Bravo! announces lineup for 37th season

The Bravo! Vail Music Festival (Bravo! Vail) this week issued the following press release announcing its 37th festival season:

The Bravo! Vail Music Festival (Bravo! Vail) announced its 37th Festival season today, featuring more than 80 concerts across Colorado’s stunning Vail Valley region. Taking place from June 20 to August 1, the six-week festival presents four internationally acclaimed resident orchestras—Mexico’s Sinfónica de Minería (formerly Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería), the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic—alongside distinguished chamber ensembles and guest artists. The season highlights an incredible breadth of programming, ranging from opera, classical masterpieces, and new music, to pops favorites and Latin-American classical music.

“Bravo! Vail Music Festival’s 37th season promises to be exhilarating and filled with joy,” said Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott. “The Festival and its community of listeners will share in the transformative and uplifting power of live music in one of the world’s most majestic natural settings. Whether listening to an orchestra at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, a string quartet in the Vail Chapel, or a solo artist in the comfort of someone’s home, audiences will share with artists the special magic of the music they love.”

The season commences with Mexico’s Sinfónica de Minería, making a historic debut as the 2024 international chamber orchestra and first Latin-American guest orchestra presented at the Festival. Led by renowned Mexican conductor and Artistic Director Carlos Miguel Prieto, the three-day residency showcases world-renowned artists, including trumpet player Pacho Flores, guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, cantaora Esperanza Fernández, flamenco dancer Isaac Tovar, and cuatro player Leo Rondón.

Additional highlights from Bravo! Vail’s 37th season include Puccini’s La bohème on July 10 and 12 with The Philadelphia Orchestra led by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. This staged production, the second opera presented at Bravo! Vail, brings together the Orchestra, a full chorus, costumes, set design, and some of the leading opera singers of our time, including Nicole Car, Gabriella Reyes, Stephen Costello, and Étienne Dupuis.

The 2024 season also marks the third year of Bravo! Vail’s Symphonic Commissioning Project, an initiative that upholds the Festival’s legacy of supporting living composers and their work. As part of this project, The Philadelphia Orchestra gives the Colorado premiere of Jeff Tyzik’s Take Off!, a work commissioned by Bravo! Vail in celebration of Tyzik’s 30th year at the Festival. Additionally, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents the Colorado premiere of Anna Clyne’s ATLAS for piano and orchestra featuring pianist Jeremy Denk, and the New York Philharmonic gives the Colorado premiere of To See the Sky by Joel Thompson. Coupled with these three Symphonic Commissioning Project works, eleven works by living composers receive their Bravo! Vail premieres.

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Esteemed Venezuelan trumpet player Pacho Flores performs Paquito D’Rivera’s Concierto Venezolano and his own Cantos y Revueltas with Sinfónica de Minería in an all Latin-American themed program.
  
• Fabio Luisi leads the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in four of the orchestra’s five programs highlighting an expansive range of repertoire—from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and the Suite from Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier to American Broadway classics and the Colorado premiere of Anna Clyne’s ATLAS for piano and orchestra.
  
• Marin Alsop, newly named Principal Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra (beginning in Sept. 2024), conducts two programs of cherished works including Holst’s The Planets, Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite, and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.
  
• The New York Philharmonic honors Jaap van Zweden’s last appearances as music director by performing beloved orchestra repertoire from composers he has championed throughout his tenure with the Philharmonic, including Brahms, Copland, Shostakovich, Wagner, and more.
  
• The Chamber Music Series features world-renowned pianists Sergei Babayan and Daniil Trifonov—also former teacher and student—performing an all-Rachmaninoff program for two pianos.
  
• Immersive Experiences explores works from Schubert’s prolific last year of life featuring performances by Anne-Marie McDermott, Susanna Phillips, Ricardo Morales, Carter Brey, Jennifer Montone, and the Dalí Quartet.
  
• Dublin Guitar Quartet headlines the bold Classically Uncorked series with an all-Philip Glass program and a performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring transcribed for guitar quartet.
  
• Janice Carissa and Ariel Lanyi are selected as 2024 Bravo! Vail Piano Fellows.
  
