The 75th anniversary season comes to an overpowering conclusion with one of the most spectacular and moving acts in all of opera, the finale of Wagner’s Die Walküre. You’ll immediately recognize the iconic Ride of the Valkyries which opens the act. The eight Valkyries are the products of the god Wotan’s affair with the earth’s wisdom goddess Erda. Their job is to carry slain heroes to the afterlife in Valhalla on their flying horses. At the beginning of the act, Wotan’s favorite daughter Brünnhilde is missing. She finally appears, but not with a fallen warrior. Instead, it’s Sieglinde, whom Wotan had fathered with a wolf along with her twin brother Siegmund. The twins committed incest back in Act One, and now Sieglinde is pregnant with the future hero Siegfried. Wotan’s wife Fricka, goddess of marriage, didn’t approve of the situation, and pressured Wotan to arrange for Siegmund to die in Act Two. Brünnhilde tried to intervene to save Siegmund, enraging Wotan. To punish her defiance, Wotan strips Brünnhilde of her godhood and plans to put her into a magical sleep to be available to the first man who finds her. Horrified by this prospect, Brünnhilde convinces Wotan to surround her by fire so that only a brave hero can awaken her.

Festival Orchestra: Spano Conducts Wagner, Ohlsson Plays Liszt

Michael Klein Music Tent

Recognized by Gramophone as “the Heifetz of the flute,” Marina Piccinini first fell in love with her instrument after a performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, an experience which led to a life-long love of opera and the singing voice. She announced to her parents “I’m playing the flute.” Still too small for one, she was given a recorder. She hated it, but endured it for two years before taking up flute.

Chamber Symphony: Beethoven's "Eroica"

See the conducting stars of tomorrow in these engaging concerts where student conductors rotate between conducting a movement of a work, or playing in the orchestra. Program Director and AMFS Music Director Robert Spano observes the work of his students at this weekly event.

Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra 2024 Concert 6

Multiple Grammy winner Yefim Bronfman has been described as an artist "for whom no score is too demanding." Hear his remarkable affinity for Beethoven in the Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, op. 58.

Chamber Symphony: Bronfman Plays Beethoven

Applauded by Gramophone for its “mellifluous, crystalline artistry,” the professional choral ensemble Seraphic Fire has gained an international reputation. Hear them in one of the most sublime and majestic works ever composed, Bach’s B minor Mass.

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Bach’s Mass in B minor

Aspen Meadows Resort

Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra 2024 Concert 5

As a child prodigy, she was called “one in a million” by conductor Zubin Mehta. As a psychology student, she wrote a master’s thesis on pain. As an activist, she won the Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum at Davos and spoke before the U.N. As a performer, she is indomitable, playing dozens of concerts a year. The one and only Midori returns to Aspen for Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto. Bartók wrote the piece in 1938 as Hungary was forming an alliance with Nazi Germany, and it’s often heard as a musical farewell to his native land. The first movement has a dark, brooding atmosphere, the second a dreamy hypnotic character, and the finale is a virtuosic showcase for the soloist full of folk-inspired melodies and rhythmic twists and turns.

Festival Orchestra: Midori, Pictures at an Exhibition

Aspen favorite Gil Shaham returns to play Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219. His impeccable technique, inimitable warmth, and infectious joy in music-making have made him one of the world’s foremost soloists.

Chamber Symphony: Conlon Conducts Shaham, Mahler No. 4

Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra 2024 Concert 4

Mahler once said “A symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.” In the 9th, his last completed score to be publicly performed, Mahler takes us on a sweeping musical and spiritual journey. It contains the full spectrum of emotions, and culminates in a transcendent finale in which, in the words of his protégé Bruno Walter, Mahler “peacefully bids farewell to the world.”

Festival Orchestra: Mahler Symphony No. 9

Welcome back the amazing Jennifer Koh in Missy Mazzoli’s Violin Concerto, a work composed for her after a decade of previous collaborations. Koh premiered the work in 2022 in a performance conducted by Aspen Conducting Academy alumna Gemma New. Subtitled “Procession," the work is inspired by medieval rituals developed during the Plague. The Washington Post described it as “an unsettling work that opens like a trapdoor, or the moment you fall asleep… Like Vaughan Williams, Mazzoli taps into and transforms a hymnal history—albeit with a more “messed-up” (her words) twist. Mazzoli conjures penitential processions, “melting hymns,” spells cast over broken bones and a conclusory ascent to the heavens.”

Chamber Symphony: Jennifer Koh, Sibelius Symphony No. 2

The Financial Times hailed him as “a pianist with a captivating personality,” Le Monde applauded his “magician’s fingers and soul of integrity.” Bruce Liu is the first Canadian to ever win a gold medal at the prestigious XVIII International Chopin Competition, and at 26 has already achieved rock star status in the classical music world. Hear him in Prokofiev’s high-voltage, virtuosic 3rd Piano Concerto, which the Chicago Daily Herald called “the most beautiful modern concerto for piano” at its American premiere in 1921. The last movement is especially dazzling, with pounding chords on the piano surrounded by blazing sounds from the orchestra.

