ANNUAL REPORT
2022 FISCAL YEAR
October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
ROBERT SPANO Music Director ALAN FLETCHER President and CEOOctober 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022
ROBERT SPANO Music Director ALAN FLETCHER President and CEO4 Letters from the Board Chair and President and CEO
5 IDEA Progress Report
6 Artistic Highlights
14 Livestreams
16 Student Experience
20 Education and Community Programs
22 Benefits
24 Board of Trustees and Corporation
26 Artist-Faculty
28 Family of Supporters
40 Financial Overview
COVER Student Bridget Conley on the Bucksbaum Campus.
OPPOSITE Soomin Kim (standing), student of the Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies, applauds the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra after their reading of her work while artist-faculty member Donald Crockett (l) and visiting composer Nico Muhly (center) join her.
ABOVE Alumna pianist Joyce Yang celebrates with conductor Thomas Wilkins after their performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. PHOTO CREDITS Tessa Nojaim, Graham Northrup, Steve MundingerWe think the 2022 summer is one that would have made the founders of the Aspen Music Festival and School, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke, proud. Following a world-wide crisis—this time a pandemic, not World War II—devoted musicians and supporters surmounted numerous challenges to come together again around music and in it find joy and a heightening of the human spirit.
The dedication on all sides, the courage to show up, do it differently, take a leap in unknown circumstances, and dig deep—these are what made the summer’s musical and human experiences possible and brought beauty back to Aspen.
We are proud to share this report of not only coming back with vigor, but of growing and adding important new pursuits. In all that we did in 2022, we both honored our roots and responded to our times dynamically and passionately.
We deeply thank the Board of Trustees, our entire family of donors, a brilliant faculty and community of musicians of all ages, the volunteers, staff, and entire community of Aspen, without whom this would not have been possible.
Michael Klein Chair, Board of Trustees Alan Fletcher President and CEOLed by its IDEA Committee, the Aspen Music Festival and School continued to work toward the goals it adopted in 2021 to codify and deepen the organization’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. The following are institutional accomplishments achieved in pursuit of these goals.
From 2019 to 2022, the School saw an increase in the proportion of students identifying as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latina/o, Native American or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and in particular, among those identifying as Black or African American.
The Talent and Inclusion Scholarship Fund supported nine students with financial aid in 2022. The Fund was established by AMFS Trustees in 2021 to increase scholarships for eligible Hispanic, Latina/o, and Black or African American students to aid in recruitment and matriculation.
In 2022, the AMFS explored partnerships to further support Black or African American and Latina/o musicians in their pursuit of classical music careers through summer music study and partnered with National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS) to support its initiative to increase diversity in American orchestras. Through this partnership, AMFS also aims to lay the groundwork for recruiting new applicants from underrepresented student groups.
This past summer, five new BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or people of color) artist-faculty members were engaged resulting in artist-faculty representation estimated at 16 percent AMELIA (African, Middle Eastern, Latin, Indigenous, and Asian) and 7 percent BIPOC, far exceeding the national average for diversity in professional orchestras.
Meeting a goal set prior to the start of the season, 75 percent of our public, summer main-stage programs featured guest artists, conductors, or works by composers of color.
Starting from a baseline of 6 percent AMELIA Trustees, new candidates were nominated to increase AMELIA representation by an additional 10 percent. New appointments to the Corporation also increased AMELIA representation and generational diversity.
The organization met its commitment to conduct two IDEA-related training sessions for staff per year, as well as training for artist-faculty. Sessions were led by Dr. Georgina García of Metropolitan State University of Denver. In post-training surveys, 81 percent of staff rated the sessions “valuable” or “extremely valuable.”
The IDEA Committee conducted surveys of artistfaculty, year-round staff, and summer staff in June, meeting its goal to begin collecting self-reported data on an annual basis to allow for reflection on IDEA progress. Surveys were anonymous and response rates were high.
Scholarship assistance for the AfterWorks
Beginning Strings and Lead Guitar programs doubled for the 2021–22 school year.
Half of the twenty-six students who participated in the new AfterWorks Chamber Music Lab program were Latina/o.
Several sections of the 2022 Program Book were once again translated into Spanish, including “Concert Information and Patron Services.”
Managing Editor Dr. Joseph Pfender also wrote a Spanish-only “editor’s introduction” to introduce the main themes of the book’s feature essays. In addition, program and registration information for Education and Community offerings during the school year were produced in both English and Spanish.
Led by Music Director Robert Spano, the Aspen Music Festival and School celebrated its 2022 Season with the theme, Tapestries: What We Talk About When We Talk About Ourselves, which engaged the ways we use art to create identity.
The summer’s theme was an ideal vehicle for the AMFS’s ongoing initiative to bring more works by underrepresented voices to its audiences. The season’s programming also showcased a number of important young performers who are embarking on promising careers, pairing many of them with well-loved seasoned artists.
Pianist Matthew Whitaker returned to Aspen, joining veteran conductor and alumna Marin Alsop to perform George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Aspen Chamber Symphony on opening weekend. From the first trill of artist-faculty member Michael Rusinek’s unforgettable clarinet glissando to Whitaker’s final flourish, the Tent audience was captivated by a truly rhapsodic pairing of profound classical and jazz artistry. In a work that rewards interpretive freedom, Whitaker did not disappoint. Alsop also led a moving rendition of the Ukrainian National Anthem at the start of the concert.
Soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Rod Gilfry also delighted opening week audiences with a Broadway evening, and joined Spano and the Aspen Festival Orchestra to “sing” the letters of painter Georgia O’Keeffe and photographer Alfred Stieglitz in Kevin Puts’s The Brightness of Light
OPPOSITE Pianist Paul Lewis (in black) with Aspen Conducting Academy alumnus Kerem Hasan (r), after their performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4.The season featured many concerts that paired artists new to the Festival with faces familiar to audiences.
Violinist Randall Goosby joined long-time guest conductor Nicholas McGegan for Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, pianist Terrence Wilson deftly prevailed over a light rain with his powerful performance of the Liszt Piano Concerto with Robert Spano and the Aspen Chamber Symphony, and Gil Shaham and Sterling Elliott—alumni from two generations— delighted audiences with their musical communication during the Brahms Concerto for Violin and Cello with the Aspen Festival Orchestra and conductor John Storgårds.
Frequent guest conductor Vasily Petrenko welcomed newcomer Alexander Malofeev to Aspen by taking him hiking up the mountains, and to the Tent with a breathtaking performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. American violinist Stephen Waarts, who delighted audiences in an unexpected 2019 Aspen debut stepping in for violinist Sergey Khachatryan, returned to perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Aspen Chamber Symphony.
Armenian violinist Diana Adamyan made her Aspen debut with French conductor Lionel Bringuier and the Aspen Festival Orchestra on July 24 in a livestreamed performance of the Violin Concerto in D minor by composer and fellow Armenian Aram Khachaturian.
Thomas Wilkins made his Aspen conducting debut with beloved Aspen alumna and pianist Joyce Yang in an electrifying performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Wilkins also led the Aspen Festival Orchestra in James Lee III’s new work, Amer’ican, and the work that inspired it, Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony.
OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
World-renowned Welsh baritone Sir Bryn Terfel sings the title role of Falstaff. (l–r) Fleming Fellowship Artists Kresley Figueroa (Nanetta), Katerina Burton (Alice Ford), Deepa Johnny (Meg Page), and Natalie Lewis (Mistress
devise a plan to teach Falstaff a lesson as
(l–r) Zerlina
ABOVE Pianist Alexander Malofeev (left) and violinist Randall Goosby (right) in their Aspen debuts. Quickly) Patrick Summers conducts behind them. (Fleming Fellowship Artist Nicoletta Julia Berry) pacifies Masetto (Fleming Fellowship Artist Finn Sagal) after an encounter with Don Giovanni as Jane Glover conducts from the harpsichord. Baritone Michael J. Hawk (center) in the title role of Don Giovanni, with members of the chorus.The Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS Program brought a full cohort of fortythree rising young operatic talents to Aspen for a summer of artistic community and mentorship envisioned by co-artistic directors Renée Fleming and Patrick Summers. The ebullience of the company’s first production was a triumph of the co-artistic directors’ goal to offer young singers a well-rounded education in not only performance and vocal rigor, but also navigating the professional world of opera.
World-renowned Welsh baritone
Sir Bryn Terfel joined the students in the title role of Verdi’s Falstaff, and served as a mentor along with Fleming, Summers as conductor, and The Metropolitan Opera’s Paula Suozzi as director. Suozzi’s witty staging, which had Terfel picking Summers’s pocket and popping cans of local beer, delighted students and audience alike.
The young artists of AOTVA also performed Mozart’s Don Giovanni, starring Fleming Fellowship Artist and baritone Michael J. Hawk in the title role. The singers were guided by one of the leading Mozartians of our time, Dame Jane Glover, who also conducted on the stage, not on a podium but at the harpsichord, sometimes holding her baton in her teeth to play.
When British saxophonist Jess Gillam was unable to travel to Aspen in July, it left a rather large hole in the program of the popular Baroque Evening with Nicholas McGegan. Gillam had been scheduled to perform Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Oboes with fellow guest artist and saxophonist Steven Banks. In a heroic programmatic “save,” Met Opera oboist and artist-faculty member Elaine Douvas stepped in. Together, Douvas, Banks, and McGegan agreed to try and make it work. In true Baroque fashion, Douvas and Banks made the concerto a highlight of the evening’s performance.
