Brevard Music Center Stages 'Music Rivalry' for Super Bowl 50

Brevard, NC and Aspen, Colo.-Lady Gaga won't be the only one in the musical spotlight at Super Bowl 50. This Sunday, Brevard Music Center and Aspen Music Festival -- two of the country's most prestigious music institutions and summer festivals -- are putting their batons down, and fists up, to defend the honor of their respective football teams, the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.

Mark Weinstein, president & CEO of Brevard Music Center, and Alan Fletcher, president & CEO of Aspen Music Festival and School, are making a tasteful wager on the winning team.

Should the Carolina Panthers win the Super Bowl, the Aspen Music Festival and School agrees to take a group photo of its Board of Trustees with Fletcher in a Panthers jersey, and send Brevard a Colorado salsa verde pork chili dinner for 10...with all the fixings.

"I can taste that salsa verde now," said Weinstein, smacking his lips. "Obviously, the Panthers will dominate the Broncos so the table is set, the beer is in the fridge, and we are waiting for the chili to arrive!"

If the Broncos win the Super Bowl, Weinstein agrees to don a Broncos jersey, have his photo taken with the BMC Board, and deliver 10 heaping-helpings of North Carolina pulled pork barbecue to Aspen.

"I'm grateful to Mark and everyone at Brevard for what is essentially an offer to buy us dinner," said Fletcher.

"What a great way to kick-off BMC's 80th anniversary," said Weinstein. "Either way, we're celebrating two winning seasons!"

About Brevard Music Center | Summer Festival and Institute

Performances as captivating as the view. This is Brevard. Be inspired. Be here.

Founded 80 years ago, the Brevard Music Center has matured into one of this country's premier summer classical music training programs and festivals. More than 400 gifted students, ages 14 through post-college, come to the Music Center each year from all across the US and around the world to study with a distinguished faculty and renowned guest artists.

Each summer, students participate in a vigorous program of instruction and performance led by Artistic Director and alumnus Keith Lockhart, also Principal Conductor of the Boston Pops and the BBC Concert Orchestra in London.

Brevard's hallmark is the powerful sense of community that re-emerges every June through August as faculty and students present more than 80 remarkable concerts to summer audiences totaling over 30,000.

For more information on BMC, visit brevardmusic.org, call (828) 862-2100, "like" the Brevard Music Center on Facebook, follow @brevardmusic on Twitter, and visit the Brevard Music Center YouTube channel for performance videos from previous festival seasons.

About the Aspen Music Festival and School

The Aspen Music Festival and School is the United States' premier classical music festival, presenting more than 400 musical events during its eight-week summer season in Aspen. The institution draws top classical musicians from around the world to this Colorado mountain retreat for an unparalleled combination of performances and music education. Many events are free and seating on the David Karetsky Music Lawn and in the Music Garden is always free.

More than 630 music students from more than 40 U.S. states and more than 40 countries come each summer to play in five orchestras, sing, conduct, compose and study with approximately 130 renowned artist-faculty members. Students represent the field's best talent; many have already begun their professional careers, and others are on the cusp.

Renowned alumni include violinists Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Cho-Liang Lin, Robert McDuffie, Midori, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Gil Shaham; pianists Ingrid Fliter, Orli Shaham, Conrad Tao, Yuja Wang, Wu Han and Joyce Yang; conductors Marin Alsop, James Conlon, James Levine, Leonard Slatkin and Joshua Weilerstein; composers William Bolcom, Philip Glass, David Lang, Augusta Read Thomas, Bright Sheng and Joan Tower; vocalists Jamie Barton, Danielle de Niese, Sasha Cooke, Renée Fleming, and Dawn Upshaw; cellists Lynn Harrell and Alisa Weilerstein; guitarist Sharon Isbin; performer Peter Schickele and bassist Edgar Meyer.