The Rise of a Roving Band of Troubadours

Santa Fe Pro Musica brings together outstanding musicians to inspire and educate audiences of all ages through the performance of great music.

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Founded in 1980 by Thomas O’Connor (Music Director and Conductor) and Carol Redman (Associate Artistic Director and Principal Flute), Santa Fe Pro Musica offers a variety of classical music programs in historic Santa Fe venues, and presents professional musical performances for orchestra, string quartet, chamber ensemble, and performances on baroque instruments. The Santa Fe Pro Musica orchestra has been internationally recognized with a 2008 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Classical Album/Small Ensemble for its recording, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Chamber Players, of Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde/The Song of the Earth.

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Since 1980, Santa Fe Pro Musica has been committed to a multi-faceted music education program for the people of northern New Mexico. This approach allows us to meet the needs of a wide range of students, from children who are attending a classical music event for the first time, to those whose music goals may be college and career oriented, and to adults who desire to know more about music. Pro Musica provides a variety of opportunities to help you develop a life-long relationship with the power of music!

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Another high-water mark of the Smithsonian relationship was the enormously successful concert tour in 2000, on the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death, of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. It comprised two baroque instrument orchestras, plus vocal soloists and choir, and was performed at William and Mary College (Williamsburg VA), in Washington DC, at Oberlin College, in Albuquerque, and concluded at the Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Church in Santa Fe. Their exploration of the large-scale works of Bach also included baroque instrument performances of his Christmas Oratorio, St. John Passion, and B Minor Mass. The grand finale of the Smithsonian Affiliation was the creation of two stunning CDs – the small ensemble versions of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (which received a 2008 Grammy Nomination for Best Classical Album/Small Ensemble).

Of particular note during this decade was the SFPM benefit event featuring Yo Yo Ma / Colin Jacobsen / Joel Fan at the Santa Fe Opera in the summer of 2003. It was so successful that the concert was held up for 45 minutes as state police were called in to untangle the serious traffic congestion from Highway 285 onto Opera Drive.

The next major transition for SFPM was Tom’s decision to step away from playing oboe and become a conductor. Catalyst to this new role occurred in 2005 when Tom initiated a joint production with SFPM and the National Dance Institute (NDI) of a choreographed version of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Since he personally identified so strongly with this project, he decided to conduct it himself. Thus he partook of the forbidden fruit and it was delicious. And we all see how that has evolved over the past 11 years. He took a lot of heat in the press at the time but we are the fortunate recipients of his growth and dedication (and stubbornness!). During rehearsals, it is abundantly evident the mutual respect Tom and the musicians have for each other, for Tom’s depth of knowledge, his ideas and his leadership. Particularly in the last 5 years it is amazing to see how the orchestra under Tom’s leadership has gelled into world class quality. Just ask the musicians!