The rafters inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis de Assisi hum with symphonic sound when the Santa Fe Desert Chorale (SFDC) performs in the 140-year-old building. The ensemble, which features some of the best vocalists in the country, does two programs a year: one in the summer, July 12 through August 2, and another during the winter holiday season.

The caliber of musicians in the Santa Fe Desert Chorale makes it a standout, not just locally but among the wider universe of choir groups as well. Mezzo-soprano Kate Maroney—who has been part of SFDC since 2017—holds a doctorate in music arts from Eastman School of Music and a music degree from Yale, and has sung for the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, Carnegie Hall, and LA Opera. She says her yearly sojourn to Santa Fe is something she looks forward to every year.

“I absolutely fell in love with the chorale,” she says of SFDC, “and I fell in love with New Mexico. The beauty, the hiking, and the natural wonders make the weeks of the summer festival so special,” says the Brooklyn-based singer.