NMPhil Opens 2026–2027 Power Concert Series with Festive & Dancing Strings
The New Mexico Philharmonic will open its 2026–2027 Power Concert season with an afternoon of music designed to introduce audiences of all ages to the colorful and expressive world of the orchestra's string sections.
Festive & Dancing Strings takes place Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 215 Locust St. NE in Albuquerque. Led by NMPhil Music Director Roberto Minczuk, the concert will explore the distinctive voices of the violin, viola, cello, and bass through music by Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Nielsen, and Holst.
The program asks an intriguing question: Can four string instruments create an entire world of sound?
Audiences will have the opportunity to discover the answer while experiencing music that dances, sings, celebrates, and tells stories without words. The concert is also designed as an educational experience, with families learning more about the different forms and structures that make up orchestral music, including the concerto, symphony, and suite.
As the NMPhil's first Power Concert of the new season, Festive & Dancing Strings offers an accessible way for families and younger listeners to experience the orchestra while highlighting the versatility and expressive range of its string musicians.
Tickets for all Power Concerts are $36 for general admission. Children can attend for $2, while adult students can purchase tickets for $10.
At the podium will be GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor Roberto Minczuk, who has served as Music Director of the New Mexico Philharmonic since 2017. Minczuk also serves as Music Director of the Theatro Municipal Orchestra of São Paulo, Music Director Laureate of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in Canada, and Conductor Emeritus of the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro.
His international career includes performances with major orchestras and opera companies across North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Recent highlights include leading the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra through a complete Mahler Symphony Cycle, as well as productions and performances featuring works by composers including Bach, Bruckner, Beethoven, Berlioz, Mozart, Verdi, Bernstein, and Strauss.
Minczuk has also conducted with organizations including the Cincinnati Opera, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic in South Korea, Orchestra National de Lille, and New York City Ballet.
For Albuquerque audiences, his leadership of the NMPhil continues to bring a wide range of orchestral repertoire to New Mexico while supporting the Philharmonic's broader mission of education and community engagement.
The New Mexico Philharmonic describes its mission as enriching the lives of New Mexicans through musical excellence, educational opportunities, and community engagement. Festive & Dancing Strings brings those elements together in a program intended to make orchestral music engaging and accessible for the entire family.
With its focus on the string family and the different ways these instruments can create character, movement, and emotion, the concert offers audiences an opportunity to hear the orchestra from a fresh perspective—and perhaps discover something new about the instruments they thought they already knew.
Festive & Dancing Strings will be presented Saturday, November 14, at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 215 Locust St. NE, Albuquerque.
For tickets, upcoming performances, volunteer opportunities, and more information about the New Mexico Philharmonic, visit nmphil.org.
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