Mission Statement
To produce an exceptional summer music festival with musicians of the highest caliber; entertain, educate and delight audiences with the richness of classical music, and complement concerts with educational programs.

Our History 

In 1987, Maestro Mischa Semanitzky dreamed of a classical music festival in Durango and set his vision in motion. Through support from Fort Lewis College, The Durango Herald, Durango Mountain Resort, Morley Ballantine and Bank of Colorado, the concept came to life. The first season included five concerts and featured 11 musicians, all of whom were members of the Dallas Fine Arts Chamber Players, a group also founded by Semanitzky.

In response to the growing interest of local and regional audiences, Music in the Mountains has broadened its program steadily over the past 24 years – increasing the number of concerts and venues. Conceived originally as a fully integrated summer music festival, a chamber music series was introduced  in 1997, under the direction of Gregory Hustis, principal horn of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. In conjunction with the New Conservatory of Dallas, Conservatory Music in the Mountains - a summer program for students studying string instruments and piano - was launched in 1997, under the direction of Arkady Fomin, violinist with the Dallas Symphony.

Performances are held at the festival tent, high up in the majestic San Juan Mountains at  Durango Mountain Resort.  Venues also include The Community Concert Hall and Roshong Recital Hall, both at Fort Lewis College.  In addition,  Rotary Park, Three Springs  Plaza,  and  St. Columba Church were hosts to festival performances.

Early on, Maestro Semanitzky recognized the value of including children and families in the summer Festival and subsequently incorporated free concerts - now called  Family Festivo- for young people in city parks. Recognizing the importance of year-round exposure to classical music, the Music in the Mountains Goes to School program was created in 1999 and has grown to reach more than 5,000 elementary, middle and high school students throughout the Four Corners region.

In 2007, Masestro Mishca Semanitzky retired as the Festival Artistic Director and Conductor for Music in the Mountains.  In 2008, new directors Gregory Hustis, Festival Artistic Director and Guillermo Figueroa, Music Director & Conductor began a new era of leadership for Music in the Mountains. 

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