Aspen Music Festival And School https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/ en jbak@aspenmusic.org Copyright 2026 2026-05-06T23:30:00+00:00 Aspen Festival Orchestra https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra8 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra8#When:22:00:00Z To enhance the audience experience, this event features performance imagery screens on both sides of the stage. To learn more, click here.

This concert will be carried live on Aspen Public Radio! Tune in 91.5FM and 88.9FM or at aspenpublicradio.org.

The season’s final concert celebrates America’s 250th anniversary with a Leonard Bernstein masterpiece and culminates with a work that has been universally embraced as a beacon of hope and unity.

In December 1963, Bernstein was asked to compose a piece for the Cathedral of Chichester’s 1965 music festival using texts from the Psalms. From its premiere to the present day, Chichester Psalms has stirred audiences with its unique synthesis of biblical Hebrew verse and Christian choral tradition, expressing the composer’s deeply felt aspirations for peace and brotherhood.

Since his early twenties, Beethoven had wanted to write music for Schiller’s Ode to Joy, a glorified drinking song with a strong humanistic message. It had been ten years since he’d composed a symphony, and he was anxious to get on paper all the ideas that had been percolating in his imagination for thirty years. By the time of the work’s premiere, he was completely deaf. Although he beat time for the orchestra, the real conducting was done by someone else. At the end of the piece, he was still hunched over the score until one of the singers turned him around so he could see the applause he was unable to hear. This magnificent work takes us on a journey from darkness to light, building up to a transcendent and unforgettable finale. Performed by a lineup of remarkable soloists and Denver’s extraordinary Kantorei, the Ninth will remind you of the greatness and possibilities of the human spirit.

Please note there is no open dress rehearsal for this concert.

]]> 2026-08-23T22:00:00+00:00 Prelude: Preconcert Talk https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/prelude-preconcert-talk8 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/prelude-preconcert-talk8#When:21:00:00Z Prelude: Preconcert Talks present listeners with engaging and topical commentary on the Sunday afternoon programs. Lectures are presented by AMFS's artistic team and special guests.

Summer 2026 Prelude: Preconcert Talk Dates:
- Sunday, July 5
- Sunday, July 12
- Sunday, July 19
- Sunday, July 26
- Sunday, August 9
- Sunday, August 16
- Sunday, August 23

]]> 2026-08-23T21:00:00+00:00 A Recital by Anton Nel piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/anton-nel-piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/anton-nel-piano#When:01:30:00Z One of the most brilliant and versatile pianists of our time, an inspiring and generous teacher, hiker, baker, foodie, and world traveler, AMFS artist-faculty member Anton Nel has joined forces with his colleagues for a dizzying number of chamber recitals and taught some of AMFS’s most gifted students over the last 25 summers. Here’s a chance to see him in a solo outing in works ranging from the classical elegance of Haydn and the poignant lyricism of Schubert and Chopin, to the post-Romanticism of Cecile Chaminade and emotional intensity of the Russian masters.

Be dazzled by the artistry of Anton Nel in a rare solo performance!

]]> 2026-08-23T01:30:00+00:00 Chamber Music https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/chamber-music8 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/chamber-music8#When:22:30:00Z AMFS Artist-Faculty, all top musicians from renowned orchestras, opera companies, and conservatories, come together to play their favorite chamber music works. Immerse yourself in diverse sonorities in this wide-ranging program!

The music of Rome Prize and Guggenheim–winning composer Jesse Benjamin Jones has been described as “striking…elegant and poised” by The New York Times and “engaging…eerie, and well-written” by the Los Angeles Times. Hear a new work by this fascinating compositional voice in its world premiere.

Sometimes subtitled Humoresque, Grofé’s 1945 Table d’Hôte for flute, violin, and viola is a light-hearted, witty affair perfect for a summer afternoon.

The otherworldly and colorful soundscape of Gabriela Ortiz’s Rio de las Mariposas for two harps and steel drum was inspired by the legendary Mexican river Papaloapan where butterflies weave and dance.

Also featured on the program is the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, comprising emerging young artists who perform music by prominent living composers and twentieth-century classics, as well as new works by the Festival’s student composers. Always a joyful and creative 75 minutes of music-making.

Summer 2026 Chamber Music Dates:
- Monday, July 6
- Saturday, July 11
- Saturday, July 18
- Saturday, July 25
- Sunday, August 2 (at 2:00 PM)
- Saturday, August 8
- Saturday, August 15
- Saturday, August 22

]]> 2026-08-22T22:30:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital35 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital35#When:19:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-22T19:30:00+00:00 Opera Encounters https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/opera-encounters8 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/opera-encounters8#When:16:00:00Z Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS faculty and guest hosts coaches the program's major emerging young singers of the AOTVA in opera scenes. Enjoy excerpts from the repertoire, ravishing voices, and insightful coaching.

The run time for this event is approximately 2 hours.

Summer 2026 Opera Encounters Dates:
- Saturday, July 11
- Saturday, July 18
- Sunday, July 19 (at Harris Concert Hall)
- Saturday, July 25
- Saturday, August 1
- Saturday, August 8
- Saturday, August 15
- Saturday, August 22

]]> 2026-08-22T16:00:00+00:00 Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS presents Mozart’s The Magic Flute https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/mozarts-die-zauberfloete https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/mozarts-die-zauberfloete#When:01:30:00Z To enhance the audience experience, this event features performance imagery screens on both sides of the stage. To learn more, click here.

A handsome prince. A cowardly bird catcher. A kidnapped princess. A queen who may or may not be evil. A high priest who may or may not be evil. And a lustful servant who is evil. How to make sense of it all?

Mozart’s The Magic Flute is both a charming fairy tale and a deeply mystical exploration of the transcendent power of love. This delightful mix of magic, music, and myth includes the famous Queen of the Night’s aria and other familiar tunes. Co-artistic director of the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS program and international conducting luminary Patrick Summers leads a full orchestra in a production staged specially for the Klein Music Tent and featuring the opera stars of tomorrow.

Don’t miss this one-night-only performance!

]]> 2026-08-22T01:30:00+00:00 Brass Bash II https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/brass-bash-ii-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/brass-bash-ii-2026#When:21:00:00Z Talented AMFS brass students play chamber music.

]]> 2026-08-21T21:00:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital34 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital34#When:20:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-21T20:30:00+00:00 Piano Department Master Class https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/piano-department-master-class-20260821 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/piano-department-master-class-20260821#When:16:00:00Z Observe gifted young pianists from the AMFS's Solo Piano program as they work on major repertoire with their Artist-Faculty mentors.

Summer 2026 Piano Department Master Class Dates (Please note venues vary by date):
- Sunday, July 5 (FREE)
- Friday, July 10 (PAID)
- Sunday, July 19 (FREE)
- Sunday, July 26 (FREE)
- Sunday, August 2 (FREE)
- Friday, August 7 (PAID)
- Sunday, August 16 (FREE)
- Friday, August 21 (PAID)

]]> 2026-08-21T16:00:00+00:00 String Showcase https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/string-showcase7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/string-showcase7#When:01:00:00Z AMFS strings young artists get a chance to present repertoire they have been preparing for weeks or months to their fellow students, string artist-faculty, and members of the public. A warm, enchanting experience of the AMFS community.

