Aspen Music Festival and School: Festival Focus Week 1

FESTIVALFOCUS

Let the Music Begin! Summer Season Opens July 2

BY JESSICA MOORE Senior Director of Marketing and Global Communications

The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) returns July 2–August 24, presenting a season packed with nearly 300 events—concerts, operas, recitals, masterclasses, and more—featuring more than 450 young musicians, 100 artist-faculty, and celebrated guest artists. This vibrant eight-week celebration transforms Aspen into a living, breathing, global center for music.

This summer’s theme, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, draws inspiration from painter Wassily Kandinsky’s writings and explores music’s capacity to evoke wonder, mystery, and transcendence. “We’re not talking about religion,” says AMFS Munroe President and CEO Alan Fletcher, who this summer marks his 20th year at the helm. “We’re talking about the numinous—those moments in art that lift us beyond ourselves.”

A standout of the season is the world premiere of Siddhartha, She, an immersive new music drama by composer and AMFS artist-faculty member Christopher Theofanidis and librettist Melissa Studdard (Aug. 2). Conducted by AMFS Music Director Robert Spano, the production promises to transform the iconic Klein Music Tent. “You will have never seen the Tent look like this,” Fletcher says, “and you will have never heard anything like this in the Tent.”

tival’s first-ever concert performance of Handel’s Messiah (Aug. 6) conducted by Baroque specialist Jane Glover.

“Aspen is more than a festival. It’s a community where music lives and breathes.”

Alan Fletcher Munroe President and CEO, Aspen Music Festival and School

Opera lovers have much to anticipate, including Renée Fleming’s directorial debut in Mozart’s Così fan tutte (July 21, 23, and 26). Set in a 1980s Massachusetts high school, the production reimagines the classic as a playful yet poignant comingof-age story. “Mozart’s music is timeless,” says Fleming, who studied at AMFS as a young singer. “Aspen is where I found my voice. It’s a joy to return and give back.”

More vocal highlights include Puccini’s La bohème staged especially for the Tent by director Katherine M. Carter and starring acclaimed tenor Matthew Polenzani (Aug. 19) and the Fes-

In honor of the 100th anniversary of avant-garde icon Pierre Boulez’s birth, David Robertson—one of his closest collaborators—leads a tribute concert (July 9). French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, known for his thrilling interpretations of modernist works, performs music by Boulez and Messiaen, and presents a rare site-specific, threepart recital of selections from Messiaen’s Catalogue d’oiseaux at Aspen’s Hallam Lake nature preserve (Aug. 4).

The orchestral calendar offers a robust lineup of masterworks, rising stars, and thrilling guest soloists. Spano opens the Festival Orchestra Sunday series with Brahms’s First Piano Concerto featuring AMFS alumna Joyce Yang and Wagner’s Good Friday Spell from Parsifal (July 6), and closes the season with Holst’s The Planets and Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto featuring piano titan Yefim Bronfman (Aug. 24).

Other orchestral highlights include Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (July 11), Ravel’s beloved Boléro (Aug. 17), and appearances by cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason (Aug. 15), pianist Seong-Jin Cho (July 20),

STAR WARS, HARRY POTTER, AND MORE!

The Film Music of John Williams

THURSDAY, JULY 3 | 7 PM KLEIN MUSIC TENT

Experience the magic of the movies with the legendary music of John Williams!

From Star Wars and E.T. to Jurassic Park and Harry Potter , Williams’s unforgettable scores have defined generations. Performed by a full orchestra, this thrilling evening features blockbuster favorites and a few hidden gems— perfect for fans of all ages.

Costumes encouraged!

Alan Fletcher Reflects on 20 Years of Excellence

BY CINDY HIRSCHFELD Festival Focus Writer

Leading an organization for 20 years offers plentiful opportunities to reflect. For Alan Fletcher—who celebrates two decades as president and CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School this summer—those reflections include memorable performances and premieres, a revitalized campus, and an expanded educational mission. Moreover, his recent election to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences (along with the likes of novelist Amy Tan, actor/producer Danny Glover, and World Central Kitchen leader/chef José Andrés) provided another chance for Fletcher to ponder the impact of a successful cultural institution. In his acceptance letter, he underscored the enduring significance of bringing together artists, scientists, and politicians in the same way that America’s founders envisioned when they established the

academy in 1780. “They would not have been surprised that 250 years later, it is just as important,” he says.

Also important, Fletcher believes, is music education for young people, whether they aspire to be musicians or not, and, accordingly, AMFS has grown its outreach. “Studying music is an incredibly powerful way of learning and has huge benefits socially,” he says. “We decided as a team to give children in the [Roaring Fork] Valley the opportunity to have sustained experiences making music—singing in a choir, playing violin in a string ensemble, or playing classical guitar.” The result has been local youth programs like Afterworks and Musical Connections, as well as summer initiatives like P.A.L.S. and the mariachi workshop. “We now have 500 Valley children involved in our [local] programs,” Fletcher says.