One of the biggest laughs of Verdi’s Falstaff came when Sir Bryn Terfel, in the title role, summoned a page to deliver a message. Making his operatic stage debut, artist-faculty member Jonathan Haas rushed—mallets in hand—to center stage from behind his timpani to bear Falstaff’s message off through the stage doors.
As with every summer, Faculty Chamber Music served as a showcase for not only faculty talent but also many new or unfamiliar works by composers such as Michael Frazier, guest artist and saxophonist Steven Banks, Gabriela Ortiz, Unsuk Chin, Anthony Davis, and composition artist-faculty members Stephen Hartke and Donald Crockett, among many others.
Starting with artist-faculty member Hung‑Kuan Chen’s all-Beethoven recital on the opening night of the Festival, the season featured a wealth of recitals by a range of new and familiar artists who were finally able to return to the intimate setting of Harris Concert Hall. Among the violinists were Esther Yoo, Vadim Gluzman, and alumnus Robert McDuffie. Pianists included alumnus Maxim Lando, former artist-faculty member John O’Conor, Lise de la Salle, Paul Lewis, and Vladimir Feltsman. Pacifica Quartet and the American Brass Quintet also performed.
In June, eighteen-year-old South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim made history as the youngest person ever to win the Gold Medal in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In a long-standing AMFS tradition, his Aspen debut was one of the first stops on his post-Gold-Medal tour.
The month of August featured a trio of carefully curated individual recitals by three important opera voices—tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Nicholas Phan performed with AOTVA senior coach and pianist Myra Huang , and baritone Will Liverman performed with pianist Jonathan King.
LEFT
Long-time guest conductor Nicholas McGegan. OPPOSITE Concertmaster Alexander Kerr (left), alumna Alisa Weilerstein (center), and Aspen Conducting Academy alumnus Roderick Cox (right) after the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1.Two Aspen Conducting Academy alumni returned to the podium, deftly leading wide-ranging programs that featured both seasoned performers and artists new to the Benedict Music Tent stage. Alumnus Kerem Hasan conducted an Aspen Chamber Symphony program that featured not only alumnus Andrew Norman’s work, Try, but also 2021 Dorothy DeLay Competition winner and violinist Fiona Shea in a performance of Bruch’s Violin Concerto and pianist Paul Lewis with Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto.
Alumnus Roderick Cox made his guest conducting debut at the summer’s final Aspen Chamber Symphony concert, leading Schumann’s First Symphony, “Spring.” He also welcomed soprano and Aspen newcomer Raven McMillon to the stage for an ethereal performance of Handel’s Gloria, and alumna Alisa Weilerstein, who performed the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1.
Several 2022 collaborations gave audiences a chance to explore a variety of musical traditions. Bassist and artist-faculty member Edgar Meyer invited special guests and frequent collaborators Béla Fleck, banjo, and Mike Marshall, mandolin, to the Benedict Music Tent to revisit their beloved 1997 album Uncommon Ritual.
Multiple Grammy Award–winner and artist-faculty member Sharon Isbin brought to Aspen the worldrenowned sarod player Amjad Ali Khan, her partner in the Strings for Peace project. They were joined by Khan’s sons, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, also sarod artists, and tabla artist Amit Kavthekar for a program interweaving varied musical, spiritual, and artistic traditions, showing how music can cross barriers of language, time, and culture to unite people.
Once again, the Aspen Music Festival collaborated with Theatre Aspen—this time to present Rodgers & Hammerstein’s beloved musical, THE SOUND OF MUSIC In Concert, conducted by Andy Einhorn. Broadway talents Christy Altomare and Brandon Victor Dixon, who charmed Aspen audiences in 2021, returned to the Tent for the roles of Maria and Captain Georg von Trapp. They were joined by the tremendous Ana María Martínez as The Mother Abbess.
The 2022 season concluded with Berlioz’s monumental, rarely performed Grande Messe des morts (Requiem), a work the composer envisioned as a profound communal experience. Joining Music Director Robert Spano and an expanded, 112-instrument Aspen Festival Orchestra were tenor soloist Zach Borichevsky and a 150-voice chorus comprising singers from Denver’s Kantorei, Seraphic Fire, the Seraphic Fire Professional Choral Institute, the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS Program.
Just as electrifying as the sheer size of the ensemble and its ability to reach “the outer limits of forte” (as President and CEO Alan Fletcher put it), were the looks of awe on patrons’ faces when music from the soloist, orchestra, chorus, and antiphonal brass ensembles ringing the tent completely encircled them.
OPPOSITE, TOP Béla Fleck banjo and Edgar Meyer bass revisit their collaborative album Uncommon Ritual in the Benedict Music Tent. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM Christy Altomare as Maria von Trapp (center) with the young local actors playing the von Trapp Family children.The 2022 season marked the third year that the Aspen Music Festival and School offered livestreamed programming, broadcasting nine concert experiences. The average number of viewers per event increased 30 percent from 2021 to 2022.
The livestreams attracted approximately 14,730 views from more than thirty different countries. The total number of donations made by livestream viewers rose by 19 percent from 2021 to 2022. Of those, 56 percent were first-time supporters of the AMFS.
61%
Total gifts
59 New donors to AMFS
33
MOST GIFTS CAME FROM
1 Colorado
2 California
PERCENTAGE OF LIVESTREAM DONORS WHO GAVE FOR THE FIRST TIME
56%
MOST VIEWERS
JULY 31
AFO Hadelich and Spano
ASPEN CHAMBER SYMPHONY with Marin Alsop and Matthew Whitaker* | July 1
ASPEN CONDUCTING ACADEMY with Piano Competition Winner Youlan Ji | July 11
ASPEN CHAMBER SYMPHONY with Robert Spano and Terrence Wilson | July 17
ASPEN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA with Lionel Bringuier and Diana Adamyan | July 24
ASPEN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA with Robert Spano and Augustin Hadelich | July 31
ASPEN CHAMBER SYMPHONY with Kerem Hasan, Paul Lewis, and Fiona Shea | August 5
DON GIOVANNI with Jane Glover and Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS | August 18
ASPEN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA with Thomas Wilkins and Joyce Yang | August 14
FINAL SUNDAY with Robert Spano and the Aspen Festival Orchestra | August 21
* The unusually low viewership numbers of the first livestream were due to technical difficulties.
The size of the AMFS student body progressed steadily back to pre -pandemic enrollment levels, less the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, which remained on hiatus. The 467 students represented thirty-one countries and forty states, ranging in age from twelve to thirty-seven, with the average age being twenty-three.
The School saw progress in its work to diversify the student body, with an increase in the proportion of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latina/o, Native American or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students from 2019. Among those identifying as Black or African American, enrollment increased by 25 percent.
With COVID still prevalent worldwide, all participants cooperated with testing protocols. Cases were rapidly isolated, and adjustments were swift, offering real-world experience for students who stepped in with little notice to fill orchestral or operatic roles for ill colleagues.
The Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS program welcomed forty-three student artists. New was an “Industry Audition Day,” where opera industry representatives came to Aspen to hear its talented singers. Co-artistic directors Renée Fleming and Patrick Summers identified twenty-five singers to participate in this opportunity, further elevating their Aspen experience.
The AMFS also became a partner to the National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS) in 2022, joining its work to support Black and Latina/o musicians in their pursuit of classical music careers. The Festival has supported musicians associated with the Sphinx organization since its inception and will partner with NAAS in future admissions cycles to continue to provide access and opportunities for musicians from underrepresented communities to apply for study in Aspen.
467 TALENTED STUDENTS From 31 COUNTRIES and 40 STATES
More than
$ 3.1 million IN FINANCIAL AID
OPPOSITE (l–r) Fleming Fellowship Artists Kresley Figueroa (Nanetta), Katerina Burton (Alice Ford), Natalie Lewis (Mistress Quickly), and Deepa Johnny (Meg Page) read a note from Falstaff.
THREE TOP REASONS STUDENTS SAY THEY CHOSE TO ATTEND THE AMFS:
25%
82% RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ARE RETURNING STUDENTS
$75 million STATE-OF-THE-ART CAMPUS
• To study with and/or perform alongside our world-class artist-faculty
• The amount of financial aid offered
• To participate in an intensive program of study
The AMFS offered financial assistance to 82 percent of all enrolled students, many of whom received Increasing Access scholarships and fellowships designated to support students from underrepresented or marginalized communities. We were especially proud to announce the addition of ten fellowships for Black or African American, Latina/o, and Indigenous students in 2022.
The AMFS thanks the many supporters who established these scholarships, including the notable new gifts below.