Festival Orchestra: Slatkin Conducts Copland, Gershwin

Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra 2024 Concert 3

Exceptional AMFS alumni join forces for two jazz-inspired 20th century favorites Conrad Tao has been called “a magical pianist, with a scholar’s mind wrapped in an almost impossible technique” (San Diego Union-Tribute) Charismatic, award-winning conductor Piotr Waclawik attended the Aspen Conducting Academy and was chosen as assistant conductor for the 2024 season. He is also the assistant conductor of the Warsaw Philharmonic.

Conrad Tao Plays Rhapsody in Blue and More

Three extraordinary solo artists team up for a one of a kind work, Beethoven’s “Triple” Concerto. When played by musicians of the caliber of Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, and Jeremy Denk, Beethoven’s piano trio with orchestra is three times the fun of a solo concerto. Listen in on this musical conversation which includes a richly expressive middle movement and a rousing, dancelike finale.

Festival Orchestra: Beethoven "Triple" with Bell, Isserlis, Denk

Join us for an enchanting evening under the stars at the Benedict Music Tent on July 9, 2021, at 5:30 PM MT, as the Aspen Chamber Symphony, led by the illustrious conductor Nicholas McGegan, presents a captivating program that promises to be a highlight of the summer season. This special concert, part of the Aspen Music Festival and School, features a selection of mostly 18th-century compositions that are sure to delight audiences.

The evening will commence with the overture to "L’amant anonyme," op. 11 no. 2 by Joseph Bologne, a contemporary of Mozart and a pioneering black composer whose work has recently been celebrated for its charm and historical significance. Following this, violinist Stephen Waarts, acclaimed for his performance of the Khachaturian Violin Concerto in 2019, will take the stage to perform Mozart’s elegant and enchanting Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216, Strassburg.

Adding to the evening’s allure, soprano Julia Bullock, honored by Musical America as a 2021 Artist of the Year: Agent of Change, will transport the audience to India with her rendition of DeLage’s song cycle "Quatre poèmes hindous," inspired by the composer’s travels. The concert will conclude with Haydn’s Symphony No. 82 in C major, Hob. I/82, "The Bear," a piece known for its vivacity and harmonic ingenuity, which earned Haydn the reputation of a compositional rock star across Europe.

This 75-minute performance, with no intermission, is a testament to the joy and energy of live music. Attendees are encouraged to check the Concert Protocols page before attending for the most up-to-date safety protocols. Don't miss this opportunity to experience the brilliance of Nicholas McGegan, Stephen Waarts, Julia Bullock, and the Aspen Chamber Symphony in a program that is sure to make you smile and leave you enchanted.

Featured Conductor & Artists:
- Nicholas McGegan, conductor
- Stephen Waarts, violin
- Julia Bullock, classical singer
- Robert Spano, Music Director
- Alan Fletcher, President and CEO

Special thanks to Janet and Tom O'Connor, and Dana and Gene Powell for their support of this event.

Chamber Symphony: Spano with Joyce Yang, Kelley O'Connor

Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra 2024 concert 2

Join us for an unforgettable musical journey at the Benedict Music Tent on July 11, 2021, at 4:00 PM MT, as the Aspen Festival Orchestra presents a concert that promises to be a highlight of the Aspen Music Festival and School season. With special thanks to Lisa and Will Mesdag, this event features a trio of musical powerhouses performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, a piece that showcases the fun and dynamic interplay between a piano trio and orchestra. The concert will also include Hannah Kendall's "The Spark Catchers," inspired by Lemn Sissay’s poem, and Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements, a piece reflecting the tumultuous times of World War II.

The concert begins with "The Spark Catchers," where Kendall draws inspiration from Sissay's vibrant and dynamic poem to create a piece full of contrasting musical characteristics. Following this, the orchestra will delve into Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements, a work known for its rhythmic intensity and chromaticism, reflecting the composer's response to the era's sharp events and shifting emotions.

The highlight of the evening, Beethoven's Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C major, op. 56, known as the Triple Concerto, will feature the exceptional talents of Ludovic Morlot as conductor, Stefan Jackiw on violin, Alisa Weilerstein on cello, and Inon Barnatan at the piano. This concerto is a testament to Beethoven's genius, offering a richly expressive middle movement and a rousing, dance-like finale that promises to captivate the audience.

This 75-minute performance will be streamed live for free, allowing music lovers worldwide to partake in this extraordinary musical feast. Please note that there will be no intermission, and attendees are encouraged to check the Concert Protocols page before attending to stay informed on the most up-to-date safety protocols.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience the magic of the Aspen Festival Orchestra under the direction of Ludovic Morlot, with Robert Spano as Music Director and Alan Fletcher as President and CEO, in a concert that spans the centuries and celebrates the power of music to unite and inspire.

Festival Orchestra: Hadelich, Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2

Toulmin Commissioning Consortium: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras have established a 30-orchestra consortium to support commissions by 6 women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer will write a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develop an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra.

The incomparable Inon Barnatan returns to Aspen for Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor. The Evening Standard called him “a true poet of the keyboard: refined, searching, unfailingly communicative,” and the Philadelphia Inquirer recognized his “breathtaking charisma that comes from gorgeously turned-out technique, a masterly sense of color, and an expressiveness that can question, weep, or shout joy from the rooftops.”

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