]]> 2026-08-21T01:00:00+00:00 A Recital by Marc-André Hamelin piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/marc-andre-hamelin-piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/marc-andre-hamelin-piano#When:00:00:00Z Acclaimed by The New York Times as “a performer of near-superhuman technical prowess,” Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin is known worldwide for his unrivaled blend of consummate musicianship and brilliant technique in the great works of the established repertoire, as well as for his intrepid exploration of the rarities of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.    

Hamelin begins with two emotionally charged and technically demanding works by Polish-born composers. Weinberg was a close colleague and admirer of Shostakovich, and his fifth piano sonata has the same rhythmic drive and profound introspection we hear in works of the more well-known composer.

The centerpiece of Chopin’s four-movement Piano Sonata No. 2 is the famous funeral march. This masterpiece of the piano repertoire has been interpreted as an exploration of mortal dread, death itself, and the soul’s release into the afterlife.

Enescu’s Carillon Nocturne captures the haunting clanging of night-time church bells in a Romanian monastery, and segues into Debussy’s Bells Through the Leaves, the first in a set of evocative musical paintings.

Never one to leave technical challenges on the table, Hamelin ends the program with Earl Wild’s brilliant Seven Virtuoso Etudes based on the Gershwin songs “Liza,” “Somebody Loves Me,” “The Man I Love,” “Embraceable You,” “Oh, Lady, Be Good!,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “Fascinating Rhythm.”  

Be wowed by one of the piano world’s greats in this sensational program!

]]> 2026-08-21T00:00:00+00:00 Basalt Regional Library Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/basalt-regional-library-recital8 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/basalt-regional-library-recital8#When:23:15:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

Summer 2026 Basalt Regional Library Recital Dates:
- Thursday, July 16
- Thursday, July 23
- Thursday, August 6
- Thursday, August 13
- Thursday, August 20

]]> 2026-08-20T23:15:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital33 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital33#When:23:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-20T23:00:00+00:00 Spotlight Marathon https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-marathon1 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-marathon1#When:21:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-20T21:00:00+00:00 First Glimpse Composition Recital II https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/first-glimpse-composition-recital-ii-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/first-glimpse-composition-recital-ii-2026#When:21:00:00Z Talented young composers from the AMFS's Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies present new works as performed by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, with feedback from their mentors.

]]> 2026-08-20T21:00:00+00:00 A Recital by Sharon Isbin guitar https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/sharon-isbin-guitar https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/sharon-isbin-guitar#When:01:30:00Z Boston Magazine called her “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time.” Atlanta Journal described her as “the Monet of the classical guitar… a master colorist.” Hear Aspen favorite and multiple Grammy Award winner Sharon Isbin in works by American composers, most of which were composed for her. In addition to the national sesquicentennial, the program celebrates the 20th anniversary of Martin Scorcese’s Oscar-winning film The Departed, which featured Isbin in Howard Shore’s soundtrack, and the 85th birthday of American icon Joan Baez with a performance of the Joan Baez Suite.

]]> 2026-08-20T01:30:00+00:00 Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-conducting-academy-orchestra8 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-conducting-academy-orchestra8#When:22:00:00Z To enhance the audience experience, this event features performance imagery screens on both sides of the stage. To learn more, click here.

Discover a new keyboard talent when this summer’s Piano Competition Winner plays Mendelssohn’s First Piano Concerto, written after a long stay in Italy when the composer was only 22.

Mahler’s dramatic and triumphant Symphony No. 5 closes the program. It includes Mahler’s “greatest hit”: the exquisite Adagietto for strings and harp—a musical love letter to Alma Schindler, a socialite 20 years his junior who would soon become his wife.

See the season’s final concert by the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra and celebrate the accomplishments of tomorrow’s conducting stars!

The run time for this performance is 1 hour 30 minutes.

]]> 2026-08-19T22:00:00+00:00 First Glimpse Composition Recital I https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/first-glimpse-composition-recital-i-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/first-glimpse-composition-recital-i-2026#When:21:00:00Z Talented young composers from the AMFS's Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies present new works as performed by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, with feedback from their mentors.

]]> 2026-08-19T21:00:00+00:00 High Notes https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/high-notes8 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/high-notes8#When:18:00:00Z These lunchtime discussions features prominent performers, composers, and musicologists in lively discussions with AMFS Munroe President and CEO Alan Fletcher, joined by Wall Family Music Director Robert Spano and soprano Ana María Martínez.

Summer 2026 High Notes Dates:
- Wednesday, July 8
- Wednesday, July 15
- Wednesday, July 22
- Wednesday, July 29
- Wednesday, August 5
- Wednesday, August 12
- Wednesday, August 19

]]> 2026-08-19T18:00:00+00:00 Music with a View https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/music-with-a-view-20260818 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/music-with-a-view-20260818#When:00:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play chamber music in the artful, open-air space on the roof of the Aspen Art Museum.

Summer 2026 High Notes Dates:
- Monday, August 10
- Tuesday, August 18

]]> 2026-08-19T00:00:00+00:00 A Recital by Edgar Meyer bass and Amy Yang piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/edgar-meyer-bass-and-amy-yang-piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/edgar-meyer-bass-and-amy-yang-piano#When:00:00:00Z Hailed by The New Yorker as “…the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument,” Meyer’s unparalleled technique and musicianship in combination with his gift for composition have brought him a vast and varied audience. His unique artistry earned him a MacArthur Award in 2002.

Meyer is joined by pianist Amy Yang, who balances and active career as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue.

PLEASE NOTE: Most pass discounts/benefits do not apply to this event.

]]> 2026-08-19T00:00:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital67 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital67#When:19:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-18T19:00:00+00:00 Artist Dinner with Edgar Meyer and Amy Yang https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/artist-dinner-with-edgar-meyer-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/artist-dinner-with-edgar-meyer-2026#When:00:30:00Z The AMFS invites you to an intimate evening of conversation and music with bassist Edgar Meyer and pianist Amy Yang. Artist Dinners are hosted in exclusive locations and include a cocktail reception, performance, and catered dinner with the artist. For more information, please contact gifts@aspenmusic.org.

Summer 2026 Artist Dinners:
- Tuesday, June 30 (Thomas Hampson and Myra Huang)
- Saturday, July 18 (Robert McDuffie)
- Tuesday, August 11 (Tony Siqi Yun)
- Wednesday, August 12 (Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony)
- Monday, August 17 (Edgar Meyer and Amy Yang)

]]> 2026-08-18T00:30:00+00:00 Physics Center Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/physics-center-recital7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/physics-center-recital7#When:23:30:00Z Talented AMFS piano students play a variety of repertoire.

