Santa Fe Desert Chorale Announces Annual Winter Festival Holiday Concerts

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Artistic Director Joshua Habermann leads the ensemble at venues in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, with works by Eric Whitacre, Caroline Shaw, and Gioachino Rossini.

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The Santa Fe Desert Chorale (the Desert Chorale) has announced programming for its 2026 Winter Festival (December 12-22), led by Artistic Director Joshua Habermann. One of the longest-running professional music organizations in New Mexico, the Desert Chorale welcomes back its vocal artists to Santa Fe and Albuquerque for its annual holiday program, Carols & Lullabies: A Winter's Glow, celebrating the hope and magic of the holidays.

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'The holiday season is a meaningful time of connection, and our Winter Festival program is a beautiful opportunity to gather with loved ones, celebrate the joy and wonder of the season, and ring in the new year,' says Habermann. 'We take our role in sharing a holiday tradition seriously. Our artists are extraordinary, and this year's program is an exquisite mix of seasonal favorites, carols, and music people associate with this time of year, along with some delightful discoveries.'

Twenty-four professional artists, who are some of the nation's top ensemble singers, join guest pianist Nathan Salazar in a luminous program of beloved carols, transcendent sacred works, and festive tunes. Composers featured on the program include Eric Whitacre , Caroline Shaw , and Gioachino Rossini, among others.

In addition to their main concert series, the Desert Chorale invites community members to share the wonder of exceptional choral music with the children in their lives. On Wednesday, December 16th, the Desert Chorale joins the Young Voices of Santa Fe Opera for a joyful pop-up caroling event at the Santa Fe Public Library, Southside Branch. On Saturday, December 19, Habermann and the complete Desert Chorale present the free Insights & Sounds Winter Children's Concert, a 45 -minute program of music that is geared to children. There will be light refreshments and flexible seating to ensure comfort for all ages. More pop-up carols are scheduled for Tuesday, December 22nd at the DeVargas Mall.

Through the Desert Chorale's ongoing partnership with Acosta Strong Fine Art, the festival marketing materials will feature the artwork, ' Happy Snowflakes and Full Moon ' by Impressionist artist Evelyne Boren, who maintains a permanent studio in Santa Fe. Through the partnership, Boren will paint a new work that will be featured on the cover of the Desert Chorale's Winter Festival program book.

Albuquerque's First Presbyterian Church Sunday, December 13, 4pm

Santa Fe's Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Saturday, December 12, 7:30pm Tuesday, December 15, 7pm Thursday, December 17, 7pm Friday, December 18, 7pm Saturday, December 19, 7:30pm Sunday, December 20, 4pm and 7:30pm Tuesday, December 22, 7pm

Program (Subject to Change): Hyo Won Woo: 'Cum Sancto Spiritu' from Gloria Caroline Shaw : 'And the Swallow' Eric Whitacre : 'Glow' Eric Whitacre : 'Little Tree' 'O Mi Belén' from Carols and Lullabies of the Southwest, arr. Conrad Susa 'The First Noel,' arr. Stewart C. Duncan 'In the Bleak Midwinter,' arr. Abbie Betinis 'I Saw Three Ships,' arr. Wolfram Buchenberg Kevin Memley: 'O Magnum Mysterium' 'Auld Lang Syne,' arr. Ryan Brandau 'Noi de la Mare,' arr. Susa/Ribo/Habermann Gioachino Rossini: 'Toast pour le Nouvel An' 'Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head,' arr. Patrick Dupré Quigley Corlynn Hanney: 'Christmas Angel' 'Oh What a Pretty Little Baby/Glory Hallelujah to the Newborn King,' arr. Joseph H. Jennings Elizabeth Poston: 'Jesus Christ the Apple Tree' 'Silent Night,' arr. Shawn Kirchner

Santa Fe Public Library, Southside Branch 6599 Jaguar Dr, Santa Fe, NM 87507 Featuring the Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera Wednesday, December 16th, 5:30pm Free

DeVargas Mall 564 N Guadalupe St., Santa Fe, NM 87501 Tuesday, December 22nd, 2pm Free

Insights and Sounds Winter Children's Concert

The Genoveva Chavez Community Center Community Room 3221 Rodeo Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87507 Saturday, December 19, 11:30am Free; reservations are encouraged .

Tickets to the 2026 Winter Festival are available for purchase now at desertchorale.org/tickets or by calling the Box Office at (505) 988-2282, Ext. 1 . Tickets for regular season performances range from $24-$139. The Desert Chorale offers a 50% discount for all students with IDs.

Soprano Chelsea Helm Kori Miller Jennifer Perez Kathlene Ritch Allison Smith Emily Yocum Black

Alto Kerry Ginger Jennifer Hernandez McLean Heather Jones Kristin E. Lawler Sarah Nickerson Erin Roth Thomas

Tenor George Case Aaron Cates Elliott JG Encarnación Cameron Falby Erik Gustafson Bradley Naylor

Bass Simon Barrad Steven Berlanga Matthew D. Nielsen John E. Orduña Ian R. Prichard Marques Jerrell Ruff

Guest Artist: Nathan Salazar, piano

The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, a 501(c)(3) organization, is a centerpiece of cultural life in Santa Fe. It performs in historic venues, such as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, and its annual Summer Festival is one of the nation's largest choral events.

Under the direction of Artistic Director Joshua Habermann since 2008, the 24-member ensemble performs a wide-ranging repertoire, attracting audiences from around the world, and earning a reputation as 'a RaRa Avis in the choral music world' (Santa Fe New Mexican). The ensemble's first commercial release, The Road Home, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Classical Chart. The Desert Chorale's most recent album Roots & Rivers, featuring new choral works by American composers, won a Silver Medal for 'Outstanding Achievement' at the Global Music Awards. The Desert Chorale was founded in 1982 by Lawrence 'Larry' Bandfield. Visit desertchorale.org .

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/albuquerque/article/Santa-Fe-Desert-Chorale-to-Present-Winter-Festival-Holiday-Program-20261007)._