Nation’s largest admission-free, privately supported festival of classical music presents 36th Summer Season from July 27 to August 19 in Sun Valley, Idaho

Sun Valley, ID -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/24/2020 -- Highlights include:

- Performances by guest artists Leila Josefowicz, Daniil Trifonov, Orion Weiss, and string trio Time for Three
- Triple concerto by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, a Festival co-commission with Florida Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony
- Series celebrating 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth

SUN VALLEY, IDAHO — Festival Music Director Alasdair Neale and Executive Director Derek Dean today announced the summer programming for the 36th annual Sun Valley Music Festival, which takes place from July 27 to August 19 in the scenic, Rocky Mountain resort city of Sun Valley, Idaho. Since 1985, the Festival has brought together world-class musicians from distinguished orchestras across North America to perform three weeks of free chamber and orchestral concerts each summer. This season's lineup includes a special "Beethoven @ 250" series; concerts featuring guest artists Leila Josefowicz, Daniil Trifonov, Orion Weiss, and string trio Time for Three; and—performed by the latter—a triple concerto by Kevin Puts, a Festival co-commission with the Florida Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony. All Festival performances take place at the state-of-the-art Sun Valley Pavilion amphitheater at 6:30 p.m., except where specified otherwise.

Music Director Alasdair Neale said:

"I'm looking forward to this summer's Festival for so many reasons: the celebration of Beethoven's 250th birthday, for one; the return of Time for Three, for another. Then there's Daniil Trifonov, the sensational pianist who's electrified the world's great concert halls whilst still in his twenties. But most of all I'm looking forward to making music again in the unmatched setting of the Sun Valley Pavilion with my dear friends and colleagues from top orchestras around the country. So many of them—like me—cannot resist the siren song of Sun Valley and the pleasure of performing for our devoted and appreciative audiences each summer!"

Executive Director Derek Dean said:
"After celebrating our 35th anniversary last year—as well as our wonderful Music Director's 25th season with the Festival—we are thrilled to be embarking this summer on our next chapter as the nation's premier festival of free classical music. It is a joy to come together each year with the Sun Valley community, as well as old friends and new faces from all over the country, and share in our mutual love of music amidst the backdrop of quaking aspens and staggering views of the surrounding peaks."

The Sun Valley Music Festival is the largest admission-free, privately supported festival of classical music in the United States. The Festival Orchestra comprises more than 100 musicians from leading ensembles in North America, with more than ten each from the San Francisco and St. Louis Symphonies. Orchestra members hail from more than 45 different ensembles and institutions, including the Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Toronto Symphonies; the Cleveland, Louisville, and Minnesota Orchestras; and the Chicago Lyric, Dallas, Houston Grand, and Washington National Opera Orchestras; among many other ensembles. Most musicians stay with host families for the duration of the festival, often forming strong bonds with the Sun Valley community and returning to perform at the festival each year. Orchestra members and guest artists are also active in the educational work of the Festival's Music Institute, which offers a wide range of free music education programs to students of all skill levels and age ranges—from beginners in elementary school to advanced college undergraduates.

A complete list of 2020 Summer Season performances and events can be found at the end of this announcement.

BEETHOVEN @ 250
The 2020 Sun Valley Music Festival opens with a series of events commemorating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. Titled "Beethoven @ 250," this special celebration encompasses orchestral performances, chamber music recitals, and guest lectures by author, composer, and noted Beethoven scholar Jan Swafford, whose 2014 book "Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph" was selected as Editor's Choice in The "New York Times'" Book Review. Beethoven-themed events and performances take place throughout the Festival's opening week, both in the morning (10:30 a.m.) at The Community Library and in the evening (6:30 p.m.) at the Sun Valley Pavilion.

Conducted by Alasdair Neale, the opening night performance includes Beethoven's Overture to "The Creatures of Prometheus" and Piano Concerto No. 5 ("Emperor"), featuring Orion Weiss. Early in his career, Mr. Weiss won the Gilmore Young Artist Award and an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and he has gone on to perform with such leading orchestras as the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics and the Boston and Chicago Symphonies. He has also earned acclaim as a solo recitalist and chamber music performer, and appears as both later in the week.