Summer 2026 Physics Center Recital Dates:
- Monday, July 13
- Monday, July 20
- Monday, July 27
- Monday, August 3
- Monday, August 10
- Monday, August 17

]]> 2026-08-17T23:30:00+00:00 Percussion Ensemble Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/percussion-ensemble-recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/percussion-ensemble-recital#When:23:00:00Z Directed by long-time AMFS artist-faculty member Jonathan Haas, the annual Percussion Ensemble recital offers an electrifying showcase featuring a dazzling array of instruments. Join the adventure as the AMFS’s talented young percussionists and faculty mentors present the world premiere of a new work by Police drummer and composer Stewart Copeland. 

]]> 2026-08-17T23:00:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital32 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital32#When:20:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-17T20:30:00+00:00 Woodwind Bash II https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/woodwind-bash-ii-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/woodwind-bash-ii-2026#When:01:00:00Z Talented AMFS woodwind students play chamber music.

]]> 2026-08-17T01:00:00+00:00 Art Song Showcase https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/art-song-showcase3 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/art-song-showcase3#When:01:00:00Z Hear talented singers from the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS program in beautiful art songs.

]]> 2026-08-17T01:00:00+00:00 Aspen Festival Orchestra https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra7#When:22:00:00Z To enhance the audience experience, this event features performance imagery screens on both sides of the stage. To learn more, click here.

This concert will be carried live on Aspen Public Radio! Tune in 91.5FM and 88.9FM or at aspenpublicradio.org.

Internationally acclaimed young pianist Alexander Malofeev returns to Aspen this summer for Rachmaninoff’s rarely performed 4th Piano Concerto—an innovative and jazz-influenced work which reportedly took more than 30 years to complete. The slow movement sounds almost like the blues and may well have been inspired by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

When Shostakovich was in his late twenties, his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District was a smash hit. At one time, three different productions were running in Moscow. Then Stalin himself went to a performance. Offended by the luridness of the plot, he had the state newspaper condemn the work, and it disappeared overnight. Shostakovich was terrified that he too would disappear, and he kept a suitcase packed at all times in case of arrest. His Fifth Symphony was an attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of the authorities, and he dubbed it “A Soviet Artist's Response to Just Criticism." Even while you’re swept away by the crowd-pleasing tunes and a sense of heroism, you may also notice an undercurrent of cynicism and despair. Shostakovich apparently remarked, "The rejoicing is forced, created under threat. It’s as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying, ‘Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing …"

The program opens with Samuel Barber’s Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance, first danced as part of a larger work by the Martha Graham Company in 1946. The present version uses material from the ballet and deals with Medea’s ambivalence about murdering her children after discovering her husband’s betrayal.

Thrill to big orchestral sounds and the technical and interpretive brilliance of one of the most exciting pianists of his generation!

]]> 2026-08-16T22:00:00+00:00 Prelude: Preconcert Talk https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/prelude-preconcert-talk7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/prelude-preconcert-talk7#When:21:00:00Z Prelude: Preconcert Talks present listeners with engaging and topical commentary on the Sunday afternoon programs. Lectures are presented by AMFS's artistic team and special guests.

Summer 2026 Prelude: Preconcert Talk Dates:
- Sunday, July 5
- Sunday, July 12
- Sunday, July 19
- Sunday, July 26
- Sunday, August 9
- Sunday, August 16
- Sunday, August 23

]]> 2026-08-16T21:00:00+00:00 Composition House Music https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/composition-house-music-20260816 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/composition-house-music-20260816#When:19:00:00Z Join us for an intimate House Music event featuring brand-new works composed by members of the AMFS Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies and performed by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. This event is held in conjunction with the Hermitage Artist Retreat, which offers a residency to one of our Composition Studies students each year. Hosted in a private home, the event includes music, conversation, light hors d'oeuvres, and refreshments.

]]> 2026-08-16T19:00:00+00:00 Piano Department Master Class https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/piano-department-master-class-20260816 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/piano-department-master-class-20260816#When:16:00:00Z Observe gifted young pianists from the AMFS's Solo Piano program as they work on major repertoire with their Artist-Faculty mentors.

Summer 2026 Piano Department Master Class Dates (Please note venues vary by date):
- Sunday, July 5 (FREE)
- Friday, July 10 (PAID)
- Sunday, July 19 (FREE)
- Sunday, July 26 (FREE)
- Sunday, August 2 (FREE)
- Friday, August 7 (PAID)
- Sunday, August 16 (FREE)
- Friday, August 21 (PAID)

]]> 2026-08-16T16:00:00+00:00 Aspen Festival Orchestra Dress Rehearsal https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra-dress-rehearsal7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra-dress-rehearsal7#When:15:30:00Z Please note these are working rehearsals and pieces may not be played fully, piece order may change, and soloists may not sing or play as fully as in performance. Also note the conductor is not mic'ed to allow the musicians to work together more freely.

The run time for this dress rehearsal is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

]]> 2026-08-16T15:30:00+00:00 A Recital by Simone Dinnerstein piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/simone-dinnerstein-piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/simone-dinnerstein-piano#When:01:30:00Z Called “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity” by The Washington Post, Simone Dinnerstein made musical waves in 2007 with her distinctive interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Here she spans the worlds of Philip Glass and Bach.

Glass’s First Piano Concerto resulted from a commission from the Tyrol, Austria, tourist board. After studying recordings and scores from the region, Glass incorporated folk music source material in a composition for the first time. Bach’s affable and cheery Keyboard Concerto No. 2 is sometimes played as the oboe concerto from which Bach apparently recycled the piece. It must have been a favorite of his since he used all three movements again in cantatas. The performance will also feature Glass’s three-movement suite from the film The Hours, a movie nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy.

Hear one of the piano world’s most individualistic voices when Dinnerstein returns to Harris Concert Hall!

]]> 2026-08-16T01:30:00+00:00 Duo Sonata Showcase https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/duo-sonata-showcase2 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/duo-sonata-showcase2#When:00:30:00Z Talented AMFS students get together to perform chamber music.

]]> 2026-08-16T00:30:00+00:00 Chamber Music https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/chamber-music7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/chamber-music7#When:22:30:00Z AMFS Artist-Faculty, all top musicians from renowned orchestras, opera companies, and conservatories, come together to play their favorite chamber music works.

Immerse yourself in the inner worlds of three fascinating composers in this varied program!

Canadian Brass trumpeter Caleb Hudson’s 15-minute Nothing Less for trumpet, flute, clarinet, violin and cello depicts the Old Testament story of Elijah. Each of the four movements—Still Small Voice, Prophets of Baal, That They Will Know, and Covenant—represents a pivotal moment in Elijah’s life.

Gabriel Fauré’s Second Piano Quartet is a passionate work from his later years which bridges late Romanticism and early Impressionism. The heart of the piece is the haunting slow movement which was inspired by the childhood memory of distant church bells.

Israeli composer Avner Dorman wrote his sextet for trumpet, violin, viola, cello, contrabass, and piano during the Covid pandemic for Orli Shaham and musicians from the Pacific Symphony. It gave him “a sense of connection at a time of isolation.” He and Orli Shaham have collaborated often, and she is featured in this performance.