Newly endowed scholarships:
Sheryl and Michael DeGenring Scholarship
Al and Germaine Dietsch Memorial Scholarship Fund
Douglas Howard Percussion Fellowship
Talent and Inclusion Scholarship Fund
Operating scholarships:
Lynette Nelson Gutner and Kenneth Howard Gutner Memorial
Piano Scholarship
The Adele Addison Prize for Collaborative Piano, given by Scott Dunn and Robbie Moray
Hayoung Choi violin
Dorothy DeLay Fellowship, student of Robert Lipsett
Aspen Conducting Academy Fellowship
Matthew Hakkarainen violin
Violin Competition, student of Kathleen Winkler
New Horizons Fellowship, Kay and Matthew Bucksbaum
Youlan Ji piano
Piano Competition, student of Yoheved Kaplinsky and Fabio Bidini
Simms Family Foundation Fellowship
Paul‑ Boris Kertsman
Robert J. Harth Conductor Prize, student of Robert Spano
David A. Karetsky Memorial Fellowship for a Young Conductor
German Kitkin
James Conlon Prize, student of Robert Spano
Aspen Conducting Academy Fellowship in honor of Jorge Mester; Aspen Conducting Academy Fellowship in memory of Jack Strandberg
Jamie Yoojin Lee oboe
Winds Competition, student of Elaine Douvas, Titus Underwood, and Alex Klein
Lauren Mathews cello
Low Strings Competition, student of Desmond Hoebig and Brinton Smith
Ruth Coates Roush Scholarship
Sofía Rocha
Hermitage Prize, student of Christopher Theofanidis
Susan and Ford Schumann Scholarship
Kyle Rivera
Druckman Prize, student of Christopher Theofanidis
Susan and Ford Schumann Scholarship
Hiram Sebastian Rodríguez tenor trombone
Brass Competition, student of Per Brevig, James Miller, and Peter Sullivan
New Horizons Fellowship, Kay and Matthew Bucksbaum
Piotr Waclawik
Robert Spano Conductor Prize, student of Robert Spano
Robert Spano Conductor Prize given by Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass
Per Hannevold bassoon (pictured standing, above right, with longtime colleague Joaquin Valdepeñas, left) retired this summer after thirty years as an artist-faculty member. His dedicated teaching has propelled bassoonists to their own distinguished performance and teaching careers.
Dr. Per Brevig , renowned teacher, trombonist, and conductor, was honored this year for more than fifty consecutive seasons as an artist-faculty member, making him one of the longest-serving faculty members in the Festival’s history.
New this summer, a very special Mariachi Workshop and community celebration helped the organization expand access to the arts for all and more deeply engage the local Latin American community. The workshop engaged more than forty local middleand high school students and culminated in a free community concert and celebration at the Tent.
The concert featured the workshop students performing with Denver-based Mariachi Sol de mi Tierra, and dancers from Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico. More than 1,800 people enjoyed a free pre-concert fiesta on the David Karetsky Music Lawn with activities hosted by five community partners and food provided by locally owned food truck Taqueria El Yaqui
LEFT Students and mariachi specialists perform together on the Benedict Music Tent stage at the summer’s free Mariachi Celebration.
ABOVE The Mariachi Celebration welcomed families from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
The summer season included perennial favorites like the annual free Family Concert, which featured Gail Kubik’s rollicking musical rendition of Dr. Seuss’s Gerald McBoing Boing at the Benedict Music Tent. Families also enjoyed Tunes and Tales, the long-running musical story-telling collaboration with the Pitkin County and Basalt Regional Libraries; two free sessions of Gotta Move! on the Tent stage; and the immersive early childhood music education program, Sing Play Move. Thanks to sustained support from US Bank and Les Dames d’Aspen, P.A.L.S. (Passes and Lessons Scholarship) and Festival Lessons provided private music instruction to 170 students this summer, with students and instructors spending more than 450 hours in private lessons!
AfterWorks programs returned to in-person instruction for the 2021–22 school year, offering programs designed to complement the music instruction students receive in schools and from private instructors.
Beginning Strings had its largest enrollment yet with 207 students and fourteen teachers—including ArtistYear Resident Teaching Artists Erica Ogihara cello and Camille Backman violin —making music at eight schools.
Lead Guitar had ninety-six students from grades 4–12 participating at six schools, with instruction by Lead Guitar Regional Director Nick Lenio and six teachers, including ArtistYear Resident Teaching Artist Maryam Hajialigol.
NEW! Chamber Music Lab launched at the start of the school year to help twenty-six older strings students (grades 5 and up, half of whom were Latina/o) develop ensemble skills and expand independent musicianship. The students formed six chamber music groups (trios, quartets, sextets) coached by Beginning Strings staff, and participated in workshops at the Basalt Regional Library with border band Jarabe Mexicano in October and the Leftover Salmon bluegrass band in January.
The Musicians in the Schools program brought the Ivalas Quartet—AMFS alumni and the University of Colorado – Boulder’s graduate string quartet in residence—to engage with students in elementary schools from Aspen to Glenwood Springs and presented a free recital at Basalt Regional Library.
Glenwood Springs Elementary
Sopris Elementary
Glenwood Springs Middle School
in
AYA AY
Basalt Regional Library
Lead Guitar
Chamber Music Lab
Mariachi Workshop
Jarabe Mexicano
Leftover Salmon Workshop
Ivalas Quartet
School with an ArtistYear Resident Teaching Artist
Carbondale Middle School Aspen Middle School
AY AYA ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL 2022 ANNUAL REPORT 21 21
Aspen Community School
Benefit events raised near-record-high amounts, with supporters showing their devotion for the Aspen Music Festival and School through thick and thin.
On August 15, the Season Benefit returned to the Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Campus to celebrate the diverse range of communities whose contributions have shaped—and continue to shape—the AMFS. A Feast of Music: Tapestry of Tributes was inspired by benefactors who have helped build the musical tapestry of the AMFS experience through their support of a diverse representation of student musicians. It was an honor to explore the distinct narratives of Merle Chambers, Kelli and Allen Questrom, and Mr. Anthony and Mrs. Beatrice W. Welters, and the students who have been inspired along the way.
The 2022 Opera Benefit: Believe! took place on July 12 with a showcase of cabaret-style songs to highlight the diverse cultures and backgrounds of Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS (AOTVA) student artists. Produced by Rachelle Fleming , the evening spotlighted the breathtaking talent and roaring success of the newly reimagined opera program under the leadership of co-artistic directors Renée Fleming and Patrick Summers.
On July 6, the AMFS presented a special post-concert reception and dinner with Renée Fleming and Rod Gilfry in the Aspen Meadows Resort’s Madeleine K. Albright Pavilion. Proceeds of the evening, which was generously underwritten by Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass, benefited the students of the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS Program.
OPPOSITE Collaborative piano student Su Jin Choi performs for patrons at the 2022 Opera Benefit: Believe!
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP (L–R) Ron Schiller and Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass enjoyed an Evening with Renée Fleming and Rod Gilfry in support of Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS students. Trustee Nicholas Paepcke DuBrul and Maja DuBrul at the 2022 Opera Benefit. Supporter Joy Dinsdale, Vice President for Advancement Mi Ryung Song, and AOTVA Co-Artistic Director Renée Fleming at the Opera Benefit. Opera Benefit Co-Chairs Jim Martin, Denise Monteleone, and Richard Edwards (far right) with President and CEO Alan Fletcher (center right). Honorees Kelli Questrom and Allen Questrom, Board Chair Michael Klein, and supporter Domenico De Sole. Honoree Anthony Welters and supporter Dale LeFebvre at the 2022 Season Benefit.
October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022
Michael Klein, Chair
Charles Wall, Vice Chair
Sam Brown, Treasurer
Carrie Wells, Secretary, Co-President of National Council
Robert J. Hurst, Co-President of National Council
Alan Fletcher, President and CEO
Charles Anderson
Nadine Asin*†
Amy Margerum Berg
Marianne Boesky
Stephen Brint
Sarah Broughton
Warren Deck*†
Elaine Douvas*†
Stephen Drimmer
Nicholas DuBrul
James Dunham*†
Alan Englander
Richard Felder
Ann Friedman
John Fullerton
Nancy Furlotti
Mary Giese
Arjun Gupta
Jonathan Haas*†
Per Hannevold*†
Cornelia Heard*†
Jamie Helzberg
Linda Vitti Herbst
Cathy Koplovitz
Jonathan Lee
Espen Lilleslåtten*†
Anthony Mazza
Michael Mermagen*†
Will Mesdag
Alexandra Munroe
Michael Murray
H. Gael Neeson
Janet O’Connor
Fonda Paterson
Timothy Pitts*†
Aaron Podhurst
Dan Porterfield, ex-officio
Dana Powell
Charles Rivkin
John Rojak*†
Victoria L. Smith
Judith Steinberg
Erika Aronson Stern
Alia Tutor
Joaquin Valdepeñas*†
HONORARY TRUSTEES
Joan W. Harris
Itzhak Perlman
Robert Spano
Pinchas Zukerman
LIFE TRUSTEES
Paula Bernstein
Carolyn Bucksbaum‡
Noël Congdon
Al Dietsch, in memoriam
Gerri Karetsky ‡
Betty Schermer ‡
Dennis Vaughn, in memoriam
* Denotes Faculty Trustee
† Denotes Faculty Corporation Member
‡ Denotes At-Large Corporation Member
All AMFS Trustees (listed at left) are members of the Corporation.
