Aspen Music Festival and School: 2024 Season Showbook

JUNE 26 - AUGUST 18, 2024

. . . SINCE 1949

In 2024, the Aspen Music Festival and School celebrates 75 years of a dream—a dream of art and ideas set in mountain splendor.

The Aspen Music Festival and School is a classical music festival like no other, with world-class concerts infused with sunshine, mountain air, and the joy of seasoned artists, youthful talents, and patrons experiencing music together in a “musical world in miniature.”

This unique collaborative environment creates a special energy. Hundreds of guest artists, artist-faculty, and young artists learn together, rehearse, and present concerts daily, ranging from full orchestras and operas, to chamber music, recitals, and contemporary music.

This season’s theme, Becoming Who You Are, honors 75 years of Aspen as a place where music touches the human spirit and connects us to our authentic selves.

In 2024, we recommit to the boldness of our founders and invite you to join in the dream.

COVER: CONRAD TAO piano

AlexIrvin

In June 1949, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke, with others, organized an event that brought leaders, artists, dreamers, and doers to the remote, dusty, ex-mining mountain town of Aspen to discuss big ideas and listen to music that touched the soul. The experience was both profound and joyful, and the next year, the musicians returned. They brought their students, their ideals, and their hiking shoes. An annual music festival and school was born.

Throughout the decades, Aspen has not only presented thousands of concerts, hundreds of premieres, and countless moments of heart-stopping beauty, but it also has been the place where so many young artists have met their mentors, found their voices, readied for their careers, and—on a deeper level—found themselves.

Seventy-five years later, the AMFS continues to be about much more than transcendent concerts and lessons. True to its original holistic ideals, it invites all to become their best selves, find their authentic voices, and strive together for a greater future.

IGOR STRAVINSKY IN THE MUSIC TENT, 1950. Stravinsky was the first of many composers to lead and premiere works in Aspen.

VIOLIN PEDAGOGUE

DOROTHY DELAY WITH STUDENT MIDORI, 1986. Teachers have mentored young artists in Aspen since the 1950s.

SOPRANO RENÉE FLEMING TEACHES WHERE SHE HERSELF WAS TAUGHT.

Fleming, a student in Aspen in the 1980s, now co-directs Aspen’s opera program.

Ferenc Berko, 1949

Ferenc Berko, 1950

Charles Abbott Elle Logan

Ferenc Berko photos courtesy of Berkophoto.com Margaret Durrance

At the Festival’s signature weekly concert, the world’s most promising young artists play side by side with mentors from major symphony orchestras.

Concerts are at 4 pm on Sundays in the Klein Music Tent.

JULY 21

Slatkin Conducts Copland + Gershwin

Leonard Slatkin conductor Bruce Liu piano

Copland’s El salón México, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Rouse’s The Infernal Machine, Barber’s Adagio for Strings, and Gershwin’s An American in Paris

JULY 28

Mahler’s Symphony No. 9

Robert Spano conductor

AUGUST 4

Midori + Pictures at an Exhibition

Kevin John Edusei conductor Midori violin

Also with Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Donghoon Shin’s Upon His Ghostly Solitude

AUGUST 11

Malofeev Plays Rachmaninoff No. 1

Roderick Cox conductor Alexander Malofeev piano

Also with Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben

AUGUST 18

Spano Conducts Wagner + Ohlsson Plays Liszt No. 2

Robert Spano conductor Garrick Ohlsson piano

Christine Goerke soprano

Greer Grimsley bass-baritone

Tamara Wilson soprano

Also with Berlioz’s Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens and Act III from Wagner’s Die WalkÜre

DAZZLING

A classical orchestra of professionals and young artists performing side by side. Concerts are at 5:30 pm on Fridays in the Klein Music Tent.

