Sun Valley Music Festival Announces 38th Summer Season, July 24-August 18, 2022

The largest privately funded, admission-free classical music festival in the United States presents over three weeks of world-class performances this summer in an outdoor alpine setting, led by Music Director Alasdair Neale

This season highlights three of the country’s greatest living composers – Gabriela Lena Frank, Jessie Montgomery, and Kevin Puts – and features performances from renowned guest artists: pianists Daniil Trifonov and Orion Weiss, violinist Leila Josefowicz, tenor Nicholas Phan, guest conductor Andy Einhorn, and the genre-defying string trio Time For Three.

The Sun Valley Music Festival is proud to announce details of its upcoming Summer Season, July 24-August 18 at the outdoor, state-of-the-art Sun Valley Pavilion in Idaho. The season features over 14 admission-free concerts alongside a gala fundraising concert and multiple outreach and education events. Since 1985, Festival Orchestra musicians have come together from distinguished ensembles across North America to perform orchestral and chamber concerts each summer. This year’s massive orchestral repertoire is as vast as Sun Valley’s mountainous setting, ranging from Strauss's "Alpine Symphony" and familiar works by Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky to 20th-century treasures by Lili Boulanger and Stravinsky to a special emphasis on music by living composers. Guest artists include pianists Daniil Trifonov and Orion Weiss, violinist Leila Josefowicz, tenor Nicholas Phan, conductor Andy Einhorn, and the genre-defying trio Time For Three.

Furthering its commitment to new music following the overwhelmingly successful world-premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Five Freedom Songs last summer, the Sun Valley Music Festival launches its 38th season with Montgomery’s Banner. Highlights of this year's contemporary orchestral repertoire include Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances for Orchestra and Kevin Puts’s Contact, a Festival co-commission.

Music Director Alasdair Neale comments, “We are delighted to present once again a series of orchestral and chamber performances of the highest caliber from an all-star orchestra and top-notch soloists, free of charge, all in a setting of breathtaking beauty. The joy of music connects our community and brings us together in the majestic surroundings of the Sun Valley Pavilion.”

Festival Orchestra
The Festival launches its Summer Season with three chamber orchestra concerts, starting with a patriotic season opener on July 24 featuring Jessie Montgomery's Banner and Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto, with pianist Orion Weiss. The spotlight shines on principal cellist Amos Yang for Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations on July 26 and the July 29 concert features tenor Nicholas Phan and works by Britten and Ravel that were inspired, respectively, by poems and fairytales. This season features many gems from the orchestral repertoire, including the opening full orchestra performance on August 2, an evening of Beethoven that starts with his grand Leonore Overture No. 3 and concludes with his cheerful “Pastoral” sixth symphony. Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2 will pair the Festival Orchestra with “the most astounding pianist of our age” (The Times of London), Daniil Trifonov, on August 4. Principal trumpet Andrew McCandless is featured with the orchestra for John Estacio’s Trumpet Concerto along with works by Manuel de Falla and José Pablo Moncayo on August 6. On August 8, Neale presents the lovely and too-rarely-heard first symphony by the British composer Edward Elgar.

Other 2022 artistic highlights include Avery Fisher Prize-winning violinist Leila Josefowicz’s return to Sun Valley, performing Stravinksy's violin concerto on an evening also featuring works by Lili Boulanger and Tchaikovsky on August 9. On August 13, Time For Three joins the orchestra for Kevin Puts’s Contact, a Festival co-commission. Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances for Orchestra completes the program that evening.

Following a traditional rousing rendition of the Armed Forces Medley, Broadway music director and conductor Andy Einhorn leads the August 14 Pops Night titled The Best of Americana, featuring familiar and fun works from film, Broadway, and much-loved composers. Continue the evening and dance the night away with a lively performance on the Pavilion lawn for the Festival’s third Lawn Party.

Music Director Alasdair Neale concludes the summer on August 18 with Richard Strauss’s "Alpine Symphony," which is seldom heard on the classical music festival circuit due to the orchestra's massive size (including a section of 18 horns). It's a fitting finale that celebrates the splendor and natural beauty of an alpine setting — epitomizing the Sun Valley experience.

Chamber Music
A chamber recital on July 28 features Orion Weiss with Festival musicians performing music by Schubert and Schumann. The Festival's resident string quartet, Edgar M. Bronfman Quartet, plays Haydn and Brahms on August 11, and a special Hornucopia concert, featuring 16 of the finest horn players in North America, concludes the Festival’s summer chamber performances on August 16.

