Bravo! Vail Music Festival announces free education, engagement programs

Bravo! Vail Music Festival recently issued the following press release on more than 30 free concerts and events coming up this summer throughout the Eagle River Valley:

The Bravo! Vail Music Festival (Bravo! Vail) announces more than 30 free concerts and events taking place throughout the Vail Valley as part of its 37th annual Festival, June 19 – August 1, 2024. 

Featuring a broad range of concerts, family-friendly performances, and music appreciation events, Bravo! Vail’s free Education and Engagement programs offer something for everyone this Festival season. Highlights include Bravo! Vail’s first free community concert at Leadville’s Tabor Opera House, as well as outreach programs in conjunction with Sinfónica de Minería’s residency—marking the first Latin American orchestra presented at the Festival—and the highly anticipated production of Puccini’s La bohème. 

At the heart of Bravo! Vail’s free Education and Engagement programs are the acclaimed ensembles and artists participating in these events. They include Bravo! Vail’s 2024 Chamber Musicians in Residence the Dior Quartet, Akropolis Reed Quintet, Dublin Guitar Quartet, and The Westerlies; 2024 Bravo! Vail Piano Fellows Janice Carissa and Ariel Lanyi; members of Sinfónica de Minería and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; trumpet virtuoso Pacho Flores; cuatro player Héctor Molina; author and opera historian William Berger; and Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott. 

“Bravo! Vail’s mission is to present extraordinary music that is accessible to all, and we are proud to offer more than half of our Festival programs for free each summer,” said Caitlin Murray, executive director of Bravo! Vail. “This year we are also excited to expand our reach down valley and to present more bilingual concerts and Latin American artists. Everyone in our community should have the opportunity to enjoy Bravo! Vail’s exceptional music and educational programs, regardless of location, language, or economic circumstances.” 

Admission to all public Bravo! Vail Education and Engagement events is either low-cost or free, but reservations are required. Reservations can be made through BravoVail.org or by calling 877.812.5700. 

FREE FESTIVAL EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT EVENTS (open to the public- reservations required):

Community Concerts
Bravo! Vail’s Community Concerts series presents hour-long chamber music concerts and solo recitals performed by esteemed visiting ensembles and musicians in unique community locations throughout the Vail Valley.

Bravo! Vail’s 2024 series welcomes an array of distinguished artists including members of Mexico’s Sinfónica de Minería; trumpet virtuoso Pacho Flores; cuatro player Héctor Molina; The Westerlies; the Dior Quartet; Dallas Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Alexander Kerr with members of the DSO; Akropolis Reed Quintet; and 2024 Bravo! Vail Piano Fellows Janice Carissa and Ariel Lanyi.

Audiences can experience 13 unforgettable performances at various venues including the Edwards Interfaith Chapel, Vail Interfaith Chapel, Brush Creek Pavilion, Gypsum Town Hall, and, for the first time in Bravo! Vail’s history, the historic Tabor Opera House in Leadville.

Little Listeners @ the Library
Bravo! Vail’s Little Listeners @ the Library series presents lively, interactive performances by guest artists and ensembles at the Vail, Gypsum, Avon, and Eagle public libraries. With a special focus on children ages 2-7, these 30-minute programs are designed to spark imagination and foster a love for music among our youngest listeners.

Bravo! Vail’s 2024 Little Listeners @ the Library series includes performances by members of Mexico’s Sinfónica de Minería, trumpet virtuoso Pacho Flores, cuatro player Héctor Molina, members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Akropolis Reed Quintet, and The Westerlies.

Inside the Music
Bravo! Vail’s Inside the Music series provides enriching discussions, presentations, artist talks, and master classes that offer context and expert insight into the music performed at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival.

In the 2024 series, audiences can delve into captivating topics led by renowned musicians and scholars. Highlights include a deep dive into Puccini and his timeless opera La bohème, led by author and opera expert William Berger (July 10); an examination of Schubert’s Impromptus, a series of eight pieces for solo piano, by acclaimed pianist and Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott (July 17); a masterclass with McDermott featuring 2024 Piano Fellows Ariel Lanyi and Janice Carissa (July 24); and a lecture and demonstration by the Dublin Guitar Quartet (July 30).

