Virtual performances span the world from Santa Fe

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Performance groups in Santa Fe have taken the adage “the show must go on” to heart during the coronavirus pandemic as they turn to a new stage: the internet.

With theaters shuttered, virtual performances have abounded on websites. The Lensic Performing Arts Center, the Santa Fe Opera, the Santa Fe Symphony, Performance Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival have joined the virtual festivities.

The local organizations leapt into the unknown with online programming and were delighted to reach audiences around the world.

Each of Santa Fe’s major performing arts organizations took a unique approach to creating an online performance presence.

The Santa Fe Opera streamed roughly 30-minute compilations of talks and two selections for each of the five operas canceled this season. The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus scaled down to small ensembles and took the shows outdoors.

The Lensic staged 28 Ghost Light Sessions — live performances on the Lensic stage without an audience that were streamed online. Performance Santa Fe tracked down archived video performances by performers scheduled to appear this season or who performed in prior seasons.

The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival has had a minimal online presence so far, but the summer festival will be online if performances with a live audience are not possible.

Santa Fe Pro Musica had a virtual performance Oct. 16 featuring its new artistic director, pianist Anne-Marie McDermott. Otherwise, the organization is in “hibernation” performance-wise.

“We are not planning anything else,” Santa Fe Pro Musica board President Tim Terell told the Santa Fe New Mexican. “We made the decision when we hibernated this year to focus not so much on a virtual program. We didn’t want...