Education Programs – Sun Valley Music Festival Music Institute
The Festival provides year-round music education programs to students of all ages and abilities through its Music Institute, which celebrates its 25th year in 2022. This summer, students in grades 2-12 can participate in programs for most orchestral instruments, voice, and piano August 1-5, while college undergraduates and exceptional high school students studying piano, strings, and voice can participate in the Advanced Chamber Program July 25-August 6. Participants hone their musical skills and work on performance pieces with Sun Valley Music Festival musicians, conductors, and guest artists – including Daniil Trifonov, Orion Weiss, and Nicholas Phan— while also attending orchestra rehearsals and concerts. More information about education programs, including registration, which is now open, can be found on the Festival's website.

How To Attend
The Festival is monitoring health considerations closely and is committed to bringing music to the community safely. Seating and attendance protocols will be determined closer to the start of the Summer Season, based on health guidelines in place at that time. Gala Concert details will be released mid-February. For concert dates, details, and up-to-date information on attending, visit the Festival website at svmusicfestival.org or sign up for e-news at svmusicfestival.org/subscribe to receive the latest season updates by email.

2022 SUMMER SEASON DETAILS
Repertoire is subject to change.
* indicates Music Director Alasdair Neale conducting
indicates Associate Conductor Sameer Patel conducting

Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto
Sunday, July 24, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Chamber Orchestra

Orion Weiss, Piano

* J.S. Smith: The Star-Spangled Banner
* Jessie Montgomery: Banner
* Beethoven: Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 73, “Emperor”

Orion Weiss tackles one of the most famous piano concertos ever written — Beethoven’s “Emperor.” The season opens with prolific contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery’s Banner, a rhapsody on the traditional Star-Spangled Banner.

The Lighter Side of Tchaikovsky and Schubert
Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Chamber Orchestra

Amos Yang, Cello

* Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 33
* Schubert: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, D. 485

Principal cellist Amos Yang is featured as soloist for Tchaikovsky’s beloved Rococo Variations. Equally warm-hearted is Schubert’s Symphony No. 5, an uplifting work full of light melodies.

Orion Weiss with Festival Musicians
Thursday, July 28, 2022, 6:30 PM
Recital

Orion Weiss, Piano

Schubert: Fantasy for Piano, Four-hands, in F Minor, D. 940, Op. 103
Robert Schumann: Quintet for Two Violins, Viola, Cello and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 44

Orion Weiss and the Festival’s Principal Keyboard Peter Henderson perform Schubert’s gorgeous Fantasy for Piano (for four hands). Afterwards, Weiss joins Festival musicians in Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major.

Stories and Poems
Friday, July 29, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Chamber Orchestra

Nicholas Phan, Tenor

* Benjamin Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31
* Maurice Ravel: Ma Mère l'Oye [Mother Goose]

The Festival Chamber Orchestra performs the complete ballet score of Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose, a setting of five fairy tales. Tenor Nicholas Phan and Principal Horn William VerMeulen converse through music in Britten’s beautiful Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings.

Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony
Tuesday, August 2, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra

Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b
* Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, “Pastoral”

Beethoven’s beloved “Pastoral” Symphony is an explicitly programmatic work with sonic imitations of birdcalls, a burbling brook, a terrifying summer thunderstorm, and a shepherd’s song. Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3 rounds out the program.

Trifonov Plays Brahms
Thursday, August 4, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra

Daniil Trifonov, Piano

* Brahms: Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major for Piano, Op. 83

Grammy-award winning pianist Daniil Trifonov performs Brahms’s gargantuan Piano Concerto No. 2, the longest and perhaps most difficult of piano concerti in the standard repertoire. Brahms himself played the premiere, demonstrating his complete mastery of the instrument.

Hidden Gems
Saturday, August 6, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra

Andrew McCandless, Trumpet

Manuel de Falla: Suite No. 2 from El Sombrero de tres picos [The Three-Cornered Hat]
* John Estacio: Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
* José Pablo Moncayo: Huapango

Spanish composer Manuel de Falla’s 12-minute ballet score to The Three-Cornered Hat is inspired by Andalusian folk music and traditional flamenco rhythms. Andrew McCandless, the Festival’s Principal Trumpet, plays Canadian composer John Estacio’s Trumpet Concerto. The program concludes with José Pablo Moncayo’s foot-stomping Huapango, which over time has become known as Mexico’s unofficial national anthem.