Additionally, Bravo! Vail’s Nature Walks (July 20 and 21) in partnership with the Walking Mountain Science Center pair inspiring music from The Westerlies with an enjoyable, 45-minute hike, all set against the stunning natural backdrop of the Colorado Rockies.

Music Box
New York-based brass ensemble The Westerlies perform family-friendly concerts in Edwards on Bravo! Vail’s mobile performance stage, the Music Box (July 26 and 27). 

FESTIVAL EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS (By reservation or enrollment only) 

In addition to public Education and Engagement events, Bravo! Vail offers free and reduced-cost programs for partner organizations and students in our community. 

• Community Collaborations: Through collaborative partnerships, Bravo! Vail uses the arts to strengthen our community, bring music to audiences outside the concert hall, and enhance understanding of music through innovative, interactive programs. As part of the 2024 Festival, Bravo! Vail presents free concerts in conjunction with the following partners: Vail Health, My Future Pathways, Golden Eagle Community Center, Castle Peak Senior Living, Roundup River Ranch, and Colorado Suzuki Institute.
• Music Makers Haciendo Música: Bravo! Vail offers students in grades 2-12 in the Eagle and Lake county school districts after-school violin, piano, and chamber ensemble instruction, giving them the opportunity to learn an instrument and reap the social, emotional, and developmental benefits of music instruction at an early age. Classes run weekly from September to April, and full-tuition scholarships and free instrument rental are available to any student in need.
• Summer Intensive: Bravo! Vail provides Music Makers Haciendo Música students the opportunity to enroll in a week of individual training and ensemble coaching through Bravo! Vail’s Summer Intensive camp. Participants also have exclusive access to orchestral partners, guest artists, and other music development opportunities during the Festival.
• Young Musicians Day (June 20-22, 2024): Young Musicians Day brings together students from Bravo! Vail’s Music Makers Haciendo Música program, Boulder Children’s Chorale, and other regional youth organizations to learn and perform challenging repertoire and create meaningful connections together.
• Pre-Concert Talks: Led by renowned musicologists and passionate performers, these talks take place one hour before select Orchestral Series performances. Those leading the 2024 talks include Heeseung Lee from the University of Northern Colorado (6/22); Johanna Frymoyer from the University of Notre Dame (6/26); Jonathan Bellman from the University of Northern Colorado (6/29); Marc Shulgold, a former music critic with the Rocky Mountain News (7/6); Jack Sheinbaum from the University of Denver (7/17); Steven Bruns from the University of Colorado, Boulder (7/20); and Petra Meyer-Frazier from the University of Denver (7/23). 

Education and Engagement Sponsors
Bravo! Vail’s 2024 Education and Engagement programs are generously supported to date by the following corporate, foundation, and government entities: Town of Vail, Xcel Energy Foundation, Town of Gypsum, Barbara Treat Foundation, Town of Avon, Wall Street Insurance, Alpine Bank, Gallegos Corporation, WESTAF, El Pomar Foundation, Slifer Smith & Frampton Foundation, Town of Eagle, Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation, Lyric Theatre of Leadville, and the D’Addario Foundation.

About Bravo! Vail Music Festival
Consistently cited as one of the top 10 classical music festivals in the country, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout the Vail and Eagle River Valley region for six weeks, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host four of the world’s finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrates its 37th season from June 20-August 1, 2024, with more than 80 concerts—over half of which are presented for free. Beyond its summer programming, Bravo! Vail serves the community by providing year-round low-cost music education through Music Makers Haciendo Música, a piano, violin, and ensemble instruction program to help develop new generations of musicians and music lovers. Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott has led the Festival since 2011. “[Bravo! Vail] is the most high-profile — and high altitude — mountain music festival in America.” – The Times (UK)

Event details including programs and artists are subject to change. Visit bravovail.org for complete season information and updates. A selection of press photos is available here.