Manuel Ramirez studied with Glenn Kostur, Maynard Ferguson’s right hand man, while a student in UNM’s jazz department. Not long afterwards, he was playing with top level musicians working in every possible genre of music. But his first love is working with Nosotros, performing hot Latin music across the Southwest.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Gilbert Uribe has been captivating audiences worldwide with his spellbinding charm and dynamic melodies.

Making his Santa Fe Symphony debut Feb. 23, 2025, the critics are gushing over JP Jofre … “Electrifying” … writes the Mercury News. One of the most important Argentinean bandoneonists and composers (CNN), his “compositions are masterly and his quintet is excellent.” (Paquito D’Rivera) JP Jofre has an “understanding and passion that is rooted in the traditional, but he isn’t afraid to push into new territories.” (Josh Groban). In short, his music has depth and yet is still pleasant to listen to (Grammaphone).

Known for “performances full of fire and magic,” American conductor Gary Thor Wedow has established a reputation for dramatically exciting and historically informed performances with opera companies, orchestras, festivals, and choral organizations throughout North America. Opera News has hailed him for his “hot music making” and “convincingly elegant period style.”

swan lake October 20 | 4:00 PM—Lensic Guillermo Figueroa, Music Director ON SALE JULY 8 Immerse yourself in an afternoon of magical music from two of the classical music world's most popular composers—Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. The orchestral score for the world famous legendary Swan Lake...

If you saw this former Santa Fe Opera Apprentice sing in Carmen, save the date now. You’re going to want to hear her performance with The Santa Fe Symphony in Faust. But you don’t have to take our word for it. European critics are gushing with praise. “A sonorous mezzo-soprano with a seductive side,” writes klassik begeistert. “Sumptuous, dusky and lush.” says seen and heard international. And Opern & Konzertkritik Berlin? “A beautiful sound filled with charm.”American mezzo-soprano Maire Therese Carmack, Third Prize winner at the 2022 Operalia World Opera Competition, has been praised by Opera News for her “deep mezzo and vibrant metallic timbre” and for “taking focus by her very presence.”Her 2024/25 season includes house debuts …

Dalia Melendez is an alumni of Eastern New Mexico University, who obtained a bachelor’s in vocal performance with a minor in theater. She has performed with many choirs throughout her music career such as the ENMU Choirs in their London and Paris tour in 2017. In 2023 she performed in Carnegie Hall with the Concert Choir Chamber Singers from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She was also a member of the Swanee Singers and Chamber Singers during her time at ENMU and is now a proud member of the Sangre de Cristo Chorale and the Santa Fe Symphony Chorus.

As the collaborative pianist with The Santa Fe Symphony, Paul Roth plays an invaluable "supporting role" with the orchestra's choral ensembles. He received his musical education at the University of New Mexico and has been in constant demand since launching his professional career. In addition...

Nosotros is known for its vibrant fusion of rhythms and socially conscious lyrics. Their latest single, “Mentiras,” was released in April 2024, in the wake of a tumultuous political climate and presidential voting year. The song came out just as the first criminal trial of former president Donald Trump was getting underway. The song went viral, gaining enough public attention to guarantee its emergence as a powerful anthem that takes a pointed look at political dishonesty.

Three-time Grammy nominated contemporary American composer Miguel del Aguila creates distinctive, innovative modern classical music highly influenced by his Latin American roots. A prominent voice in 20th and 21st-century music, he remains a vital influence in contemporary classical music, with compositions that infuse musical diversity into the modern chamber and orchestral music repertoire. His creative, rhythm-driven works blend tradition and modernity, with dramatic and nostalgic nods to his South American Hispanic heritage. His music enjoys 200+ live performances yearly.

“The bass-baritone, Christopher Humbert, Jr., was a tall and imposing Lieutenant Zuniga, with a powerful voice that radiated rank and authority.”

Described as beholding a “rich baritone voice,” and a “towering and alluring” stage presence, bass-baritone Christopher Humbert Jr. has proven a favorite with audiences across the United States. Originally from Akron, Ohio, he has appeared in operatic and theatrical productions throughout in his home state, including Opera Columbus, Mid-Ohio Opera, Nightingale Opera Theatre, in which he has been seen in Menotti’s The Consul (Secret Police Agent), Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado (Pooh-Bah), Mendelssohn’s A Little Night Music, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Aeneas), Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate (Fred Graham), and Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Alidoro). He has also performed with The Seagle Festival, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, Annapolis Opera, Detroit Opera and Palm Beach Opera.

Violinist Rebecca Callbeck grew up in the Colorado Springs area, where she performed with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony and the Manitou Chamber Music Festival. She studied at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and as a member of her college orchestra, she toured the US, Norway and Argentina. After earning her Bachelor’s in Music, she accepted a position with Milano Classico, a professional chamber orchestra based in Milan, Italy. She later enrolled at the University of New Mexico, where she earned her Master’s in Music in 2023. In the spring of 2024, Rebecca joined The Santa Fe Symphony as a member of the second violin section.

Bass trombonist Dave Hall has been performing with The Santa Fe Symphony since 1990. Before moving to the Southwest, he freelanced in Chicago, performing often with the Chicago Symphony and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Earlier in his career, he performed with Delaware Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, and Baltimore Symphony, and many other groups. In addition to his work with The Santa Fe Symphony, local music lovers can also hear him during New Mexico Philharmonic concerts.

In 1995, Dave presented a master class on the orchestral low brass section, playing at the International Trombone Festival. In 1999, he performed at this event once again, this time as a member of Skyline Brass. In addition to his mentors, Charles Vernon and Edward Kleinhammer, Dave studied with Robert Streckfuss, Jay Hildebrandt, Frank Crisafulli, and Arnold Jacobs. He is a clinician for the Edwards/Getzen Instrument Company and teaches privately in Albuquerque.

In his spare time, Dave enjoys reading, film, futzing with computers, and poker.

The Santa Fe Symphony’s second violinist Valerie Turner is a native New Yorker. Born in the Bronx just steps from Yankee Stadium, Valerie studied violin at the State University of New York at Purchase. She received a full fellowship with the National Institute of Orchestral Studies in NYC. Her summer studies included Aspen Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music, Waterloo Music Festival, and Mannes School of Music. She made her way to New Mexico via the violin section at The Santa Fe Opera and fell in love with the sunsets.

Valerie has freelanced as a violinist extensively, performing with the American Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Opera, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Stamford Chamber Orchestra, and the Binghamton Symphony. Besides the Santa Fe Symphony, Valerie regularly performs with the New Mexico Philharmonic, Performance Santa Fe, Opera Southwest, Placitas Artists Series, and Albuquerque Chamber Soloists, as well as being an active member of Music in the Mountains festival for the past ten years.

In 2002, she moved to Albuquerque with her family when her husband became the music director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Valerie and her husband, Guillermo Figueroa, have three beautiful daughters—Giovanna, Sofia, and Valeria.

Barbara Clark, a native of Jackson, Michigan, attended Western Michigan University and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Viola Performance. Previous orchestras performed with include the Ann Arbor Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, Denver Chamber Orchestra, Opera Southwest, New Mexico Symphony, and New Mexico Philharmonic.

Barbara also does bookkeeping. In her spare time she enjoys sewing, needlework, and pottery, as well as showing Arabian horses in Western and English disciplines. She lives in Bosque Farms with her husband Aaron and a menagerie that includes dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and fish.