Elgar Symphony No. 1  
Monday, August 8, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra

* Edward Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 55

Unlike many great symphonies, Elgar’s first achieved fame nearly instantly — it was performed over 80 times in Europe and North America in its first year. Its popularity has endured, with over 10 recordings released in the first decade of the 21st century.

Josefowicz Plays Stravinsky
Tuesday, August 9, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra

Leila Josefowicz, Violin

* Lili Boulanger: D'un matin de printemps [Of a Spring Morning]
* Igor Stravinsky: Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien, Op. 45

Leila Josefowicz plays Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto, a work with pulsing energy and distinct Baroque overtones. The program opens with Lili Boulanger’s vibrant Of a Spring Morning and closes with Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien, which was inspired by catchy tunes the composer heard on the streets of Rome. 

Bronfman Quartet Plays Brahms and Haydn
Thursday, August 11, 2022, 6:30 PM
Chamber Concert

Edgar M. Bronfman String Quartet

Haydn: Quartet for Strings, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob. III:76
Brahms: Quartet for Strings in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2

The Festival’s resident string quartet takes on Brahms’s String Quartet No. 2, a piece full of canons, or imitative melodies (a nod to Bach), and Hungarian themes. Following, the Quartet plays Haydn’s Quartet Op. 76, No. 2, another formally serious but lively and gracious work with references to Bach.

Frank, Puts, and Time For Three
Saturday, August 13, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra

Time For Three

Gabriela Lena Frank: Three Latin American Dances for Orchestra
* Kevin Puts: Contact (Co-Commission by the Sun Valley Music Festival)

An evening of groundbreaking music written by two of the most prolific voices of our time features Three Latin American Dances for Orchestra by Grammy-nominated composer Gabriela Lena Frank and Sun Valley favorite Time For Three performing Contact, a work co-commissioned by the Festival from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts.

Pops Night and Lawn Party
Sunday, August 14, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra

Andy Einhorn, Conductor
Alasdair Neale, Conductor

After Alasdair Neale conducts a traditional Pops Night tribute to the Armed Forces, guest conductor Andy Einhorn leads the Festival Orchestra and two Broadway singers in The Best of Americana, featuring familiar and fun works from film, Broadway, and much-loved composers.

Post-concert: Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy a lively performance on the Pavilion lawn for the Festival’s third Lawn Party.

Hornucopia
Tuesday, August 16, 2022, 6:30 PM
Chamber Concert

Sixteen of the finest horn players in North America join forces to perform arrangements of songs ranging from classical to jazz to rock and roll. Backed by a rhythm section, the masters of horn will deliver a rollicking good time in the Pavilion!

An Alpine Symphony
Thursday, August 18, 2022, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra

* R. Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, "Alpine Symphony"

Richard Strauss’s epic tone poem depicts a day spent hiking in the Alps with musical illustrations of forests, brooks, a waterfall, meadows, pastures, a glacier, and a storm — all vistas familiar to concertgoers at the Sun Valley Pavilion, itself an alpine setting! To produce these sounds, the orchestra includes 16 horns, an organ, a wind machine, a heckelphone, and a thunder sheet.

About Sun Valley Music Festival
The Sun Valley Music Festival’s mission is to enrich, inspire, and instill in our community a lifelong love of classical music through extraordinary, free concerts and education programs. Festival programs provide opportunities for people from all walks of life to listen, learn, and play. Now in its 38th year, it is the largest privately supported, free-admission orchestra in the United States. 

Over 100 world-class musicians from North America’s most distinguished orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Houston Symphony, comprise the Festival Orchestra. Summer Season concerts are held in July and August at the spectacular R.E. Holding Sun Valley Pavilion, in the mountain-resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho. Winter Season concerts are held in late February at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in nearby Ketchum, Idaho, which is adjacent to Bald Mountain, Sun Valley Resort's primary ski area. Internationally renowned guest artists such as Gautier Capuçon, Midori, Emanuel Ax, Audra McDonald, Joshua Bell, Joyce Yang, Yefim Bronfman, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet have performed with the Festival. 

The Festival strives to introduce every Wood River Valley student to the joys of classical music, to inspire the next generation of music lovers. Its year-round and summer Music Institute programs provide tuition-free instruction for string, piano, and voice students of all skill levels — from elementary through high school — that goes beyond the fundamentals and embraces the entire musician