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 this annual performance at The Lensic—a Santa Fe tradition and a musical rite of the holiday season—conducted by Maestro Guillermo Figueroa, featuring the full Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, with choral direction by Carmen Flórez-Mansi, plus renowned soloists: Devon Guthrie, Soprano; Daryl Freedman, Mezzo-Soprano; Joshua Dennis, Tenor; and Joseph Beutel, Baritone. The run-time for this abridged version of Messiah is approximately 2.5 hours, with one intermission.
EXCITING NEWS—We are thrilled to bring back our FREE Preview Talks this season! Be sure to join us one hour before each Lensic performance for 30 minutes of interesting program details presented by Maestro Figueroa, guest soloists, or musicians. Each talk is unique and all ticket holders are invited!
The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Guillermo Figueroa, Principal Conductor
Carmen Flórez-Mansi, Choral Director
PROGRAM
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL
Messiah
Devon Guthrie, Soprano
Daryl Freedman, Mezzo-Soprano
John Tiranno, Tenor
Joseph Beutel, Baritone
Of Note
First performed in 1742, this musical masterpiece by George Frideric Handel has become one of the world’s most beloved musical works and a musical rite of the holiday season.
Handel was the Kapellmeister (person in charge of music) for George, Elector of Hanover. When the Elector became George I, King of England, Handel became the official composer for the monarchy.
In 1704, for unknown reasons, Handel and composer Johann Mattheson had a fight in which Mattheson almost killed Handel with his sword―which fortunately struck a button on Handel’s clothing, missing his chest.
Devon Guthrie, Soprano
Grammy-nominated American soprano Devon Guthrie made an acclaimed debut as Susanna in a new production of Le nozze di Figaro at English National Opera when she was still a student at the Juilliard School. Guthrie has won several awards and prizes in competitions, such as the Gerda Lissner Competition, Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, Licia Albanese Competition, and Liederkranz. She was also an apprentice at The Santa Fe Opera and Tanglewood Music Festival
Daryl Freedman, Mezzo-Soprano
Praised by Opera News for her “striking dark timbre” and “expansive, sumptuous” performances, mezzo-soprano Daryl Freedman begins the 21/22 season with her role/house debut at Virginia Opera in Das Rheingold (Fricka). Additional engagements include a role/house debut at The Atlanta Opera in the title role of Julius Caesar, returns to The Metropolitan Opera for The Magic Flute (Third Lady) and the new McVicar production of Don Carlos (Princess Eboli/rehearsal cover , and a return to Washington
Joshua Dennis, Tenor
Hailed by The New York Times as “ardent and mellifluous” as well as a “clear-voiced tenor”, John Tiranno’s recent and upcoming engagements include opera concerts with the New Mexico Performing Arts Society, a performance of Mahler’s song cycle Songs of a Wayfarer with ChatterABQ, and the role of Man 1 in Robert Xavier Rodriguez’s opera Frida with Opera Southwest. He had numerous performances canceled or postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19, including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9
Joseph Beutel, Baritone
"An imposing bass-baritone," as reviewed by Opera News, Joseph Beutel, is often praised for his "deep well-rounded tone," and overall richness of voice and versatility on stage. Making his career across the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America, Beutel has performed with such companies as Santa Fe Opera, Minnesota Opera, Seattle Opera, and the New York Philharmonic, to name a few. He enjoys performing operas in the classic cannon and originating new roles in ones on the cutting edge. On
Guillermo Figueroa, Principal Conductor
One of the most versatile and respected musical artists of his generation—renowned as conductor, violinist, violist and concertmaster—Guillermo Figueroa is the Principal Conductor of The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. He also serves as the Music Director of the Music in the Mountains Festival in Colorado and Music Director of the Lynn Philharmonia in Florida, and he is the founder of the highly acclaimed Figueroa Music and Arts Project in Albuquerque. He was the Music Director of the New
Carmen Flórez-Mansi, Choral Director
Carmen Flórez-Mansi, a native of New Mexico, currently serves as the Pastoral Associate for Music at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Since 1989, she has performed as a vocal artist, choral conductor, vocal instructor and liturgy specialist throughout the Southwest, including solo appearances with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. Carmen is also the Director of the St. Michael’s High School Choral Arts Society, which she founded in 2014.
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Program Notes
Throughout most of the 1730s, George Frideric Handel was London’s most prominent and successful musician. Renowned for his string of hit Italian operas, he enjoyed royal patronage and public acclaim. By the end of the decade, however, the popularity of Italian opera in London had dwindled …