ASPEN CHAMBER SYMPHONY

JUNE 28

Trifonov Plays Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9

James Gaffigan conductor

Daniil Trifonov piano

Also with Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Joel Thompson’s To See the Sky, and R. Schumann’s Symphony No. 4

JULY 5

Inon Barnatan + Haydn Symphonies

Nicholas McGegan conductor

Inon Barnatan piano

Stuart Stephenson trumpet

Michael Rusinek clarinet

Nancy Goeres bassoon

Also with Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Strauss’s Duet-Concertino

JULY 12

Spano with Joyce Yang and Kelley O’Connor

Robert Spano conductor

Kelley O’Connor mezzo

Joyce Yang piano

Gabriela Lena Frank’s HaililÍ-Serenata, Lieberson’s Neruda Songs, and Falla’s Noches en los jardines de España and El amor brujo

JULY 26

Jennifer Koh + Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2

Dalia Stasevska conductor

Jennifer Koh violin

Also with Missy Mazzoli’s Violin Concerto and Outi Tarkiainen’s The Ring of Fire and Love

AUGUST 2

Shaham + Conlon Conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 4

James Conlon conductor

Gil Shaham violin

Lucia Cesaroni soprano

Also with Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5

AUGUST 9

Bronfman Plays Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4

David Robertson conductor

Yefim Bronfman piano

Also with works by Stravinsky and Bartók

AUGUST 16

Beethoven’s “Eroica”

Cristian Măcelaru conductor

Marina Piccinini flute

Also with Christopher Theofanidis’s flute concerto, The Universe in Ecstatic Motion, and Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Forward into Light

Overtures: Preconcert Chamber Music

FRIDAYS* | 4:30 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL | FREE

Welcome the weekend with Rachmaninoff’s quintessential piano works as performed by the gifted young pianists who are studying in Aspen this summer.

* except July 19

SHIMMERING

JENNIFER KOH violin

A brilliant, all-star team from around the opera world comes together in Aspen to train an elite set of young singers and present three productions ranging from classic to contemporary.

Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS

Renée Fleming and Patrick Summers

Co-Artistic Directors

Music for New Bodies

Adventure into Earth, Climate, and Opera

Legendary American director Peter Sellars teams up with one of today’s hottest young composers and 2018 MacArthur “Genius Grant” winner, 35-yearold Matthew Aucoin, in a dramatic new song cycle inspired by the poetry of Jorie Graham and the environmentalism of Rachel Carson. Adventure into a musical “immersion in vast planetary processes.”

MONDAY, JULY 1

7:00 PM

WHEELER OPERA HOUSE

Hansel and Gretel

A Grimm Tale of Temptation, Death . . . and Gingerbread

The childhood tale we know and love is brought to vivid life with Humperdinck’s grand and glorious opera. It’s loaded with elements even tastier than a gingerbread feast—suspense, horror, heroism, and a (literally) delicious villain, plus endlessly beautiful music. Staged alongside a full orchestra.

FRIDAY, JULY 19

7:30 PM

KLEIN MUSIC TENT

The Marriage of Figaro

Love, Genius, and Mozart

Known as operatic perfection, Mozart’s Figaro follows two servants as they pursue their own paths in a battle of wits and wills—with love as the ultimate prize. Since 1786, Figaro has moved audiences to rapture. If you only see one opera in your life, see this one.

AUGUST 12, 15, AND 17 7:00 PM

WHEELER OPERA HOUSE

Opera Encounters

Emerging Singers . . . Becoming

Like beauty, genius, and learning from the best? These Saturday morning coaching sessions feature our brilliant young singers being coached by the reigning stars of the opera world, including Renée Fleming, Patrick Summers, Peter Sellars, and more.

Pro tip: Start your morning at Aspen’s Saturday Farmer’s Market. Then after this class, you’ll still have time for a hike.

SATURDAYS 10:00 AM

WHEELER OPERA HOUSE FIGARO FULLY STAGED IN THE WHEELER!

TRANSFORMING

Six unforgettable events give a little something extra.

Global stars perform in the intimate 500-seat

Harris Concert Hall—only in Aspen; plus, a Broadway classic for one night only in the Tent.

Fiddler on the Roof in Concert

Presented by Theatre Aspen and the AMFS

Experience a special concert collaboration of the nine-time Tony Award® winning musical classic. Starring and directed by Tony Award–winner Shuler Hensley, with musical direction by Andy Einhorn, this presentation features John Williams’s Oscar-winning score adaptation, performed by a full orchestra.

JULY 23 | KLEIN MUSIC TENT

ANDY EINHORN conductor

JUNE 27

Chris Thile: “Extroverted Mandolin” with Orchestra

Teddy Abrams conductor Aspen Festival Ensemble

Grammy-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and MacArthur “Genius” Chris Thile hosts a genrebending evening featuring works by Copland and Bach, Rob Moose and Caroline Shaw, and ATTENTION!—his “narrative song cycle for extroverted mandolinandorchestra.”

