SFNM PRESENTS PRODUCTION OF ORPHEUS & EURIDICE AS PART OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY AID & COMFORT GALA HOSTED BY THE MAYOR’S BALL

Saturday, November 2, 7:00 p.m. The Lensic Performing Arts Center

In honor of the 20th Anniversary AID & Comfort Gala, a musical drama - Orpheus and Euridice – by composer Ricky Ian Gordon will be presented by Santa Fe New Music at the Lensic on Sunday evening, November 2. This is a first-time cross-institutional event of this type for SFNM, and represents the organization's commitment to the community of Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico that goes beyond our musical offerings.

Ricky Ian Gordon, one of today’s most lyric and successful music-theater composers, created this modern and very personal take on the ancient Greek myth while caring for his partner, who would ultimately succumb to AIDS. Performers are Gina Browning, soprano, Joseph Illick, piano and Jonathan Jones, clarinet. Tickets range in price from $10 to $50. Highest price includes a post-performance reception at the Eldorado with performers and composer featuring dancing with the Santa Fe band, Manzanares. All proceeds benefit the AID & Comfort Fund at Southwest CARE Center. Tickets can be purchased through Tickets Santa Fe at the Lensic: 988-1234 or www.ticketssantafe.com.

Orpheus and Euridice is a rich and deeply moving story filled with heart-stoppingly beautiful music. It is an unforgettable theatrical experience. Gordon dedicated it to his partner Jeffrey Grossi. It is Gordon's story, and it is everyone's story - the power and passion of love, the devastation of death and grief, and the transcendence of music. The performers are honored to have the chance to tell it. 

Southwest CARE Center’s the 20th anniversary of the AID & Comfort Gala will be held prior to the performance on November 1, 2008. It is a fundraising event with proceeds going toward medical expenses for people living with HIV/AIDS in our community. With the support of the mayor’s office, the staff and volunteers of Southwest CARE Center are producing the best Gala yet for its 20th anniversary. The theme is a Shakespearean Masquerade and guests are encouraged to dress in costume. Masks made by local students will be on sale at the door. More information available at Southwest Care Center's website.

Concert tickets are available through Tickets Santa Fe at the Lensic by calling 988-1234 or going to www.ticketssantafe.com. VIP tickets are purchased by calling 505 989 9255 or 989 8200 x 1038.

Southwest CARE Center was founded in 1996 by Medical Director, Trevor Hawkins, MD to provide comprehensive treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in our community. Over the years the Center has expanded to incorporate eight free standing HIV/AIDS agencies, thereby cutting down on administrative overhead and allowing the Center to continue the good work of treatment, case management services, research and prevention and education for HIV positive individuals in New Mexico. Now serving close to 500 people living with HIV/AIDS, the Center continues to be a nation-wide model of care in the field of HIV/AIDS.

Through concerts, commissions, and educational events, Santa Fe New Music promotes understanding of, enthusiasm for, and participation in the music of our time, serving as an advocate for new classical music and its future. SFNM was founded by Artistic Director John Kennedy in 2000. Santa Fe New Music is a 501(c)3 corporation.

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