For more than a quarter century now, the has gotten by on the combined lure of the composer and the Colorado scenery. Each year, a hundred or more professional musicians come from across the country, and sometimes beyond, to perform.
They don’t get paid, though they are provided with housing, and they do get to indulge in Gustav without the distractions of their daily lives. For many, it’s a been a good excuse to explore the Rocky Mountains, with a few vacation days tacked on at one end or the other.
“People want to come to Colorado in general and Boulder in particular, ” said artistic director , who dreamed up the event in 1988 and who will depart after this go-round. “So, there’s been an even greater pull.”
For the public, the fest has meant a steady opportunity to hear one great Mahler symphony performed each year. The MahlerFest isn’t the largest classical event to take place in Colorado’s busy classical scene, but it’s special: These musicians are known to play with great camaraderie, and Mahler fans consider it a world-class event.
“We are still alive and kicking, but it’s never been easy,” said Olson. “There’s so much competition for the entertainment dollar now, and Mahler is a cultivated taste.”
This year’s public events begins Thursday afternoon with a screening of the German film “Mahler auf der Couch,” which translates as “Mahler on the Couch.” There’s a free, day-long symposium Saturday delving into the composer’s legacy.
The fest culminates with performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 on the night of May 16 and the afternoon of May 17 at Macky Auditorium.
The composer is a mainstay in the repertoire of university and professional orchestras these days, but that wasn’t the case when the MahlerFest started. Mahler’s music is generally accessible, melodic on its surface and based on the popular music of his day. But he scored it in challenging ways. His compositions are daunting, and they can require a huge number of players, so major ensembles simply avoided certain symphonies for a long time.
Olson had a hunch musicians would step up to play the more unusual titles if the opportunity was attractive enough. He had the idea that a festival, held in mountain scenery that mirrored that Alps where Mahler spent much of his time, would be irresistible.
Olson, who taught at the before moving to Kansas City where he now lives, tapped his colleagues for the first outing. “I thought I could pull it off for a year or two and see if there was any validity to the concept,” he said.
It soared, with musicians eager to spend the week rehearsing and playing together. The showpiece concerts quickly won a reputation for excellence and began getting international attention.
Audiences came from far and wide. In 2005, the International Gustav Mahler Society, headquartered in Vienna, awarded the fest its Mahler Gold Medal. Other recipients of the honor have included the New York Philharmonic and Leonard Bernstein.
For Olson, it’s been a labor of love, though it’s been labor. He’s had to develop the program over the years and make it attractive to volunteer musicians whose interest has waned as Mahler has grown in popularity. The fest was a long-time January staple, though it was moved to May a few years ago to avoid competition with the expanding academic programs at many universities.
“Twenty-eight years is a long time to do this,” Olson said. “Recruiting 100 to 400 musicians a year is not an easy task.”
And so, he’s stepping away after one more season.
Olson will continue with his other jobs. He directs classical programs at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and guest-conducts widely with a resume that includes hundreds of podium stops before the major St. Louis and Kansas City orchestras and ensembles across the U.S. and Europe. He also happens to be musical director at the Longmont Symphony Orchestra.
The festival he founded so many years ago will continue without him. A new director will be announced at the final performances of the MahlerFest next week.
Ray Mark Rinaldi: 303-954-1540, rrinaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/rayrinaldi
COLORADO MAHLERFEST
The annual celebration of Gustav Mahler’s music returns to various locations around Boulder. Events culminate with two performances of the Second Symphony, set for 7:30 p.m. May 16 and 3:30 p.m. May 17 at Macky Auditorium on the University of Colorado campus. $20-$48. 303-492-8440 or mahlerfest.org.