The community focus on young learners is just one of

See Fletcher, Festival Focus page 3

Jazz, American Music, and the Rachmaninoff Songbook

BY EMMA KIRBY Marketing Manager

The story of Rachmaninoff as an American composer is not one that’s often told, but pianist Conrad Tao chronicles it in a season-opening Harris Concert Hall recital on Wednesday, July 2.

The eclectic evening, which Tao coins the “Rachmaninoff Songbook,” interweaves an energetic blend of the composer’s solo piano works, 20th-century Jazz, and Tao’s own arrangements of classic tunes from the Great American Songbook, all representing the musical smorgasbord that Rachmaninoff encountered upon arriving in New York City in 1918.

One might wonder why Tao opens the recital with three of Rachmaninoff’s Preludes before jumping into Strayhorn’s recognizable “Take the ‘A’ Train,” or why he sandwiches “Over the Rainbow” in between variations of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

“I’m hopscotching through time trying to find connections between these different composers and ostensibly different approaches to music making—these things that we tend to think of as very discrete,” says Tao. His “hopscotching” is hardly random. “Conrad is one of the deepest thinkers about music that I know,” says AMFS Munroe President and CEO Alan Fletcher, who first met Tao—then an eager, 10-year-old violin and piano student at the AMFS—almost two decades ago.

Tao demonstrates this deep exploration of Rachmaninoff in the crafting of his recital. Many barely think

of the great Russian-born composer as American. But as Tao points out, he lived out the last half of his life in America and became an American citizen. The influence that American popular music and jazz had on the composer (and vice versa) after his arrival in New York City in 1918 is palpable. So, on Wednesday night, listen closely—you might just hear the spikey modernism and chromatic jazz influence of the American 1920s and later popping up in Rachmaninoff’s

later piano works. And you will certainly notice the hum of Rachmaninoff’s melodies amongst some of the 20th century’s most classic popular tunes in Tao’s arrangements. Irving Berlin’s “All by Myself,” famously sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Celine Dion and “Full Moon and Empty Arms” (Frank Sinatra’s recording hit top charts) both borrow melodies directly from Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto. Other familiar tunes that Tao has set for solo piano in Wednesday night’s recital include Strayhorn’s “Day Dream” and “Lush Life;” and Sondheim’s “In Buddy’s Eyes,” from Follies

The journey through Rachmaninoff’s Songbook concludes with Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in G minor, for which Tao is joined by AMFS student and cellist Benjamin Lanners. Although the work was penned almost 20 years before Rachmaninoff arrived in America, it’s included in the recital simply because “I adore the piece,” says Tao. Tao’s own presence in Aspen is another story in itself: one of a student-turned-guest artist whose experience at the AMFS proved transformative. Tao, who studied violin, piano, and composition across six summers at the Festival, fondly remembered moments like listening to the Castle Creek roar outside of his practice room, creating a perfect harmony with the piano, fostering an inherent connection between music and nature that Tao still recognizes in his playing. “I still remember, so well, my first summer in Aspen,” he says, “The experience of making music all summer in the mountains: I can’t overstate how amazing that was.”

WELCOME BACK, AMFS STUDENTS AND ARTIST-FACULTY!

Continued from Festival Focus page 1

Spano Renews Commitment to the AMFS

BY JESSICA MOORE

Senior Director of Marketing and Global Communications

While Aspenites were chasing powder this winter, summer music fans may have missed some exciting news: The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) has renewed Music Director Robert Spano’s contract through 2029. Spano, a cherished presence on the Klein Music Tent podium, first took up the baton with AMFS in 2011 and has since become one of the most influential forces in shaping the Festival’s sound and spirit.

With this five-year extension, he’s on track to serve nearly two decades at the artistic helm. Spano’s leadership has been credited with elevating the Festival’s reputation as one of the top classical music institutions in the country. Under his direction, the AMFS has championed contemporary composers, fostered young talent, and consistently shaped programming to deliver bold, unforgettable performances in the heart of the Rockies.

“We are thrilled to continue this extraordinary partnership,” said AMFS Munroe President and CEO Alan Fletcher. “Robert’s passion for music, his brilliant leadership, and his genuine connection to our students and audience make him an irreplaceable part of the Aspen experience.”

Spano is known not only for his conducting but also for his work as a composer, pianist, and educator. At the

AMFS, he often leads performances featuring both canonical works and new music, providing audiences with a rich, diverse musical experience. As the artist-faculty member at the head of the prestigious Aspen Conducting Academy, he also plays a key role in mentoring rising artists, many of whom go on to careers in major orchestras and opera companies around the world.

“Despite all of the high-profile concerts and collaborations with classical music’s greatest stars, if you asked Robert the most important part of his work in Aspen, he would almost certainly say it is his work in the Conducting Academy,” says AMFS Vice President for Artistic Administration Patrick Chamberlain. “In the classroom, Robert works with each of his students to develop their own musical voice and gestural toolkit, enabling them to express their unique vision of the score.”

