The Aspen Music Festival is one of the oldest and most prestigious summer music festivals in the United States. Since 1961, Aspen offers a select group of the world's finest pre-professional and early professional music students the opportunity for study at the highest levels. Young musicians come from all over the world to study and perform with the highest caliber classical musicians in the U.S. Set in the heart of the Rocky Mountains Aspen offers a breath-taking setting for eight weeks each summer.
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| Preparing to hear a concert in the Benedict Music Tent |
The Festival presents numerous performances of symphonic, chamber, and solo music on a daily basis. The symphonic works are given at the Benedict Music Tent, a wonderful structure set in a grove of aspen trees. The tent seats slightly over 2000 seats. Having ventilated openings within the tent structure allows cool, refreshing mountain breezes in. What makes the Benedict Tent so good is there's no bad seat in the house! Awnings are placed to focus the acoustics and creating a sonic space ideal for listening to great classical music.
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| A pan of Benedict |
During that week we were able to be attend a Midori masterclass. This world-class violinist shared her talent and expertise with three participants. Later in the week, she gave a concert of un-accompanied violin sonatas by J.S. Bach that left me spellbound! Her ability to shape and color the individual polyphonic lines was phenomenal! Her this great violin master perform certainly opened up my thinking regarding phrasing and shaping tone!
It was interesting to observe and hear how each of these three great violinist approached the music. From a personal preference 32-year old German-Italian virtuoso Augustin Hadelich with his expressive playing spoke to me in a way that was transcending. I have had the privilege of hearing Hadelich before with the Louisville Orchestra and I make of point of hearing him live whenever possible. He played the Dvorak Violin Concerto in A minor with astounding accuracy and sensitivity.
On our last day in Aspen we were able to catch a performance of Joshua Bell and a performance of the Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor.
Of course, being a proud dad I had the privilege of hearing my son Kelsay play French Horn with the Festival Orchestra and various student ensembles during the week. Being part of a select group of horn players from all over the world to participate in this festival was indeed a honor for him!
The natural setting of Aspen served only to enhance the musical experience. One of the wonderful things about the festival is the design of the tent allows for music lovers to hear great music either in the tent or on the grassy spaces surrounding the perimeter of the tent. Lush groves of aspen trees cast shade over the area making the space a wonderful setting for hearing great music!
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| How does one have the nerve to play before the great Midori in a masterclass? |
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| German-Italian master Augustin Hadelich with the Aspen Festival Orchestra under the baton of Joseph Spano |
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| The quintessential showman Joshua Bell with my son Kelsay backing him up at second horn (in the back with black beard!) |
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| My son Kelsay with his very proud father!!! |
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| A beautiful canopy of aspens lines the main walkway to the Benedict Tent |
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| Some concert goers brought their blankets and picnic basket along for the concert! |
For more information about festival click here: http://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/
