Music on the Mountain features students from the Aspen Music Festival and the school performing light chamber music atop Aspen Mountain throughout July and into August. The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland will perform on July 6.
Of all the festivals in Aspen, none offers as many free events to the public as the Aspen Music Festival and School. Between panels, tours and musical events, freebies are offered every day during the six-week festival that runs through August 18.
AMFS recently kicked off the festival with its 75th Anniversary Celebration Party at the David Karetsky Music Lawn. Here’s a list of the free music events (plus dozens of lectures, workshops, and tours) planned for the summer season. For more information, including event schedules, visit aspenmusicfestival.com/events.
Recurring broadcasts
Spotlight Recitals are AMFS’s most regular free music events. These concerts feature performances by AMFS students in a variety of disciplines and are held at the following locations and dates: Pitkin County Library every Monday and Friday, through August 16; Harris Concert Hall every Wednesday and Thursday, July 10 through August 1 (except July 18 and 31); Aspen Community Church every Saturday through August 17; and Aspen Chapel every Thursday through August 15.
AMFS students perform most of the free concerts throughout the festival, providing them with an experience and the audience with a free show.
Music on The Mountain will have you listening to music atop Aspen Mountain, with the beautiful Elk Range as a backdrop. Bring a picnic or purchase lunch at the Sundeck Restaurant. A gondola ticket or a strenuous hike is required to access. All performances are at 1 p.m. Music students perform light chamber music every Saturday from July 13 to August 10. This Saturday, July 6, the National Piping Centre presents the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.
In Tunes and Tales, in collaboration with the Children’s Library, children are treated to enchanting stories mixed with music performed by AMFS students and local musicians. This event is for children under 9, accompanied by an adult. Tunes and Tales takes place at the Pitkin Regional Library every Wednesday through July 25 and at the Basalt Regional Library on July 17. All events are at 10:30 a.m.
Before the Friday night orchestral performances, free chamber music concerts will be held at Harris Concert Hall. All concerts will take place at 4:30 p.m. and will feature pianists. They include Yuval Chen on Friday; LaLa Lee and Yufei Chen on July 12; David Jeongmin Kim and Taige Wang on July 26; Joshua August Mhoon and Taige Wang on July 26; Aidan Erro Purtell, Vicky Cai, Sarah Yuan, Soli Cyrus Nallaseth and Max Hammond, August 9; and Jiacheng Xiong and Mehana Ellis, August 16.
Physics Center RecitalsThe concerts will take place on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. starting Monday. All performances will be on piano. The performers will be Bridget Yee and Sebastian Picht on Monday; Bridget Yee, Sebastian Picht, Hao Liu and Shiqin Wang on July 15; Bridget Yee, Sebastian Picht, Hao Liu and Shiqin Wang on July 22; Jiaxi Li, Mehana Ellis and Raditya Muljadi on July 29; Shiv Yajnik on August 5; and Jiaxi Li, Mehana Ellis and Raditya Muljadi on August 12.
Basalt Regional Library Recitals are held every Thursday from July 18th to August 15th and feature AMFS students performing chamber and solo works. All performances are at 5:15pm
The Anderson Ranch Arts Center will host guitar students in recital on August 7. AMFS guitar students will study under the direction of Sharon Isbin. Her students will also perform on August 15 at Harris Concert Hall.
Other programming
Here's a look at the free events planned for the remaining days of July:
July 4th Concert with the AMFS Band, Michael Klein Music Tent, today, 4 p.m.
String Showcase, Neeson Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, today, 6 p.m.
Bass String Competition, Hurst Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 6, 6 p.m.
National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, David Karetsky Music Lawn, July 7, 3:30 p.m.
Organ recital by Christopher Houlihan, Aspen Community Church, July 7, 7 p.m.
String Showcase, Neeson Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 11, 7 p.m.
Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Klein Music Tent, July 13, 10 a.m.
Sonata Showcase, Neeson Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 13, 6:30 p.m.
Artistic Song Showcase, Aspen Chapel; July 14, 7 p.m.
Wind Instrument Competition, Neeson Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 18, 1 p.m.
ABQ Seminar and Aspen Recital, Harris Concert Hall, July 18, 3 p.m.
String Showcase, Neeson Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 18, 7 p.m.
Brass Festival, Hurst Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 18, 7:30 p.m.
Lectures from the Composition Program, Klein Music Tent, July 19, 9 a.m.
Readings from the Composition Program, Klein Music Tent, July 20, 1 p.m.
Ice Cream Party, David Karetsky Music Lawn, July 21, 2:30 p.m.
Paul Jacobs Organ Recital, Aspen Community Church, July 21, 7 p.m.
Music with a View, Aspen Art Museum, July 23, 6 p.m.
String Showcase, Neeson Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 23, 7 p.m.
Mariachi Festival, Michael Klein Music Tent, July 24, 5:30 p.m.
Brass Competition, Hurst Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 25, 6 p.m.
Sonata Showcase, Neeson Hall-Bucksbaum Campus, July 27, 6:30 p.m.
Art Song Showcase, Harris Concert Hall, July 31, 3 p.m.
