About Us

Music from Angel Fire was founded in 1984, its premiere season. It is a private, New Mexico non-profit corporation with Federal tax exemption as a 501-C-3 organization. The Festival operates under the guidance of a Board of Directors, a National Advisory Board, and an outstanding administrative and artistic staff. Many volunteers from throughout Northern New Mexico are organized through the Music from Angel Fire Guild and participate annually with the Festival in housing, marketing and social benefits.

The name, Music from Angel Fire, stems from the original location of the Festival - Angel Fire, New Mexico. The Festival is a touring organization serving the rural Northern New Mexico Rocky Mountain communities of Angel Fire, Taos, Raton and Las Vegas.

The Festival's mission is to bring to these communities the highest standard of artistic excellence in the classical chamber music repertoire presented by world class artists with emerging and established careers. The versatility of the artists, unique programming and the various concert venue sites have created a strong and varied audience for the Festival. It is the first music festival in New Mexico designed to serve the artistic needs of a group of rural northern New Mexico communities and consistently has presented outstanding musical events for resident and visitor alike.

Artistic Director Ida Kavafian, renowned international violinist, has set programs of varied repertoire from the Baroque to the Classical, Contemporary to the New, and has engaged artists from throughout the world to perform in chamber music ensembles created by the Festival. Music by the great composers of Europe, Latin America and the United States are presented in concert by world-class performing artists. In continuing its commitment to new music, the Festival engages an American composer to be in residence for a world premiere and performance of other new works. This presentation is made possible by "The Bruce E. Howden, Jr. American Composers Project."

The Festival produces two professional family/youth concerts for the young people of Taos and Colfax Counties and with the presentation of 30 concerts, maintains an active program of music in the schools for the communities of Red River, Taos, Raton, Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Mora, Questa, Cimarron, Peñasco and Las Vegas. Music from Angel Fire concerts are broadcast by American Public Media, Performance Today, throughout the United States. Artistic Director Ida Kavafian has been with the Festival for the past twenty-three seasons.

The 25th Anniversary Season will open in the beautiful New Mexico Rockies on August 15 and continue through September 1, 2008.