Evening performances continue with Beethoven's two Romances for Violin and Orchestra, featuring Assistant Concertmaster Juliana Athayde (Concertmaster of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra) and led by Associate Conductor Sameer Patel, and Symphony No. 2, conducted by Mr. Neale, on Tuesday, July 28; Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 23, Op. 57 ("Appassionata"), performed by Orion Weiss, and Piano Trio, Op. 1, No. 2, performed by Mr. Weiss, Festival Orchestra violinist Kristin Ahlstrom (Associate Principal Second Violin at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra), and Principal Cellist Amos Yang (Assistant Principal Cello at the San Francisco Symphony), on Thursday, July 30; and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica"), conducted by Mr. Neale, on Friday, July 31.

The morning events comprise a recital of Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 4, performed by Amos Yang and orchestra pianist Peter Henderson (Associate Professor of Music and Artist-in-Residence at Maryville University), and Piano Sonata No. 4 ("Grand Sonata"), performed by Mr. Henderson, on Tuesday, July 28; Cello Sonata No. 3, performed by the same duo on Wednesday, July 29, following a Beethoven lecture by Jan Swafford; a solo recital of Piano Sonatas No. 21, Op. 53 ("Waldstein") and No. 30, Op. 109, performed by Mr. Henderson on Thursday, July 30; and—in anticipation of the evening performance on Friday, July 31—a lecture that morning by Mr. Swafford on the "Eroica" Symphony.

Following the initial week of Beethoven, there is an additional "Beethoven @ 250" concert at Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood on Monday, August 10. The recital is a performance of Beethoven's Piano Trio, Op. 97 ("Archduke"), performed by concertmaster Jeremy Constant (Assistant Concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony), Amos Yang, and Peter Henderson.

GUEST ARTISTS
The 2020 Summer Season showcases Festival guest artists in a selection of concertos that tracks the development of the genre from Beethoven to the present day.

On Tuesday, August 4, the week after Orion Weiss's performance of Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto, Alasdair Neale and the orchestra are joined by Daniil Trifonov in Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1. Mr. Trifonov has been described by the London "Times" as "without question the most astounding pianist of our age," and his many awards and honors include a Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo and both First Prize and Grand Prix at the International Tchaikovsky Competition.

From the Romanticism of Brahms, the festival turns to the Modernism of Stravinsky, when Leila Josefowicz performs the Russian composer's Violin Concerto on Sunday, August 9. An Avery Fisher Prize winner and MacArthur Fellow who has emerged as one of today's leading champions of contemporary works for the violin, Ms. Josefowicz has performed Stravinsky's Violin Concerto with top orchestras around the world, including most recently with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra last month. Her performance of the work at the 2017 BBC Proms was broadcast by medici.tv and praised by Strings magazine as "forward-moving and exhilarating." The Festival program also includes Stravinsky's "Scherzo a la Russe," conducted by Sameer Patel, and Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" Fantasy-Overture, conducted by Alasdair Neale.

The centerpiece of the program on Saturday, August 15 is a concerto from our own time, newly composed by Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Kevin Puts. A co-commission of the Sun Valley Music Festival, San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Florida Orchestra, the work is a triple concerto for the genre-defying string trio Time for Three, which was in residence at the festival from 2015 to 2017. The group has appeared solo and with orchestras across the United States and Europe, including in premieres of new concertos by American William Bolcom, Chris Brubeck, and Jennifer Higdon. Mr. Puts's concerto is conducted by Alasdair Neale, who also leads a performance of the "Armed Forces Medley" in honor of local servicemembers—an annual Festival tradition. Further reflecting the American theme, Sameer Patel conducts Copland's Suite from "Billy the Kid."

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES
The 2020 Summer Season offers orchestral programs encompassing a wide repertoire. Some programs juxtapose the old and the new, as on Thursday, August 6, when Alasdair Neale and the orchestra pair Jennifer Higdon's "blue cathedral" with Rachmaninoff's "Symphonic Dances." On Tuesday, August 11, they pair Missy Mazzoli's "These Worlds in Us" with Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3.

Programs also include Mr. Neale conducting Debussy's "La Mer" alongside Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, featuring Principal Clarinet Jason Shafer (Principal Clarinet at the Colorado Symphony), on Friday, August 14; Amarillo Symphony Music Director Jacomo Bairos conducting a pops concert with contemporary Mexican ensemble The Villalobos Brothers on Sunday, August 16 (followed by a post-concert lawn party); a chamber performance by orchestra brass musicians on Tuesday, August 18; and—to close the season—Mr. Neale conducting Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique" on Wednesday, August 19.

