Grand Teton Music Festival Announces New Gateway Series and GTMF On The Road Program

Single tickets for all festival events now on sale, Festival dates: July 2-August 21, 2021

Grand Teton Music Festival announces the inaugural launch of its musically adventurous Thursday evening Gateway Series in addition to a community-engaging GTMF on the Road initiative.

Single tickets are now on sale. The new Gateway Series, scheduled on Thursdays, features musically diverse works designed to reflect the Jackson area's adventurous spirit.

Presented artists include the genre-defying string trio Time For Three (July 22), the Grammy-winning ensemble Third Coast Percussion (July 29), and a Broadway Through the Ages concert with pianist Andy Einhorn and vocalists Andrea Ross and Ryan Vona (August 5).

GTMF On the Road - a free community concert program - also makes its inaugural appearance this year presenting various chamber music concerts in parks, other outdoor venues, and private homes. These concerts spotlight the talent of Festival Orchestra musicians in inspiring locales. For a schedule of public events, visit gtmf.org.

To provide expanded access for the Jackson community and worldwide, online streaming of performances will be offered with free access to the August 14 Festival Orchestra concert featuring pianist Yefim Bronfman and GTMF's co-commission of Jessie Montgomery's 2021 work, Five Freedom Songs, sung by Julia Bullock, in addition to the August 21 Festival Orchestra concert featuring violinist Leila Josefowicz. Additional details regarding online streaming access will be shared at gtmf.org at a later date.

This July and August, close to 200 GTMF musicians will come to Jackson, representing 80 orchestras and 55 institutions of higher learning. The Festival welcomes top talent from world-renowned orchestras in what is more than a career opportunity; it is the gathering of a close-knit community. "The Grand Teton Music Festival has not only been a part of my career, but also of my life," says Susan Gulkis Assadi, a violist with the Festival Orchestra since 1994. "It really feels like an extended family-we all come together because we love music, Jackson Hole, and each other. Magic happens when we all arrive each summer."

Gulkis Assadi isn't alone in feeling this way. "Once a musician starts coming, they want to keep coming," says percussionist and Orchestra Personnel Manager Richard Brown, who performs with the Festival Orchestra for his 45th season this summer. Even with 45 seasons under his belt, Brown is not the most senior Festival musician- that title belongs to cellist Marcia Peck, who celebrated her 50th GTMF season last year. Returning to GTMF for decades is not a unique phenomenon; 21 musicians coming this summer have played with the Festival for more than 30 seasons.

This year, Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles leads seven weeks of GTMF performances - one week outdoors and six weeks inside at Walk Festival Hall in a welcoming home for Festival orchestra musicians. As announced previously, the Festival is pleased to present guest artists including violinists James Ehnes and Leila Josefowicz, Broadway star Capathia Jenkins, soprano Julia Bullock, pianist Yefim Bronfman, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and conductors Gemma New, Stéphane Denève, and Miguel Harth-Bedoya. Repertoire highlights include the world premiere of Melody Eötvös' The Deciding Machine (July 15-17) and a 2021 co-commission work by Jessie Montgomery - Five Freedom Songs - sung by soprano Julia Bullock (August 12-14). Due to the limited capacity of indoor performances at Walk Festival Hall, plus the 20 percent increase in subscription purchases for the 2021 season to date, the Festival is delighted to expand its Festival Orchestra series to include three Thursday performances (July 15, August 12, and August 19).

Six orchestral rehearsals are open to the public, with a $20 ticket purchase. Three Thursday mornings at 10 (July 15, August 12, and August 19) and three Friday mornings at 10 (July 23, July 30, and August 6), patrons can enjoy a behind-the-scenes look as the conductor and orchestra rehearse for the weekend Festival Orchestra concerts.

GTMF's annual chamber music series featuring world-class Festival Orchestra musicians begins on Wednesday, July 14 at Walk Festival Hall and continues every Wednesday evening through August 18. Featured composers include J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Shostakovich, Bruch, Schubert, and more.

GTMF has created health and safety protocols to ensure a safe environment for performers, audience members, staff, and volunteers. The Festival installed two AtmosAir Matterhorn units, which seek out and neutralize contaminants in the air, at Walk Festival Hall. Plans will adjust in response to public health measures as they evolve.

Single tickets are now on sale. For further information about purchasing tickets, please visit gtmf.org or call 307-733-1128. The Fritz Box Office at Walk Festival Hall opens in June.

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