• Bravo! Vail brings more than 35 free community and family concerts to venues throughout the Vail and Eagle River Valley region.

NEW MUSIC

Bravo! Vail presents the Colorado premieres of Anna Clyne’s ATLAS (June 29), Jeff Tyzik’s Lift Off! (July 4), and Joel Thompson’s To See the Sky (July 20). Eleven works by contemporary composers Gabriela Ortiz, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Márquez, Pacho Flores, Reena Esmail, Arvo Pärt, Mason Bates, Philip Glass, and Nikita Koshkin also receive their Bravo! Vail premieres.

More details about the new music presented at Bravo! Vail’s 37th festival can be found at this link.

ARTIST DEBUTS

A distinguished roster of ensembles, guest artists, and conductors make their bravo! Vail debuts during the 37th festival.

Bravo! Vail welcomes the debuts of the following ensembles: Mexico’s Sinfónica de Minería, Dublin Guitar Quartet, Dior Quartet, Akropolis Reed Quintet, and The Westerlies. Guest artist debuts include conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali; cantaora Esperanza Fernández; cuatro player Leo Rondón; flamenco dancer Isaac Tovar; guitarists Pablo Sáinz-Villegas and Jason Vieaux; pianists Sergei Babayan, Igor Levit, Janice Carissa, and Ariel Lanyi; soprano Karen Slack, and trumpet player Pacho Flores.

More details about artist debuts at Bravo! Vail’s 37th festival can be found at this link.

ORCHESTRAL SERIES (Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater —6:00PM, unless otherwise noted) Sinfónica de Minería (June 20-June 23, 2024)

Sinfónica de Minería (June 20-June 23, 2024)
Mexico’s acclaimed Sinfónica de Minería (SM) makes its highly anticipated debut as Bravo! Vail’s 2024 guest chamber orchestra and the first Latin American orchestra presented at the Festival.

Led by renowned Mexican conductor and Artistic Director Carlos Miguel Prieto, SM’s three programs include an expansive breadth of repertoire and debut performances by guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, cantaora Esperanza Fernández, flamenco dancer Isaac Tovar, trumpeter Pacho Flores, and cuatro player Leo Rondón, in addition to a special performance by Bravo! Vail’s very own Anne-Marie McDermott.

• Thursday, June 20: Bravo! Vail Opens with Beethoven’s Eroica—Sinfónica de Minería opens its historic Bravo! Vail residency with an all-Beethoven program featuring Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by Anne-Marie McDermott and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica, led by Artistic Director Carlos Miguel Prieto.
  
• Saturday, June 22: Prieto Conducts Ravel, Rodrigo, & Falla—World- renowned guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, cantaora Esperanza Fernández, and flamenco dancer Isaac Tovar join OSM in a Spanish and French-inspired program, including works by Ravel, Rodrigo, and Falla.
  
• Sunday, June 23: Sinfónica de Minería in Concert—Prieto and SM conclude their residency with a captivating Latin American program featuring Venezuelan cuatro player Leo Rondón and trumpet player Pacho Flores in performances of Paquito D’Rivera’s Concierto Venezolano and his own Cantos y Revueltas, alongside works by Ginastera, Gabriela Ortiz, and Arturo Márquez.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra (June 26-July 1, 2024)
Recognized for delivering uplifting, and inventive musical experiences, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) returns to Bravo! Vail with Music Director Fabio Luisi leading four of the orchestra’s five programs. Highlights include the Colorado premiere of Anna Clyne’s ATLAS for piano and orchestra featuring Jeremy Denk, as well as guest artist appearances by Daniil Trifonov, Issachah Savage, Karen Slack, and Paul Huang.

DSO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik celebrates his 30th year appearing at Bravo! Vail with a program featuring classic country hits from legendary stars and the biggest country stars of today, including Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, The Chicks, Kacey Musgraves, and more.

• Wednesday, June 26: Trifonov Performs Mozart—Called “the most outstanding pianist of our age” by The Times of London, pianist Daniil Trifonov joins the DSO in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9, in a program that includes Mahler’s profound Symphony No. 5, led by Music Director Fabio Luisi.
  