Also featured on the program is the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, comprising emerging young artists who perform music by prominent living composers and twentieth-century classics, as well as new works by the Festival’s student composers. Always a joyful and creative 75 minutes of music-making.

Summer 2026 Chamber Music Dates:
- Monday, July 6
- Saturday, July 11
- Saturday, July 18
- Saturday, July 25
- Sunday, August 2 (at 2:00 PM)
- Saturday, August 8
- Saturday, August 15
- Saturday, August 22

]]> 2026-08-15T22:30:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital31 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital31#When:19:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-15T19:30:00+00:00 Music on the Mountain https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/music-on-the-mountain7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/music-on-the-mountain7#When:19:00:00Z AMFS music students play light chamber music with the stunning Elk Mountain Range as a backdrop. Bring a picnic or purchase lunch at the Sundeck restaurant. (Gondola ticket or strenuous hike required to get to this event.)

Summer 2026 Music on the Mountain Dates:
- Saturday, July 11
- Saturday, July 18
- Saturday, July 25
- Saturday, August 1
- Saturday, August 8
- Saturday, August 15

]]> 2026-08-15T19:00:00+00:00 Composer Workshop https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/composer-workshop1 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/composer-workshop1#When:19:00:00Z 2026-08-15T19:00:00+00:00 Opera Encounters https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/opera-encounters7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/opera-encounters7#When:16:00:00Z Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS faculty and guest hosts coaches the program's major emerging young singers of the AOTVA in opera scenes. Enjoy excerpts from the repertoire, ravishing voices, and insightful coaching.

The run time for this event is approximately 2 hours.

Summer 2026 Opera Encounters Dates:
- Saturday, July 11
- Saturday, July 18
- Sunday, July 19 (at Harris Concert Hall)
- Saturday, July 25
- Saturday, August 1
- Saturday, August 8
- Saturday, August 15
- Saturday, August 22

]]> 2026-08-15T16:00:00+00:00 Aspen Chamber Symphony https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-chamber-symphony7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-chamber-symphony7#When:23:30:00Z To enhance the audience experience, this event features performance imagery screens on both sides of the stage. To learn more, click here.

Siblings and Aspen favorites Gil and Orli Shaham team up for Indian-American composer Reena Esmail’s new Concerto for Violin and Piano which bridges the worlds of Indian and Western classical music.

The concert begins with the 17-year-old Richard Strauss’s 9-minute wind serenade, a tuneful and lyrical work which features no less than four French horns, his father’s instrument.

After struggling for years to complete his First Symphony, Brahms produced a second one almost effortlessly. “The melodies flow so freely that one must be careful not to trample on them,” he wrote.  Much of the music is drenched in the blue skies, sunshine, and rippling streams, with moments of tension and darkness adding a brooding, dramatic element.

Be immersed in some of the loveliest sounds of the summer with this “all in the family” concert featuring Gil and Orli Shaham as soloists and Orli Shaham’s husband David Robertson on the podium!

]]> 2026-08-14T23:30:00+00:00 Overtures: Preconcert Chamber Music https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/overtures7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/overtures7#When:22:30:00Z Talented pianists perform piano works before the Friday evening orchestral concert.

Summer 2026 Overtures: Preconcert Chamber Music Dates:
- Friday, July 3
- Friday, July 10
- Friday, July 17
- Friday, July 24
- Friday, August 7
- Friday, August 14

]]> 2026-08-14T22:30:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital30 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital30#When:20:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-14T20:30:00+00:00 The Art of Listening https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/the-art-of-listening7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/the-art-of-listening7#When:18:30:00Z These insightful talks on the season's programming are designed to help listeners get more from the music.

Summer 2026 Art of Listening Dates:
- Friday, July 10
- Friday, July 17
- Friday, July 24
- Friday, July 31
- Friday, August 7
- Friday, August 14

]]> 2026-08-14T18:30:00+00:00 Aspen Chamber Symphony Dress Rehearsal https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-chamber-symphony-dress-rehearsal7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-chamber-symphony-dress-rehearsal7#When:15:00:00Z Please note these are working rehearsals and pieces may not be played fully, piece order may change, and soloists may not sing or play as fully as in performance. Also note the conductor is not mic'ed to allow the musicians to work together more freely.

The run time for this dress rehearsal is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

]]> 2026-08-14T15:00:00+00:00 Wind Orchestra Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/wind-orchestra-recital-20260813 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/wind-orchestra-recital-20260813#When:02:00:00Z

Hear top young AMFS wind artists joined by violinist Adele Anthony and conducted by longtime AMFS artist faculty member Joaquín Valdepeñas.

In his early 20s, Beethoven wrote a number of works for his boss, the Elector of Cologne, including the mellow and unpretentious wind octet which opens this program. 

The Czech composer Franz Krommer lived in Vienna for most of his career, writing no less than 13 octet-partitas for wind ensemble to fulfill the appetite of minor noblemen who couldn’t afford to keep a full orchestra on hand.

In Weill’s 1924 Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra, you’ll hear traces of Stravinsky and Mahler, Weill’s teacher Busoni, and the cabaret music of Weimar Germany.

Acclaimed vioinist Adele Anthony joins the ensemble for Kurt Weill’s Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra, a work known for its unique instrumentation blending solo violin with wind orchestra, percussion, and double basses. 

Summer 2026 Wind Orchestra Recitals Dates:
- Thursday, July 16
- Thursday, July 30 (at 7:30 PM)
- Thursday, August 13

]]> 2026-08-14T02:00:00+00:00 A Recital by Giovanni Andrea Zanon violin and Tony Siqi Yun piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/giovanni-andrea-zanon-violin-and-tony-siqi-yun-piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/giovanni-andrea-zanon-violin-and-tony-siqi-yun-piano#When:00:00:00Z Giovanni Andrea Zanon began playing the violin at age two and at four became the youngest violinist in Italian history to attend one of the country’s state conservatories. Upon the advice of Zubin Mehta, he moved to New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music where he graduated at 18 with a master’s degree from the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program. In February 2022, he represented Italy in the Closing Ceremony of the 2022 Olympics Games in Beijing. The event was broadcast worldwide and reached more than a billion viewers. In his Aspen debut, he is joined by Canadian pianist Tony Siqi Yun, whose compelling performance of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto wowed the Aspen audience last summer.

]]> 2026-08-14T00:00:00+00:00 Basalt Regional Library Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/basalt-regional-library-recital7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/basalt-regional-library-recital7#When:23:15:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

Summer 2026 Basalt Regional Library Recital Dates:
- Thursday, July 16
- Thursday, July 23
- Thursday, August 6
- Thursday, August 13
- Thursday, August 20

]]> 2026-08-13T23:15:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital29 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital29#When:23:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-13T23:00:00+00:00 Guitar Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/guitar-recital-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/guitar-recital-2026#When:21:00:00Z Talented students from the AMFS's Classical Guitar program play a variety of solo and ensemble works.