EDUCATION
In addition to its lineup of all admission-free concerts, the Sun Valley Music Festival offers year-round and summer music education programs through the Festival's Music Institute. In furtherance of its mission to provide the widest possible access to music education, all of the Music Institute's education programs are provided tuition-free.

The year-round programs provide string, piano, and voice students of all skill levels—from elementary through high school—with training that goes beyond the fundamentals and embraces the totality of what it means to be a successful musician. Students from within Blaine County School District, as well as those from area independent schools, are eligible to benefit from these unique programs.

Participants in the Institute's summer programs range from second graders to advanced college undergraduates, who travel from across the country to hone their skills, develop their artistic sensibilities, and make music (and new friends) in the Festival's unique environment.

This year, programs for students in grades 2–12 are offered from Monday, August 3 to Friday, August 7, and include instruction for most orchestral instruments as well as piano and voice. Students are placed in ensembles based on their age, instrument, and ability, with solo and ensemble performances taking place throughout the week. Culminating concerts take place on Friday at the Sun Valley Pavilion.

The Advanced Chamber Program takes place from Monday, July 27 to Saturday, August 8, and is geared towards experienced students who are committed to serious study in their discipline. Students work directly with Festival musicians, conductors, and guest artists and attend orchestra rehearsals.

On Saturday, August 8, students of the Music Institute's Advanced Chamber Program are featured in a special family concert titled "The American West," in which the students perform selections from Copland's "Rodeo." The program also includes the Festival Orchestra performing Rossini's Overture to "William Tell," selections from Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite," Elmer Bernstein's Suite from "The Magnificent Seven," an arrangement of "Home on the Range," and Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me" from "Toy Story." Alasdair Neale and Sameer Patel both conduct.

Registration for the Music Institute's summer programs is now open on the Festival web site: svmusicfestival.org/summer-programs.

About the Sun Valley Music Festival
The Sun Valley Music Festival was founded by Carl and Julianne Eberl in 1985 on a mission to inspire the Sun Valley, Idaho community and instill a lifelong love of classical music through admission-free concerts and tuition-free educational programming. The Festival Orchestra has grown from 20 members at its founding, to now more than 100 musicians from North America's most distinguished ensembles, making it the largest, privately funded orchestra devoted exclusively to free performances. The Festival presents its three-week Summer Season every July and August and has hosted a variety of internationally renowned guest artists, including Joshua Bell, Yefim Bronfman, Gautier Capucon, Midori, Frederica von Stade, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Since 2008, the Festival's summer performances have taken place at the R.E. Holding Sun Valley Pavilion. Each February, the Festival also presents a Winter Season at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, Idaho.

Through the Music Institute, the Festival strives to introduce every Wood River Valley student to the joys of classical music, to inspire the next generation of music lovers. Its year-round and summer programs provide tuition-free instruction for string, piano, and voice students of all skill levels—from elementary through high school—that goes beyond the fundamentals and embraces the entire musician.

For more information, visit svmusicfestival.org.

About Music Director Alasdair Neale
Alasdair Neale is now in his 26th year as Music Director of the Sun Valley Music Festival. Through his artistry, vision, and commitment to the Sun Valley community, he has taken the Festival to new artistic heights and brought in such acclaimed guest artists as Emanuel Ax, Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, Yuja Wang, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Mr. Neale has also served as the Music Director of the Marin Symphony since 2001, and is the 11th Music Director of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, beginning with the 2019–20 season. He has guest-conducted numerous orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic; the Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Sydney, and Toronto Symphonies; the Royal Scottish National and St. Paul Chamber Orchestras; and the Orchestre Metropolitain, among many others. In March 2002, he collaborated with director Peter Sellars and composer John Adams to open the Adelaide Festival with a production of the oratorio "El Nino."

Mr. Neale holds a Bachelor's degree from Cambridge University and a Master's from Yale University, where his principal teacher was Otto-Werner Mueller. He lives in San Francisco.

For more information, visit alasdairneale.com.

SUN VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL — 2020 SUMMER SEASON

Monday, July 27 – Wednesday, August 19, 2020
R.E. Holding Sun Valley Pavilion (300 Dollar Road — Sun Valley, Idaho 83353)
(All events take place at the Pavilion unless noted otherwise.)