• Friday, June 28: American Broadway Songbook—Luisi leads the DSO in a program celebrating Broadway classics from the American canon, including favorites from Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Ellington, and more, performed by soprano Karen Slack and tenor Issachah Savage.
  
• Saturday, June 29: Luisi Conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fifth—The DSO gives Bravo! Vail’s first Symphonic Commissioning Project premiere of the summer— Anna Clyne’s ATLAS for piano and orchestra featuring pianist Jeremy Denk—in addition to Tchaikovsky’s triumphant Symphony No. 5, led by Luisi.
  
• Sunday, June 30: Huang Plays Brahms Violin Concerto with DSO— Acclaimed Taiwanese-American violinist Paul Huang returns to Bravo! Vail, performing Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major with Luisi and the DSO, in a program that includes two of Richard Strauss’ masterpieces, the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier and Don Juan.
  
• Monday, July 1: Country Hits: Songs from Nashville—Jeff Tyzik closes the DSO residency honoring the country music of Music City with songs by classic artists such as Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Willy Nelson, and today’s biggest stars including Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Kacey Musgraves, and more.

The Philadelphia Orchestra (July 4-12, 2024)
One of the world’s preeminent and most innovative orchestras, The Philadelphia Orchestra (PO) joins Bravo! Vail for six performances including three under the direction of Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and two by newly announced Principal Guest Conductor of the PO Marin Alsop. The DSO’s Jeff Tyzik opens the PO residency with Bravo! Vail’s beloved patriotic program, giving the Colorado premiere of his own work Lift Off!

Highlights include the return of opera to Bravo! Vail with two staged productions of La bohème; the Bravo! Vail premiere of Mason Bates’ Nomad Concerto for violin and orchestra; and guest appearances by Conrad Tao, Gil Shaham, Nicole Car, Gabriella Reyes, Stephen Costello, Étienne Dupuis, and other vocalists.

• Thursday, July 4 at 2:00PM: Tyzik Conducts Patriotic Concert with PO— Audience favorite Jeff Tyzik opens The Philadelphia Orchestra’s residency in a program celebrating Independence Day, including the world premiere of his own work Lift Off! commissioned by Bravo! Vail in honor of his 30th year at the Festival.
  
• Friday, July 5: Alsop Conducts Gershwin and Bernstein—PO Principal Guest Conductor Designate Marin Alsop returns to Bravo! Vail leading the Orchestra in Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from his iconic West Side Story, in addition to Gershwin’s Cuban Overture and Piano Concerto in F Major featuring critically acclaimed pianist Conrad Tao.
  
• Saturday, July 6: Holst’s The Planets Conducted by Alsop—The PO explores our solar system in Holst’s legendary and popular work The Planets in a program that also includes Copland’s American masterpiece Appalachian Spring Suite, led by Alsop.
  
• Wednesday, July 10, and Friday, July 12: Puccini’s La bohème—Opera returns to Bravo! Vail with Puccini’s beloved La bohème, performed by the Orchestra and led by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. This staged production involves a full chorus; costume and set design; and an all-star cast of singers including Nicole Car, Gabriella Reyes, Stephen Costello, Étienne Dupuis, and more.
  
• Thursday, July 11: Nézet-Séguin Conducts Rachmaninoff—Legendary violinist Gil Shaham joins Nézet-Séguin and the PO in the Bravo! Vail premiere of Mason Bates’ explosive Nomad Concerto in a program that includes Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.

The New York Philharmonic (July 17-24, 2024)
Jaap van Zweden makes his final appearances as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic (Philharmonic), leading the iconic orchestra in three of its six powerful performances at Bravo! Vail. Guest conductors Ted Sperling and Santtu-Matias Rouvali, giving his Bravo! Vail debut, close the Festival’s 2024 Orchestra Series.

