Bravo! Vail Music Festival Announces Free Education and Engagement Programs

The Bravo! Vail Music Festival (Bravo! Vail) has announced more than 35 free events taking place throughout the Vail Valley as part of its 36th annual Festival from June 22-August 3, 2023.

These programs include an expansive mix of community concerts, family concerts, music appreciation events, and more, featuring: Bravo! Vail's 2023 Chamber Musicians in Residence, the Galvin Cello Quartet and Isidore String Quartet; 2023 Bravo! Vail Piano Fellows Jonathan Mak and Illia Ovcharenko; the Viano String Quartet; Dalí Quartet; Sinta Saxophone Quartet; Sandbox Percussion; Marin Alsop; and Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott.

"The Bravo! Vail Music Festival would not be possible without the support of our community, and in return, we want to make sure that everyone in our community can enjoy Bravo! Vail's high-quality classical music and educational programs," said Caitlin Murray, executive director of Bravo! Vail. "Approximately half of our Festival programs are offered for free each summer, and we are proud to share these world-renowned artists and their incredible music free of charge throughout the Valley."

Admission to all public Bravo! Vail Education and Engagement events are either low-cost or free, but tickets are required. Reservations can be made through BravoVail.org or by calling 877.812.5700.

Free Festival Education & Engagement Events (open To The Public)

Community Concerts

These hour-long chamber music concerts and solo recitals are performed by visiting ensembles and musicians in unique community locations. Bravo! Vail's 2023 series welcomes the Galvin Cello Quartet, Viano String Quartet, Isidore String Quartet, and 2023 Bravo! Vail Piano Fellows Jonathan Mak and Illia Ovcharenko in ten total performances taking place at the Edwards Interfaith Chapel, Vail Interfaith Chapel, Ford Park Lower Bench, and Gypsum Town Hall.

• Monday, June 26 at 6PM: (Edwards Interfaith Chapel)-Bravo! Vail welcomes a cello ensemble to the Festival for the first time-the Galvin Cello Quartet-in a program featuring music from around the world, including works by Mozart, Bach, Perkinson, Barrière, and Piazzolla.
• Tuesday, June 27 at 1PM: (Vail Interfaith Chapel)-The Galvin Cello Quartet showcases the beauty and range of the cello with works by Bach, Vivaldi, Popper, Wagner, Gershwin, and the late virtuosic cellist Gaspar Cassadó.
• Thursday, June 29 at 1PM: (Vail Interfaith Chapel)-The Galvin Cello Quartet performs an eclectic program featuring "Winter" from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and works by Gardel, Penderecki, Fitzhagen, Boccherini, and Paganini.
• Thursday, July 6 at 1PM: (Vail Interfaith Chapel)-The Galvin Cello Quartet closes its unique residency with the Bravo! Vail premiere of Dimitri Cervo's Dança Negra and works by Rossini, J.S. Bach, Forino, Bottermund-Starker, Mozart, and Popper.
• Tuesday, July 11 at 1PM: (Vail Interfaith Chapel)-Bravo! Vail Piano Fellow and Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Finalist Jonathan Mak makes his Bravo! Vail debut performance with works by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Schumann.
• Thursday, July 13 at 1PM: (Vail Interfaith Chapel) The critically acclaimed Viano String Quartet returns for the Bravo! Vail premiere of Reena Esmail's Zeher (Poison) in a program that also includes string quartets by Bartók and Smetana.
• Tuesday, July 18 at 1PM: (Vail Interfaith Chapel) Bravo! Vail Piano Fellows Jonathan Mak and Illia Ovcharenko team up with the Viano String Quartet in a program featuring two quartets for violin, viola, cello, and piano by Mozart and Brahms.
• Thursday, July 20 at 1PM: (Vail Interfaith Chapel) Bravo! Vail Piano Fellow and winner of the 2022 Honens International Piano Competition Illia Ovcharenko performs works by fellow Ukrainian composer Levko Revutsky, Chopin, and Schumann.
• Thursday, July 20 at 6PM: (Brush Creek Pavilion) Piano Fellows Jonathan Mak and Illia Ovcharenko share the stage in a program featuring works by J.S. Bach, Schumann, Schubert, Lysenko, and more.
• Sunday, July 30 at 6PM: (Gypsum Town Hall) Winners of the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Isidore String Quartet makes its Bravo! Vail debut performing works by Bartók and Brahms.

Little Listeners @ The Library

Bravo! Vail's Little Listeners @ The Library series presents interactive, 30-minute performances by guest artists, visiting ensembles, and more at the Vail, Gypsum, Avon, and Eagle public libraries. With a special focus on children ages 2-7, performing artists explore musical concepts and ideas with their young audiences in a captivating, memorable way, while aligning with the library's summer reading themes.

The 2023 Little Listeners @ The Library theme, "All Together Now," highlights the value of teamwork and collaboration. Participating musicians include the Galvin Cello Quartet, Dalí Quartet, Viano String Quartet, and the Isidore String Quartet.

