If you are a classical music lover, get excited, because it’s about to be Christmas in June with the arrival of the 42nd annual Colorado College Summer Music Festival. Starting June 6, more than 50 young musicians will descend on the Colorado College campus to begin a three-week program that is unlike any other chamber music festival in the nation. These pre-professional fellows work with world-class faculty to hone their skills, resulting in a series of performances by both students and faculty that are simply an embarrassment of riches. And all right here, in downtown Colorado Springs!
A Rare Mix of Performance and Education
Unlike some festivals that offer just performances or just education, the Colorado College Summer Music Festival presents the best of both worlds. This three-week festival features a rare combination of chamber music performances by its faculty, as well as orchestral concerts by the young student fellows who come in just for the festival. In other words, these mostly 20-somethings arrive in early June on some sheet music and a prayer and immediately form a brilliant orchestra under the guidance of storied conductor Scott Yoo (of PBS’ Now Hear This fame). It’s truly a sight to behold. And then, of course, there’s the music — short concerts, long concerts, free concerts, a kids’ concert — something for everyone.
Susan Grace Reflects on Audience and Energy
The Colorado College Summer Music Festival was founded in 1984, and Grammy-nominated pianist and Steinway Artist Susan Grace has been at the helm since 1987. I asked Grace what excites her the most about the festival these days, and she reminisced about the first concert of last year’s season
“I remember sensing this excitement and energy in the lobby of all our audience who were coming in,” she said. “And that was so amazing because our audience is so connected to the musicians on stage. Our faculty love to play together, and that excitement comes off into the audience, and it just sparks something.”
Festival Artists Concerts, which feature the faculty performing in Packard Hall, start on June 9 and are sprinkled throughout the festival.
Conductor Scott Yoo and the Orchestra Concerts
Speaking of that faculty, although I could fill this whole article with their accolades, let’s return to violinist and conductor Scott Yoo. He first came to the festival in 2002 and was recently appointed as Music Director of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City. The orchestra, founded in 1929, is widely considered one of the leading symphony orchestras of Latin America. And then there’s his delightfully entertaining and informative show Now Hear This, which Yoo hosts and produces. This Emmy-nominated program is not to be missed.
Well known for his excellence in conducting, Yoo shapes the 53 young musicians of the festival into an amazing, cohesive orchestra over the course of just a dozen or so rehearsals.
This year’s orchestra concerts will be held on June 16 and June 26, featuring music of Copland, Mozart, Sibelius, Glazunov, Rimsky-Korsakov, and a Colorado premiere of a new work by talented young composer Sam Wu.
Free Midday Shows, a Kids’ Concert and More
On a budget? Boy, does this festival have options for you! First up, throughout the course of the festival, there are seven free Music at Midday concerts that start at 12:15 p.m. and generally run less than an hour.
Held at Packard Hall, the concerts feature the fellows of the festival, who have formed chamber music ensembles for the occasion. And then there is the beloved children’s concert, this year a performance of Peter and the Wolf with guest artist mime Bill Bowers, held on Thursday, June 18. Although free, this particularly popular concert is ticketed, so don’t forget to plan accordingly.
Sunday, June 21, brings another free option, this one featuring the faculty and fellows together at the beautiful First Congregational Church downtown. There’s also an art talk, some other free recitals, concerto readings and more!
A New Georgian Wine Pairing Event
Finally, this year brings a brand new event for the festival: a Music and Wine Night Cap. Following June 22’s Festival Artists Concert, join us for a special event over at Evergreen Restaurant, located just half a block away from Packard Hall on campus. During this event, my husband, Benjamin Harvey, and I will guide you through a tasting of Georgian wines, relating the pours to snippets of music from that evening’s concert, which I will be performing on piano as we go.
How to Get Tickets
As you can see, there truly is something for everyone at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, running June 6-26 this year. For more information and for tickets, go to coloradocollege.edu/summermusicfestival or call 719-389-6552 — and, happy listening!
—Article by Lauren Ciborowski, sponsored by Colorado College
