Grand Teton Music Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grand Teton Music Festival |
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Walk Festival Hall at Grand Teton Music Festival
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| Genre | Classical |
| Dates | July - August |
| Location(s) | Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States |
| Years active | 1962 - Present |
| Attendance | 16,000 |
| Website | gtmf.org |
The Grand Teton Music Festival is a special place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It's where amazing classical music is played all year round. This group started in 1962 and is a non-profit organization, which means they use their money to support their mission, not to make a profit.
The main part of the festival happens in the summer. It's a seven-week celebration of classical music! More than 200 talented musicians come from all over. They represent over 90 different orchestras and 40 schools. The festival offers many kinds of shows. You can enjoy family events, smaller chamber music concerts, and big orchestral performances. Sometimes, they even mix classical music with other styles. The festival also has events throughout the year. These include Winter Festivals, special opera broadcasts from The Met, community concerts, and interesting talks.
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Festival History: How It Started
The Grand Teton Music Festival began in 1962. It was first part of a bigger event called the Jackson Hole Fine Arts Festival. Early conductors like Ernest Hagen and George Hufsmith led the orchestra. In 1968, Ling Tung became the new music director. He moved the concerts from their first homes, like the Jackson Lake Lodge, to a large tent. This tent was at the base of Rendezvous Mountain in Teton Village.
In 1974, the festival got a permanent building at the mountain's base. Ling Tung retired in 1996. After him, Eiji Oue was the music director from 1997 to 2003. Then, Peter Oundjian helped lead the festival in 2004 and 2005. Since 2006, Donald Runnicles has been the music director. He still holds this important role today. In 2020, the festival even held a special online event.
Meet the Music Directors
Here are the talented people who have led the festival's music:
- 1962–1964: Ernest Hagen
- 1965–1966: George Hufsmith
- 1968–1996: Ling Tung
- 1997–2003: Eiji Oue
- 2006–present: Donald Runnicles
What You Can Experience at the Festival
The Grand Teton Music Festival hosts about 100 events each year. These include talks called "Inside the Music" and free concerts for families. You can also hear chamber music and watch orchestral shows. They even have open rehearsals where you can see how musicians practice. Before concerts, there are often talks to help you understand the music better.
The Festival Orchestra is a group of musicians who play together. Their size changes, but they can have over 100 players! These musicians come from top orchestras across the country. Each summer, the music director leads many of the main concerts. Every concert also features a special soloist.
The GTMF Presents Series brings different artists to Jackson Hole. These artists are often inspired by classical music. They perform in various places around town. You can hear visiting soloists or popular musicians who mix different music styles.
The Met: Live in HD is a cool partnership. The festival works with a local group called Center of Wonder. They show live HD broadcasts of Metropolitan Opera performances. You can watch these amazing operas at the Center for the Arts in Jackson during the fall and spring.
Movies on the Mountain is a fun, free event for families. They show movies at Walk Festival Hall.
The Winter Festival is a four-day celebration that started in 2015. It happens in February. This festival has classical and crossover concerts. Visiting artists also perform in schools. There are also interesting lectures. These winter events take place in different spots around Jackson.
Since 2015, the Grand Teton Music Festival has held an Annual Fundraising Gala. This event helps support the festival and its music programs in local schools. In 2017, the famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma was a special guest artist.
New Music and Premieres
In recent years, the festival has shown many new pieces of music. This is because Music Director Donald Runnicles thinks new works are very important.
Some of these new pieces were played for the very first time at the festival. Others were played for the first time in the United States or the Western U.S.
| Composer | Work | Year | Occasion |
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| George Hufsmith | Teton Mural | 1962 | First time played anywhere |
| Lawrence Widdoes | Divertimento | 1965 | First time played anywhere |
| Ling Tung | GTMF-1977 | 1977 | "close to perfection' Rachmaninoff - Symphony No. 2 in E-Minor, Opus 27 |
| Joseph Castaldo | Landscapes: The Snake River | 1991 | First time played anywhere, made for the festival's 30th Anniversary |
| George Hufsmith | Festival Fanfare | 1991 | First time played anywhere, made for the festival's 30th Anniversary |
| Jon Deak | Fanfare for Ling | 1996 | First time played anywhere, made to honor Ling Tung |
| Stephen Paulus | Cello Concerto | 2009 | First time played anywhere, made for Grand Teton Music Festival |
| Jennifer Higdon | All Things Majestic | 2011 | First time played anywhere, made for the festival's 50th Anniversary |
| Aaron Jay Kernis | For Love of the Mountains | 2016 | First time played anywhere, made to honor Donald Runnicles's tenth anniversary |
| Kareem Roustom | Ramal | 2016 | First time played in the U.S. |
| Marc Neikrug | The Unicorn of Atlas Peak | 2017 | First time played in the Western U.S., made with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra |
| Sean Shepherd | Melt | 2018 | First time played anywhere, made with Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music |
| Kareem Roustom | Shades of Night | 2018 | First time played anywhere |
Learning and Community Programs
The Festival works with local groups and schools in Jackson Hole. They want to help people of all ages enjoy music. The Grand Teton Music Festival has programs all year long. These include scholarships, a program called Tune-Up, and school visits.
Tune-Up is the festival's main music education program. It has helped local band and orchestra classes since 2004. Tune-Up provides teachers who are also musicians. They share their skills and knowledge about many different instruments. These Tune-Up teachers give private lessons. They also help with rehearsals for school bands and orchestras in Jackson Hole.
Every spring, the Grand Teton Music Festival also opens Walk Festival Hall. This lets local band, orchestra, and choir students perform in a professional setting. It's a great chance for them to show what they've learned!
See also
- List of classical music festivals
