Grand Teton music festival

[LarryC]

This was my first time at this annual summer classical music festival, held in the area of Jackson (aka "Jackson Hole"), WY. It's in the resort enclave of Teton Village, WY, a Vail-like bunch of hotels near Jackson, at the foot of the incredible Teton mountains. A tram and gondola are handy to take people up to high altitude dining and skiing (I didn't do either). Remarkably, there is a 685-seat festival concert hall with good acoustics right in the middle of the Village. Van and bus transportation is available:

The Tetons are a spectacular fault block in the far northeastern corner of the huge Basin and Range geological province of very broad, flat valleys and abrupt mountain upthrusts. It covers nearly all of Nevada, half of Utah, and some of southern Idaho and SE Oregon. The base elevation of the Tetons is ~6,300', while the peaks are over 13,000', a vertical difference of 7,000' in one glance. This was the best climate in the U.S. when we were there! -- temps in the 70's-80's daytime and 50's overnight. This is a commercial telephoto of what they look like from below:

To get there from Idaho (to the west), one crosses the 8,413' Teton pass, from which you can see the Jackson Hole area. A "hole" in pioneer times was a vast clearing between the mountains used as a Rondezvous site for mountain men, trappers and Indians to trade goods. The Tetons are out of view to the left:

The festival and the music: 2011 is the 50th anniversary of the Grand Teton Music Festival. The history and current activities can be pieced together from its website, http://www.gtmf.org/buy+tickets/concerts+and+events. This year attracted 200 prominent members of the Nation's orchestras to play in groups and a festival symphony orchestra. The 2011 calendar runs from July 2 to August 20: http://www.gtmf.org/buy+tickets/calendar.

I attended two days, July 21 and 22. The July 21 concert consisted of mostly outstanding performances by small groups including a fabuolus brass group, the Axiom Brass, and performance of a wonderful tango suite by the great tango composer, Astor Piazzolla, and the Beethoven Septet played by outstanding festival participants. The next morning was spent at an open rehearsal in the Walk festival hall. That evening featured the festival symphony orchestra, playing the North American premiere of a concerto for harp and orchestra, and Tchaikovsky's Pathetique Symphony.

The conductor was a remarkable Finnish coiled spring of energy, Osmo Vänskä, the conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra. He is someone to see if you ever get the chance!

The festival gives these fine musicians a chance to renew friendships and enjoy their craft in the shadow of these unique mountains. It's a gorgeous, comfortable setting for great music while everywhere else was sweltering in 100 degree temps.

Larry

[LarryC]

Astor Piazzolla's tango music, full orchestra version:

Piazzolla -- more genuine small group version. The accordion-like item is no doubt a bandoneon, not an ordinary accordion:

. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandone%C3%B3n

[LarryC]

Some flashy stuff from the Axiom Brass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oKWndrMIHM

[skonopa]

I saw your e-mail and meant to comment on it, but i'll comment on it here.

I friggan LOVE Jackson Hole and will go back in a New York minute! That has to be one of the MOST AWESOME ski hills I've ever had the pleasure to lay down some turns on! I bet that music festival was awesome and glad you had an excellent time. Sounded like there were some really exquisit performances, and getting to enjoy them in such an awesome alpine setting like that had to be really cool.

You should've took a ride up and back down the tram, as the views up there are really awesome (and for me, the skiing was just friggan unbelievable!):

Of course, being a skiier, that was the reason why I was at Jackson Hole... []

[LarryC]

Thanks, Steve! Look at how open, uncluttered and undeveloped that valley is! There has been a very strong preservationist protection against sprawl at and below the Tetons in Wyoming (the other, Idaho, side is a zoning MESS!) that goes back to Grover Cleveland, Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, FDR and long-time private ownership by the Rockefeller family!

That compact set of buildings at the foot of the tramway is Teton Village, where the music festival hall is located, right next to it.

[garymd]

Wow Larry. That looks amazing! I've been to a number of bluegrass festivals in the mountains of PA and WV but nothing quite as spectacular. There's nothing like the joining of great music and beautiful surroundings.

Glad you were able to go. Did your brother join you? Sounds/looks like a wonderful experience. Thanks for sharing.