Symphony more fully with our community. This was not the first merger in our history. In 1986, The Symphony merged with the Chorus of Santa Fe, bringing together two esteemed organizations to even more opportunities for great music in our community.
Our reach includes Santa Fe, Northern New Mexico, and beyond. We offer orchestral and choral concerts of the highest professional quality as well as comprehensive education programs for children and families. We believe a city’s symphony should be a vital community resource and connect musicians, audiences, students, and families with each other.