Russian-born Vladimir Feltsman brings his considerable talent to the Festival tomorrow. Michael Stern conducts this Sunday evening, 4 pm at the Benedict Music Tent.
This winter, the AMFS is expanding its free concert series, now called Music and M.O.R.E., to include events in Glenwood Springs. These entertaining and energetic performances are one hour, are free, and open to the entire community.
The series kicks off January 11 with a performance by the Arundo Wind Quintet, joined by young dance students from the Glenwood Springs area, at the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts; the Janus Trio (flute-viola-harp) comes to the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts on February 14 with a program that will be highlighted by an exhibit of artists from elementary students' to adults' visual artwork; on March 11, the Colorado State University Choir performs at Glenwood Springs's First United Methodist Church; guitarist Brad Richter returns to Harris Concert Hall on April 11 after a successful Aspen performance last spring; and composer Andrew Norman is joined by young composers of the Roaring Fork Valley at Harris Concert Hall on April 25.
The Aspen Music Festival and School today announced to the public a $25 million gift from Kay and Matthew Bucksbaum, the largest gift in the town's history. The funds will support the programs and facilities of this premier music center, providing the bedrock funding for the building of a new campus that will be named the Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Campus in their honor.
Day 3 of Aspen Music Festival and School Education Outreach Director Debby Barnekow and young composer Andrew Norman's musical odyssey to Roaring Fork Valley schools.
In our second visit to the Aspen High IB program we added student Nick Holloran from Basalt who had the morning free (I don't remember this in my high school days!). An accomplished pianist (he participated in the PALS program this summer), Nick began composing this summer.
Day 2 from the road with Aspen Music Festival and School Education Outreach Director Debby Barnekow and young composer Andrew Norman.
Today was spent in one of our adopted schools in the PLUS program, Glenwood Springs Elementary. The fifth graders will begin a composition right after Christmas using their recorder instruments, so the goal was to help them find a process to begin. Using his verb piece with video that he presented yesterday to the high school students, Andrew had them improvise sounds that corresponded to the 13 verbs: "... drip, blip, sparkle, glint, float, ... chop, pop, splash." We split the group into two groups and with Andrew and me conducting, creating a sound piece. Of course, then when they heard/saw the piece that Andrew composed, the whole process was very clear... and fun!
Each year, at the height of Aspen’s ski season, the Aspen Music Festival and School presents a stellar line-up of classical music’s top artists as part of its winter Artist Recital Series in Harris Concert Hall, giving this tiny mountain town a unique opportunity to see, and hear, the very same artists that appear at the world’s most prestigious venues.
The Series opens February 12 with Aspen favorites cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, presenting a rich program of works by Schubert, Webern, Beethoven and Brahms. Finckel, also a member of the acclaimed Emerson String Quartet, and Wu Han rank among the most esteemed and influential classical musicians in the world today. Their duo performances have garnered superlatives from the press, public and presenters alike.
Day 1
What a great first day! Anticipation segued into excitement-Andrew is a real charmer, tuned into what appeals to young people. Much of his music is generated from a visual source: architecture, paintings and film.
As the Composer Forum begins once again, I find the same excitement that began the very first one six years ago. Then, there was the question of, would any of the plans work? Would there be children who actually would compose some music based on their interaction with Derek Bermel, the guest composer? And would anyone come hear their pieces? We received a resounding "yes" to these questions and here we are again, bringing another composer, Andrew Norman, into the schools, to work with a variety of select students. Some of these students have participated before and I am excited to see their growth in the new pieces.
Made in America: Jazz is the minifestival theme this weekend at the Aspen Music Festival and school and virtually every performance is touched by the Blue Notes angel.
Today, I had the pleasure of hearing James Conlon conduct the Aspen Festival Orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s 6th once again. What made this performance special was not simply the opportunity to hear live classical music, but Conlon’s interpretation of what is arguably one of the more challenging symphonies to play and conduct.
ASPEN, Colo. — The Aspen Music Festival and School brings opera to the entire Aspen community on Sunday, July 29, at 7 p.m. with a free jumbo-screen simulcast of one of the most popular operas of all time, Bizet’s Carmen. The community is invited to relax on the lawn as this spirited heroine comes to life — and death — on the screen with a story full of seductions, duels, a dramatic bullfight, and of course, some of opera’s most beloved music. The event will be held rain or shine and is expected to run approximately 3 hours.
