Vilar to host innovative jazz concerts with audience members on stage

The Vail Valley Foundation recently issued the following press release on two jazz performances this summer “where audience members will be seated on the Vilar stage alongside the performers.”:

The Vail Valley Foundation’s Vilar Performing Arts Center announced today an innovative approach to jazz performance with two extraordinary concerts this summer where audience members will be seated on the Vilar stage alongside the performers. This unique concert format, featuring performances from Damien Sneed Trio on July 7 and Something Else! Featuring Vincent Herring on August 12, continues the Vilar’s commitment to establishing itself as a premier destination in Colorado for exceptional jazz experiences.

“In many of the world’s best-known jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the Blue Note, or Preservation Hall, you hear the music coming straight out of the instrument, with little to no amplification. You are sitting just feet from the performer, immersed in sound. We’re inviting our audience onto the mainstage to experience that phenomenon here in Beaver Creek,” said Owen Hutchinson, Artistic Director at the Vilar. “Audience members will have the opportunity to experience these incredible jazz performances from a perspective normally reserved for the artists. This innovative setup creates an incredibly intimate jazz club atmosphere onstage, while utilizing our magnificent Steinway grand piano and all the technical capabilities our venue has to offer. With the majestic Vilar theater as the backdrop, these performances offer a truly one-of-a-kind experience that builds on the intimate jazz club atmosphere our patrons have come to love in the May Gallery, but with all the bells and whistles of our main auditorium.”

On-Stage Vilar Jazz Experiences

Damien Sneed Trio | July 7 | 7PM

A multi-genre virtuoso, Damien Sneed brings an extraordinary evening of Gospel, Spirituals & the American Songbook directly to audience members seated on the Vilar stage. Having worked with legends like Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, and Jessye Norman, Sneed’s mastery will be experienced up-close in this revolutionary performance setup. With the audience sharing the stage, this concert creates an unprecedented level of intimacy that spans multiple musical traditions.

Something Else! Feat. Vincent Herring | August 12 | 7PM

This supergroup of jazz legends including Vincent Herring, Wayne Escoffery, Freddie Hendrix, and others brings the vibrant sounds of soul jazz directly to audience members seated on the Vilar stage. Jazz enthusiasts will experience these virtuoso performers at an intimate distance, with the magnificent theater auditorium as the backdrop. This innovative seating arrangement allows patrons to feel the energy and spontaneity of the performance in a way that traditional seating simply cannot match.

These on-stage jazz experiences represent the evolution of the Vilar’s successful jazz programming over the past several years, further establishing the venue as a home for truly unique encounters with great international and U.S.-based jazz artists.

These special performances join the Vilar’s already impressive summer and fall show schedule, such as Jacob Collier – The Djesse Solo Show and Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos & the Buena Vista Orchestra. The full lineup includes:

• June 28 | Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton
• July 12 | Lyle Lovett and his Large Band
• July 14 | Jake Shimabukuro
• July 17 | So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience
• July 19 | Paula Poundstone
• July 27 | Jacob Collier – The Djesse Solo Show
• July 31 | Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue
• August 6 | Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos & the Buena Vista Orchestra
• August 7 | Midland
• August 16 | Bachman-Turner Overdrive
• August 28 | Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin
• September 10 | Devon Allman’s Blues Summit
• September 18 | Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass 
• October 8 & 9 | The Addams Family Musical 

Tickets for all shows are on sale now.

Guests and artists alike will enjoy significant facility upgrades at the Vilar this summer, including a completely reimagined upper lobby bar, a new coat check room, and renovated green rooms and dressing rooms. These improvements complement the recently completed theatrical lighting upgrades.

More summer and fall performances will be announced soon. For more information about the Vilar’s schedule and to purchase tickets, visit vilarpac.org or call 970-845-8497.