]]> 2026-08-13T21:00:00+00:00 Tunes and Tales https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/tunes-and-tales-20260813 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/tunes-and-tales-20260813#When:16:30:00Z In collaboration with the children's librarians at the Pitkin County Library and the Basalt Regional Library, kids are treated to enchanting stories blended with music performed by AMFS students and local musicians. For kids under age 9, with an adult.

Summer 2026 Tunes and Tales Dates (all at 10:30 AM):
- Wednesday, July 8 (Basalt Regional Library)
- Thursday, July 9 (Pitkin County Library)
- Wednesday, July 15 (Basalt Regional Library)
- Thursday, July 16 (Pitkin County Library)
- Wednesday, July 22 (Basalt Regional Library)
- Thursday, July 23 (Pitkin County Library)
- Wednesday, July 29 (Basalt Regional Library)
- Thursday, July 30 (Pitkin County Library)
- Thursday, August 6 (Pitkin County Library)
- Thursday, August 13 (Pitkin County Library)

]]> 2026-08-13T16:30:00+00:00 A Recital by the Pacifica Quartet https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/pacifica-quartet https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/pacifica-quartet#When:01:30:00Z Described as “nothing short of phenomenal” by The Telegraph, the two-time Grammy Award–winning Pacifica is known for their virtuosity, passionate performances, and daring repertoire. Their performances consistently reveal a depth of musical understanding, yet always sound fresh and spontaneous, inviting the listener to hear even the most familiar works in vivid new ways. The New York Times has praised their “delicacy and clarity,” and Chicago Classical Review called their ensemble playing “impeccable.” 

Mendelssohn composed his String Quartet No. 2 when he was eighteen and inspired by young love and late Beethoven quartets. A Mendelssohn song called “Is it true?” provides the thematic basis for the quartet, and he even included it in the published score.

Ligeti was still under the influence of Bartók when he wrote his first string quartet in 1953—54. In a program note, he explains, “the first word of the sub-title Metamorphoses nocturnes refers to the form. It is a kind of variation form, only there is no specific ‘theme’ that is then varied. It is, rather, that one and the same musical concept appears in constantly new forms—that is why ‘metamorphoses’ is more appropriate than ‘variations.’ The quartet can be considered as having just one movement or also as a sequence of many short movements that melt into one another without pause or which abruptly cut one another off.”

Beethoven wrote his op. 130 quartet during the last months of his life. A study in contrast, it contains both the longest and the shortest movements of the late quartets, and juxtaposes playfulness and profundity, rapture and sadness. The heart of the work is the sublime Cavatina, which Beethoven reportedly wrote “amid sorrow and tears; never did his music breathe so heartfelt an inspiration, and even the memory of this movement brought tears to his eyes.” 

Hear one of the great quartets of our time in three masterworks!

]]> 2026-08-13T01:30:00+00:00 Artist Dinner with Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/artist-dinner-with-gil-shaham-and-adele-anthony-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/artist-dinner-with-gil-shaham-and-adele-anthony-2026#When:00:00:00Z The AMFS invites you to an intimate evening of conversation and music with renowned violinists Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony. Artist Dinners are hosted in exclusive locations and include a cocktail reception, performance, and catered dinner with the artist. For more information, please contact gifts@aspenmusic.org.

Summer 2026 Artist Dinners:
- Tuesday, June 30 (Thomas Hampson and Myra Huang)
- Saturday, July 18 (Robert McDuffie)
- Tuesday, August 11 (Tony Siqi Yun)
- Wednesday, August 12 (Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony)
- Monday, August 17 (Edgar Meyer and Amy Yang)

]]> 2026-08-13T00:00:00+00:00 Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-conducting-academy-orchestra7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-conducting-academy-orchestra7#When:23:00:00Z To enhance the audience experience, this event features performance imagery screens on both sides of the stage. To learn more, click here.

Be there when tomorrow’s conducting stars take on audience favorites!

Copland composed his sublime Appalachian Spring in 1944 for Martha Graham and originally called it “Ballet for Martha.” Right before the premiere, she renamed it Appalachian Spring, inspired by the Hart Crane poem, “The Dance.” In it, Crane’s reference to spring is to a water source, not the season, but the poem does describe a journey to greet springtime. This transcendent and quintessentially American work captures the optimism of our national spirit, the sustenance of the land, and the joy of new beginnings.

With its iconic four note opening motif, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the most famous piece of Western music ever written. Its premiere, however, was far from auspicious. The Viennese audience shivered in the freezing concert hall; the piece began more than two hours into a four-hour concert; and the nearly deaf composer who was conducting the orchestra had to stop the ensemble and go back to the beginning. It was only when the music critic E.T.A.Hoffmann got hold of the score and wrote a glowing review that people began to take notice. They haven’t stopped since.

The run time for this performance is 1 hour 30 minutes.

]]> 2026-08-12T23:00:00+00:00 AOTVA/Composer Project Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aotva-composer-project-recital-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aotva-composer-project-recital-2026#When:21:00:00Z Gifted singers from the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS program perform new works by composers from the Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies.

]]> 2026-08-12T21:00:00+00:00 High Notes https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/high-notes7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/high-notes7#When:18:00:00Z These lunchtime discussions features prominent performers, composers, and musicologists in lively discussions with AMFS Munroe President and CEO Alan Fletcher, joined by pianist Tony Siqi Yun, violinist Giovanni Andrea Zanon, and pianist Simone Dinnerstein.

Summer 2026 High Notes Dates:
- Wednesday, July 8
- Wednesday, July 15
- Wednesday, July 22
- Wednesday, July 29
- Wednesday, August 5
- Wednesday, August 12
- Wednesday, August 19

]]> 2026-08-12T18:00:00+00:00 String Showcase https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/string-showcase6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/string-showcase6#When:01:00:00Z AMFS strings young artists get a chance to present repertoire they have been preparing for weeks or months to their fellow students, string artist-faculty, and members of the public. A warm, enchanting experience of the AMFS community.

]]> 2026-08-12T01:00:00+00:00 Artist Dinner with Tony Siqi Yun https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/artist-dinner-with-tony-siqi-yun-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/artist-dinner-with-tony-siqi-yun-2026#When:00:00:00Z The AMFS invites you to an intimate evening of conversation and music with acclaimed pianist Tony Siqi Yun. This Artist Dinner is hosted at LUGANO salon and includes a cocktail reception, performance, and catered dinner with the artist. For more information, please contact gifts@aspenmusic.org.

Summer 2026 Artist Dinners:
- Tuesday, June 30 (Thomas Hampson and Myra Huang)
- Saturday, July 18 (Robert McDuffie)
- Tuesday, August 11 (Tony Siqi Yun)
- Wednesday, August 12 (Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony)
- Monday, August 17 (Edgar Meyer and Amy Yang)

]]> 2026-08-12T00:00:00+00:00 Gil Shaham violin and Akira Eguchi piano: Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas part III https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/gil-shaham-violin-and-akira-eguchi-piano-beethovens-violin-sonatas-part-iii https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/gil-shaham-violin-and-akira-eguchi-piano-beethovens-violin-sonatas-part-iii#When:00:00:00Z Gil Shaham returns…and returns…and returns! This month you can hear the beloved Aspen alum bring his impeccable technique and infectious enthusiasm to all ten of Beethoven’s violin sonatas performed over three evenings with acclaimed pianist, composer, and frequent collaborator Akira Eguchi.