JULY13

BelleNuit:AFauréEvening withBell,Isserlis,Denk

JoshuaBellviolin

StevenIsserliscello

JeremyDenkpiano

AMFSArtist-Faculty

JoshuaBell,StevenIsserlis,andJeremy Denk—allAspenalumniandallliving legendsontheirinstrumentsofchoice— performthetransfixingworksoffamed French“masterofmélodie,”GabrielFauré.

JULY17

AsWeSpeakwithBélaFleck, EdgarMeyer,ZakirHussain,and RakeshChaurasia

Asonictapestryofbanjo,doublebass, tabla,andbansuri,thealbumAsWe SpeakjustwonGrammyAwardsfor BestContemporaryAlbumandGlobal MusicPerformance.Hearitinajoyful liveperformanceinahallthatilluminates everynuance.

JULY 31

A Recital by the Zukerman Trio

Pinchas Zukerman violin

Amanda Forsyth cello

Shai Wosner piano

A classic concert evening with musicians never to be missed whose love for Aspen runs deep—Zukerman first came to Aspen five decades ago. Chamber music is at its best when played by a group known for subtlety and intimacy in the 500-seat Harris Concert Hall.

AUGUST 17

A Recital by Leonidas Kavakos and Daniil Trifonov Leonidas Kavakos violin Daniil Trifonov piano

Acclaimed as two of the most astounding talents of the moment, Kavakos and Trifonov come together in recital for the very first time. Be among the first anywhere to hear these talents play together.

Special events are not included with passes and must be purchased separately.

FLYING

WED, JUNE 26 | 7:30 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Harmony

Zhu Plays Piano Gems

Harmony Zhu piano

One of Aspen’s brilliant recent alumni steps out with Schumann, Ravel, Chopin, and more.

SAT, JUNE 29 | 7:30 PM

MON, JULY 15 | 6:00 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Tao Plays Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

Conrad Tao piano

Piotr Waclawik conductor

Festival Ensemble

RECITALS PIANO RECITALS

SAT, JULY 6 | 7:30 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

An Evening with P.D.Q. Bach

Piotr Waclawik conductor

Alan Fletcher piano

Robert Spano piano

Victoria Chiang viola

James Dunham viola

Anton Nel harpsichord

Artists from Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS

Imagined with friends in the 1960s at Aspen and Juilliard, fictional composer P.D.Q. Bach was the creation of multi-year AMFS alum, the late Peter Schickele. His concept introduced a rare but beloved note of witty satire and comedy in the typically formal and structured world of classical music. In this recital, the AMFS pays homage to one of its own with selections such as Toot Suite, Echo Sonata for Two Unfriendly Groups of Instruments, and, fittingly, selections from The Abduction of Figaro.

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Trifonov and Babayan

Daniil Trifonov piano

Sergei Babayan piano

Trifonov joins Babayan, his teacher and mentor, for an all-Rachmaninoff evening.

WED, JULY 10 7:30 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Denk Plays Beethoven, Joplin, Ives

Jeremy Denk piano

Aspen alumnus Denk plays a characteristically eclectic and lively program including Beethoven, Joplin, Bolcom, and Ives.

Aspen alumnus Tao plays Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and a new work of his own written as a companion to the Gershwin classic.

THU, JULY 18 | 6:00 PM

KLEIN MUSIC TENT

Piano-Palooza

Hung-Kuan Chen, Yoheved

Kaplinsky, Anton Nel, Arie Vardi, and AMFS young artists, piano

Eight pianos; 32 hands! Need we say more?

THU, AUGUST 1 | 6:00 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Hough Plays Chopin

Stephen Hough piano

This celebrated pianist plays Chaminade, Liszt, and Chopin.

THU, AUGUST 15 | 6:00 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Dinnerstein Plays Bach and more

Simone Dinnerstein piano

This distinctive pianist plays Bach, Rameau, Lasser, and Keith Jarrett.

