Choral Director, Carmen Florez Mansi, and Executive Director, Emma Scherer, discuss the complexity of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and give a peek inside the beautiful Cathedral—filmed live at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi on April 28.

Under the direction of Maestro Figueroa, this brilliant program features the full Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus with choral direction by Carmen Flórez-Mansi performing three magnificent works! This afternoon of incredible music opens with Haydn’s Sinfonia concertante featuring four Symphony principals. To follow, the intense and celebratory Symphony No. 38 "Prague" composed by Mozart in late 1786. And in finale, an amazing recreation of Stravinsky’s masterful Symphony of Psalms—originally conducted by Stravinsky himself on July 17, 1960, at the iconic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi!

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN
Sinfonia concertante in B-flat Major, op.84, K.364

David Felberg, Concertmaster; Dana Winograd, Principal Cello; Elaine Heltman, Principal Oboe; Stefanie Przybylska, Principal Bassoon

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K.504, “Prague”

The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra

IGOR STRAVINSKY
Symphony of Psalms

The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

DID YOU KNOW?

Igor Stravinsky was invited to perform at Santa Fe's iconic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in during his early tenure with The Santa Fe Opera. He conducted Threni in 1959, Symphony of Psalms in 1960 (commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), and Cantata in 1962. All three of these Cathedral Basilica performances were free and open to the public.

Pope John XXIII later invited Stravinsky to conduct his ethereal piece Mass at the Vatican in 1963. The spiritual composition never came to fruition at St. Peter’s Basilica due to the sudden death of the Pope on June 3, 1963. Instead, Stravinsky performed his renowned Mass at the Cathedral Basilica on August 18, 1963, dedicating the performance to his friend, Pope John XXIII.