Supplement to The Aspen Times
FESTIVALFOCUS | YOUR WEEKLY CLASSICAL MUSIC GUIDE
MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021
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Merrill and Rodelinda: Continued from Festival Focus page 1 Believing her husband, the king, dead, she must choose tenor Ricardo Garcia as Grimoaldo, contralto Lauren between marrying the man who stole his throne or watching Decker as Eduige, mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner as Unulfo, him murder her son. Audiences will and bass William Guanbo Su as delight in seeing how things unfold Garibaldo. “Summer often allows people for the beleaguered queen while Expressing his passion and love hearing some of the most stunning for the AMFS, Merrill says, “It truly the chance to explore and music ever written for the Baroque attracts a world-class student extend their talents and skills opera stage. body to work with world-class “Two of Handel’s most famous faculty, performing artists, and more deeply. Such focus often arias, ‘Dove sei’ and ‘Vivi, tiranno,’ conductors.” Merrill continues, are from Rodelinda, and you will “Summer often allows people the gives them even greater insight be able to hear Key’mon [Murrah] chance to explore and extend into their own futures in music sing them both,” Merrill says. “The their talents and skills even more amount of beautiful music and chardeeply. And such focus often and performing.” acterization you will hear from all our gives them even greater insight singers in this Aspen performance is into their own futures in music Kenneth Merrill astounding.” and performing. To be part of this AOTVA Artist-Faculty Member CARLIN MA Cast members include soprano dynamic has always been such a Soprano Yaritza Véliz (left)—pictured during an Opera Theater Yaritza Véliz singing the role of wonderful and fulfilling thing.” Master Class with baritone and fellow AOTVA student Joshua Rodelinda, countertenor Key’mon W. Murrah as Bertarido, Conyers (right)—sings the title role of Rodelinda, Queen of Lombardy, on August 21.
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL BOX OFFICE: NOW OPEN FOR LIMITED WALK-UP HOURS! BY PHONE: 970 925 9042 | DAILY, 12 pm to the start of the day’s final concert, today–August 22
Final Sunday:
Virtual and In-Person Offerings this Winter Festival Focus Staff
The music doesn’t end after the 2021 summer Festival draws to a close this weekend. The Aspen Music Festival and School will continue to curate and offer concerts throughout the winter both virtually, and, if possible, in person at Harris Concert Hall. The series of planned virtual offerings will feature longtime Festival partners such as pianists John O’Conor and Steven Osborne, violinist William Hagen, and the Jupiter Quartet,
The Jupiter Quartet will showcase some of their programming passions in a curated recital for the AMFS this winter.
all in recitals of their own creation. Showcasing their virtuosity as well as the programming passions of each artist, these concerts will be about an hour long. Starting in October, the Festival will stream approximately one recital each month through the winter. “The Festival has so many deep personal relationships with artists,” comments AMFS Vice President for Artistic Administration and Artistic Advisor Asadour Santourian. “It is a pleasure to partner with them in this new way on, essentially, a virtual stage outside of summer. It expands what the Festival can do with the world’s creative minds and virtuosic talents. I’m very much looking forward to this series.” One unique freedom of this new programming medium is that it gives the AMFS the ability to present artists who are scattered around the world. With travel still uncertain, it will be a treat for Festival audiences to be able to enjoy, for example, pianist Lise de la Salle from France.
Other artists planned for the series include pianists Steven Osborne, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Orion Weiss, and Simone Dinnerstein, guitarist Colin Davin; and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung. The virtual series will be available to view on the AMFS Virtual Stage at aspenmusicfestival. com/virtual-stage. The Festival also plans to continue its in-person Winter Music Recital Series in Harris Concert Hall with a line-up to be announced. Watch for further details on the winter concert schedule on Violinist and AMFS alumnus Will the AMFS website and Hagen will be featured in the Festival’s Winter Music offerings. via email beginning in September.
Continued from Festival Focus page 1
horn player John Zirbel had prepared so hard. He said, ‘I am playing that horn solo,’ and continued to sit in the middle of the stage by himself and play it. The whole audience was still there, and it was just a great Aspen moment.” No matter the weather, the Festival’s Final Sunday concert itself is always an Aspen moment, especially with such a sweepingly beautiful symphony as this. “What better way to end the season?” Santourian asks. “This is the big finish. The last movement will probably have people on their feet before the last two dozen measures are done. It’ll be a fantastic close to the summer. I’m really excited.”
CARLIN MA
ELLE LOGAN
French pianist Lise de la Salle performing with the Aspen Chamber Symphony and conductor Xian Zhang in 2018.
Artist-faculty member and concertmaster Alexander Kerr celebrates with students after the Aspen Festival Orchestra concert on August 1.