Richard Aaron†
Darrett Adkins†
Nancy Allen†
Renata Arado†
Nadine Asin*†
Andrew Bain†
Joan Balter †
Fabio Bidini†
William Billingham†
Per Brevig †
Raehann Bryce-Davis‡
Elizabeth Buccheri‡
Carolyn Bucksbaum‡
Heidi Castleman‡
Choong Jin Chang †
Hung-Kuan Chen†
Robert Chen†
Victoria Chiang †
Kevin Cobb†
Vinson Cole†
Patrick Davila‡
Warren Deck*†
Ellen de Pasquale†
Elaine Douvas*†
James Dunham*†
Melissa Eisenstat ‡
John Engelkes†
David Finckel†
Gabriela Lena Frank‡
Simin Ganatra†
Nancy Goeres†
Jonathan Haas*†
David Halen†
Wu Han†
Christopher Hanulik†
Louis Hanzlik†
Stephen Hartke†
Austin Hartman†
Cornelia Heard*†
Tim Higgins†
Desmond Hoebig †
Mark Holloway †
Douglas Howard†
Elizabeth Hynes‡
Jeffrey Irvine†
Sharon Isbin†
Yoheved Kaplinsky †
Gerri Karetsky ‡
Masao Kawasaki†
Alexander Kerr †
Eric Kim†
Stephen King †
Alex Klein†
Espen Lilleslåtten*†
Robert Lipsett †
Mingjia Liu†
Julian Martin†
Raymond Mase†
Robert McDuffie‡
Demarre McGill†
Michael Mermagen*†
Ken Merrill†
Edgar Meyer †
James Miller †
Anton Nel†
Eric Owens‡
Laura Park Chen†
Timothy Pitts*†
Eric Reed†
Kevin Rivard†
John Rojak*†
Sylvia Rosenberg †
Michael Rusinek†
Betty Schermer ‡
Golda Schultz‡
Brinton Smith†
Robert Spano†
Mark Sparks†
Edward Stephan†
Stuart Stephenson†
Naoko Tanaka†
Conrad Tao‡
Christopher Theofanidis†
Joaquin Valdepeñas*†
Almita Vamos†
Brandon Vamos†
Carol Vaness†
Arie Vardi†
Bing Wang †
Donald Weilerstein†
Timothy Weiss†
Art Williams‡
Stephen Wyrczynski†
Joyce Yang ‡
Cynthia Yeh†
* Denotes Faculty Trustee
† Denotes Faculty Corporation Member
‡ Denotes At-Large Corporation Member
OPPOSITE Concertgoers enjoy the David Karetsky Music Lawn prior to the start of a concert.
Robert Hanford †
Per Hannevold*†
Michael Powell†
Erik Ralske†
Renée Fleming, co-artistic director*
Patrick Summers, co-artistic director
Myra Huang, director of musical administration and head coach
Chía Patiño, stage director
Paula Suozzi, stage director
Rachelle Fleming, Music Theater instructor
William Billingham, senior coach
Grant Loehnig, senior coach
Kenneth Merrill, senior coach
Nicolò Sbuelz, senior coach
Pierre Vallet, senior coach
Elizabeth Bishop, voice
Lynn Helding, voice
Stephen King, voice
Robin Rice, voice
César Ulloa, voice
Carol Vaness, voice
Fabio Bidini
Hung-Kuan Chen
Yoheved Kaplinsky◊
Anton Nel
Cameron Stowe
Arie Vardi
Mikhail Voskresensky
Wu Han* ◊
VIOLIN
Renata Arado*
Laura Park Chen
Robert Chen*
Ellen dePasquale
Noah Geller
David Halen*
Robert Hanford
Cornelia Heard*
Masao Kawasaki*
Alexander Kerr
Espen Lilleslåtten*
Robert Lipsett*
Robert McDuffie*
Mark Rovetti
Naoko Tanaka*
Almita Vamos*
Bing Wang*
Kathleen Winkler
VIOLA
Choong-Jin Chang
Victoria Chiang*
Christian Colberg
Wesley Collins
James Dunham
Jeffrey Irvine
CELLO
Richard Aarons◊
Darrett Adkins*
Julie Albers
Rainer Eudeikis
David Finckel◊
Desmond Hoebig
Eric Kim*
Michael Mermagen*
Astrid Schween
Brinton Smith
DOUBLE BASS
Scott Dixon
Christopher Hanulik*
Leigh Mesh
Edgar Meyer*
Timothy Pitts
FLUTE
Nadine Asin*
Demarre McGill
Mark Sparks*
OBOE
Liam Boisset*
Elaine Douvas
Alex Klein
Titus Underwood*
CLARINET
Laura Ardan
Michael Rusinek
Joaquin Valdepeñas*
BASSOON
Keith Buncke
Nancy Goeres*
HORN
Andrew Bain
Jeffrey Fair
Alexander Kienle*
Erik Ralske*
Eric Reed*
Kevin Rivard
Michael Thornton
TRUMPET
Kevin Cobb
Louis Hanzlik*
David Krauss*
Raymond Mase*
Stuart Stephenson*
James Wilt
TROMBONE
Per Brevig
John Engelkes
Timothy Higgins
James Miller*
Michael Powell
John Rojak*
Peter Sullivan*
TUBA
Warren Deck
PERCUSSION
Jonathan Haas*
Douglas Howard
Jacob Nissly
Edward Stephan
Cynthia Yeh*
GUITAR
Sharon Isbin*
Masao Kawasaki*
Zhenwei Shi
Ben Ullery
Stephen Wyrczynski
Per Hannevold*
Michael Sweeney
HARP
Nancy Allen*
Emily Levin* LUTHIER
Joan Balter
ASPEN CONDUCTING ACADEMY
Robert Spano, director
Miguel Harth Bedoya
Federico Cortese
Alan Gilbert
Jane Glover
George Jackson*
Nicholas McGegan
Ludovic Morlot*
Mark Stringer
ASPEN CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE
Donald Crockett
Maurice Cohn
Timothy Weiss◊
ENSEMBLES IN RESIDENCE
American Brass Quintet SUSAN AND FORD SCHUMANN CENTER FOR COMPOSITION STUDIES
Christopher Theofanidis, composer-inresidence
Stephen Hartke, principal guest composer
VISITING COMPOSERS
Nico Muhly
James Lee
Donald Crockett
Shelley Washington
Miles Walter
Nina Young
SERAPHIC FIRE
PROFESSIONAL CHORAL INSTITUTE
James K. Bass, director
Patrick Dupré Quigley
Alexis Aimé
John Buffett
Amanda Crider
Martha Aarons, flute
Adele Addison, voice
Robert Biddlecome, trombone
Bonita Boyd, flute
Bruce Bransby, double bass
Elizabeth Buccheri, Aspen Opera Center head of music, vocal coach
Earl Carlyss, Center for Advanced Quartet Studies, violin
Heidi Castleman, viola
Gabriel Chodos, piano
Carole Cowan, violin
Michael Czaijkowski, composition
John Graham, viola
William Grubb, cello
Thomas Haines, film scoring and audio recording
Alan Harris, cello
Elizabeth Hynes, voice
Jennifer John, violin
Joseph Kalichstein, piano, in memoriam
Catharine Carroll Lees, viola
Eugene Levinson, double bass
Jorge Mester, music director
Theodore Oien, clarinet
Antoinette Perry, piano
Sylvia Plyler, Aspen Opera Center
Louis Ranger, trumpet
Ann Schein, piano
Rita Sloan, collaborative piano
W. Stephen Smith, voice
Dennis Smylie, bass clarinet
Paul Sperry, voice
Thomas Stubbs, percussion
Sabina Thatcher, viola
Viviane Thomas, voice
George Tsontakis, composition
Martin Verdrager, theory
David Wakefield, French horn
Dick Waller, clarinet, in memoriam
Richard Woodhams, oboe
Won Bin Yim, violin
John Zirbel, French horn
◊ leave of absence
* AMFS Alumni
Double bass artistfaculty memberThe Aspen Music Festival and School gratefully acknowledges those who have made contributions to the organization between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022. This includes support of the Annual Fund, memorial and honorary gifts, Winter Music sponsorships, Benefit and Artist Dinner support, and special projects.
Annual contributions are the backbone of support necessary for the realization of the Aspen Music Festival and School’s mission. With these gifts, donors support our artist-faculty, public concerts, opera productions, student education, guest artist appearances, community engagement programs and performances, and many other essential projects throughout the year. We are profoundly grateful to our entire family of supporters in Aspen and beyond.
$150,000 AND ABOVE
INDIVIDUALS
Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass
Joan Fabry and Michael Klein
H. Gael Neeson
Ann and Bill* Nitze
Kelli and Allen Questrom
Nancy Wall and Charles Wall
BUSINESSES/CORPORATIONS/ FOUNDATIONS
Colorado Creative Industries
$100,000 AND ABOVE
BUSINESSES/CORPORATIONS/ FOUNDATIONS
Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management
Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation
$80,000 AND ABOVE
INDIVIDUALS
Nancy Swift Furlotti and the Pettit Foundation
Soledad and Robert Hurst
Judy and Leonard Lauder
Lisa and Will Mesdag
Mary Catherine and Trevor Person
BUSINESSES/CORPORATIONS/ FOUNDATIONS
Wheeler Opera House (City of Aspen) Arts Grant Program
Vincent Wilkinson Foundation
$55,000 AND ABOVE
INDIVIDUALS
Anonymous
Kay Bucksbaum
Nicholas Paepcke DuBrul and Family
Jessica and John Fullerton
Irving Harris Foundation, Joan W. Harris
Shirley and Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr.
Barbara and Jonathan Lee
Mona Look-Mazza and Tony Mazza
The John P. and Anne Welsh McNulty Foundation
Alexandra Munroe and Robert Rosenkranz
Paulson Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Rutherfoord, Jr.