WED, JULY 24 | 7:30 PM HARRIS CONCERT HALL

An All-Mazzoli Evening

Missy Mazzoli piano

Jennifer Koh violin

Missy Mazzoli has been called “the 21st century’s gate crasher of classical music” (NPR) and her powerful voice has electrified the music world, including the Metropolitan Opera which has commissioned her for a work to premiere in 2025. As teaching composerin-residence in Aspen this summer, Mazzoli also will see her works on four programs, including this all-Mazzoli recital with longtime collaborator

Jennifer Koh and Mazzoli herself on piano.

STRING RECITALS

TUE, JULY 2 | 6:00 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Fragments I with Bach Cello Suites

Alisa Weilerstein cello

An immersive experience combining Bach’s Cello Suites with newly commissioned works, Program 1 of 6.

THU, JULY 3 | 7:30 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Fragments II with Bach Cello Suites

Alisa Weilerstein cello

An immersive experience combining Bach’s Cello Suites with newly commissioned works, Program 2 of 6.

THU, JULY 11 | 6:00 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

A Baroque Evening

Nicholas McGegan conductor

Steven Isserlis cello Festival Ensemble

Early music specialist McGegan hosts, plays, and leads Aspen’s beloved annual Baroque evening.

SAT, JULY 27 | 7:30 | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Danish String Quartet Debut

Frederik Øland violin

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen violin

Asbjørn Nørgaard viola

Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin cello

The Danes perform Haydn and Adés, plus their own special arrangements of Danish folkemusik.

SAT, AUG 3 4:30 PM HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Takács Quartet with Stephen Hough

Edward Dusinberre violin

Harumi Rhodes violin

Richard O’Neill viola

András Fejér cello

Stephen Hough piano

Top talents team up for Haydn, Hough, and Dvorˇák.

TUE, AUG 6 | 6:00 PM HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Takács Quartet Plays Schubert

Edward Dusinberre violin

Harumi Rhodes violin

Richard O’Neill viola

András Fejér cello

This refined quartet plays Schubert, Dvorˇák, and Nokuthula Ngwenyama.

SAT, AUG 10 7:30 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

A Viola Evening with Lawrence Power

Robert Spano piano

Piotr Waclawik conductor

Yu-Ping Tsai violin

The viola master of our time showcases Mozart and Schubert, a new work by Hillborg, and welcomes DeLay Competition winner Tsai.

TUES, AUGUST 13 | 6:00 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Cellist Zlatomir Fung and Pianist

Tony Siqi Yun

Zlatomir Fung cello

Tony Siqi Yun piano

Two blazing young talents play Schumann, Liszt, Britten, and Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in G minor.

SHINING

THU, AUGUST 8 | 8:00 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

The

Perfection

of Bach’s Mass in B minor

FOUR & MORE RECITALS

TUE, JULY 2 | 8:00 PM

KLEIN MUSIC TENT

Wind Orchestra

Plays Mozart

Joaquín Valdepeñas conductor

Mozart’s “Gran Partita” and more

THU, JULY 18 | 8:00 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Quartet for the End of Time

Bing Wang violin

Darrett Adkins cello

Michael Rusinek clarinet

Robert Spano piano

Messiaen’s heart-stopping work

SAT, JULY 20 | 7:30 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

American Brass Quintet

Kevin Cobb trumpet

Brandon Ridenour trumpet

Eric Reed French horn

Hillary Simms trombone

John D. Rojak bass trombone

The royalty of brass are back

MON, JULY 29 | 6:00 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Aspen Percussion Ensemble

Jonathan Haas director

Robert Spano conductor

Seraphic Fire, Patrick Dupre Quigley artistic director Festival Ensemble

Considered one of the greatest achievements of Western music, Bach’s Mass in B Minor is a transcendent experience—and hearing it in the intimacy of the 500seat Harris Concert Hall may truly be a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Don’t miss it.

A night of all-Zappa works

TUE, AUG 6 | 8:00 PM

KLEIN MUSIC TENT

Wind Orchestra Plays Strauss

Joaquín Valdepeñas conductor

Strauss, Alwyn, and more

ANNIVERSARY REMINISCENCES PROGRAMS

These artists, all Aspen alumni, reflect on their own paths, stories, and decades in Aspen, through words and music.