Alasdair Neale, Music Director
Sameer Patel, Associate Conductor
Sun Valley Music Festival Orchestra
________________________________________

FESTIVAL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA – Beethoven @ 250
Monday, July 27, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Orion Weiss, Piano

Smith/The Star-Spangled Banner
Beethoven/Overture to Creatures of Prometheus
Beethoven/Piano Concerto No 5, "Emperor"

CHAMBER MUSIC – Beethoven @ 250
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 10:30 a.m.
The Community Library

Amos Yang, Cello
Peter Henderson, Piano

Beethoven/Piano Sonata No. 4
Beethoven/Cello Sonata No. 4

FESTIVAL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA – Beethoven @ 250
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Sameer Patel, Conductor
Juliana Athayde, Violin

Beethoven/Romance No. 1
Beethoven/Romance No. 2
Beethoven/Symphony No. 2

CHAMBER MUSIC & LECTURE – Beethoven @ 250
Wednesday, July 29, 2020, 10:30 a.m.
The Community Library

Amos Yang, Cello
Peter Henderson, Piano
Jan Swafford, Lecturer

Lecture on Beethoven
Beethoven/Cello Sonata No. 3

CHAMBER MUSIC – Beethoven @ 250
Thursday, July 30, 2020, 10:30 a.m.
The Community Library

Peter Henderson, Piano

Beethoven/Piano Sonata No. 30
Beethoven/Piano Sonata No. 21, "Waldstein"

RECITAL – Beethoven @ 250
Thursday, July 30, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Kristin Ahlstrom, Violin
Amos Yang, Cello
Orion Weiss, Piano

Beethoven/Trio, Op. 1, No. 2
Beethoven/Piano Sonata No. 23, "Appassionata"

LECTURE – Beethoven @ 250
Friday, July 31, 2020, 10:30 a.m.
The Community Library

Jan Swafford, Lecturer

On Beethoven/Symphony No. 3, "Eroica"

FESTIVAL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA – Beethoven @ 250
Friday, July 31, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor

Beethoven/Symphony No. 3, "Eroica"

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Daniil Trifonov, Piano

Brahms/Piano Concerto No. 1

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Thursday, August 6, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale Conductor

Higdon/blue cathedral
Rachmaninoff/Symphonic Dances

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA – Family Concert: The American West
Saturday, August 8, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Sameer Patel, Conductor
Students of the Summer Music Institute

Rossini/Overture to William Tell
Grofe/From Grand Canyon Suite
E. Bernstein/Suite from Magnificent Seven
Traditional/Home on the Range
Newman/"You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story
Copland/From Rodeo

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Sunday, August 9, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Sameer Patel, Conductor
Leila Josefowicz, Violin

Stravinsky/Scherzo a la Russe
Stravinsky/Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky/Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture

CHAMBER MUSIC – Beethoven @ 250
Monday, August 10, 2020, 6:30 p.m.
Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood

Jeremy Constant, Violin
Amos Yang, Cello
Peter Henderson, Piano

Beethoven/Trio, Op. 97, "Archduke"

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor

Mazzoli/These Worlds in Us
Mendelssohn/Symphony No. 3

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Friday, August 14, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Jason Shafer, Clarinet

Mozart/Clarinet Concerto
Debussy/La Mer

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Saturday, August 15, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Sameer Patel, Conductor
Time for Three

Arr. Hayman/Armed Forces Medley
Copland/Suite from Billy the Kid
Puts/New Work (Festival co-commission with Florida Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony)

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA – Pops: The Villalobos Brothers
Sunday, August 16, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

The Villalobos Brothers
Jacomo Bairos, Conductor

LAWN PARTY – ¡Fiesta de baile!
Sunday, August 16, 2020, post-concert

The Villalobos Brothers

CHAMBER CONCERT – Festival Brass
Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Wednesday, August 19, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Berlioz/Symphonie fantastique

All programs, artists, dates, and times subject to change.

Press contact:
daniel@svmusicfestival.org | (208) 622-5607

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

This year’s Sun Valley Summer Symphony Benefit Concert Features Renowned Saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Performing in America’s First Destination Ski Resort, Sun Valley

Sun Valley, ID -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/14/2019 -- The Sun Valley Summer Symphony is pleased to announce that Branford Marsalis will perform at its 2019 Gala Concert in the Sun Valley Pavilion. Marsalis is acclaimed for both his classical work with orchestras, as well as his Grammy Award® winning work as a soloist and with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. On Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, he will join Maestro Alasdair Neale and the Sun Valley Summer Symphony for several classical works featuring saxophone, after which the Branford Marsalis Quartet will take the stage for a set featuring famous hits as well as music from their upcoming album (to be released March 1).