Judith Z. Steinberg and Paul J. Hoenmans
The Marc and Eva Stern Foundation, Erika Aronson Stern and Adam Stern, Suzanne Stern Gilison and Steve Gilison
BUSINESSES/CORPORATIONS/ FOUNDATIONS
The Polonsky Foundation
$35,000 AND ABOVE INDIVIDUALS
Anonymous
Sasha and Ed Bass
Amy Margerum Berg and Gilchrist Berg
Stephen Brint and Mark Brown
Jon Busch
Ruth Carver and Jim Schmidt
Scott Dunn and Robbie Moray
Richard Edwards and Kevin Ramnaraine
Jane and Michael Eisner, The Eisner Foundation
Gail and Alfred Engelberg
Linda and Alan Englander
Deborah and Richard Felder
Ann and Tom Friedman
Mary E. Giese
Harriett Gold
Named for Gordon Hardy’s rich legacy as president of the AMFS for twenty-eight years and his dedication to the music world, the Gordon and Lillian Hardy Planned Giving Society honors those donors who have included our organization in their estate plans.
Martha Aarons
Estate of Dr. John E. Amos
Pamela Gross and Charles Anderson
Nadine Asin
Thomas H. Baer
Susan Beckerman
Estate of Mark A. Bradley
Dr. Eugene L. Brand
Stephen Brint and Mark Brown
Kay Bucksbaum
Helen and Phil Burnett
Jon Busch
Dr. Janet Claman
NancyBell Coe and William Burke
Noël and Tom* Congdon
Evelyn R. David
Adelaide and James Davis
Sheryl and Michael DeGenring
Lee W. Dorsey
Estate of Merle Dulien
Charles B. Edison Memorial, Mrs. Charles B. Edison*
Gary A . Fisher and Judy Fisher
Family Trust
Audrey A. Sattler and Donald J. Fleisher
Alan Fletcher and Ron Schiller
Jane and Bill Frazer
Rich and Riley Garvin
Mary E. Giese
Barbara and Gary Goldstein
Estate of Loette Goodell
Howard Gottlieb
Christine Grad, M.D.
Estate of Lillian and Gordon Hardy
Shirley and Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr.
Casady M. Henry
Juliane Heyman
Shirley Holst
Soledad and Robert Hurst
Montae and Richard Johnson*
Estate of Mary H. Kalmes
Linda and Eugene Kalnitsky
Jane Kessler*
Estate of Bob Klineman
The Barbara Koval Trust
Estate of Christine H. Leister
Dr. and Mrs. Harold Leventhal
Nancy R. Levi
Estate of Mary Crouch Lilly
Phyllis and Saul Lowitt
Mona Look-Mazza and Tony Mazza
Estate of Elaine and James McDade
Joyce McGilvray
Lydia Morrongiello
Bert Neirick
Estate of Heinz G. Neumann
Ann and Bill* Nitze
Drs. Amy D. Ronner and Michael P. Pacin
Jean and Allen Parelman
Merbie and Tom Payne
Estate of Virginia Pearce
Terry Lee and Bill Perich
Lt. Col. and Mrs. R. L. Pickard*
Estate of Jean and Yale Pokress
Marilynn and Charles Rivkin
Noyes W. Rogers
Betty and Lloyd Schermer
Estate of Vera Sears
Pamela Shockley-Zalabak
Eric Simon
Alicia and Alan Sirkin
Estate of Freda Gail Stern
Norma and Don Stone
Marcia Strickland
Barbara C. and Robert P. Sypult
Estate of Magda B. Tenser
Michael Teschner
Leslie and Joe Waters
Estate of Cynthia and Gerald Weinbrum
Laura Werlin
Kay and Ken* Whiting
* Denotes deceased supporter
The Arjun Gupta Family Foundation
Sharon and Lawrence Hite
Louis & Harold Price Foundation, Inc.
Ann* and Tom Korologos
Marlene A. Malek
Nancy Meinig - Meinig Family Foundation‡
Denise Monteleone and Jim Martin
Becky and Mike Murray
David Newberger
Janet and Tom O’Connor ‡
Drs. Amy D. Ronner and Michael P. Pacin
Dana and Gene Powell
Mary and Patrick Scanlan
Gillian and Robert Steel
Gayle Stoffel
Carrie and Joe Wells
Beatrice and Anthony Welters
BUSINESSES/CORPORATIONS/ FOUNDATIONS
Aspen Times
The Lowe Foundation
The Rob and Melani Walton Foundation
$20,000
Sarah Broughton and John Rowland
Chambers Initiative
Janet F. Clark
The Crown Family
Joy and Chris Dinsdale
Marcy and Leo Edelstein
Samia and A. Huda Farouki
Patsy Malone and Darby Glenn
Maryann and Adrian Gruia
Melony and Adam Lewis
Nicole and Allan Mutchnik
Merbie and Tom Payne
Pat and Ed Peterson
The Simms/Mann Family Foundation, Victoria and Ronald Simms
Carol and Mack Trapp
BUSINESSES/CORPORATIONS/ FOUNDATIONS
Asian Cultural Council
LLWW Foundation
Maja DuBrul Fine Jewelry
Sidney E. Frank Foundation
$13,000 AND ABOVE
INDIVIDUALS
Deborah and Gabriel Brener
Sam Brown and Alison Teal
Jackie and John Bucksbaum
Dr. Pamela Cantor and Mr. Richard* Cantor
Noël and Tom* Congdon
Ginny Dabney
Eleanore and Domenico De Sole
Laura Donnelley
Marsha and David Dowler
Shannon Fairbanks
Christy Ferer
Fisher Family Fund at the Community Fdtn. for Greater Buffalo‡
Karen and Jim Frank/
J.S. Frank Foundation
Jan and Ronald Greenberg
Brenda and James Grusecki
Vinod and Laurel Gupta
Ellen and Irv Hockaday
Sheldon and Marianne Lubar
Charitable Fund
John Madigan
Bettie McGowin Miller
Jean and Allen Parelman
Fonda Paterson
Dorothy and Aaron Podhurst
Kathryn and Richard Rabinow
Betty and Lloyd Schermer
Lois Siegel
BUSINESSES/CORPORATIONS/ FOUNDATIONS
The Berti Foundation
The Dana Foundation Hotel Jerome
Mountain Chalet-Aspen
Pitkin County Dry Goods
$8,500 AND ABOVE
INDIVIDUALS
Anonymous (3)
Pamela Gross and Charles Anderson
Nadine Asin and Thomas van Straaten
Claudia and Richard Balderston
Nancy L. Blank and Paul Alter
Jane A. Lehman and Alan G. Lehman Foundation
Martha and Bruce Clinton
Melinda and Donn Conner
Pat Cooper Bunni and Paul Copaken
Elissa and Gary Davis
Thelma Duggin
Gail M. Elden
Diana M. Elton
Judith Barnard and Michael Fain
Roger Ferguson
Alan Fletcher and Ron Schiller
J. Scott Francis and Susan Gordon, Discretionary Fund, Francis Family Foundation
Louise B. Frank
Jane and Bill Frazer
Barbara and Richard I. Furman
Sandy and Lee Godfrey
Barbara Gold
Thorey and Barry Goldstein
Christine Grad, M.D.
Celeste C. Grynberg
Kim A. Gutner, MD, DFAPA
Julia Hansen
Ann Frasher Hudson
Holly Hunt
Mary Ann Hyde
Elyse Seidner-Joseph and Kenny Joseph
Amanda and Avi Kalichstein
Gerri Karetsky and Larry Naughton
Marianne and Dick Kipper
Karen Kribs
Ellen and Fred Kucker
Matthew Kuhns
Katharine C. Kurtz
Dr. Nancy Maruyama
Diane and Mead Metcalf
Renee and Bruce Michelson
Lydia Morrongiello
Beller Moses Family Foundation
Ilene and Jeff Nathan
Sara and Don Nelson
Nedra and Mark Oren
Doren Pinnell
Susan D. Proctor
George J. Records
Lynda and Stewart Resnick
Myra and Robert Rich
Judy and Gary Rubin
Drs. Ruth and Steven Ryave
Caryn and Rudi Scheidt, Jr.
Phyllis and David Scruggs
Jeannie and John Seybold
Marcia Strickland
MaryAnn Tittle
Edith Kallas and Joe Whatley ‡
Marilyn Wilmerding
Tamara and Frank Woods
It is with sadness that we note the passing of the following AMFS community members who left us during the past year.
CHARLES ABBOTT | Longtime AMFS photographer from 1974 to 1990 and author of the book, Reflections of Music (1987)
M. PEYTON BUCY | Past National Council member
RICHARD CANTOR | Past National Council member
GESINE CRANDALL | Longtime supporter
BERNICE DURAND | Longtime supporter
MANSOR JOHN “MJ” ELISHA | Tent rigger for the AMFS in the days of the Saarinen and Bayer Music Tents
KEITH GARDNER | Longtime supporter and host to AMFS students
GERALDINE HEYMAN | Longtime supporter
STEPHEN JAY MARCUS | Past National Council member
RICHARD “DICK” OSUR | 14-year member of the Board of Trustees
ALBERT SMALL | Past National Council member
ROBERTA TURKAT | Longtime supporter
RICHARD WALLER | AMFS clarinet artistfaculty from 1976 to 1994
MITZI WEBBER | Longtime supporter
MARY NORMA WEINKLE | Longtime supporter
JUNE 29, 1933–MAY 18, 2022
Dennis H. Vaughn was the eighth lawyer to join the now multinational firm of Paul Hastings and served as a long-time partner and chair of the firm and its employment law department. He shared his wisdom and talents with the AMFS, serving three terms as a trustee and as officer on the Board of Trustees before becoming a Life Trustee. After retiring, he wrote fiction, publishing two novels, The Price of Revenge and The Longboat. He also devoted himself to service, sitting on the boards of the Aspen Writers’ Foundation, the Friends of Marolt Park & Open Space, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Over the years, AMFS patrons have learned more about students performing in the Sunday Aspen Festival Orchestra thanks to the support he and his beloved wife Linda gave to underwrite the Festival’s “AFO Student Spotlight” insert in the program book. Their support also included an endowed scholarship.