]]> 2026-08-12T00:00:00+00:00 Harris Concert Hall Master Class https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/harris-concert-hall-master-class7 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/harris-concert-hall-master-class7#When:19:00:00Z Renowned pianist Orli Shaham teaches exceptional students the nuances of great music-making in this intensive workshop.

Summer 2026 Harris Concert Hall Master Class Dates:
- Tuesday, July 7
- Tuesday, July 14
- Tuesday, July 21
- Tuesday, July 28
- Tuesday, August 4
- Tuesday, August 11

]]> 2026-08-11T19:00:00+00:00 Music with a View https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/music-with-a-view-20260810 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/music-with-a-view-20260810#When:00:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play chamber music in the artful, open-air space on the roof of the Aspen Art Museum.

Summer 2026 High Notes Dates:
- Monday, August 10
- Tuesday, August 18

]]> 2026-08-11T00:00:00+00:00 A Recital by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-contemporary-ensemble https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-contemporary-ensemble#When:00:00:00Z The New York Times called John Adams “our greatest living composer,” and now his son Samuel is also producing works of enormous originality and depth of expression. This concert showcases both generations in three exhilarating pieces.

Drawn to the creation of large-scale works characterized by, in his words, “broad brushstrokes on big canvasses,” John Adams faced a challenge when commissioned to write a piece for the San Francisco Chamber Players. He found his inspiration in Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 1 and music for the 1950s cartoons his son was watching in another room.  That little boy watching cartoons eventually became a formidable composer in his own right. Samuel Adams’s Lighthouse follows on the heels of First Work, which was enthusiastically received at its world premiere last summer in Aspen. John Adams’s 1978 string septet, Shaker Loops, takes us on a wild and thrilling musical adventure. The title refers to the composer’s childhood fascination with a New Hampshire Shaker community and to the early “tape loop” pieces of composers such as Steve Reich.

Get ready for a sonic spectacular as the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble plays works by John and Samuel Adams!

]]> 2026-08-11T00:00:00+00:00 Physics Center Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/physics-center-recital6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/physics-center-recital6#When:23:30:00Z Talented AMFS piano students play a variety of repertoire.

Summer 2026 Physics Center Recital Dates:
- Monday, July 13
- Monday, July 20
- Monday, July 27
- Monday, August 3
- Monday, August 10
- Monday, August 17

]]> 2026-08-10T23:30:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital28 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital28#When:20:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-10T20:30:00+00:00 A Recital by Paul Jacobs organ https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/paul-jacobs-organ https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/paul-jacobs-organ#When:01:00:00Z Come hear the only organist to ever win a GRAMMY award!

]]> 2026-08-10T01:00:00+00:00 Art Song Showcase https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/art-song-showcase2 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/art-song-showcase2#When:01:00:00Z Hear talented singers from the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS program in beautiful art songs.

]]> 2026-08-10T01:00:00+00:00 Aspen Festival Orchestra https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra6#When:22:00:00Z This concert will be carried live on Aspen Public Radio! Tune in 91.5FM and 88.9FM or at aspenpublicradio.org.

Named the 2025 Classical Woman of the Year by NPR’s Performance Today, Grammy Award-winning composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery wrote her cello concerto for South African cellist Abel Selaocoe. In the composer’s words, it’s “very sentimental because it’s very much about mothers and about care. It’s a series of lullabies and songs that are specifically from mothers to children, or love songs of some kind. So those sentiments of love and adoration and magnetism, magnitude, those things are all wonderful inspirations.”

“It came gushing out like a mountain torrent,” Mahler said of his First Symphony. Written for a huge orchestra and full of youthful Romanticism, the work follows the journey of Mahler’s “hero” through episodes of optimism, struggle, death, and ultimately triumph.

Be inspired by two works that capture both the intimacy and drama of the human experience!

]]> 2026-08-09T22:00:00+00:00 Prelude: Preconcert Talk https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/prelude-preconcert-talk6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/prelude-preconcert-talk6#When:21:00:00Z Prelude: Preconcert Talks present listeners with engaging and topical commentary on the Sunday afternoon programs. Lectures are presented by AMFS's artistic team and special guests.

Summer 2026 Prelude: Preconcert Talk Dates:
- Sunday, July 5
- Sunday, July 12
- Sunday, July 19
- Sunday, July 26
- Sunday, August 9
- Sunday, August 16
- Sunday, August 23

]]> 2026-08-09T21:00:00+00:00 Aspen Festival Orchestra Dress Rehearsal https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra-dress-rehearsal6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-festival-orchestra-dress-rehearsal6#When:15:30:00Z Please note these are working rehearsals and pieces may not be played fully, piece order may change, and soloists may not sing or play as fully as in performance. Also note the conductor is not mic'ed to allow the musicians to work together more freely.

The run time for this dress rehearsal is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

]]> 2026-08-09T15:30:00+00:00 Gil Shaham violin and Akira Eguchi piano: Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas part II https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/gil-shaham-violin-and-akira-eguchi-piano-beethovens-violin-sonatas-part-ii https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/gil-shaham-violin-and-akira-eguchi-piano-beethovens-violin-sonatas-part-ii#When:01:30:00Z Gil Shaham returns…and returns…and returns! This month you can hear the beloved Aspen alum bring his impeccable technique and infectious enthusiasm to all ten of Beethoven’s violin sonatas performed over three evenings with acclaimed pianist, composer, and frequent collaborator Akira Eguchi.

]]> 2026-08-09T01:30:00+00:00 Chamber Music https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/chamber-music6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/chamber-music6#When:22:30:00Z AMFS Artist-Faculty, all top musicians from renowned orchestras, opera companies, and conservatories, come together to play their favorite chamber music works.

Hear Stravinsky’s revolutionary The Rite of Spring as you’ve never heard it before—in an arrangement for viola and piano! Following that is another instrumental tour de force, Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonata for Violin and Cello, which the composer himself doubted could be performed. Having fled Mussolini’s Italy in 1939 because of the violent anti-Semitism of the time, Castelnuovo-Tedesco made his home in Beverly Hills and wrote this harmonically and contrapuntally rich piece in 1950. 
This dazzling program is topped off with the world-renowned Puerto Rican soprano Ana María Martínez in Ravel’s three exotic Madagascan Songs, titled “Nahandove, ô belle Nahandove,” “Ow, beware of white people,” and “It is sweet to lie down during the heat.”

Also featured on the program is the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, comprising emerging young artists who perform music by prominent living composers and twentieth-century classics, as well as new works by the Festival’s student composers. Always a joyful and creative 75 minutes of music-making.

