SANTA FE DESERT CHORALE ANNOUNCES ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES
JOSHUA HABERMANN PROMOTED TO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR WITH FIVE YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JANICE L. MAYER’S CONTRACT EXTENDED FOR FIVE YEARS
LENDING ADMINISTRATIVE STABILITY
EMMA MARZEN PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
SEARCH ANNOUNCED FOR BOX OFFICE MANAGER AND MARKETING ASSISTANT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Santa Fe, New Mexico, December 18, 2017: President Elect of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale Board of Directors and the current Chair of the Personnel Committee,
Sheryl Kelsey PhD, announced today the following administrative updates on behalf of the Board of Directors. In announcing the administration updates, which will take
effect on January 1, 2018, Dr. Kelsey said, “As the incoming President, I am delighted to be serving at a time when the Desert Chorale is achieving national prominence. Think of the warm reception it gets here in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, as well as the enthusiastic response it recently received at concerts in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Oklahoma City. Surely this is a tribute to the brilliant professional singers that the Chorale has assembled from across the country. But it also is a tribute to the artistic and administrative leadership that promotes its development. We are blessed to have Joshua Habermann make a long-term commitment to continue in his inspirational role as the Artistic Director, and to also have Janice Mayer commit her extensive organizational capabilities as the Executive Director. Further, with her well-deserved promotion, Emma Marzen will add administrative depth as Assistant Director. Above all, we are now poised experience even more sophisticated programming and beautiful music from the Desert Chorale.”
Joshua Habermann, who is entering his tenth year with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, has been promoted to Artistic Director, and will serve out another five year contract as the musical leader of the organization. He concurrently serves as the Director of the Dallas Symphony 200-voice chorus. Credited with raising the ensemble’s artistic profile and broadening its programming to include choral-orchestral masterworks as well as cutting-edge a cappella programs, he recently programmed and led the Santa Fe
Desert Chorale’s first commercial recording in its 35-year history. Speaking of his appointment and contract extension, he said “working with the Desert Chorale is a joy, and I look forward to continuing to improve the quality and quantity of the Chorale’s artistic activities.”
Janice L. Mayer joined the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in 2015 as Executive Director, after a nationwide search. Achievements in her first term have included the stabilization of the organization, and the broadening the Chorale’s audience through a recent successful tour to Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, and Dallas, as well as upcoming appearances in Chicago and Los Angeles. During her tenure the Santa Fe Desert Chorale has created a multi-faceted Community Engagement Program committed to “sharing the power of music with diverse populations by providing arts access through collaborative programming and community engagement.” In discussing her five year contract extension, Ms. Mayer said that she is grateful for the support of the Board of Directors in both expanding the roots of the Chorale deeper into the community of Northern New Mexico, while branching out to new markets. She also expressed appreciation to her colleagues in the arts community for welcoming her so warmly to Santa Fe; our multi-disciplinary collaborations are a true joy.”
Emma Marzen joined the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in 2016 as Box Office Manager, having completed her Bachelor of Music degree with a specialization in music business at the University of Miami. While an undergraduate, she successfully completed internships at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Le Poisson Rouge, and The Orchard in New York City. She also led the Frost School of Music’s student run record label ‘Cane Records which, under her stewardship, garnered an Independent Music Award for Best Album Compilation with its release “For the Record.” Her passion for the burgeoning Community Engagement Program at the Santa Fe Desert Chorale led to expanded responsibilities as she added the title of Community Engagement Liaison to her portfolio. In announcing her promotion to Assistant Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Janice Mayer acknowledged “the extraordinary skills, work ethic, and personal attributes that have made Emma Marzen a leader in the Santa Fe community in such a short time – her impact is astounding.” Ms. Marzen will continue to oversee the Community Engagement initiatives while assuming greater development responsibilities for the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. In accepting the promotion, Emma Marzen said “It has been an honor to be involved in the Desert Chorale’s growth and success for the past year and a half, and I am overjoyed to take on the role of Assistant Director in 2018. I look forward to engaging in creative collaborations within the Northern New Mexican community and to strengthening the organization’s partnerships and presence throughout North America.”
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale has launched a search for a new Box Office Manager as a result of Emma Marzen’s promotion. The fulltime position description may be found on the Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s website. The post will be filled as soon as practicable.
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The mission of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, one of the nation’s premier professional vocal ensembles, is to excite, engage, and inspire diverse audiences with the beauty and power of great choral music.