Twenty-seven-year artist-faculty member (1983–2008, and 2011; visiting 2009)
JANUARY 15, 1946–MARCH 31, 2022
When introducing the young pianist in his Young People’s Concert Series, Leonard Bernstein described Joseph Kalichstein as, “a young artist who has the depth and power to match [Beethoven’s] music.” A Juilliard faculty member and founding member of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, he became a familiar face in Aspen in classrooms and also on the Benedict Music Tent and Harris Concert Hall stages—leading students in performance classes, performing in solo recitals and chamber music, and collaborating with Leonard Slatkin or headlining special events like the gathering of piano titans he hosted with Emmanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, and Misha Dichter in 2008. The depth Leonard Bernstein recognized early on continued to blossom throughout his career as an educator and musician. His colleagues at the Juilliard School memorialized him, saying, “he won equal praise as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician who excelled in a wideranging repertoire, and he will be remembered for his generosity and wisdom as a teacher, collaborative spirit, quick wit, and unfailing positivity.”
Alpine Bank of Aspen‡
America-Israel Cultural Foundation
Aspen Sojourner
Aspen Square Condominium Hotel
Bessemer Trust
Carl’s Pharmacy
Fusion Design and Catering
The Gant Condominium Association
JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery
John P. McBride Family and the ABC Foundation
The Little Nell
Miners’ Building Hardware
National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency
U.S. Bank‡
Joan and Rodger Gurrentz
Toddi Gutner and Neil Block
Leelee and Bill Harriman‡
Phyllis S. Hojel
Erica Hartman-Horvitz and Richard Horvitz
William Jentes
Barbara Bluhm-Kaul and Donald Kaul
Sally and Jim Klingbeil
Elizabeth Klump
Mary Jo and Dick Kovacevich
Rosemarie Lavender
Joan Lebach
Bruce Landon Lee
Dale LeFebvre
Nancy and Bart Levin/AM Gas
Edward C. and Linda Dresner Levy Foundation
Judy and Sam Linhart
Linda and Dennis* Vaughn
Hao and Michelle Wang Foundation
Rivka and Seth Weisberg
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc.
Aspen Self Storage Warehouses
Aspen Skiing Company
Clark’s Market
European Caterers, Ltd.
Fred & Elli Iselin Foundation
Frias Properties of Aspen, Chuck Frias & Tim Clark
Golub Family Foundation‡
Harriman Construction, Inc.
Obermeyer Wood Investment Counsel
Peabody Conservatory of Music
Western States Arts Federation‡
$4,000
Marilyn and George* Baker
Connie and Buddy Bates
Barbara and Bruce Berger
Deborah and Mark Breen
Kathy and Richard Broussard
Marion and Charles Burson
Katherine and Dane Chapin
Sylvie and Gary Crum
Dorian and Pat Damoorgian
Lucy and Tom Danis
Sheryl and Michael DeGenring
Brian and Susan Dickie
Leatrice and Melvin Eagle
Melissa Eisenstat
Lesha and Tom Elsenbrook
Debbie and Jerry Epstein
Jillian Gibbs
Barbara and Gary Goldstein
Dean Greenberg
Patty and Dr. Robert Mack
Nancy Magoon
Nico Muhly
Laura Taylor and David A. Mulkey, MD
Janet Rae Naster Memorial Fund
Pam and Gary Patsley
Cyrena and Lee Pondrom
Marilynn and Charles Rivkin
Helen and Marc Rubenstein
Dr. Richard and Jo Sanders
Clare and Marius Sanger
Lorraine and Mark Schapiro
June and Paul Schorr lll
Susie and Barry Schub
Karen Setterfield and David Muckenhirn
Patsy and John Shields
Nancy Stevens
Billy Stolz
Andrea and Lubert Stryer
Anonymous
Tracy and Dennis Albers
Joyce Amico
Jean and Michael Antonello
Becky Ayres
Sue Bickert
J. Michael Bishop
Darlene and Eric Brandt
Bucy Family Fund –
Suzanne D. and M. Peyton* Bucy
Cornelia Corbett
Mary and John Cronin
Linda and Ben Davis
Elaine and Claiborne Deming
The Dreman Foundation
Jennifer DuBrul
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Duncan, Jr.
Bernice* and Loyal Durand
Guest conductor, visiting faculty member, Aspen Conducting Academy mentor and guest director, 2008–2017
FEBRUARY 25, 1955–AUGUST 8, 2022
The longtime conductor at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, Larry Rachleff was well known not only as a dynamic maestro, but also as a devoted educator. He shared these gifts over many summers in Aspen as a guest artist, visiting artist-faculty member, and Aspen Conducting Academy mentor and guest director. AMFS alumnus and Grammy Award–winning conductor Cristian
Măcelaru, said of him, “He was passionate, funny, knowledgeable, sensitive, caring and supportive, but most of all he had a unique gift of bringing people together and making them feel valued and appreciated.”
AUGUST 14, 1932–OCTOBER 14, 2021
DECEMBER 12, 1931–FEBRUARY 28, 2022
Germaine and Al Dietsch met at as students at the University of California at Berkeley and married in 1953, after Al completed service in the U.S. Navy. From that time on they were inseparable in their family lives and their commitment to community. Germaine raised a family of four while Al built a successful law career and later became a commercial real estate developer. With a goal of helping seniors maintain a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives as they aged, in her fifties Germaine founded Spellbinders, an award-winning organization whose novel in-school storytelling programs connect seniors with children. With Al serving as chair of the organization, Spellbinders served more than a million elementary school students in Colorado. Al was a member and chair of the AMFS Board of Trustees for more than ten years, and a Life Trustee. The pair passed away within four months of one another; Germaine at age 89 in 2021 and Al at age 90 in 2022. The Al and Germaine Dietsch Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established as a celebration of their story and their commitment to support young musicians.
Delia Duson
Marja Engler
Susan and George Fesus
Pam Finkelman
Marcia and Don Flaks
Mary Ann Frenzel
The Gerson Family
Jean Golden
Margot and Dick Hampleman
Susan Helm
Alexander Henkin
Linda and Steven Hill
Debbie and Richard Jelinek
Sandy and Dick Jones
Laura and Michael Kaplan
Ann and Stephen Kaufman
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Keefe
Gail E. Mizner and Michael Kendrick
JoAnn and Bernard Kruger
Laura and Gary Lauder
Elaine LeBuhn
EJL98 Charitable Trust, on behalf of Edward Lenkin and Roselin Atzwanger
Drs. Mary E. Schmidt and Russell Libby
Kristin and Chuck Lohmiller
Mr. and Mrs. H. Montgomery Loud
Mathilde L. and Parker A. Maddux
Tita and Dan McCarty
Anne McGrath
Bette and Donne Moen
Paula and Herbert R. Molner
Caroline Y. and John Moore
Jane and Marc Nathanson
Linda Nathanson
Navias Family Foundation
Donald and Judy Norris
Kathy and John Orton
Hensley and James Peterson‡
Margot and Tom Pritzker Family Foundation
Valerie Richter
Anita Roger-Fields
Gail and Ron Rubenstein
Linda J. Sandell
Kim and Darryl Schall
Enika and Richard Schulze
Gail Scott and Thomas Quinlan
Laura Blocker and Mark Seal
Harriet Landau and Nathan Segall
Beatrix and Michael Seidenberg
Gordon H. Silver
Madeline and Michael Silverman
Shannon, Laura, Kimball, Donna and Elliott Slade
Alana R. Spiwak and Sam Stolbun
Sandy and Stephen Stay
Zana Timroth
Herb and Fitz Washer
Harriet Washton, M.D.
Marion W. Weiss
Mindy Wexler and Ken Small
Lynn Asbury and John Wronosky
ZG-Chicks Advised Fund at Aspen Community Foundation
Barbara and John Zrno
Les Dames d’Aspen‡
MacMeier Foundation
New Music USA
Sashae Floral Arts & Gifts
Sigma Alpha Iota
The Donald F. and Maxine B. Davison Foundation
Woody Creek Distillers
* Denotes deceased supporter
‡ Denotes Education and Community Programs supporter
Donors giving at the Affiliate, Friend, Contributor, or Subscriber levels are listed on the Aspen Music Festival and School website at aspenmusicfestival.com/annualreport.
