2008 Colorado Classical Music Festivals
Selected Colorado Classical Music Festivals
Aspen
Festival: Aspen Music Festival
Background glance: This series is one of the largest and most respected classical-music series in the world.
Dates: June 19-Aug. 17
Five headline events: June 22, world premiere, “The Great Gatsby Suite,” Aspen Festival Orchestra; July 8, 10 and 13, “La Cenerentola,” Aspen Opera Theater Center; July 18, Lieberson’s “Neruda Songs,” Aspen Chamber Symphony, mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor; July 22, J.S. Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” Simone Dinnerstein; Aug. 17, Schoenberg’s “Gurre-Lieder,” Aspen Festival Orchestra, United States Army Chorus and such guest soloists as tenors Jon Villars and Anthony Dean Griffey and soprano Measha Brueggergosman.
Ticket prices: Free-$72
Contact: 970-925-9042 or
Boulder
Festival: Colorado Music Festival
Background glance: Offering both chamber and orchestral music, with some world offerings thrown in, this well-rounded series performs in Boulder’s historic Chautauqua Auditorium.
Dates: June 21-Aug. 1
Five headline events: June 24, St. Petersburg String Quartet; July 6-13, four concerts featuring all nine Beethoven symphonies, Festival Orchestra; July 20, Festival Orchestra, Joana Carneiro, conductor; July 24 and 25, “Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio,” Phoenix Symphony Chorus and baritone Daniel Belcher; July 31 and Aug. 1, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, Festival Orchestra.
Ticket prices: $12-$47
Contact: 303-440-7666 or .
Breckenridge
Festival: National Repertory Orchestra
Background glance: This pre-professional ensemble has alumni playing in most of the top orchestras across the country.
Dates: June 14-Aug. 2
Five headline events: June 14, Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony; June 21, summer gala, Seawell Ballroom; June 25, Jorge Mester, guest conductor; July 12, joint concert with Colorado Symphony, Jeffrey Kahane, conductor; July 23, joint concert with Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra.
Ticket prices: $22-$32
Contact: 970-547-3100 or .
Central City
Festival: Central City Opera
Background glance: This nationally recognized summer company celebrated its 75th anniversary last year.
Dates: June 6-Aug. 10
Four headline events: June 6-June 20, “The Rape of Lucretia”; June 17, Tribute to John Moriarty; June 28-Aug. 9, “West Side Story”; July 5-Aug. 10, “Susannah.”
Ticket prices (excluding tribute): $45-$99
Contact: 303-292-6700 or .
Colorado Springs
Festival: Colorado College’s Summer Music Festival
Background glance: The festival’s concerts move to the newly completed Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Theater.
Dates: June 9-July 1
Two headline events: June 16, Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915,” soprano Tony Arnold; July 1, Walton’s Viola Concerto, Toby Appel, violist
Ticket prices: Free-$25
Contact: 719-389-6607 or .
Crested Butte
Festival: Crested Butte Music Festival
Background glance: Dance, jazz, opera and classical music come together in this multifaceted festival.
Dates: July 4-31
Four headline events: July 13, world premiere of Mark Sforzini’s Theme and Variations on a Slavic Song, Festival Orchestra; July 18, Hungarian chamber music; July 20, Richard Rodney Bennett’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Johannes Fischer, percussionist; July 24, 26 and 27, “Falstaff.”
Ticket prices: Free-$50
Contact: 970-349-0619 or .
Durango
Festival: Music in the Mountains
Background glance: This series, which has events in varied venues in and around Durango, recently named Guillermo Figueroa as its music director.
Dates: July 11-Aug. 3.
Five headline events: July 11, Philippe Quint, violinist, and David Korevaar, pianist; July 15 and 16, Eileen Ivers, Celtic violinist; July 17 and 18, Schumann Piano Quintet; July 20, Korngold’s Violin concerto in D, Vadim Gluzman, violinist; July 27, Verdi’s Requiem.
Ticket prices: Free-$60
Contact: 970-385-6820 or .
Salida
Festival: Salida Aspen Concerts
Background glance: Through a longtime partnership, this small-town festival draws on the big-time talents of the Aspen Music Festival.
Dates: June 28-Aug. 9
Five headline events: June 28, American Brass Quintet; July 12, Joyce Yang, pianist; July 19, Sybarite Chamber Players; July 26, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble; Aug. 9, John O’Conor, pianist.
Ticket prices: $15
Contact: 719-539-6467 or .
Steamboat Springs
Festival: Strings Music Festival
Background glance: What was Strings in the Mountains has changed its name to the Strings Music Festival.
Dates: June 19-Aug. 22
Five headline events: June 28, Inauguration of Strings Music Pavilion; July 12, Takács Quartet; July 19, Chu-Fang Huang, pianist; July 28, Music of George Crumb; Aug. 9, Chamber Orchestra, Andres Cardenes, conductor.
Ticket prices: $10-$50
Contact: 970-879-5056 or .
Vail
Festival: Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival
Background glance: This festival is only one to present residencies by three professional orchestras.
Dates: June 25-Aug. 2
Five headline events: June 27, Rochester Philharmonic, Jennifer Koh, violinist; July 6, Philadelphia Orchestra, Charles Dutoit, conductor; July 9, “La Boheme,” Philadelphia Orchestra; July 15, world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s “Green Sneakers,” Miami String Quartet, baritone Jesse Blumberg; July 18, New York Philharmonic, Lang Lang, pianist, Alan Gilbert, conductor.
Ticket prices: Free-$84
Contact: 877-812-5700 or .
