About the School
The Aspen Music Festival and School offers a summer experience like no other. Throughout its 75-year history, it has not only presented thousands of concerts, but 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.
Aspen is like nowhere else in the world. Every summer I would come out on the other side, certainly feeling like a different musician, but also like a different person.
Violinist Simone Porter, AMFS Alumna
With nine programs of study, four orchestras, opera, chamber music, performance classes, and lectures, AMFS students receive a combination of intensive one-on-one instruction and professional performance experience. Each student steps into an extraordinary musical world of unparalleled depth and breadth, including the most diverse student body of any summer classical music program. Along with private instruction, orchestra/instrumental students rehearse and perform major repertoire side by side with their teachers and/or with principal players from major orchestras, including those of New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, San Francisco, Cleveland, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Orchestras perform weekly or accompany one of two professional operatic productions. Soloists and conductors vary by week and are among the world's most revered classical musicians. The orchestral experience is available to students ages 18 and up. Students under the age of 18 may participate in private lessons and chamber music. The Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS (AOTVA) program, under the co-artistic direction of Renée Fleming and Patrick Summers, launched in 2021. The program trains young singers for a future of vocal artistry including opera and concert work, emphasizing technical skill, process, and versatility. The AMFS also offers concentrated study and an immersive experience in conducting, composition, contemporary music, classical guitar, chamber music, as well as collaborative and solo piano.
Student Experience
Students can attend nearly 300 events and, as part of the AMFS community, they make connections that can last a lifetime. While the average age of an Aspen student is 25, the AMFS is open to musicians of any age, at any stage of their careers. The intensity of the professional performance schedule and the exacting standards of quality make it most appropriate for the serious, dedicated musician. The AMFS does not offer housing for students under the age of 18. Learn more about AMFS housing here.
Teaching and Performance Venues
The Aspen Music Festival and School is headquartered at the pastoral 38-acre Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Campus located just outside of Aspen among groves of aspen trees, fields, and ponds. In 2013, the AMFS celebrated the opening of the newly redeveloped Campus with two new rehearsal/performance halls, percussion facilities, and 68 practice rooms. Brand new teaching studios were dedicated in 2014, and, in 2016, a third rehearsal/performance hall, dining facilities, additional teaching studios, and administrative offices were unveiled.
For a full list of performance and teaching venues, visit the Venues page.
Culture, Excellence, and Access
The AMFS is dedicated to fostering a welcoming community where every individual, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and respected. We believe that an accessible environment enriches our work, encourages innovation, and drives excellence. We are committed to continuously advancing these efforts, regularly assessing and improving our policies and practices—and remain focused on creating lasting change both within our organization and the broader classical music industry.
The AMFS does not discriminate in employment opportunities or admission practices based on age, race, sex, gender, color, religion, national origin, disability, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.