Said Marsalis: "I'm very excited to come to Sun Valley for the first time and play with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony."

Referred to by Miles Davis as "the greatest saxophonist since Coltrane," Branford Marsalis rose to instant fame when he played alongside Sting and Phil Collins at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium in 1985. He recorded and toured with Sting for several years and served as Musical Director of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" from 1992 - 1995. He has been nominated 16 times for a Grammy Award® and has won three times; once each for best jazz instrumental performance, best pop instrumental performance, and best jazz instrumental album. He was nominated for a Tony Award and won the Drama Desk Award for "Outstanding Music in a Play" for his original score to the Broadway revival of August Wilson's "Fences." More recently, he scored acclaimed director Kenny Leon's revival of "Children of a Lesser God." His movie credits include the original music for Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues" and acting turns in Lee's "School Daze" as well as the comedy "Throw Momma from the Train."

Marsalis has always loved classical music; one of his first albums was the French impressionist disc titled "Romances for Saxophone" in 1986. In 2008 he toured with Philarmonia Brasileira, playing music by Villa-Lobos and Milhaud. Making his first appearance with the New York Philharmonic in 2010, at a concert in Central Park, Marsalis was invited to join them as soloist in their 2010 - 2011 season where he unequivocally demonstrated his versatility and prowess, bringing "a gracious poise and supple tone…and an insouciant swagger" (New York Times) to the repertoire. He recently recorded Gabriel Prokofiev's "The Saxophone Concerto," which Prokofiev wrote for him. Recent orchestra collaborations have included the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, and the National Symphony.

On the jazz front, after several years playing with his older brother in the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, Branford formed The Branford Marsalis Quartet in 1986 and has sustained this group as his primary means of expression. The quartet is known for the telepathic communication among its uncommonly consistent personnel, and its deep book of original music replete with expressive melodies and provocative forms. They have long been recognized as the standard to which other ensembles of its kind must be measured.

Alasdair Neale remarks: "In my 25th season as Music Director, I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity to make music with Branford Marsalis, an artist whom I have long admired and respected."

The Sun Valley Pavilion is an open-air venue, nestled amid a pristine mountain environment and high desert climate, in the four-season outdoor paradise known as much for its art and cultural offerings as its recreational opportunities. The Gala Concert is part of the Symphony's 2019 Summer Concert Series. Funds raised from the event support the Sun Valley Summer Symphony and its community initiatives, including world-class admission-free concerts that attract over 50,000 people annually and music education experiences to over 500 music students every year.

Reserved ticket prices range from $85 on the lawn and in the Pavilion to $1,750 for the Artist Package. New this year, the Artist Package is limited to 30 tickets and, in addition to a pre-concert cocktail reception, VIP parking, and premium seating at the concert, includes a private dinner with Mr. Marsalis in an intimate setting, post-concert. Sponsor Packages, at $1,250, include a pre-concert reception, VIP parking, and a seated dinner post-concert at a private home with the opportunity to meet Mr. Marsalis. Tickets at the $275 and $550 levels include the pre-concert cocktail reception and premium seating in the Pavilion. General admission lawn tickets are available for $85, and the concert will be broadcast live on the Pavilion lawn's 25-foot, LED screen.

Tickets go on sale to Symphony donors at the $1,000+ level on March 6, and to the general public on April 10, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. (MST). Tickets may be purchased online at svsummersymphony.org or by calling 208-622-5607. Artist and Sponsor packages are only available by phone. General admission lawn tickets will be available online only. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. for Pavilion and lawn seating.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Known for Bringing World-Class Musicians from Across the Globe to Sun Valley, the Symphony Celebrates 35 Years with a Blockbuster Lineup of Soloists Including Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Gautier Capuçon, and Concludes with Mahler’s Epic Symphony No. 2

Sun Valley, ID -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/18/2019 -- The Sun Valley Summer Symphony celebrates its 35th season and Music Director Alasdair Neale's 25th anniversary with a blockbuster lineup this July 29 - Aug. 22. The annual Summer Concert Series is admission-free, and the season regularly draws crowds of more than 50,000 over the course of the festival. This year will feature three guest artists in residence, an exploration of chamber orchestra masterpieces, evenings of French music and Gershwin favorites, education programs, and full symphonies including Mahler's mighty Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection."