In addition to his role in Aspen, Spano is music director of the Fort Worth Symphony, the Washington National Opera, and conductor laureate of the Atlanta Symphony, which he led for 20 seasons. Despite a packed schedule, Spano has emphasized the special place Aspen holds in his heart as a creative home.

“There’s nowhere like Aspen,” Spano said. “It’s an honor to continue working with these remarkable students, world-class colleagues, and such a passionate community. Every summer here is a joy.”

Fletcher: Music at the Heart of it

the accomplishments of Fletcher’s tenure that he considers most rewarding. Another was the redevelopment of what is now the Bucksbaum Campus, an ambitious $80 million overhaul of AMFS’s teaching facilities that wrapped up in 2016. Says Fletcher, “Every part of that process was interesting and rewarding. The whole community came together for it.”

Looking ahead, Fletcher’s current and future AMFS agenda includes finding more housing for faculty, staff, and students—a Valley-wide challenge that he calls the numberone issue in hiring—and a goal to increase student financial aid. He is also engaging with colleagues and the AMFS Board to “take a deep dive into what the concert experience is,” he says. That includes everything from the length of concerts to seating to food and beverage amenities, and more, and Fletcher anticipates audiences will see tangible improvements within the next several years.

But at heart, of course, is the music. Fletcher is also an accomplished composer (not to mention a 1989 Jeopardy champion) and will be the honoree of this summer’s Feast of Music benefit (August 11). While asking him to pick a favorite performance from the past two decades may seem a fool’s errand, he actually has one: Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes in 2013. “If this was the only thing I was part of in my whole career, I would be proud,” he says, explaining that it’s a difficult work to perform, full of emotion yet

requiring a certain restraint, and rehearsals proved equally as difficult. He admits that when he entered the Tent for the performance, he wasn’t sure what would unfold. But thanks to a fantastic cast, “every single thing became a hundred times better than it had ever been,” Fletcher recalls. The New York Times even published a glowing review.

During his tenure he has relished introducing many virtuoso musicians to Aspen audiences, but a couple stand out. After pianist Daniil Trifonov burst onto the scene, winning two major competitions within a month, he was in high demand. “Every other place asked him to play a certain program,” says Fletcher. “We said, ‘Would you like to come to Aspen, and what would you like to play?’” Trifonov readily accepted the invite, choosing to play an early Mozart concerto, and has regularly performed here ever since. “He has said, ‘That [freedom to choose] made every difference to me,’” notes Fletcher. Another memorable Aspen debut: Yunchan Lim, the youngestever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, whom Fletcher calls “one of most important artists of his generation.” (The AMFS brings the gold or silver medal winner of each quadrennial Cliburn competition to Aspen for their first ensuing concert—this year’s Cliburn winner, Aristo Sham, performs on August 7.)

The Festival’s annual theme is chosen at least a year or two in advance, and this summer’s, Concerning the Spiritual in Art (inspired by the painter Wassily Kandinsky’s book of the same name) has unforeseen relevance, Fletcher points out. “We didn’t know that this would be a historic moment when the need for the arts to be both a witness and a refuge would feel so important,” he says. “It’s the perfect summer for this theme.”

It also resonates personally. When a performance really

Outside the concert hall, Spano enjoys hiking local trails and relaxing over dinner with friends—and his 12-year-old pug, Maurice, never misses a chance to tag along. His favorite local spot? Acquolina, where he’s known to order the peach martini.

Experience Spano’s artistry first-hand this Sunday, July 6, as he conducts the opening performance of the Aspen Festival Orchestra.

2025 Season: Transcendent

and violinist Augustin Hadelich, whose August 10 performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto will stream around the globe on medici.tv, the world’s leading online classical music platform, and to audiences at the Denver Art Museum’s Sharp Auditorium.

One-night-only events broaden the musical landscape of the calendar beginning with a tribute to film composer John Williams (July 3) featuring beloved scores from Harry Potter, Star Wars, E.T., and more. Bassist and AMFS artistfaculty member Edgar Meyer teams up with violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Joshua Roman for an evening of genrebending chamber music (July 7), and piano superstar Lang Lang returns to Aspen to perform Fauré, Schumann, and Chopin in the Tent (Aug. 5).

In two major nods to Broadway, the AMFS joins forces with Theatre Aspen for a concert staging of My Fair Lady (July 15) starring Julie Benko and Raúl Esparza, and later in the summer it welcomes Broadway legend Patti LuPone, who brings her one-woman show, A Life in Notes, to the Tent stage (Aug. 22).

With events unfolding across the valley in venues both grand and intimate, this season offers something for every listener.

hits home, says Fletcher, “I feel a sort of thrilling, emotional spiritual resonance with what’s happening.” He further describes it as “going into yourself in such a deep way and suddenly feeling something greater than yourself. Sometimes your hair stands up. Happily, I get that a lot in concerts.” Undoubtedly, this summer will provide many more such moments.