Summer 2026 Chamber Music Dates:
- Monday, July 6
- Saturday, July 11
- Saturday, July 18
- Saturday, July 25
- Sunday, August 2 (at 2:00 PM)
- Saturday, August 8
- Saturday, August 15
- Saturday, August 22

]]> 2026-08-08T22:30:00+00:00 Up in the Sky Festival https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/up-in-the-sky-festival https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/up-in-the-sky-festival#When:22:00:00Z Special appearance! Students in the Aspen Conducting Academy conducts the Conducting Orchestra in The Rite of Spring at Belly Up Aspen’s Up in the Sky Festival. More information at www.upintheskyfestival.com.

]]> 2026-08-08T22:00:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital27 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital27#When:19:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-08T19:30:00+00:00 Music on the Mountain https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/music-on-the-mountain6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/music-on-the-mountain6#When:19:00:00Z AMFS music students play light chamber music with the stunning Elk Mountain Range as a backdrop. Bring a picnic or purchase lunch at the Sundeck restaurant. (Gondola ticket or strenuous hike required to get to this event.)

Summer 2026 Music on the Mountain Dates:
- Saturday, July 11
- Saturday, July 18
- Saturday, July 25
- Saturday, August 1
- Saturday, August 8
- Saturday, August 15

]]> 2026-08-08T19:00:00+00:00 Opera Encounters https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/opera-encounters6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/opera-encounters6#When:16:00:00Z Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS faculty and guest hosts coaches the program's major emerging young singers of the AOTVA in opera scenes. Enjoy excerpts from the repertoire, ravishing voices, and insightful coaching.

The run time for this event is approximately 2 hours.

Summer 2026 Opera Encounters Dates:
- Saturday, July 11
- Saturday, July 18
- Sunday, July 19 (at Harris Concert Hall)
- Saturday, July 25
- Saturday, August 1
- Saturday, August 8
- Saturday, August 15
- Saturday, August 22

]]> 2026-08-08T16:00:00+00:00 Aspen Chamber Symphony https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-chamber-symphony6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-chamber-symphony6#When:23:30:00Z Welcome the return of one of the greatest conductors of our time and hear the symphony that Neil Armstrong brought with him on the way to the moon in 1969!

Multiple Grammy award-winning conductor and AMFS alumnus Leonard Slatkin begins this concert with his own Schubertiade: An Orchestral Fantasy—a 21st century reimagining of the musical soirees that Schubert hosted during his brief life. You’ll hear familiar snippets from Schubert’s works along with mashups influenced by more recent composers.

Joan Tower’s Love Returns began as a simple piano piece she wrote in memory of her husband of 50 years. The current piece is a saxophone concerto which expands one of the themes from that original work. Co-commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival and School, it features the incomparable Steven Banks.

Long before “world music” became popular, Dvořák composed his ever-popular “New World” Symphony, which Leonard Bernstein described as “truly multinational in its foundations.” Drawing on rhythms from his native Bohemia and inspired by the indigenous melodies and wide-open spaces of the United States, Dvořák created an enduring masterpiece which was an immediate triumph at its 1893 Carnegie Hall premiere.

]]> 2026-08-07T23:30:00+00:00 Overtures: Preconcert Chamber Music https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/overtures6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/overtures6#When:22:30:00Z Talented pianists perform piano works before the Friday evening orchestral concert.

Summer 2026 Overtures: Preconcert Chamber Music Dates:
- Friday, July 3
- Friday, July 10
- Friday, July 17
- Friday, July 24
- Friday, August 7
- Friday, August 14

]]> 2026-08-07T22:30:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital26 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital26#When:20:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-07T20:30:00+00:00 The Art of Listening https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/the-art-of-listening6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/the-art-of-listening6#When:18:30:00Z These insightful talks on the season's programming are designed to help listeners get more from the music.

Summer 2026 Art of Listening Dates:
- Friday, July 10
- Friday, July 17
- Friday, July 24
- Friday, July 31
- Friday, August 7
- Friday, August 14

]]> 2026-08-07T18:30:00+00:00 Piano Department Master Class https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/piano-department-master-class-20260807 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/piano-department-master-class-20260807#When:16:00:00Z Observe gifted young pianists from the AMFS's Solo Piano program as they work on major repertoire with their Artist-Faculty mentors.

Summer 2026 Piano Department Master Class Dates (Please note venues vary by date):
- Sunday, July 5 (FREE)
- Friday, July 10 (PAID)
- Sunday, July 19 (FREE)
- Sunday, July 26 (FREE)
- Sunday, August 2 (FREE)
- Friday, August 7 (PAID)
- Sunday, August 16 (FREE)
- Friday, August 21 (PAID)

]]> 2026-08-07T16:00:00+00:00 Aspen Chamber Symphony Dress Rehearsal https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-chamber-symphony-dress-rehearsal6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-chamber-symphony-dress-rehearsal6#When:15:00:00Z Please note these are working rehearsals and pieces may not be played fully, piece order may change, and soloists may not sing or play as fully as in performance. Also note the conductor is not mic'ed to allow the musicians to work together more freely.

The run time for this dress rehearsal is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

]]> 2026-08-07T15:00:00+00:00 Gil Shaham violin and Akira Eguchi piano: Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas Part I https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/gil-shaham-violin-and-akira-eguchi-piano-beethovens-violin-sonatas-part-i https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/gil-shaham-violin-and-akira-eguchi-piano-beethovens-violin-sonatas-part-i#When:00:00:00Z Gil Shaham returns…and returns…and returns! This month you can hear the beloved Aspen alum bring his impeccable technique and infectious enthusiasm to all ten of Beethoven’s violin sonatas performed over three evenings with acclaimed pianist, composer, and frequent collaborator Akira Eguchi.

]]> 2026-08-07T00:00:00+00:00 Basalt Regional Library Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/basalt-regional-library-recital6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/basalt-regional-library-recital6#When:23:15:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

Summer 2026 Basalt Regional Library Recital Dates:
- Thursday, July 16
- Thursday, July 23
- Thursday, August 6
- Thursday, August 13
- Thursday, August 20

]]> 2026-08-06T23:15:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital25 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital25#When:23:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-06T23:00:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital24 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital24#When:21:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-06T21:00:00+00:00 Tunes and Tales https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/tunes-and-tales-20260806 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/tunes-and-tales-20260806#When:16:30:00Z In collaboration with the children's librarians at the Pitkin County Library and the Basalt Regional Library, kids are treated to enchanting stories blended with music performed by AMFS students and local musicians. For kids under age 9, with an adult.

Summer 2026 Tunes and Tales Dates (all at 10:30 AM):
- Wednesday, July 8 (Basalt Regional Library)
- Thursday, July 9 (Pitkin County Library)
- Wednesday, July 15 (Basalt Regional Library)
- Thursday, July 16 (Pitkin County Library)
- Wednesday, July 22 (Basalt Regional Library)
- Thursday, July 23 (Pitkin County Library)
- Wednesday, July 29 (Basalt Regional Library)
- Thursday, July 30 (Pitkin County Library)
- Thursday, August 6 (Pitkin County Library)
- Thursday, August 13 (Pitkin County Library)

]]> 2026-08-06T16:30:00+00:00 A Recital by Abel Selaocoe cello https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/abel-selaocoe-cello https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/abel-selaocoe-cello#When:01:30:00Z If you’re looking for a musical high, this is the concert for you!

