Despite the economy’s worsening downturn and a projected drop in ticket revenues, it’s full speed ahead for the Aspen Music Festival.
The board of the summer classical series — one of the largest and most prestigious events in the United States — voted in December to make no cuts in the number of offerings or caliber of its artists in 2009.
“I think it was a very strong decision to really do a big season,” said Alan Fletcher, president and chief executive. “The evidence is that nonprofits that can ride through this kind of time and not cut their programming emerge in a stronger position than those that have to or that choose to cut the essence of what they do.”
The festival’s newly announced season will run June 25 through Aug. 23 — its standard nine weeks — and will feature more than 400 public events, including an almost nonstop array of concerts, master classes, rehearsals, lectures and discussions.
The schedule is stocked with the usual mix of big- name artists, such as soprano Dawn Upshaw, conductor Leonard Slatkin and violinist Gil Shaham, and features a typically adventuresome mix of repertoire, including works by at least eight contemporary composers.
Fletcher estimates that ticket revenues could fall by as much as 10 percent, a drop the festival intends to make up in trims in the nonprogramming and non-educational facets of its operations, such as putting off upgrades in computer equipment.
To help boost attendance in these lean times, the series has kept prices the same on season passes and sweetened the offerings in some packages. In addition, it will offer more marketing promotions.
As usual, the festival will present dozens of free events, including student recitals, master classes and discussions. Fletcher noted in particular that the weekly concerts of the American Academy of Conducting Orchestra are all without charge.
The 2009 season will not have the kind of overarching themes that have marked recent summers, though some offerings will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Goethe Bicentennial Convocation and Music Festival.
From that event, which was meant to heal the rift with Germany after World War II and included appearances by such luminaries as Albert Schweit- zer and pianist Arthur Rubinstein, emerged the Aspen Music Festival and Aspen Institute.
This year’s season will put an emphasis on German music, especially works by Beethoven and Johann Sebastian Bach. A highlight will be historically informed performances of the six Brandenburg concertos led by Nicholas McGegan, music director of San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.
The festival always presents works by its two composers- in-residence, as well as other contemporary voices. But this year’s lineup of spotlighted composers, including Osvaldo Golijov, John Harbison and Kaija Saariaho, seems even stronger than usual.
“That is intentional,” Fletcher said. “We believe there is a new core classical repertoire being created. Twenty years ago, people would say, ‘Oh, no piece has entered the repertoire since the Bartok Concerto (for Orchestra).’ But we think that is no longer true. Our featured composers are writing major and lasting works.”
As in recent years, the festival has strived to create a balance between familiar artists from previous seasons, especially alumni of its school, as well as fresh faces, such as violinists Janine Jensen and Sergey Khachatryan and pianist Lise de la Salle.
“In years past, the festival has made a big investment in certain young artists and introduced them in effect, especially European ones to the U.S., and then they become our loyal standbys.
“But we have to keep that going and not just have the same people who happily return year after year. But there’s got to be the new ones, and someone like (pianist Simone Dinnerstein), we’re really making a big investment in her.”
The Aspen Opera Theater Center, the festival’s apprentice program for preprofessional singers, will present three productions: Puccini’s “La Bohème” (July 16, 18 and 20), Britten’s “The Rape of Lucretia” (July 30 and Aug. 1) and Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” (Aug. 18, 20 and 22).
Season passes, single tickets and further information are available at 970-925-9042 or .
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
Four-concert winter series begins Thursday with Bell
Although the Aspen Music Festival focuses the bulk of its attention on its marquee nine-week summer season, it also annually offers a small but elite winter series.
“We have patrons who are our core summer supporters who also come, of course, to ski in the winter, and they really love it when we have something for them. It’s a smallish but very loyal audience,” said Alan Fletcher, president and chief executive.
This year’s four-concert series will open Thursday with violinist Joshua Bell and run through March 14, featuring a total of six artists. All concerts take place at 6:30 p.m. in the festival’s 500-seat Harris Concert Hall.
As in past seasons, this year’s winter lineup combines longtime festival favorites, such as pianist Andreas Haefliger, with rising stars, such as pianist Simone Dinnerstein, who made her debut at the festival last summer.
“I’m not going to say it’s categorically better than any other year, but it’s as strong as it can get. You could not have a stronger season,” Fletcher said.
The schedule will be as follows:
• Feb. 12, Bell and Jeremy Denk, piano;
• Feb. 16, Jeffrey Kahane, piano;
• Feb. 25, Andreas Haefliger, piano, Marina Piccinini, flute;
• March 14, Simone Dinnerstein, piano.
Series subscriptions are $200. Single tickets are $55, with the exception of Bell’s concert, which costs $65. Call 970-925-9042 or visit .
Kyle MacMillan
