Programs and Ensembles

Instrumental and Orchestral Program—In addition to weekly private lessons all students in this program can play in one or more of the AMFS’s three orchestras. The orchestras are a mixture of all-student and student/artist-faculty players. Orchestras perform weekly in the 2,050-seat Klein Music Tent with prominent conductors and soloists throughout the summer.

Aspen Chamber Symphony—A chamber-sized symphony composed of AMFS artist-faculty members and students in side-by-side performance. It is led by world-renowned conductors and joined by distinguished guest soloists. Performances Fridays at 5:30 pm.

Aspen Festival Orchestra—A large symphony orchestra composed of AMFS artist-faculty members and students in side-by-side performance. It is led by world-renowned conductors and joined by star guest soloists. Repertoire consists of standard and contemporary works for the symphony orchestra. Performances Sundays at 4 pm.

Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra—The centerpiece of Aspen’s conductor-training program, professional conductors mentor the next generation of conducting talents who lead the orchestra and perform in the ensemble when not on the podium. Performances Wednesdays at 5 pm.

The Aspen Contemporary Ensemble (ACE) provides intensive study for musicians interested in the performance of works of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This year’s ensemble consists of returning AMFS students who have demonstrated an interest in and an aptitude for contemporary music. ACE performs on Saturdays at 4:30 pm.

Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS (AOTVA) is a revered opera and vocal program led by Co-Artistic Directors Renée Fleming and Patrick Summers that attracts many singers on the cusp of their professional careers. Weekly Opera Encounters programs on Saturdays at 10 am showcase faculty coaching ravishing voices in the vocal arts repertoire. This year’s AOTVA operas are Mozart’s Così fan tutte (July 21, 23, and 26) and Puccini’s La bohème (August 19).

The Center for Advanced Quartet Studies (AQS) is on hiatus for the 2025 season.

American Brass Quintet Seminar @Aspen (ABQS@A) is a four-week intensive dedicated exclusively to brass quintet repertoire, rehearsal techniques, and performance practice. Participants also receive weekly private instruction from members of the American Brass Quintet, faculty of the AMFS since 1970 and The Juilliard School since 1987. The ABQ season finale recital is on July 24 in Harris Concert Hall.

The Classical Guitar Program offers group performance instruction in which students concentrate on technique, sound production, interpretation, and Baroque performance practice. A highlight of the program is the annual recital on August 14 in Harris Concert Hall.

The Solo Piano Program offers students private lessons with internationally-renowned faculty and has ample performance opportunities in piano recitals and classes as well as chamber music ensembles. Pianists perform on the Overtures preconcert recital series on Friday evenings before Aspen Chamber Symphony concerts. They also perform regularly in Spotlight Recitals on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons, in Harris Concert Hall, Aspen Chapel, Aspen Community Church, the Aspen Center for Physics, and the Pitkin County Library.

The Collaborative Piano Program provides training for exceptional pianists who are committed to the collaborative arts, which include any area of performance that involves more than solo piano, such as vocal and instrumental accompaniment, art song, duo work, orchestral piano, and piano chamber music. Pianists perform regularly and play with other instrumentalists and vocalists in private and group instruction and on Spotlight recitals, Sonata recitals, Art Song recitals, and concerto competitions.

The Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies provides ten students a variety of perspectives and teaching styles in an intensive full-session program. Classes, lectures, and individual study are given by prominent figures of contemporary music, including the AMFS composition faculty as well as visiting composers whose works are performed on the stages of the AMFS. First Glimpse Composition Recitals (chamber music) are on August 13 and 22 in Harris Concert Hall. Art song recitals with the AOTVA program are on August 21 in Harris Concert Hall and August 23 in the Wheeler Opera House. A Composer Workshop (full orchestra) takes place on August 16 in the Klein Music Tent.

Youth and Family Summer Program

The Aspen Music Festival and School offers a wide variety of youth and family programming meant to inspire and engage the next generation. Whether you are enjoying a picnic at Music on the Mountain, being transported by story and song at Tunes and Tales, or gathering at the Klein Music Tent for Con Alma: A Mariachi Celebration! (July 2), you are sure to experience the excitement of the AMFS while creating family memories. Also explore our summer music education offerings for students of all ages: these programs give community members and guests the opportunity to develop their musical skills through lessons and activities all summer long.

