Creede Musical Arts Collective Launches and Announces Inaugural Season

In the mountains of Creede, Colorado, a new voice emerges. The Creede Musical Arts Collective (CMAC) officially announces the birth of its organization, launching its inaugural festival season in the summer of 2022. CMAC co-founders (and husband & wife duo) Megan Marino and Michael Mayes were eager to return to Creede since their early summer 2021 residency with the bluegrass-fusion band, Midnight Cricket Club at the Creede Hotel & Restaurant. Inspired by the peaceful, picturesque town and their meaningful engagement with the arts-loving community there, they formed a new 501c3 to provide Creede and its surrounding regional audiences with infinite genres of Musical Arts explored with performances and workshops that are accessible, affordable, and artistically excellent.

John Arp, a former actor at Creede Repertory Theater, turned Executive Chef & General Manager at the Creede Hotel & Restaurant, expressed his excitement for the project: "The Musical Arts Collective is a great opportunity to attract high-caliber artists from all over the country to further enrich the Arts community here in Creede. This is a great catalyst to contribute to the well-respected Arts community that has been going strong here, with organizations, like the Creede Repertory Theater, for over 55 years! This population knows and appreciates the Fine Arts- it's a real gem in the remote mountains of Colorado. What a fun playground for exactly this initiative."

CMAC's inaugural 2022 season kicks off with a private fundraising soirée on July 15th. All proceeds from the event will support CMAC's mission to bring international talent to Creede every summer. CMAC Board Member Bill Smith and his wife Teri will host the soirée in their home, which overlooks the headwaters of the Rio Grande. The intimate evening will feature a concert by acclaimed tenor Jack Swanson and pianist Steven Aguiló-Arbues, with catering by The Creede Hotel & Restaurant. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

CMAC's season highlights an outstanding roster of artists who will converge in Creede over two weekends - August 12-14 and September 2-4. Most of these musicians will also be performing with the Santa Fe Opera, the country's leading summer opera festival. The artists will provide innovative performances spanning a panoply of genres, including classical, jazz, American standards, bluegrass, and country. Each weekend will include a series of four larger-scale recitals and concerts (60-75 minutes per presentation), and two to four free shorter (10-20 minute) pop-up events in outdoor spaces, all in easily accessible, visible venues around town. Among CMAC's core values are affordability and accessibility for all. The initial cost of ticketed events will be $15 general admission, with other discounted options for local children as resources become available.

The roster of artists joining Creede Musical Arts Collective in the summer of 2022 includes Alexandra LoBianco (Soprano), Jeremy Reger (Collaborative Pianist), Benjamin Krug (Cello), Sara Gartland (Soprano), Grace Browning (Harp), Michael Mayes (Baritone/Guitar), Megan Marino (Mezzo-Soprano/Keys), John Arida (Collaborative Piano), Jack Swanson (Tenor), KC Groves (Singer/Instrumentalist) and Steven Aguiló-Arbues (Collaborative Piano). Performance venues and partnerships announced are the Creede Hotel & Restaurant, Sunnyside Chapel, and The Creede Arts Council's Music in the Park series.

For more information, to purchase tickets or make a tax-deductible donation, visit creedemusicalartscollective.org.

 

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