MON, JULY 8 | 6:00 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

American String Quartet

Peter Winograd violin

Laurie Carney violin

Wolfram Koessel cello

Daniel Avshalomov viola

Works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Ravel

TUE, JULY 25 | 6:00 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Gil Shaham, Adele Anthony, and Friends

Gil Shaham violin

Adele Anthony violin

Joaquín Valdepeñas clarinet

Brinton Averil Smith cello

Choong-Jin Chang viola

Anton Nel piano

Ross Edwards’s Ecstatic Dance for Two Violins, plus Brahms’s Clarinet Quintet

TUE, JULY 30 | 6:00 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Classical Guitarist Sharon Isbin

Sharon Isbin classical guitar

George Jackson conductor

Featuring Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, with chamber orchestra

WED, AUG 14 | 7:30 PM | HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Violinist Robert McDuffie

Robert McDuffie violin

Derek Wang piano

Works ranging from Vivaldi to Philip Glass

WED, AUG 7 | 7:30 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

African Queens

Karen Slack soprano

Kevin Miller piano

This brilliantly curated program features music by both African and American composers, connected with interwoven narrative text. The evening takes you on a journey with each song reflecting the beauty, humility, passion, and power of each queen being celebrated.

The songs were written for Slack by acclaimed living composers— Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson.

SOARING

See something you can see nowhere else! These $20 concerts offer a rare glimpse into how a conductor’s artistry shapes the music and a unique opportunity to see young talents truly “becoming” the conductors they were born to be.

Concerts are at 5 pm* on Wednesdays in the Klein Music Tent.

EMERGING

Youth, talent, experimentation, growth . . . all before your eyes.

Only in Aspen is there a performing orchestra 100-percent dedicated to training the conductors of tomorrow.

Each week, the 12 AMFS conducting fellows take turns leading different movements of a work. When not conducting, they join the orchestra and play under their colleagues’ batons. These concerts also showcase the AMFS’s young competition winners. Music Director Robert Spano directs the Aspen Conducting Academy.

Anchor works each week are:

JULY 3 | 5:00 PM

Brahms’s Symphony No. 3

JULY 10 | 5:00 PM

Sibelius’s Lemminkäinen Suite

JULY 17 | 4:00 PM*

Mozart’s Symphony No. 39

JULY 31 | 5:00 PM

Debussy’s La mer and Ravel’s La valse

AUG 7 | 5:00 PM

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5

AUG 14 | 5:00 PM

Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody”

*except July 17, which begins at 4 pm

FACULTY SHOWCASES

The AMFS’s brilliant artistfaculty come together each summer with colleagues, guest artists, and young artists to present personal favorites from all genres.

The Aspen Contemporary Ensemble joins each week with fresh music.

A joyful mix of pure artistic expression. These Chamber Music concerts are at 4:30 pm on Saturdays* in Harris Concert Hall.

* except August 3

BRINTON AVERIL SMITH cello

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTS

75th Anniversary Party

SUN, JUNE 30 | 2:30 PM

KARETSKY MUSIC LAWN | FREE!

Join us to kick off the AMFS’s 75th anniversary with family-friendly fun and refreshments. Wear your AMFS spirit gear from years past!

History Tours

• Wheeler Opera House and AMFS History Tour

TUE AND WED, JUNE 26–AUG 14 10:30 AM | WHEELER OPERA HOUSE LOBBY | FREE; TICKET REQUIRED

An hour-long tour of Aspen’s historic Wheeler Opera House, and its place in AMFS history

• AMFS Architectural and History Tour

FRI* AND SUN, JUNE 30–AUG 18 | 9 AM | AMFS LEMONADE STAND, KLEIN MUSIC TENT | FREE; TICKET REQUIRED

Join us for an exploration into the history and architecture of the Music Festival’s main performance venues.

*except JULY 19

Celebrating 75 Years: Herbert Bayer and the Aspen Music Festival and School

MON–FRI, JUNE 2024–APR 2025 9 AM–5 PM | PAEPCKE GALLERY FREE!

Presented by The Aspen Institute’s Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies, this retrospective exhibition explores Bayer’s contributions to the early artistic vision of the AMFS through program covers, posters, and images of the 1964 Bayer-designed Music Tent.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

The AMFS is about more than concerts; it’s a vibrant tapestry of sounds, flavors, and colors that capture the joy of summer. Our free community events are designed to be inclusive and celebratory, offering something for everyone.

