Crested Butte Music Festival

The Crested Butte Music Festival will take place July 4-31, 2009 and the theme for this year is "Follow the Generations through Paradise". The world will celebrate the anniversary of two of its most interesting and acknowledged composers, Joseph Haydn and Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn was born in 1809, the year when Haydn died. And although it seems their lives were so close together, their music is quite different. The Crested Butte Music Festival will present masterworks in symphonic and chamber music programs throughout the season honoring the wonderful music of these two great composers.

It will be another wonderful season with outstanding performances in this place we call "Paradise".
Festival events are held in Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte, Gothic and Gunnison at performance venues as well as many unique settings such as outdoor gardens, stunning mountain homes and even barns and riding arenas.

For more information on events, artists and to purchase tickets, please visit www.crestedbuttemusicfestival.com or call the Crested Butte Music Festival office at 970.349.0619.

The 2009 Crested Butte Music Festival will host internationally renowned soloists, musicians from major and regional orchestras across the country, local performers, and vocal artists from opera companies such as the Metropolitan Opera. The Festival offers an artistic range of classical music through symphony and chamber with the Festival Orchestra, as well as opera, jazz, bluegrass and dance. Alexander Scheirle, Artistic Director since 2003, has also been a musician with the Festival since 2001.

This year, CBMF will welcome London based conductors Benjamin Wallfisch and David Syrus to the podium. Although only 29 years old, Benjamin Wallfisch has already been acknowledged as one of Europe's leading and upcoming conductors. Recent engagements include performances with orchestras such as the London Symphony, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Tivoli Symphony Orchestra. Benjamin will be conducting the CBMF symphonic programs including Beethoven's 6th symphony "Pastorale" for "Have a Beer with Beethoven" on July 5. David Syrus, represents a different generation of conductors. Since 1971, he has conducted operas at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, where he is now "Head of Music". David is one of the world's most accomplished opera conductors who has conducted all over the world and recorded with renowned labels such as RCA, EMI and Sony/BMG.

The 2009 opera will be Mozart's classic, "Marriage of Figaro", featuring the voices of Carlos Archuleta, Joyce El-Khoury, Kara Guggenmos and Keith Miller. This production, conducted by David Syrus, will be performed in both Crested Butte and Gunnison and will be directed by The Metropolitan Opera's own Sarah Meyers.

Outreach

As part of its educational outreach, CBMF offers free community-wide performances and children's free educational programs in addition to its ticketed events. A partnership with the University of North Texas' College of Music was established in 2005. This partnership has led to the inclusion of UNT students & faculty members in the Crested Butte Music Festival Orchestra as well as the presentation of outstanding performances by UNT students.

The Opera Young Artist Program was created in 2006 for vocal students from around the nation. This month-long program, now in its fourth year, gives the student participants the opportunity to perform small principal roles in the CBMF opera, sing in the chorus, participate in master classes with Festival Principal Artists, and receive one-on-one coaching.

2009 will see the beginning of a collaboration between the Crested Butte Music Festival and the Crested Butte Dance Festival/Dansummer. CBMF is combining dancers from two exceptional and diverse companies to synthesize a new artistic entity during July. Brian Santora's Coast 2 Coast Dance, out of Boston, and Tony Coppola's Tap Ensemble, based in Las Vegas, are bringing their dancers together creating a uniquely fresh dance presentation. Four of the dancers will then remain in Crested Butte to teach classes as part of Dansummer. Through this collaboration, the Crested Butte Dance Festival/Dansummer will be able to expand its class offerings, and add live musicians and singers to its programs.

For more information on events, educational programs and artists, please visit www.crestedbuttemusicfestival.com or call the Crested Butte Music Festival office at 970.349.0619.