Aspen Music Festival and School
Non Profit Category: Arts, Culture and Humanities
Founded in 1949
Annual Budget of 14.7 million

Web site:
Click Here

Email Address:
festival@aspenmusic.org

Organizational Mission:
The mission of the Aspen Music Festival and School is five-pronged: 1) Professional Music Education: The AMFS provides music students a unique educational experience bridging the worlds of school and professional music performance. Students study privately with the renowned artist-faculty and at the same time perform with one of the five orchestras or in operas or on chamber music concerts throughout the summer. 2) Excellence in public performance: Bringing together great musical minds from all around the world, the AMFS presents hundreds of exciting musical performances each summer. Programs range from standard repertoire to compositions finished that morning, from legendary artists to emerging voices, from formal presentations to open rehearsals and master classes. The AMFS strives each year to provide artists and audience members an exciting summer-full of musical experiences that are both entertaining and stimulating. 3) Artistic renewal for faculty and artists: The AMFS strives to provide artists -- students, teachers, soloists, conductors, composers -- a place for renewal, away from the demands of touring and traveling, a non-competitive and safe enviroment in which to make, create, and share great music. 4) Preservation and promotion of the art form: The AMFS strives to serve the art form of classical music by keeping it vibrant in the hearts and minds of both artists and audience members. The AMFS gives audience members many ways to accesss the music and many enrichment opportunities; in addition, the AMFS supports two composers-in-residence, presents contemporary music, and commissions new music on occasion. 5) Service to the community: The AMFS invites the local community to enjoy the music through its many free and low-cost opportunities to participate, including its free Lawn seating and low-cost "Locals' Pass." Overall, at the AMFS we strive to make Aspen a unique community of musicians and music-lovers, saturated with music-making, where artificial barriers of formality are removed with music left at the core of the experience.

Physical Address:
2 Music School Road
Aspen, CO

Telephone Number:
970-925-3254

Fax:
970-925-3802

Board Members:

Staff Members:

Event, Gala & Fundraiser(s) Date & Description:
Renowned opera star Kathleen Battle makes her Aspen debut this summer at the Season Benefit entitled “Rhapsody in Blue” on July 14, led by Zinman. She will offer a program of all-Gershwin songs, most she will be performing for the first time in her career. Battle is legendary for her glamour, dramatic performances and gorgeous lyric soprano voice that she turns with equal success to opera, Baroque and sacred music, symphonic works, jazz, spirituals, movie soundtracks and contemporary music. Joining her on the program will be pianist Simon Trpčeski playing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Bizet’s Carmen comes to Aspen on July 26, 28, 29 and 30 and will be conducted by Julius Rudel, long-time principal conductor of the New York City Opera and music director of the Kennedy Center and of the Wolf Trap festivals. Bizet’s spirited heroine comes to life — and death — with some of opera’s most beloved music. An Opera Benefit, with a private performance of Carmen, a cocktail reception and a gala dinner at the exclusive Caribou Club is July 26. A special semi-staged production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly will be performed in the Benedict Music Tent, Saturday, August 11. This popular opera will be conducted by Music Director David Zinman, and sung by renowned guest soloists Barbara Shirvis and Roy Cornelius Smith, along with members of the Aspen Opera Theater Center. Edward Berkeley directs.