Community Pride Party

THU, JUNE 27 | 4–6 PM | FREE KARETSKY MUSIC LAWN

Enjoy a celebration of identity and life with LGBTQAI+ people and allies. Food, entertainment, and booths with community partners.

Ice Cream Social

SUN, JULY 21 | 2:30 PM | FREE KARETSKY MUSIC LAWN

Join us for a free ice cream social on the Karetsky Music Lawn before the Sunday orchestra concert.

Mi Historia:

A Mariachi Celebration!

See details opposite, under KIDS AND FAMILY

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

Nearly 500 young artists study in Aspen each summer and perform in dozens of free events. Come see the freshest talent around.

Music with a View

Tuesdays (July 23, Aug 6 and 13), 6 pm

Aspen Art Museum

String Showcases

Tuesday, July 23, 7 pm

Thursdays (July 4–Aug 15), 6 pm

Edlis Neeson Hall, Bucksbaum Campus

Spotlight Recitals

• Harris Concert Hall

Wednesdays (July 17, 24), 3 pm

Thursdays (July 11, 25; Aug 1), 3 pm

Friday, Aug 16, 12 pm

• Aspen Chapel

Thursdays (July 18–Aug 15), 5 pm

• Aspen Community Church

Saturdays (July 6–Aug 17), 1:30 pm

Pitkin County Library Spotlight Recitals

Mondays and Fridays (July 5–Aug 16), 2:30 pm

Basalt Regional Library Recitals

Thursdays (July 18—Aug 15), 5:15 pm

Check the full calendar and website for open competitions, program recitals, and other free student events.

BERNSTEIN YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONCERTS

New! In a special partnership between Carnegie Hall+ and the Aspen Music Festival and School, Aspen viewers of all ages can screen two of Leonard Bernstein’s legendary Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic. In his most important role as music educator, Bernstein’s pioneering series of nationally televised broadcasts began in 1958, live from Carnegie Hall, making the renowned concert venue an accessible classroom that introduced a new generation to classical music.

$10; FREE FOR AGES 18 AND UNDER WHEELER OPERA HOUSE

The Anatomy of a Symphony Orchestra

TUES, JULY 2 | 4 PM

Who is Gustav Mahler?

TUES, JULY 9 | 4 PM

MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN

SATURDAYS, JUNE 29–AUG 10 | 1 PM | FREE TOP OF ASPEN MOUNTAIN (Transportation not provided; gondola ticket or strenuous hike required.)

KIDS AND FAMILY

Discover a world of musical adventure with our family-friendly classical music series, where concerts like Peter and the Wolf and vibrant mariachi music come to life. Spark your child’s imagination and foster a love for music in an atmosphere that’s engaging, educational, and fun for the entire family.

Family Concert:

Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf

SAT, JULY 13 | 10 AM

Piotr Waclawik conductor

A lively, short concert that introduces kids to the world of classical music! Come early and stay after (9:15–11:15 am) for pre- and post-concert activities on the David Karetsky Music Lawn. Concert open to all ages.

Mi Historia:

A Mariachi Celebration!

WED, JULY 24 | 5:30 PM

KLEIN MUSIC TENT | FREE!

Celebrate Mexican music and dance with Denver’s Mariachi

Sol de mi Tierra, local youth, and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico. Join us from 4 to 7 pm for an on-site fiesta with food and fun.

With special thanks to Title Sponsor—Querencia Private Golf & Beach Club, Los Cabos, Mexico

Tunes and Tales

THURSDAYS* | 10:30 AM | FREE!

Pitkin County Library

June 27; July 3*, 18, 25

(*Wed, July 3)

WEDNESDAYS | 10:30 AM | FREE!

Basalt Regional Library

June 26 and July 3, 10, 17

Listen to enchanting stories blended with music performed by AMFS students. Ages 8 and under with an adult.

Sing Play Move

JUNE 24–28

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

$150 per child ($25 for each additional child from the same family)

A thoughtfully designed early childhood music education course, for the youngest Festival fans. Classes will fill quickly; for birth–kinder+ with an adult. See aspenmusicfestival.com/ singplaymove to register.

SCIENCE OF MUSIC

The popular lecture series returns with two presentations hosted by AMFS President and CEO Alan Fletcher.