Season highlights include residencies and solo performances beginning opening night with Mozart's 5th violin concerto featuring the dazzling violinist, Ray Chen, well-known to young musicians for his comedic and stereotype-smashing social media posts. Following, Jean-Yves Thibaudet returns with fellow French virtuoso, cellist Gautier Capucon for a week-long residency. They team up Aug. 1 for a recital featuring works by Brahms and Shostakovich. Thibaudet will then play Gershwin's piano concerto on Aug. 4 with the orchestra, and Capucon will take his turn on Aug. 5 with Saint-Saens's cello concerto. Former Sun Valley Summer Symphony Associate Conductor and current Louisville Orchestra Music Director, Teddy Abrams, will lead Pops Night Aug. 17 with Broadway singer Morgan James, presenting an evening of George Gershwin favorites. Mason Bates returns as composer-in-residence with his water-inspired symphony "Liquid Interface" on Aug. 14. He's featured again on Aug. 18 bringing back "Devil's Radio" — a piece commissioned by the Symphony for its 30th anniversary — and debuting "Passage," featuring mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and excerpts from John F. Kennedy's famous Moonshot speech.

"For this major anniversary season, I'm delighted to be able to bring so many outstanding guest artists to Sun Valley for our audiences," says Sun Valley Summer Symphony Music Director Alasdair Neale. "I'm especially grateful that they will spend time here, mingling with our patrons and with students in our Music Institute programs. We will continue our tradition of presenting new pieces while also performing some of the best-loved works in the repertoire."

The season begins with concerts exploring the role of the chamber orchestra in detail, including 20th-century works by Ravel, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev that were inspired by their baroque and classical forebears. Following, major orchestral pieces include Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 on Aug. 7, Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 on Aug. 13, and Mahler's massive Symphony No. 2 for the season finale on Aug. 22. On every critic's list of the 10 greatest symphonies ever written, Mahler's 90-minute masterpiece explores the totality of the human condition, from life and death to rebirth. With the American Festival Chorus and soloists, the orchestra will swell to well over 300 musicians on stage for this performance. As to its impact, Maestro Neale recalls his first hearing, at age 13: "It rocked my world – I had never imagined music could have that level of visceral, emotional impact."

This season is also the 22nd year of the Symphony's Music Institute Summer Programs, which will run July 29 through Aug. 10. The Institute offers 1-week programs for elementary through high school students of all abilities in piano, voice, woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion, and a 2-week Advanced Chamber Music Program for college undergraduates and exceptional high school students. All programs feature outstanding faculty, including Music Director Alasdair Neale, Associate Conductor Sameer Patel, and many musicians from the Sun Valley Summer Symphony orchestra. Additionally, guest artists Ray Chen, Gautier Capucon, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet will spend time coaching and mentoring young students. Thanks to the generosity of Symphony donors, all programs are tuition-free, with only minimal costs for registration and materials. Registration is available on the Symphony's website at svsummersymphony.org.

Concerts are performed in the open-air Sun Valley Pavilion, amid a pristine mountain environment and high desert climate, in the four-season outdoor paradise known as much for its art and cultural offerings as its recreational opportunities. All concerts in the 2019 Summer Concert Series will begin at 6:30 p.m. The Symphony will release details in February for its annual Gala performance. Visit the Symphony website at svsummersymphony.org for complete 2019 season details and the latest information, news, and event information.

Sun Valley Summer Symphony 2019 Summer Concert Series – Subject to change

Monday, July 29, 2019, 6:30 PM
Ray Chen, Violin
Juliana Athayde, Violin
Bach: Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins and String Orchestra, BWV 1043
Mozart: Concerto No. 5 in A Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 219, "Turkish"

Tuesday, July 30, 2019, 6:30 PM
Ravel: "Le Tombeau de Couperin"
Stravinsky: Concerto in E-flat Major for Chamber Orchestra, "Dumbarton Oaks"
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1, Op. 25, "Classical"

Thursday, August 1, 2019, 6:30 PM
Recital
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Piano
Gautier Capucon, Cello
Brahms: Sonata No. 1 in E Minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 38
Shostakovich: Sonata in D Minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 40

Friday, August 2, 2019, 6:30 PM
William VerMeulen, French Horn
Strauss: Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major for Horn and Orchestra, Op. 11
Strauss: Suite from "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," Op. 60

Sunday, August 4, 2019, 6:30 PM
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Piano
Bernstein: Overture to "Candide"
Gershwin: Concerto in F Major for Piano and Orchestra
Respighi: "The Pines of Rome"

