Aspen Music Festival Fills Colorado Rocky Mountains - Summer Events
In just a few short weeks, one of the most fantastic and notable events
of the Aspen summer season begins: The Aspen Music Festival. An
incredible experience, our own local music festival, internationally
reknowned, combines elegant music with the fantastic backdrop of the
surrounding mountains. Beginning on June 28, the season runs for eight
weeks and the calendar is full of events to please your musical senses.
The Aspen Music Festival and School is one of the country’s premier
classical summer music festivals, and will present more than 300 musical
events during the 2-month season. This summer’s festival has a
patriotic theme, “Made in America”, perfectly suited for our colorful,
vibrant summer here in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
The programming will feature works from three different groups of
composers: American composers working today, American composers who left
for a time to study in Europe and then returned, and European composers
who emigrated to America. This summer as always, the festival features
a bountiful array of singers, conductors, composers, chamber groups and
orchestras who line up the calendar with talent. Performances will be
held in various beautiful indoor and outdoor venues around Aspen,
including the airy and acoustically spectacular Benedict Music Tent, the
intimate Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Concert Hall, and the historic
Wheeler Opera House, as well as many family-friendly casual outdoor
venues.
The 2012 festival is blessed to have world-acclaimed
conductor-in-residence Robert Spano at the helm. This Music Director of
the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is regarded as one of the most brilliant
conductors in the world. In 2012 Mr. Spano was named the music
director of the Aspen Music Festival and School, and as such he will
also head the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, an exciting
addition to the festival this year. Mr. Spano plans a big,
crowd-pleasing big band opening to the season on June 28 with A Gershwin
Celebration. There is a myriad of other notable events in Mr. Spano’s
repertoire to look forward to this season. A trio of diverse operas has
something for every music lover’s taste, with Mozart’s The Magic Flute
(June 12, 14, 16), Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (July 26, 28, 30) and
the jazz- inspired adaptation of the The Great Gatsby (August 16, 18)
by John Harbison. In addition look forward to Handel’s Water Music Suite
(July 5) and Grammy-nominated trumpeter Chris Botti’s return to Aspen
for An Evening of Jazz and Popular Music (July 7).
Also an acclaimed school for musicians of all ages, the festival
attracts some of the world’s finest classical musicians for a very
unique experience combining classical music performance and education.
Now in its 63rd year, the Aspen Music School and Festival brings
together the world’s top classical professionals and most promising
students for a demanding and distinctive training experience. The school
presents a very busy and diverse performance schedule, ranging from
operas, chamber music, and children’s events to master classes and panel
discussion, many of which are free. There are recurring events each day
of the week, and you can count on seeing performances at these times no
matter which week of the summer you've planned your Aspen, Colorado
vacation:
MONDAYS 6 pm Chamber Music
TUESDAYS
1 pm Harris Concert Hall Master Classes
4 pm American Academy of Conducting Orchestra
Evening Artist Recitals
WEDNESDAYS 12 pm High Notes Discussions,
Evening Artist Recitals
THURSDAYS
10 am Piano Master Classes,6pm "An Evening with..." Recital Series
FRIDAYS
9:30am Aspen Chamber Symphony Dress Rehearsals
4:45pm Overtures (performances of Beethoven chamber music)
5 pm JUSTIN Time for Friday, sponsored by JUSTIN wine
6 pm Aspen Chamber Symphony
SATURDAYS
10 am Opera Scenes Master Classes
1 pm Music On The Mountain (gondola ticket required)
4 pm Chamber Music
Evening Artist Recitals
SUNDAYS
9:30am Aspen Festival Orchestra Dress Rehearsals,
3 pm Prelude Preconcert Talks
4 pm Aspen Festival Orchestra
Monday August 6, marks the season’s biggest benefit at The Benedict
Music Tent. Begin with a not-to-be-missed evening of song in Harris
Concert Hall as the festival presents a Night of Cabaret with Nathan
Gunn - one of today’s reigning baritones. The concert is followed with
Dinner on the Stage with Nathan Gunn in the Benedict Music Tent.
Tickets for this event are very popular and more information can be
found at
aspenmusicbenefit.com
We look forward to enjoying one of several music events in Aspen this
summer. Many events are free, such as all the performances taking place
at the David Karetsy Music Lawn and the Music Garden. For tickets and a
full calendar of events, as well as registration information for the
school, please visit
www.aspenmusicfestival.com.
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