Set in ancient Egypt, Aida is both a heartbreaking love story and an epic drama full of spectacular crowd scenes. Violeta Urmana stars.
Four decades into a legendary Met career, tenor Plácido Domingo makes history singing the title role in Verdi's gripping political thriller.
Grammy Award-winner Yefim Bronfman comes back to Harris Hall to tickle the ivories courtesy of the Aspen Music Festival's annual winter series.
Posts filed under 'Classical Music'
Aspen, CO — Grammy Award-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman is widely regarded as one of the most talented virtuosos performing today. His commanding technique and exceptional lyrical gifts have won him consistent critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences worldwide, whether for his solo recitals, his prestigious orchestral engagements, or his rapidly growing catalogue of recordings. Bronfman returns to Harris Concert Hall for his only Aspen performance of 2010, Friday, February 19, as part of the Aspen Music Festival and School’s Winter Music Artist Recital Series.
Continue Reading February 9th, 2010
ASPEN, Colo. — The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) brings to Aspen the hugely successful The Met: Live in HD opera series, beginning with Richard Strauss’s masterpiece, Der Rosenkavalier at the Wheeler Opera House on Wednesday, January 27. The encore-broadcast features opera superstars Renée Fleming (an AMFS alumna) as the Marschallin and Susan Graham as Octavian. Edo De Waart conducts a cast that includes Christine Schäfer as Sophie, Eric Cutler as the Italian singer, Thomas Allen as Faninal, and Kristinn Sigmundsson as Baron Ochs. This performance is hosted by legendary tenor Plácido Domingo with intermission features including backstage interviews with the cast. There will be a free champagne reception at the first intermission for all attendees.
Continue Reading January 20th, 2010
The true and sometimes hateful soul of Aspen was left bare this week when Aspen Music Festival president and CEO Alan Fletcher resigned suddenly after a series of disputes over everything from faculty layoffs to his inability to hug Bruce Berger every time he saw him outside the Benedict Music Tent.
Why do I see this as Aspen at its worst? Because Fletcher, though shy and decidedly not warm and fuzzy, was the best thing to happen to the Music Fest since the late Robert Harth. He took an organization rent asunder by the departure of CEO Don Roth and lent it stability and grace--not to mention his artistic pedigree born of his skill as a contemporary composer. On top of that he was a terrific writer with much to say about music and its relationship to the world. He will be terribly missed, and I predict a time when patrons will look back on letting him go as a huge mistake.
Continue Reading October 14th, 2009
There was talk about lowering the $920 payout to employees as the health and wellness benefit (that money used for items like ski passes or gym memberships) down to $700, but several commissioners including Jack Hatfield urged that carrot stay in place as an incentive to someone working and living in a ski town.
Pitkin County’s budget for next year will be reviewed each quarter by the BOCC---and if necessary will be adjusted depending on what happens with the economy.
Continue Reading October 14th, 2009
As one of today's preeminent dramatic sopranos, superstar Deborah Voigt has garnered acclaim from both critics and audiences. This August 6, Voigt joins David Zinman in what will surely be one of the most memorable concerts of the summer. The program includes music of Beethoven and Strauss.
Also, please join us for the Festival and School's 60th Anniversary Celebration that will take place prior to this concert at 5pm. Come eat, drink, and reminisce about your favorite Festival memory. Celebration-only tickets are $35. Tickets with special seating at the Deborah Voigt concert with Celebration are $150.
This event is sure to be very popular, so get your tickets early by calling 970-925-9042.
March 30th, 2009
In May, 1780, as America took possession of its future and began the process of determining how it would govern itself, John Adams wrote this celebrated passage to Abigail Adams:
The science of government it is my duty to study, more than all other sciences; the arts of legislation and administration and negotiation ought to take the place of, indeed exclude, in a manner, all other arts. I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.[1]
One hesitates to contradict so profound and eloquent a patriot, but I would propose that, in this matter, John Adams was deeply mistaken.
Continue Reading March 2nd, 2009
When Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk came to Harris Concert Hall Thursday night the room was sold out because of Bell's star power and fire power on violin. He actually performs in a way the unwashed would think of a violinist--with passion, panache, and a physicality that speaks to how hard it is to do what he does. There is much arching of the back and shaking of the head. Being young and handsome doesn't hurt the impression one bit.
But Jeremy Denk on piano was every bit the musician that Bell has become. Both are alumni of the Aspen Festival and School, and the setting within the woody walls of the Harris, brought a warmth that was welcoming from both musicians. The concert in Aspen may not have been exactly like playing to a home-town crowd, but it still had elements of hail the conquering hero.
Continue Reading February 13th, 2009
Each winter the Aspen Music Festival and School enriches and deepens the winter Aspen experience with inspiring performances of classical music. The 2009 Artist Recital Series offers a luminous lineup of top classical artists, including Colorado Symphony Orchestra music director Jeffrey Kahane (Feb. 16) performing on the piano; flutist Marina Piccinini and piano virtuoso Andreas Haefliger (Feb. 25); and rising-star pianist Simone Dinnerstein (March 14) who returns after a triumphant and highly individual performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variation, here last summer.
On February 16 the CSO’s beloved music director Jeffrey Kahane playing a piano program which includes Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A major, D. 959 and movements from Rachmaninoff’s emotional Ten Preludes, op. 23 and 13 Preludes, op. 32. Kahane enters his twelfth season as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and is ending his successful tenure as music director of the CSO after this season. In addition to these posts, Kahane is a piano soloist of great acclaim. In 2008 in Aspen, he combined these talents by conducting the Aspen Chamber Symphony from the piano.
Pianist Andreas Haefliger takes the stage on February 25 with flutist Marina Piccinini for a colorful duo recital. Haefliger is a recitalist and chamber musician who was described in the Guardian as a “fascinating artist;” Piccinini is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading flute virtuosos. They will be performing the works of Prokofiev, Debussy, Marc André Dalbavie, and Franck, with the pianist playing unaccompanied on Liszt’s transcription of Isolde’s Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde by Wagner.
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein has fast been gaining international attention since making a triumphant New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2005. Last summer, her Aspen audience enthusiastically confirmed the accolades she’s received and embraced her highly individual and dynamic style. The AMFS closes the winter series on March 14 with a Dinnerstein program including Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899, op. 90 and Schumann’s Kreisleriana, op. 16, considered to be one of the composer’s finest compositions for the piano.
All Artist Recital concerts begin at 6:30 pm in the 500-seat Harris Concert Hall (960 N. Third Street, Aspen, CO). Single tickets are available at the AMFS Harris Concert Hall Box Office, by calling 970-925-9042 or online at www.aspenmusicfestival.com.
February 12th, 2009
From the Top, the non-profit known for its hit radio and television broadcasts featuring the nation’s best young classical musicians and hosted by acclaimed concert pianist Christopher O’Riley, returns to the Aspen Music Festival and School for a live concert recording in Harris Concert Hall on Sunday, August 10 at 8 p.m. This episode is slated to broadcast nationally the week of November 17, 2008.
Continue Reading July 30th, 2008
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joins the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Aspen Institute in an afternoon of “Words and Music,” Saturday, August 2, at 3 pm in the Benedict Music Tent. The event will begin with a conversation between Secretary Rice and Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience. Afterwards, Secretary Rice will be joined by current Aspen Music Festival and School music students to perform two chamber music works.
Continue Reading July 30th, 2008
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