Monday, August 5, 2019, 6:30 PM
Gautier Capucon, Cello
Ravel/Neale: Minuet from Sonatine for Piano
Saint-Saens: Concerto No. 1 in A Minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 33
Ravel: "La Valse"

Wednesday, August 7, 2019, 6:30 PM
Beethoven: Overture to "Egmont," Op. 84
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92

Thursday, August 8, 2019, 6:30 PM
Chamber Concert
Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood, Ketchum
Edgar M. Bronfman String Quartet
Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 133, "Grosse Fuge"
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 14 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 142

Saturday, August 10, 2019, 6:30 PM
Family Concert – Kids' Choice: 5 Minutes That Made Me Love Classical Music
Program to be announced

Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 6:30 PM
Clyne: "Masquerade"
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 100

Wednesday, August 14, 2019, 6:30 PM
Jeremy Constant, Violin
Adam Smyla, Viola
Mason Bates, Composer-in-Residence
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major for Violin and Viola, K. 364
Bates: "Liquid Interface"

Saturday, August 17, 2019, 6:30 PM
Pops Night – The Music of George Gershwin
Teddy Abrams, Conductor and Piano
Morgan James, Voice
Hayman: Armed Forces Medley
Gershwin: "Rhapsody in Blue"
Remainder of program to be announced from the stage

Sunday, August 18, 2019, 6:30 PM
Sasha Cooke, Mezzo-Soprano
Mason Bates, Composer-in-Residence
Bates: "Devil's Radio"
Bates: "Passage"
Holst: Excerpts from "The Planets"

Monday, August 19, 2019, 6:30 PM
Musicians' Choice Chamber Concert
Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood, Ketchum
Program to be announced

Thursday, August 22, 2019, 6:30 PM
Julie Adams, Soprano
Sasha Cooke, Mezzo-Soprano
American Festival Chorus
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C-Minor, "Resurrection"

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This February, the largest privately funded, free-admission orchestra in America brings a new classical music experience to Sun Valley, the outdoor paradise known as much for its arts and culture as its recreational opportunities.

Sun Valley, ID -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/11/2018 -- This coming February 19-23, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony will present its first-ever Winter Festival. The Symphony is known for bringing world-class musicians and renowned guest artists from across the globe to perform annually in the scenic mountains of central Idaho. Performances are admission-free, and the season regularly draws crowds of more than 50,000 over the course of the summer. The Winter Festival will take place at the new Argyros Performing Arts Center in the heart of America's first destination ski resort, Sun Valley. The concerts and events are designed to create a new classical music experience.

The Festival begins with an invitation-only "Friends and Family Night" on Thursday, February 21. Public performances will be presented on Friday and Saturday night. The same program will be performed each evening.

"We're very excited to perform at the Argyros," explains Executive Director Derek Dean. "We've designed the program to exploit the full capabilities of the state-of-the-art acoustics the Argyros will offer, and we hope it creates a new and different experience of classical music for our audience."

"I don't want to give up all our secrets, but I can tell you that you will see some familiar faces from the orchestra, and some new faces as well," added Music Director Alasdair Neale. "You'll likely be familiar with a couple of the pieces, but I've programmed one that I'm pretty sure almost no one will have heard. And for another, I'm putting pen to manuscript paper to create something pretty special!"

Aside from the performances, the Festival will also include several education events. Musicians and guest artists will spend time with students from the Symphony's School of Music throughout the week, including classroom visits. Additional student events on Friday and Saturday afternoons include a private concert and discussion, and a session focused on the technology behind the Festival.

While admission is free for the public performances, capacity will be limited; reservations are therefore strongly encouraged. Reservations may be made online at svsummersymphony.org beginning Monday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. (MST). There is a limit of two seats per household. All reservations are general admission; please arrive early for the best seat selection.

The Argyros is located at 120 Main St. S., Ketchum, Idaho. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. A limited number of rush seats will be released at 6:00 p.m. The line for these forms at the entrance of the venue. Guests with reservations must be checked in by 6:15 p.m. as unclaimed seats will be released at that time.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase before and during the show and may be taken into the theatre. Each performance will include two intermissions and will end at approximately 8:45 p.m.

For the latest information and news on the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, visit the Symphony website at svsummersymphony.org. For more information on Sun Valley, go to visitsunvalley.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm