Bravo! Vail Music Festival Announces Return of Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 2026

Acclaimed chamber orchestra makes triumphant fifth Bravo! Vail residency 

Vail, CO (May 6, 2025) — The Bravo! Vail Music Festival (Bravo! Vail) announced today that the Academy of St Martin in the Fields returns to Bravo! Vail in 2026 as the Festival’s chamber orchestra in residence. The visit consists of three performances at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, on June 25, 27, and 28, with the last date featuring violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, the ensemble’s Music Director.

Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, who serves as Bravo! Vail’s Artistic Director through the end of 2026, the Festival’s 39th season, joins the London-based orchestra to perform all five Beethoven piano concertos over two of the three concerts. The Academy of St Martin in the Fields will also participate in an education and community engagement event, to be announced in spring 2026.

“When I performed Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 2023, the musical chemistry was immediate,” said McDermott. “It is a dream come true for me to now explore all five of these iconic works with these musicians. It is also especially meaningful to welcome this wonderful ensemble back to the festival in my final summer as artistic director.” 

Known for its refined sound and vibrant interpretations of the canon, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields became one of the most distinguished chamber groups in the world under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner, who founded it in 1958. Its myriad recordings and live performances have made it a remarkable reference ensemble, setting a touchstone for artistic excellence. Today, the orchestra plays under violinist-conductor Joshua Bell, whose player-led approach empowers every member of the orchestra, resulting in collaborative performances that transcend the traditional model with a conductor as leader. After its illustrious Bravo! Vail debut in 2016, the ensemble has returned to the festival four times, most recently in 2023. 

The chamber orchestra residency at Bravo! Vail began in 2016 with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields; since then, the festival has also presented the Chamber Orchestra Vienna-Berlin, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Mexico’s Sinfónica de Minería. Most recently, Bravo! Vail announced the festival debut of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the resident chamber orchestra in 2025. Led by Matthias Pintscher, the orchestra performs on June 19, 21, and 22, 2025.

Press photos of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields are available HERE. Please visit BravoVail.org for more information and updates.

(Joshua Bell and ASMF. Credit: Robert Torres)

Academy of St Martin in the Fields:
Bravo! Vail’s 2026 Chamber Music Orchestra in Residence

—June 25, 2026—

• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3

—June 27, 2026—

• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”

—June 27, 2026—

• Education and community engagement (details to be announced)

—June 28, 2026—*

• Opening piece (to be announced)
• Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3
• Schumann: Symphony No. 1, “Spring”

Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
*Joshua Bell, music director and violin

About Bravo! Vail Music Festival
Consistently cited as one of the top 10 classical music festivals in the country, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout the Vail and Eagle River Valley region for six weeks, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host four of the world’s finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrates its 38th season from June 19–July 31, 2025, with more than 60 concerts — almost half of which are presented for free. Beyond its summer programming, Bravo! Vail serves the community by providing year-round low-cost music education through Music Makers Haciendo Música, a piano, violin, and ensemble instruction program to help develop new generations of musicians and music lovers. Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott has led the Festival since 2011. "[Bravo! Vail] is the most high-profile — and high altitude — mountain music festival in America." – The Times (UK)

Event details including programs and artists are subject to change. Visit bravovail.org for complete season information and updates.

About Academy of St Martin in the Fields
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields is one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras, renowned for fresh, brilliant interpretations of the world’s greatest orchestral music. Founded in 1958 by Sir Neville Marriner, it has evolved into a musical powerhouse, renowned across the world for its commitment to the musical freedom of its players and the sharing of joyful, inspiring performances.  

International highlights early in 2025 included a 19-date European tour featuring cycles of Beethoven’s piano concertos with Jan Lisiecki alongside works by Errollyn Wallen, Ruth Gipps, and Anna Clyne, followed by a visit to the USA with pianist Bruce Liu and an ambitious, player-led residency and performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade with Joshua Bell at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

The orchestra presented more than 100 concerts in the 2024-25 season, including collaborations with cellist Anastasia Kobekina, pianist Alexandra Dariescu, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, violinist Augustin Hadelich, and viola soloist Timothy Ridout. The orchestra is the principal orchestral partner of St Martin-in-the-Fields, which is the orchestra’s historic home.

The artistic responsibility of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields fosters enduring collaborations with world-renowned soloists, exemplified by the 16-year partnership with Music Director and virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell. It is one of the world’s most-recorded orchestras, igniting a love for classical music around the world.

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Media contacts:

Patricia Price
Managing Director
8VA Music Consultancy
patricia@8vamusicconsultancy.com   
201.746.5116

Christy Pierce
Communication & Grants Specialist
Bravo! Vail Music Festival  
cpierce@bravovail.org   
615.715.9344 (c)