Support for AMFS Education and Community Programs comes from Betty Wold Johnson Foundation, Nancy Swift Furlotti and the Pettit Foundation, First Western Trust, Dana and Gene Powell, Michael E. McGoldrick Charitable Foundation, Alpine Bank, Nancy Meinig – Meinig Family Foundation, the Fisher Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Edith Kallas and Joe Whatley, Melissa Eisenstat and Jonathan Blau, Golub Family Foundation, Hensley and James Peterson, and the Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth Program.

Festival for Kids

Family Concert—This short concert is designed to introduce kids to the world of classical music with Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals. Arrive early or stay after for musical activities designed to prepare kids for what they see and hear during the concert. Saturday, July 19 at 10 am at the Klein Music Tent. Activities on the David Karetsky Music Lawn from 9:15–11:15 am. Free, open to all ages. In memory of Charles Paterson, by Fonda Paterson. Business support provided by Carl’s Pharmacy and Miners’ Building Hardware.

Con Alma: A Mariachi Celebration!—Denver-based Mariachi Sol de mi Tierra performs as the culminating event of the AMFS Mariachi Workshop. Local students (grades 5+), adults, and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico join the professional mariachi on stage to highlight their hard work, build community, and celebrate Mexican culture. Join us starting at 4 pm for a fiesta featuring food trucks, local vendors, and activities presented in partnership with community organizations. Bring a blanket for the lawn, invite friends and family, and make it a party! Wednesday, July 2, at the Klein Music Tent. Fiesta from 4 to 7 pm, concert at 5:30 pm. Both events are free and open to all ages. Presented in partnership with Querencia Private Golf & Beach Club in Los Cabos, Mexico. Funded in part by the Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth Grant, Creative West, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional business support from Pitkin County Dry Goods.

Tunes & Tales—In collaboration with children’s librarians at the Pitkin County and Basalt Regional libraries, kids are treated to enchanting stories blended with music by AMFS young artists. Monday, July 7, and Thursdays, July 17, 24, and 31, 10:30 am at Pitkin County Library (Aspen). Wednesdays, July 9–30, 10:30 am at Basalt Regional Library. For ages 8 and under with an adult.

Summer Music Education

Sing Play Move—This early childhood music education offering is for our youngest classical music fans! Sing Play Move’s curriculum is based on folk music, nursery rhymes, instrumental play, creative movement, and simple composition. Children and parents alike will delight in these thoughtfully designed and engaging classes. Subscription-based series for infants through rising first graders. July 7–11 at Christ Episcopal Church (Aspen). Space provided in partnership with Christ Episcopal Church.

P.A.L.S. (Passes and Lessons Scholarship) Program—P.A.L.S. is a summer program for local students (grades 1–12) that includes private lessons, music education activities, and exclusive access to the AMFS season. Each P.A.L.S. student is paired with a top AMFS young artist for a series of private music lessons over the summer. This allows local students to improve their musicianship and establish a mentorship connection with AMFS young artists. Participants additionally receive a special AMFS season pass and access to P.A.L.S.-specific activities like studio classes and backstage tours. The P.A.L.S. program is generously underwritten by Les Dames d’Aspen.

Festival Lessons—Music lessons with AMFS young artists are available to residents or guests of Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley each summer. This opportunity is available to music enthusiasts of all ages, with or without prior music experience! Lessons cost $35 per half-hour and can be purchased separately or as a series.

Con Alma: AMFS Mariachi Workshop—Explore Mariachi music with the AMFS and perform alongside a professional mariachi ensemble! This free three-day workshop includes musical training from Colorado’s best Mariachi performers and teachers, informative sessions on the history and tradition of Mariachi, intergenerational learning opportunities, and more. Participants (grades 5+) must have at least one year of experience on their instrument. A Mariachi Development training for music educators, college students, arts administrators, and adult participants will be offered on Sunday, June 29. Most instruments are welcome and prior Mariachi experience is not necessary! June 30–July 2 at Basalt High School. Community performance on July 2, 5:30 pm at the Klein Music Tent with Mariachi Sol de mi Tierra and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico.

Presented in partnership with Querencia Private Golf & Beach Club in Los Cabos, Mexico. Funded in part by the Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth Grant, Creative West, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional business support from Pitkin County Dry Goods.