Additional highlights include the Colorado premiere of To See the Sky by Joel Thompson, a joint commission and part of Bravo! Vail’s Symphonic Commissioning Project made in collaboration with the New York Philharmonic, American Composers Forum, Atlanta Symphony, and Aspen Music Festival and School; the Bravo! Vail debut of pianist Igor Levit; and guest artist appearances by Hilary Hahn,Christopher Martin, Augustin Hadelich, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

• Wednesday, July 17: Hilary Hahn Plays Beethoven—Music Director Jaap van Zweden opens the Philharmonic residency with Copland’s monumental Symphony No. 3 and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto performed by virtuosic violinist and the Philharmonic’s 2023-24 Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn.
  
• Friday, July 19: Van Zweden Conducts Mendelssohn—Van Zweden returns to lead the Philharmonic in two contrasting Russian works: Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 and Shostakovich’s Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, featuring Principal Trumpet Christopher Martin and the Bravo! Vail debut of pianist Igor Levit. Concluding the program is Mendelssohn’s cherished Symphony No. 3.
  
• Saturday, July 20: New York Philharmonic Plays Brahms—The Philharmonic gives the Colorado premiere of To See the Sky by Joel Thompson in a powerful van Zweden-led program featuring the rousing Prelude to Act I of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Brahms’ profound masterpiece Symphony No. 4.
• Sunday, July 21: Broadway Showstoppers with the New York Philharmonic—Tony Award-winning conductor and musical director, Ted Sperling, leads an irresistible program of Broadway showstoppers, spanning many decades of award-winning musicals with vocalists Ashley Brown and Ryan Silverman.

• Tuesday, July 23: Augustin Hadelich Plays Shostakovich—Finnish guest conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali makes his Bravo! Vail debut, leading the Philharmonic in Rossini’s Semiramide Overture, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, and Shostakovich’s virtuosic Violin Concerto No. 1, performed by longtime Bravo! Vail favorite Augustin Hadelich.
  
• Wednesday, July 24: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue—The Philharmonic concludes Bravo! Vail’s Orchestra Series with a special performance of Gershwin’s jazz-inspired Rhapsody in Blue by distinguished pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, in a program that includes Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 and works by French composers Bizet and Farrenc.

CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES (Donovan Pavilion or Vilar Center for the Performing Arts, 7:00PM)

Bravo! Vail’s Chamber Music Series presents four performances by internationally celebrated chamber musicians and ensembles in the beautiful, intimate environments of the Donovan Pavilion and Vilar Performing Arts Center. The 2024 series features the Bravo! Vail debut of pianist Sergei Babayan with Daniil Trifonov and additional guest artist performances by violinist Paul Huang, pianist Igor Levit, Artistic Director and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, Dalí Quartet, New York Philharmonic String Quartet, and The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Principal Horn Jennifer Montone and Principal ClarinetRicardo Morales.

• Tuesday, June 25 (Donovan Pavilion): Rachmaninoff with Trifonov & Babayan—World-renowned pianists Sergei Babayan and Daniil Trifonov—also former teacher and student—open Bravo! Vail’s Chamber Music Series with an all-Rachmaninoff program featuring two pianos.
  
• Tuesday, July 2 (Donovan Pavilion): McDermott & Huang in Concert—Paul Huang performs a special violin recital with Bravo! Vail’s Anne-Marie McDermott on piano and featuring works by Pärt, Corigliano, Prokofiev, and Mozart.
  
• Sunday, July 14 (Vilar Performing Arts Center): Dalí Quartet, McDermott, Morales & Montone—The Dalí Quartet returns to the Chamber Music Series performing rarely heard string quartets by Arriaga and Ginastera, as well as Dohnányi’s Sextet in C Major joined by McDermott, The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Principal Horn Jennifer Montone, and Principal Clarinet Ricardo Morales.
  
• Monday, July 22 (Vilar Performing Arts Center): New York Philharmonic String Quartet & Igor Levit—The New York Philharmonic String Quartet, comprised of four principal musicians from the orchestra, performs alongside pianist Igor Levit in a program including Dvořák’s Piano Quintet No. 2 and more.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES (Donovan Pavilion, 7:00PM)

Bravo! Vail’s Immersive Experiences take listeners on a “deep dive” over multiple concerts into a whole body or oeuvre of music, with the musicians themselves serving as the guide. The 2024 series explores works from the prolific last year of Schubert’s life, which was tragically cut short at age 31 by typhoid fever. Composer Benjamin Britten once proclaimed it, “the most miraculous year in music history.”

