Santa Fe Symphony, Chorus to perform Handel's 'Messiah'

Santa Fe Symphony, Chorus to perform Handel's 'Messiah'

Nov 21, 2025

The birth, life and the death of Jesus Christ are told through song at the Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus’ performance of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.”

“I think it invokes a sense of awe of this masterwork, beginning with the infancy and the birth of Jesus all the way to his death,” Carmen Flórez-Mansi, choral director, said, “and what an incredibly large-scale work this is.”

Handel’s “Messiah” was written in the 18th century and remains a holiday tradition, being performed by the Santa Fe Symphony since 1997.

“There’s also great majesty, as in the famous ‘Hallelujah’ chorus that everybody knows and (has) heard,” Guillermo Figueroa, music director, said. “And traditionally, people stand for it… So it’s a bit of a spectacle.”

Sam Dhobhany, bass-baritone soloist, said the piece is timeless and draws in people during the season.

“I think that’s what the holidays are really about, is being with the people that you love. A sense of community,” Dhobhany said, “and I think that’s what makes ‘Messiah’ so festive and perfect for the holiday season.”

Figueroa said that the music Handel created is straightforward and listenable, and flows in a very beautiful way.

“It’s music that just about everybody in the world can understand,” Figueroa said.

He said that the piece features four vocal soloists: a soprano, alto, tenor and bass, with new soloists every year who bring a fresh approach to the piece.

“It is my job and the orchestra’s to accommodate their sound, their new insights, and that all combined keeps the music constantly fresh,” Figueroa said.

Dhobhany is returning to Santa Fe for the performance, after spending time as an apprentice artist at the Santa Fe Opera in 2023 and 2024.

“It’s very full circle for me, and kind of surreal, but it’s gonna be exciting, and I can’t wait,” Dhobhany said.

While this will be Dhobhany’s first performance in “Messiah” as a soloist and with Santa Fe Symphony, Flórez-Mansi has worked on the show for many years and always tries to approach it in a new way.

“We try to see it with fresh eyes every year and perform it like it’s going to be the first time,” Flórez-Mansi said.

“I never want to take for granted a performance,” she said.