Grand Teton Music Festival's 62nd Season Ends with Record-Breaking Attendance and Revenue

The 62nd season of the Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF) concluded last month with a record-breaking celebration of music, under the artistic leadership of Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles. The 2023 Festival - from June 30 to August 19 - showcased GTMF's signature world-class programming over 100 events that included orchestral music, a series of chamber music performances, opera, outdoor events, and educational and community engagement events.

The total attendance for the eight-week Festival was just shy of 20,000, with the number of subscribers increasing by 6% over last summer. Revenue from ticket sales increased by 23%, marking this year as the highest income season in the history of the Festival. The educational and community programs reached an audience of 2,721 - including 1,157 students and young listeners. In total, GTMF's Community Engagement programs included 100 concerts, classes, and events this summer.

Over eight weeks, GTMF presented 16 Festival Orchestra concerts including two performances of Madame Butterfly and the world premiere of The Clustered Vine by Emmy-nominated composer Kareem Roustom, six chamber music events, four Gateway Series performances, three Sunday matinee piano recitals, two special events - Tony Award-winning Broadway icon Audra McDonald with the Festival Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America - and two outdoor concerts at the Center for the Arts Park.

"It has been so rewarding for the Festival to reach new heights this 62nd season, not only with record attendance but also with a true feeling of community," says Executive Director Emma Kail. "We were proud to present a poignant Madame Butterfly, a wonderful array of guest artists - from cellist Alisa Weilerstein and Broadway star Audra McDonald to soprano Julia Bullock and mandolinist Chris Thile - and important community programs that made an impact on young listeners."

The 62nd season culminated with the continuation of GTMF's new multi-year opera initiative featuring two rousing performances of a semi-staged production of Puccini's timeless Madame Butterfly, including seven world-class soloists. The production was supported by a video wall, customized supertitle screens, and vastly improved theatrical lighting, all of which was a leap forward over GTMF's already successful production of La bohème last year.

Other highlights of the Festival were a performance by the National Youth Orchestra with violinist Gil Shaham, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis; and a concert with Haydn's "Clock" symphony and Strauss' Ein Heldenleben. The stellar performance of the latter program showcased the Festival Orchestra - made of top-class musicians from around the world - and Runnicles at the height of their collaborative powers. Additionally, mandolinist Chris Thile demonstrated what the cross-genre Gateway Series can accomplish when individual virtuosity that matches the level of the Festival Orchestra is put on display in the intimate Walk Festival Hall.

As GTMF closes the summer season, it also announces the 2023-24 year-round events. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 3; please visit gtmf.org for details and updates. GTMF fans can also tune into the sixth season of Live from the Grand Teton Music Festival - GTMF's national radio broadcast series co-hosted by Sir Donald Runnicles and General Manager Jeff Counts. The latest season consists of 13 hour-long programs featuring performances from 2022. Select past seasons are also available on GTMF's SoundCloud and as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon, and TuneIn. To learn more, please visit gtmf.org/radio.

GTMF warmly welcomes new Board members Lynn Fleisher, Nancy Pasfield (two-year term; auxiliary president), and Susie Rauch, and returning Board member Christian Erdman. They join the 2023-2024 GTMF Officers - David Donovan, chair; Susan Sutton, vice-chair; Philip Sherringham, treasurer; Don Larson, secretary; and Barbara McCelvey, immediate past chair.

The Board also celebrates and expresses its utmost gratitude for outgoing members Katherine Brooks (served 2017-2023), John Costello (2008-2014 and 2016-2023), and Laurentius Marais (2017-2023), whose service, guidance, and support were invaluable to the Festival.

About Christian Erdman (returning Board member)

Christian Erdman is a private investor who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Criticism, and a Bachelor of Science in agricultural and managerial economics, both from University of California, Davis. Christian currently serves as the Chair of the Frank H. and Eva B. Buck Foundation, and recently left the boards of the U.C. Davis Foundation and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He lives in Teton Village with his wife Jacqueline and their daughter Mackenzie. They have had property in Jackson since 2004, and recently moved to Jackson full time.

About Lynn Fleisher (new Board member)

Lynn D. Fleisher, Ph.D., JD, is a board-certified medical geneticist and lawyer. She currently serves as General Counsel to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine, and the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Lynn previously spent 30 years in the Health Law Group at Sidley Austin LLP, in Chicago. Lynn and her husband, lawyer John C. Roberts, split their time between Chicago and Jackson.

About Nancy Pasfield (new Board member, auxiliary president)

Nancy Pasfield graduated from Lynchburg College in Virginia with a B.A. in early childhood education and completed a master's degree in educational leadership at the University of South Florida. She is an officer and active member of Soroptimists of Jackson Hole, an organization that supports women and children in the community.

About Susie Rauch (new Board member)

Susie Rauch founded and served as executive director of Interconnections 21 from 1997-2015. She moved to Wyoming after a successful 15-year career at UNESCO HQ in Paris, developing education programs in Eastern and Southern Africa, where she traveled frequently. After leaving UNESCO, in 1986, Susie served as a consultant with UNESCO, UNDP, Save the Children and World Education. Susie received a BA from Smith College and an MA in teaching of history from Teachers' College, Columbia University. She also holds an Ed.D. in international education from the University of Massachusetts. She has been a resident of Jackson Hole since the late 1980s.

About the Grand Teton Music Festival

Over eight weeks each summer, Grand Teton Music Festival unites over 220 celebrated orchestral musicians led by Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles. These musicians represent over 75 orchestras and nearly 55 institutions of higher learning in North America and Europe. In addition to orchestral concerts on Friday and Saturday nights, the summer season also features visiting guest artists and chamber music on weekdays.

Grand Teton Music Festival is one of America's leading summer classical music festivals. Recognized by The New York Times as one of the top 10 music festivals in the U.S. and chosen by BBC Music Magazine as their 2020 "Festival Choice," it is the most prominent arts organization in the state of Wyoming and a national treasure. As the single largest performing arts presenter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with nearly 100 annual events, GTMF presents year-long programming that includes community concerts and education programs for Teton County students.

GTMF is a 4-star charity as rated by Charity Navigator and has a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. For more information, visit gtmf.org.

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