The Immersive Experiences programs are curated and performed by pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, soprano Susanna Phillips, the Dalí Quartet, New York Philharmonic Principal Cellist Carter Brey, and The Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Horn Jennifer Montone and Principal Clarinet Ricardo Morales. These evenings provide experiences that are aurally, intellectually, and emotionally exhilarating.

• Monday, July 15: Schubert’s Last Year I—McDermott, Montone, Phillips, and Dalí Quartet musicians Ari Isaacman-Beck and Jesús Morales perform the first Immersive Experiences concert featuring works from Schubert’s final year, including Auf dem Strom for Soprano, Horn, and Piano; Fantasie for Violin and Piano; and Trio No. 2 for Violin, Cello and Piano.
  
• Tuesday, July 16: Schubert’s Last Year II—McDermott, Brey, Morales, Phillips, and the Dalí Quartet close Immersive Experiences with Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen for Soprano, Clarinet and Piano; Piano Sonata in B- flat major; and Cello Quintet in C major.

CLASSICALLY UNCORKED (Donovan Pavilion, 7:00PM)

Bravo! Vail’s Classically Uncorked returns with two bold chamber music programs co- curated and presented by the Dublin Guitar Quartet, a quartet dedicated to performing contemporary music using eight and eleven-string guitars. Each Classically Uncorked program offers a unique chamber music experience with handcrafted wines and cabaret-style seating in the gorgeous Donovan Pavilion.

• Wednesday, July 31—The Dublin Guitar Quartet—the first-ever guitar ensemble featured at Bravo! Vail—makes its Festival debut with a program of works by Philip Glass.
  
• Thursday, August 1—The Dublin Guitar Quartet closes out Classically Uncorked and the Bravo! Vail Music Festival with a special arrangement of Stravinsky’s groundbreaking Rite of Spring, in addition to works by Kilar, Ligeti, and Nikita Koshkin.

LINDA & MITCH HART SOIRÉE SERIES (various private locations, 6:00PM)

These four stylish soirées are one-of-a-kind social and musical experiences hosted at magnificent private residences. Each evening begins with a cocktail hour followed by a performance by some of the world’s most extraordinary musicians with an intimate post- concert dinner. The 2024 series includes concerts by Sergei Babayan, Jason Vieaux, Susanna Phillips, Anne-Marie McDermott, Anthony McGill, and Carter Brey. The locations and programs will be announced at a later date.

• Thursday, June 27: Soirée I—pianist Sergei Babayan
  
• Monday, July 8: Soirée II— guitarist Jason Vieaux
  
• Thursday, July 18: Soirée III—soprano Susanna Phillips and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott
  
• Thursday, July 25: Soirée IV—clarinetist Anthony McGill, cellist Carter Brey and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Throughout the Festival, Bravo! Vail offers more than 35 free concerts in the Vail Valley community, featuring emerging artists and musicians from visiting orchestras and ensembles. At the heart of Bravo! Vail’s mission to provide extensive music education throughout our community, these accessible programs break down economic and geographical barriers, ensuring everyone in the community can enjoy high-quality classical music and educational opportunities in their own towns. Full details of all programs will be announced in early March 2024.

Ticket Information

Single tickets and ticket packages are available beginning today. Please visit BravoVail.org for more information about purchasing tickets.

Festival Sponsors

Bravo! Vail’s 2024 Music Festival is generously supported to date by the following: Alpine Bank; Applejack Wine & Spirits; The Arrabelle; Bank of America Private Bank, Barbara Treat Foundation; Berry Charitable Foundation; Colorado Creative Industries; Gallegos Corporation; GMC; Jackson Family Wines; LIV Sotheby’s; The Lodge at Vail; National Endowment for the Arts; The Sidney E. Frank Foundation; The Sturm Family and ANB Bank; Town of Avon; Town of Gypsum; Town of Vail; Vail, Beaver Creek and EpicPromise; Vail Valley Foundation; Wall Street Insurance; WESTAF; and Xcel Energy Foundation.