National Council Member and frequent AMFS Benefit Chair
AUGUST 7, 1934-APRIL 29, 2022
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Toby Devan Lewis was a woman of vision and advocate for emerging artists. A beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and dear friend to many, she also excelled in her roles as a philanthropist, art collector, curator, and author. She began her career in the fashion industry, but soon moved to the world of contemporary art, first heading public relations, sales, and marketing for the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art—now the Cleveland MOCA. For more than twenty years, Lewis’s work centered on building an award-winning art collection for the Progressive Corporation, with the goal of presenting works by emerging artists who challenged our perception of the world. She was the recipient of numerous awards for her tireless advocacy. In the art world, her support for emerging artists—many of whom became leading artists of their generation—was legendary, and in Aspen, she extended that support to the young musicians studying and performing at the AMFS as a member of the National Council and frequent AMFS Benefit chair.
National Council Member and longtime AMFS supporter; nephew of AMFS founders Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke
SEPTEMBER 27, 1942–JULY 30, 2021
Despite a distinguished career serving in the administrations of presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, William “Bill” Nitze was perhaps best known for his devotion to history, philosophy, literature, the arts, and service. He first came to Aspen at the age of nine to visit his father’s sister, Elizabeth Paepcke, who had a monumental influence on his love for music and ideas, and perhaps fostered his lifelong commitment to learning— always in the hope of personal and social progress. Nitze was an early evangelist for protecting the climate and our natural environment, serving in influential government positions advocating protections and efficiencies. He supported entrepreneurs seeking to mitigate climate damage; taught at George Mason University’s Krasnow Institute, where he was a trustee; and served on the boards of the Aspen Skiing Company and Aspen Institute, all the while continuing his longtime support of the AMFS.
Jennifer and Claude Amadeo
Edward Baney
Susan and Steven Beebe
Allison Bellows
Daniel Benavent
Katie Bergman
Linda Binder
Judy and Tom Biondini
Dorothy R. Fait and David G. Borenstein
Dr. Eugene L. Brand
Galen Bright and Lucy Tremols
Alexander Brose and Carmen Busch
Susan and Robert Brown
Marian H. Brown
Shelley Senterfitt and Ken Canfield
Tom Clark
NancyBell Coe and William Burke
Carla D’Arista
Patrick Davila
Sandra and Lynn Davis
Bruce Ducker
Caroline W. Duell
Deborah and James Dunham
Nancy S. Dunlap
Sherry and Joseph Felson
Bobo and Lulu Ferrer
Marilyn and Larry Fields
Kit and Mark Fordham
Edmund Frank and Eustacia Su
Katy and Adam Frisch
Ricki and Peter Fuchs
Carolyn and Ron Galfione
Elvie and Yale Gieszl
Lance Goldberg
Paula and David Harris
Bunny and John Harrison
Mary Kathryn Hartigan
Katherine Heller
William Heuseler and Felipe Hegg
Jessica Hite
Sharon and John Hoffman
Jaidyn K. Hurst
Jared S. Hurst
Barbara Reid and David Hyman
Sandy and Charles Israel
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Jones
James Katzenberger
Lisa See and Richard Kendall
Janet Korenblat
Bertel M. Lewis
Margaret and Daniel Loeb, Third Point Foundation
Evi and Evan Makovsky
Susan Richman and Peter E. Manis
Fern and Mark Mazo
The JN Trust
Drs. Lorrie and John Odom
Lisa and John W. Overbey
Eloise and James Paloucek
Jacqueline and Barry Panter
Dr. David S. Pearlman
Bryna Ram and Daniel Perlman
Leslie and Harold Porosoff
Fran and Frank Porter, Jr.
Karen Herrling and Dan Porterfield
Laurie Smith and Andy Prodanovic
Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Pugh
Carolyn Roehm and Simon Pinniger
Noyes W. Rogers
Marvin Rosenberg and EZR Spirit of Giving
Mr. and Mrs. Dalton D. Ruffin, Jr.
Sally Saunders
Kitty P. Sherwin
Phyllis and Nathan Shmalo
Mr. and Mrs. Heinz K. Simon
Robert Skolnick
Bill Stirling and Barbara Bussell
Austine Stitt
Ruth Stone
Nina Stumpf
Steve Stunda
Anne and Bill* Tobey
Rosalind Walter
Angi Wang
Patti and Jay Webster
Andrew Welters
Bryant Welters
Laura Werlin
Bethel Party Rentals, Inc.
Naughton-Nicholson Foundation
PARC Aspen
Anonymous
BJ and Michael Adams
Marsha and Bill Adler
Joan and Lawrence Altman
Carole and Arnold Bailis
Susan and Steve Baird
Helene and John Baran
Michael Behrendt and St. Moritz Lodge
Phyllis and Sanford Beim
Meredith Bell
Chuck Bellock and Madeleine Morrison
Kate Bermingham
The Community Foundation — Mortimer and Josephine Cohen Fund
Sandra M. Moses and Harvey S. Bodker
Ms. Michael Alan Boorstein
Elinor, Ashley, and Edgar Bright
K. Dane and Carter S. Brooksher
Elizabeth Buccheri
Thomas Buesch
Barbara Burger
Carol and David Clemons
Sheila M. Cleworth
Toby Ann and Carl Cronin
Drs. Nancy Thomas and Roger Davis
Adelaide and James Davis
Jeannette Guarner and Carlos Del Rio
Jessica and Mark DiPaola
Mary and Sven Dominick-Coomer
Rebecca Donelson
Lee W. Dorsey
Nancy and Mike Estrada
Clara y Mauricio Fabre
Carol Farnsworth
Mynan and Sam Feldman
Christopher Goessling
Annie and Jim Goodman
David Gordon
Anna Kepe Haas and Jonathan Haas
Sally and Steve Hansen
Mary Ann and Jim Harris
Gail Hartley
Linda and Thomas Headlee
Connie Heard and Edgar Meyer
Sally Greer and David Heil
Casady M. Henry
Kristen Henry
Kate Haugen and Carlton Hunke
Jeffrey Irvine
Cathy and Dr. Joseph Jankovic
The Roger L. Johnson and Marie
A. Moreno Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation
Ralph Jones
Bernard Josefsberg
Maury and Gerry Kaplan
Sun Min Kim
Edith King
Susan and Stephen Kinney
Christa Kohler
Stratford Advisory Group, Inc,
David J. Kudish
Geoffrey Lee and Lee Philpott
Dori and Robert Libson
Paul Lux
Pamela Robillard Mackey
Deb and Bill McCanne
Sally and Bruce McMillen
Eleanor and Lowell Meyer
Carol Murphy and Michael Miller
Ann Cook and Charley Moss
Marjory M. Musgrave
Nassan Family
Dr. Mark Neustrom
Niland Family Fund
Jane and Carroll Novicki
Deb and Keith Oates
Martha Oti
Glenda and Doug Otten
Lynda Palevsky
Becky and Mike Paniwozik
Jan and Jim Patterson
William Peairs
Essie Perlmutter
Julia Sirmons and Joseph Pfender
Joyce and Ken Polse
Faith and David Rachofsky
Ann and Gene Reiling
Patti Richards
Bertram Risch
Amnon Rodan
Diana Rumsey
Mark Salkind
Mary Shafey
Dr. Pamela Shockley-Zalabak Fund of Pikes Peak Community Foundation
JoAnn Skillett
Kristin Kramer and Brian Skocaj
Ziao Lan Zhang and Christopher Sommer
Phyllis and Ron Steinhart
Ed Stephan
Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Stone
John Czuwak, John Beldon Scott, Paul Streveler, Katherine H. Tachau
Carla and Kelly Thompson
Dr. Margaret Waisman
Betty and Howard Wallach
Hanna M. Warren
Sheila and Jack Weinberg
AnneAdare Wood
Wyatt-Stone Family
Karen and Shelby Wyll
AMFS Artist-Faculty Fund
Chef Barclay and Molly Dodge of Bosq Aspen
Burke Aspen LLC
Everybody Water
FCI Constructors, Inc.
Oakes Family Charitable Fund
Anonymous (4)
Donna Adams
Sarah C. Brett Smith and Stephen L. Adler
Robert C. Anderson
Mary and Paul Anderson
Fran and Dr. Dan Arnold
Sylvia Balcom
Natalie Bancroft
Betteanne and James Barash
Nancy and Jeff Bauman
Cathrine Blom and Gordon Baym
Becky and Dick Benes
Barbara Berkman
Barbara and Pedro Bermann
Jill Bernstein
Dr. William J. Bertschy
Fran and Larry Blum
Michele Bodner
Annette and Lacy Boggess
Margaret and Tommy Booras
Lori and Bob Brandon
Harriett and Robert Breihan
Linda and Bob Brining
Arlene and Keith Bronstein
Oni Butterfly ‡
Franci Candlin
Jack Cardall
Rika and David Charley
Sydney and Steven Cohen
Peter Cohn
Emily and Rick Corleto
Carole Cowan
Donald Crockett
Sue and Richard de Campo
E. Lee DeGolyer, III
Rhett M. Del Campo
Kara Horner and Spencer Denison
Penny and Charles Donelan
Susan and James Dubin
Sandra Eskin
Ellie and Stuart Fine
Sistie Fischer
Margot Fleck
Greer L. Fox
Dan Freed
Alma Garrett
Sara Garton
Alan G. Gass
Caleb F. Gates, Jr.