South African cellist Abel Selaocoe is one of the most captivating performers on the world stage today. With an irresistible energy, he has taken the world by storm since bursting onto the scene in 2021 with his BBC Proms debut. Selaocoe combines virtuosic cello and vocal performance with improvisation, sweeping audiences along with him in a blaze of joy.

]]> 2026-08-06T01:30:00+00:00 Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-conducting-academy-orchestra6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/aspen-conducting-academy-orchestra6#When:23:00:00Z *AMFS Apprecation Event: Free to Aspen-area volunteers with registration. Details coming soon!

Discover two revolutionary works conducted by tomorrow’s conducting stars!

The concert begins with Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, a shimmering depiction of a lustful satyr’s attempted seduction of sleeping nymphs. This quietly sensual score sparked a musical revolution at its premiere by bucking 19th-century musical conventions.nBut no audience reaction is as infamous as that of the Parisians at the premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring on May 29, 1913. Legend has it that the composer Camille Saint-Saëns was among those to have stormed out. Offended by the opening, high-register bassoon solo, he allegedly declared, “If that is a bassoon, then I am a baboon!”. This iconic work with its groundbreaking rhythmic complexities and often savage depiction of pagan rites has maintained its visceral impact, and continues to fascinate, provoke, and even shock audiences more than 100 years after its historic debut. 

The run time for this performance is 1 hour 30 minutes.

]]> 2026-08-05T23:00:00+00:00 Anderson Ranch: AMFS Guitar Students in Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/anderson-ranch-2026 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/anderson-ranch-2026#When:23:00:00Z Talented students of Sharon Isbin perform classical guitar gems.

]]> 2026-08-05T23:00:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital23 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital23#When:21:00:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-05T21:00:00+00:00 Opera House Music https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/opera-house-music-20260805 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/opera-house-music-20260805#When:21:00:00Z Join us for an intimate Opera House Music to experience the remarkable talent and for a chance to meet student artists of the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS program. Hosted in a private home, the event includes an exclusive performance, conversation, light hors d'oeuvres, and refreshments.

]]> 2026-08-05T21:00:00+00:00 High Notes https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/high-notes6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/high-notes6#When:18:00:00Z These lunchtime discussions features prominent performers, composers, and musicologists in lively discussions with AMFS Munroe President and CEO Alan Fletcher, joined by tenor Lawrence Brownlee, composer Joan Tower, and composer Jessie Montgomery.

Summer 2026 High Notes Dates:
- Wednesday, July 8
- Wednesday, July 15
- Wednesday, July 22
- Wednesday, July 29
- Wednesday, August 5
- Wednesday, August 12
- Wednesday, August 19

]]> 2026-08-05T18:00:00+00:00 String Showcase https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/string-showcase5 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/string-showcase5#When:01:00:00Z AMFS strings young artists get a chance to present repertoire they have been preparing for weeks or months to their fellow students, string artist-faculty, and members of the public. A warm, enchanting experience of the AMFS community.

]]> 2026-08-05T01:00:00+00:00 A Recital by Lawrence Brownlee tenor, Erin Morley soprano, and Myra Huang piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/lawrence-brownlee-tenor-erin-morley-soprano-and-myra-huang-piano https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/lawrence-brownlee-tenor-erin-morley-soprano-and-myra-huang-piano#When:00:00:00Z Metropolitan Opera stars Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley received rave reviews last fall for their Kennedy Center recital featuring solo opera arias and duets from their recent album “Golden Age.” According to Opera Magazine, “Brownlee’s vocalism was staggeringly secure, attractive and impactful over a huge range” and “Morley floated her vocal lines with engaging lightness….” (Washington Classical Review).

Now this acclaimed recital of bel canto gems comes to Aspen for what promises to be one of the highlights of the summer. Hear favorites like “Caro nome” from Rigoletto, “Je crois entendre encore” from The Pearl Fishers, and the “Bell Song” from Lakmé, along with lesser known operatic treasures.

Don’t miss the vocal chemistry when two of the opera world’s most captivating stars join forces for an evening of stunning 19th-century jewels, all accompanied by the incomparable Myra Huang!

]]> 2026-08-05T00:00:00+00:00 Harris Concert Hall Master Class https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/harris-concert-hall-master-class6 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/harris-concert-hall-master-class6#When:19:00:00Z Violinist Gil Shaham teaches exceptional students the nuances of great music-making in this intensive workshop.

Summer 2026 Harris Concert Hall Master Class Dates:
- Tuesday, July 7
- Tuesday, July 14
- Tuesday, July 21
- Tuesday, July 28
- Tuesday, August 4
- Tuesday, August 11

]]> 2026-08-04T19:00:00+00:00 A Recital by the Danish String Quartet https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/a-recital-by-the-danish-string-quartet https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/a-recital-by-the-danish-string-quartet#When:00:00:00Z One of the world’s great chamber ensembles returns to Aspen with an entrancing program!

The Washington Post called them one of the “best string quartets before the public today.” The Los Angeles Times noted their remarkable ability to make “time stand still” and “assume the pose of excitingly aggressive rockers.”

Stravinsky’s charming Suite Italienne is a spinoff from his Pulcinella ballet. Using melodies from the baroque composer Pergolesi and others, he employs spiky harmonies and irregular rhythms to create a witty and delightful nod to the older musical style. For the recital’s centerpiece, the Quartet chose Beethoven’s final string quartet, the last major work he composed only a few months before his death. Smaller in scale, it contains one of the most sublime and poignant slow movements ever written. Topping things off will be original compositions and arrangements by the Quartet itself.

]]> 2026-08-04T00:00:00+00:00 2026 Season Benefit https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/2026-season-benefit https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/2026-season-benefit#When:00:00:00Z A Feast of Music: Aspen Promises will be an evening to remember, set on the picturesque Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Campus. The evening will feature performances by internationally celebrated artists, along with an exquisite four-course culinary experience and fine wines. Join us in toasting music’s power to inspire, connect, and transform the future.

For benefit information, please contact gifts@aspenmusic.org or call us at (970) 205 5065.

View Sponsorship Brochure PDF

Purchase Order Fillable PDF

]]> 2026-08-04T00:00:00+00:00 Physics Center Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/physics-center-recital5 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/physics-center-recital5#When:23:30:00Z Talented AMFS piano students play a variety of repertoire.

Summer 2026 Physics Center Recital Dates:
- Monday, July 13
- Monday, July 20
- Monday, July 27
- Monday, August 3
- Monday, August 10
- Monday, August 17

]]> 2026-08-03T23:30:00+00:00 Spotlight Recital https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital22 https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/index.php/spotlight-recital22#When:20:30:00Z Talented AMFS students play beautiful chamber and solo works.

]]> 2026-08-03T20:30:00+00:00