Art and Science of Musical Peak Performance

MON, JULY 15 | 6 PM ASPEN COMMUNITY CHURCH

Co-presented by the Aspen Science Center and Aspen Valley Hospital

Neural Notes: Music and the Brain

MON, JULY 22 | 6 PM HARRIS CONCERT HALL

Co-presented by the Aspen Science Center

PANELS & LECTURES

Dive into the world of classical music with our enlightening series of panels and lectures, spanning the art of listening to in-depth discussions on this season’s programming and exclusive insights into the training of tomorrow’s virtuosos.

Preludes: Preconcert Talks

SUNDAYS | 3 PM | FREE HARRIS CONCERT HALL

The Art of Listening

FRIDAYS | 12:30 PM | FREE CROSSROADS CHURCH

Insightful talks related to the season’s programming by music professor Tom Buesch and guest lecturers.

High Notes

WEDNESDAYS | 2 PM | FREE* BAD HARRIET, HOTEL JEROME**

Musicians, scholars, and AMFS administrators come together for panel discussions about that week’s programs. Hosted and moderated by AMFS President and CEO Alan Fletcher. (*Free; ticket required)

** July 31, Wheeler Opera House Lobby

Harris Concert Hall Classes

TUESDAYS, JULY 9, 16, 23, 30 AND AUGUST 6, 13 | 1 PM

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

See the AMFS’s world-class artistfaculty and guest artists in action as they teach exceptional students.

Harris Concert Hall Piano Classes

THURSDAYS, | 10 AM

JULY 18–AUG 1

HARRIS CONCERT HALL

AMFS’s renowned piano faculty work with their talented students.

Additional free classes are announced in June. Visit the online calendar for the most up-to-date information.

BENEFITS

Join us for two enchanting evenings of elegance and artistry at our beloved benefit events, designed to advance the AMFS’s mission and support talented young artists.

2024 SEASON BENEFIT

A Feast of Music: AMFS at 75 and Beyond

SAT, AUG 3 | 6 PM | $2,000+

Celebrate our mission in an unforgettable evening on the Bucksbaum Campus pairing music with fine wines and a Coloradosourced culinary journey. Celebrating our founders Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke, the program features world-renowned soloists and AMFS artist-faculty along with the young artists who are destined to join them.

HOUSE MUSIC SERIES

Enjoy exclusive concert experiences, conversation, light hors d’oeuvres, and refreshments in spectacular Aspen homes and venues. See full calendar for details.

ARTIST DINNERS

2024 OPERA BENEFIT Opera Under the Stars

TUE, JULY 9 | 6:30 PM | $1,000+

In an elegant setting on the Michael Klein Music Tent Stage, enjoy cocktails, dinner, and a spectacularly curated evening of opera and music theater performed by special guest Will Liverman baritone and student artists of Aspen’s opera program.

Intimate, exclusive evenings of conversation and music with beloved AMFS guest artists. See full event details online.

DONATE

Support the future of classical music by making a gift to the Aspen Music Festival and School. Your generosity raises critical funds for concert performances, student financial aid, comprehensive music education programs, and free community events. Nurture the next generation of artists and music enthusiasts today. Visit aspenmusicfestival.com/support to make a gift.

2024 SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

ONLINE

Buy single tickets at aspenmusicfestival. com. Please note: Passes cannot be purchased or redeemed online.

BY PHONE

970 925 9042

April 22 through June 17:

Monday–Friday, 12 pm to 4 pm MT

June 17 through August 18:

Every day, 12 pm to 4 pm MT, or concert time, or intermission, if applicable

IN PERSON

At Harris Concert Hall 960 North Third Street in Aspen

June 17 through August 18:

Every day, 12 pm to 4 pm, or concert time, or intermission, if applicable

CHILDREN’S TICKETS

Tickets for children ages 4–18 are just $5 for most regularly scheduled concerts.

No refunds or exchanges. Concerts are recommended for ages 6 and up; children under 4 are admitted only to children’s events.

Programs are subject to change; see aspenmusicfestival.com for up-to-date information.

GET MORE MUSIC WITH A PASS!

Enjoy the most music with deeply discounted prices and your choice of seats.

For more details, visit aspenmusicfestival.com/passes.

PHOTOS Alex Irvin, Blake Nelson, Diego Redel