Sandy and Bill Goodglick
Anne Greenway
Katherina Kroo Grunfeld
Flossie and Evan Gull
Nancy Hathaway in memory of Roberta Turkat
Sue and Bob Hess
Rosalind and Clement Hopp
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Horwich
Lynni Hutton
Carolyne T. Hyde
Mason Ingram
Sandy and Peter Johnson‡
Phyllis and David Johnston
Ann and Doug Jones
Karen and Phil Kelton
Meg and Phil Kendall
Sylvia Blau and Rabbi Samuel Kenner
Carole Kirschner
Mary Klawiter
Roberta and Mel Klein
Sally and Bill Kling
Amy and Tom Kwei
Marilyn S. Latterman
Kimberly Levin
Susan Levine
Denison Levy
Jeffrey Li
Barbara and Dennis Loughridge
Sue and Bob Ludtke
Diane Oshin and Sidney Mandelbaum
Dr. and Mrs. Marcus
Julia Marshall
Joelle McDonough — Henry Claessens
Joyce McGilvray
Mrs. Harriet Mehl
Carol and Tom Meissner
Mary Mendenhall
John Menninger
Suzanne and Taber Meyers
ABOVE Violin student Fiona Shea, 2021 Dorothy DeLay Competition Winner, before her August 5 performance of Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Aspen Chamber Symphony.
Holly and Jere Michael
Beth and Josh Mondry
Pam E. Moore
Dana Murray
Rebecca and Eric Musselman‡
Ed Natan
Dr. Harold S. Nelson
George Newell
Lucy and Gary Nichols
Carol Niren
Anna and Jeffrey Norman
Olender Family
Bobbi and Michael Ortiz
Erin Leider-Pariser and Paul Pariser
Kathryn and Harry Peisach
Gloria and Joe Pryzant
Mary Putney
Holly Ann Reed
Clare and Charles Reel
Elissa Stein and Richard Replin
Lynette Richardson and David Mayer
Peter Rispoli
Susan and John Roach
Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Robinson, Jr.
Russ Robinson
Ruth and Mel Ronick
Drs. Deborah Preston and Frank Rumore
Mary Salton
Marilyn G. and Donald H. Scheffer
Susan and Sheldon Schneider
Dr. and Mrs. Joel Schneider
Elyse Schostak
Judith J. Schramm
Violin students perform.
James Scull
Joyce Semple
B.J. and R.B. Sewell
Laura and David Sexton
Joyce and Charles Shenk
Susan Sheridan
Susan and Marty Sherwin
Betty and Rob Shiels Fund of Communities Fdtn of TX, Inc.
Jeffrey S. Shoaf
Nancy and Mark Silverman
Margaret and Mike Simmons
Martha and Tom Singleton
The Slivkas
Eric Smith
Denise and Dave Stookesberry ‡
Willliam Stutts
Marilyn Susman
Kathy Hansen and Edward Sweeney
Harry Teague Architects
Charlotte Gibb and Dale Toetz
Linda and Denis Trupkin
Reine Fedor and Doug Turner
Dr. Frank C. Marino Foundation, Inc.
Jennifer Causing and Peter Waanders
Ruth and Bob Wade
R. T. Ward
Tina and Brian Weiner
Irene Weinrot
Susan Fleet Welsch‡
Sylvia Wendrow
A friend
Marj and Bill Wise
Judy and Don Wrigley
Bravo! Vail Music Festival
Forte Lessons‡
Independence Press, Inc.
Anonymous
KD Ashbrook DVM
Donald Baldovin
Jamie Barshop
Lorian and Chris Bartle
Barbara and Karl Becker
Betty Jo and David Bell
Jill Lerner and William Bintzer
Leslie and Jack Blanton, Jr.
Lotta* and Stuart Brafman
The Branhams
Joseph Brazie
Pat and Steve Brecher
Linda Bredengerd
Mary and Ronald Butz
The Joys of Noel in memory of Kathryn Koch
Paula Carr
BJ and Jack Carter
Lynda and Ron Charfoos
John R. Cohn Philanthropic Fund of the Dallas Jewish Comm. Foundation
Gretchen Cooper
Linda and Clay Crossland
Karon N. Cullen
Catherine Cussaguet
Bonnie and Mike Daniels
Dr. and Mrs. Clyde R. Danks
Sandy Simpson and Don Davidson
Martha Dougherty
Mark Dubin
Dr. Golde Dudell
Harriet and Charles Edwards
Charlene Eilian
Lucy and Dan Ellerhorst
Lisa and Philip Ensign
Sylvia and George Falk
Frank Fekete
Dr. and Mrs. Sheldon Feldman
Silvana Ferrarin
Nancy Fleischer
Patricia and Thomas Foels
Jean and Gregg Frankel
Prof. Tom Franks
Jill and Hal Gaffin
Martin Gaynor
Sanford Gaynor
Barbara and Stephen Gilbert
Barbara Goldblatt
Susanne H. Goldstein
Tamara Goldstein
David V. Gollon
Sylvia and Marvin Gordon
Dr. Beverly Gibbons and Dr. James Gorney
Nanette and Irving Greif, Jr.
Carol and Howard Hahn
Christine and George Hakim
Lisa Hawks
Dorene and Frank Herzog
Susan Dodson Hiller
Constance Holden
Shirley Holst
Ellen and Les Holst
Paul Jacob
Francie Jacober
Marcia Jobe
Kathy and Richard Kaplan
Karen Kaplan
Soon Duck Kim and Kang Il Kim
Kathlyn Kingdon
Sandy Klein
Doris La Mar
Carole and Gary Lazar
Joan S. Leavenworth
DeDe and Moses Lebovits
Arlene and Stuart Lerman
Lynne and Dan Levinson
Beverly and Bob Litsky
Laurie Loeb
Jennifer and Greg Long
Judi and Bob Loubier
Joan and Michael Marek
Barbara and Larry Margolis
Mark Mason
Kelly and Bryan May
Estelle and William McArthur
Trudy Ann Milcan
Don E. Miller
Nancy and Charles Mitchell
Carolyn Moore
Kristin Oppenheim Mortenson
Judy Nordhagen‡
Sue and Paul Ofield
Ann Spaeth and Raymond Ollett
Melinne Owen and Paul Giguere
Peggy and Paul Pace
Frank Pajerski
Alice Parker
Ginny Car-Skaden Passoth
Sandra and Fred Peirce
Carla and Erik Peltonen
Terry Lee and Bill Perich
Nancy R. Peterson
Kathleen Winkler and Timothy Pitts
Susan C. Plummer
Jody and David Post
Anne Powell Riley
Wanda Wray Putnam
Ewald Rainer
Katie and Andy Ralston
Betsy Ratcliff
Thorn C. Roberts
Melanie and Myron Roschko
Donna and Gino Rossetti
Nina and Joshua Saslove
Max L. Schardein
Roland Schmidt
Marlene Schroeder
Reina and Alberto C. Serrano
Eve and Howard Shapiro
Karlyn and Don Shapiro
Carolyn and Dick Shohet
Jo Ann and Samuel Silverstein
Lawrence Slater
Donna and Andy Smith
Adrienne Smith
Pat Spitzmiller
John Starr
Diane and Stephen Stewart
Pat and Tom Stocker
Dr. and Mrs. Barry S. Strauch
Nancy Taylor
Anna Naeser and Gerald Terwilliger
Hanne and George Thatcher
Mariann and Richard Thompson
Dorothea D. Thomson
Jan and Rein van West
John Vogt
Barbara and Marvin Walker
Margaret F. Walker
Becky and Craig Ward
Tom Watling
Sharon and Martin White
John Wilkinson
Lorraine Walker Williams
Linda and Samuel Winn
Ruth Wright
Eleanor and Robert Zeff
Aspen Choral Society
Eli Lilly and Company Foundation
Hetta Heath & Associates
* Denotes deceased supporter
‡ Denotes Education and Community Programs supporter
After a reduced season in 2021, the Aspen Music Festival and School returned to a robust summer of performances and increased student enrollment in 2022. Despite difficult economic conditions, loyal patrons and donors continued to offer strong support for our full range of programs.
The worsening seasonal housing shortage in Aspen led to the suspension of the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra program. This resulted in a 20% reduction in student enrollment from pre-pandemic levels and a corresponding decrease in student fees. The Board of Trustees approved the use of $450,000 from the Boarddesignated fund to cover this shortfall.
Ticket sales in 2022 remained lower than historical standards due to the lingering impact of COVID-19 on indoor concert audiences. Sales were approximately 20% lower than a normal, pre-pandemic year.
The AMFS raised $7.9 million for the operating fund in 2022. These contributions, which included Annual Fund gifts, benefit income, and grants, funded both general operations and special projects. In addition to continued generosity from the Board of Trustees, the AMFS witnessed significant funding for special projects including the new Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS Program.
The AMFS’s operating draw from the endowment was equal to 5% of the previous thirty-six months’ average balance. This was slightly higher than recent years but in line with historical practices. The draw plus a 20% decline in our portfolio put the endowment fund at $68 million as of September 30, which was the low point in this market cycle.
OPPOSITE Two patrons enjoy the paper and the David Karetsky Music Lawn before a concert.
In 2022, the AMFS returned to historical levels for most program expenses. Inflation in local housing costs for our staff, artist-faculty, and guest artists continues to be a source of concern.
As of September 30, 2022
OPPOSITE Students busk in downtown Aspen.
BACK COVER A little one experiments with percussion at the Mariachi Celebration’s Pre-Concert Fiesta.