Vail Public Library
• Thursday, June 29 at 2:30PM: Members of the Galvin Cello Quartet
• Thursday, July 13 at 2:30PM: Members of the Viano String Quartet

Avon Public Library
• Monday, June 26 at 2:30PM: Galvin Cello Quartet
• Monday, July 17 at 2:30PM: Viano String Quartet

Eagle Public Library
• Wednesday, July 12 at 2:30PM: Dalí Quartet
• Wednesday, July 26 at 2:30PM: Isidore String Quartet

Gypsum Public Library
• Monday, July 10 at 2:30PM: Dalí Quartet
• Monday, July 24 at 2:30PM: Isidore String Quartet

Family Concert

Bravo! Vail's annual Family Concert is designed to engage young listeners and their families by introducing symphonic and chamber music in a fun, accessible way. The 2023 family concert features the Dalí Quartet in Bravo! Vail's first bilingual concert.

• Saturday, July 15, at 6PM (Minturn Little Beach Park): The Dalí Quartet presents A Bailar, a bilingual (Spanish-English) concert and presentation that explores dance styles from around the world, including tangos from Argentina and Uruguay; salsa-inspired music from Venezuela; boleros, guajiras, and mambos from Cuba; waltzes from Europe; and more.

Inside the Music

These in-depth discussions, presentations, artist talks, and master classes give background and expert insight into the music performed at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival.

• Wednesday, July 12, 1PM, (Vail Interfaith Chapel)-Anne-Marie McDermott deconstructs Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 6 at the piano, pointing out details in the score that illuminate the music and help bring this massive work to life for the listener.
• Wednesday, July 19, 1PM (Vail Interfaith Chapel)-Anne-Marie McDermott gives a masterclass with 2023 Bravo! Vail Piano Fellows Jonathan Mak and Illia Ovcharenko, performing Schumann Sonata in F minor and Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 6, respectively.
• Saturday, July 22 & Sunday, July 23 at 9:30AM and 11AM (Walking Mountains Vail Nature Center)-These four Prokofiev Nature Walks explore the composer's unique ability to capture gestures, characters, and animals in the natural setting of his inspiration. Led by New York Philharmonic Archivist Gabryel Smith and the Walking Mountains Science Center, the walks include live excerpts from Prokofiev's masterworks Peter and the Wolf and Romeo and Juliet. Note: there is an admission fee for these walks.
• Wednesday, July 26 at 1PM (Vail Interfaith Chapel)-In advance of the New York Philharmonic's final performance, trailblazing conductor Marin Alsop sits down with Anne-Marie McDermott to discuss the program, conducting, Yunchan Lim's gold medal-winning performance at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and more.

Music Box Series

Bravo! Vail presents its Music Box Series on July 28 - 30, expanding the reach of the Music Box, Bravo! Vail's mobile performance space. This new series of concerts features Sinta Saxophone Quartet and Sandbox Percussion in various locations throughout the Vail Valley. Host partners and locations include Eagle Valley Community Foundation in Edwards, Habitat for Humanity in Gypsum, and Vail Farmers Market. Full details will be announced at a later date.

FESTIVAL EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS (Closed to reservations)

In addition to public Education and Engagement events, Bravo! Vail offers free and reduced-cost programs for partner organizations and students in our community.

• Community Collaborations: Through collaborative partnerships, Bravo! Vail uses the arts to strengthen our community, bring music to audiences outside the concert hall, and enhance understanding of music through innovative, interactive programs. As part of the 2023 Festival, Bravo! Vail presents free concerts in conjunction with the following partners: Vail Health, Roundup River Ranch, Golden Eagle Senior Center, and Castle Peak Senior Living.
• Music Makers Haciendo Música: Bravo! Vail offers students in grades 2-12 in the Eagle and Lake County school districts after-school violin, piano, and chamber ensemble instruction, giving them the opportunity to learn an instrument and reap the social, emotional, and developmental benefits of music instruction at an early age. Classes run weekly from September to April, and full-tuition scholarships and free instrument rental are available to any student in need.
• Summer Intensive: Bravo! Vail provides Music Makers Haciendo Música students the opportunity to enroll in a week of individual training and ensemble coaching through Bravo! Vail's Summer Intensive camp. Participants also have exclusive access to orchestral partners, guest artists, and other music development opportunities during the Festival.
• Young Musicians Day, June 30-July 1: Young Musicians Day brings together students from Bravo! Vail's Music Makers Haciendo Música, El Sistema Colorado, Aspen Music Festival and School, Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, and Boulder Children's Chorale to learn and perform challenging repertoire and create meaningful connections together.
• Pre-Concert Talks: Led by renowned musicologists and passionate performers, these talks take place one hour prior to select Orchestral Series performances at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and are open to anyone with a ticket to the performance. These talks are designed to enhance concert experiences by giving background and creating deeper connections to the evening's program.

Education and Engagement Sponsors

Bravo! Vail's 2023 Education and Engagement programs are generously supported to date by the following corporate, foundation, and government entities: Town of Vail, Sturm Family Foundation, ANB Bank, Xcel Energy Foundation, Town of Gypsum, Barbara Treat Foundation, Wall Street Insurance, El Pomar Foundation, Alpine Bank, Gallegos Corporation, Town of Avon, Slifer Smith & Frampton Foundation, and Rotary Club of Vail.

About Bravo! Vail Music Festival

Consistently cited as one of the top 10 classical music festivals in the country, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout the Vail and Eagle River Valleys for six weeks, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host four of the world's finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrates its 36th season from June 22 - August 3, 2023, with more than 80 concerts-half of which are presented for free in the community. Beyond its summer programming, Bravo! Vail serves the community by providing year-round, low-cost music education through Music Makers Haciendo Música, a piano, violin, and chamber ensemble instruction program that helps develop new generations of musicians and music lovers. Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott has led the Festival since 2011.

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