Beth Stewart

Join us as we look back at some of our favorite photos, moments, and memories from the last 40 years!

Earlier this month we sponsored the annual Durango High School Music Showcase! This concert brings local elementary and middle school students to see the Durango High School jazz band, concert band, drum line, pep band, choirs, and orchestras to encourage them to get involved in music as they get older. This concert is a great opportunity for younger students to learn more about the music education options that are available to them.

On Saturday, May 3rd, we hosted Take a Bow, our annual community concert showcasing local students.

In total, nearly forty students, ranging in ages from 5 to 18, performed solo pieces across a variety of instruments. Please join us in celebrating and acknowledging each musician’s talent and confidence with one more (virtual) round of applause!

Earlier this month we sponsored the annual Student Recruitment Concert at Durango High School! This concert brings local elementary and middle school students to see the Durango High School jazz band, concert band, choirs, and orchestra to encourage them to get involved in music as they get older. This concert is a great opportunity for younger students to learn more about the music education options that are available to them.

We are incredibly excited to reveal our 2025 Festival Artwork, the first artwork of our new era under the leadership of new Artistic Director, Vadim Gluzman!

This year’s artwork embodies the joy and celebration we feel as we enter this new season of Music in the Mountains, and includes a very special detail honoring it: an image of the legendary 1690 ‘ex-Leopold Auer’ Stradivari violin Vadim Gluzman performs on, surrounded by joyful, colorful florals painted by local artist Hannah Wilson.

Read on to learn a bit more about this incredible instrument, and to get to know Hannah, the artist behind those beautiful florals!

Music in the Mountains is deeply honored to announce the receipt of an extraordinary estate gift in the amount of one-million dollars from the late Ms. Jill Ward, a long-time supporter, past Music in the Mountains board president, and cherished member of our community.

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of internationally renowned violinist, and longtime friend of the festival, Vadim Gluzman as our new Artistic Director!

Celebrated for his extraordinary artistry and leadership through his roles as both an actively concertizing violinist and the founder of the acclaimed North Shore Chamber Music Festival in Chicago, Vadim will bring his visionary approach to the festival, beginning with the 2025 season.

We are delighted to reveal this year’s commissioned Festival Artwork, “Summertime Sonata,” by local artist Patrice DeLorenzo!

Patrice is a professional artist living and working in Southwest Colorado, whose museum-quality custom paintings are often described using words like “calming,” “peaceful,” and “joyful.”

Read on to get to know more about Patrice, her background, and where the inspiration for this year’s piece came from.

As Music in the Mountains prepares for its 38th season under the baton of Guillermo Figueroa, the maestro has announced that this will be his final season. He will transition to Artistic Director & Conductor Emeritus in September 2024.

Figueroa is the second conductor in the Festival’s history; he has been Music in the Mountains’ conductor since 2007. In 2022 the Board of Directors appointed him to step into the Artistic Director role upon the retirement of former Artistic Director, Gregory Hustis.

We are delighted to reveal this year’s commissioned Festival Artwork, “La Plata Cacophony,” by local artist Chris Warren!

Chris is a professional artist and Durango native creating intricate and unique patterns of color using topographic data. For our 2023 Festival Artwork, Chris created a piece which literally features mountains in the music! The background is the same color topographic map of La Plata County overlaid onto itself multiple times, creating a cacophony of color meant to evoke the larger-than-life sounds you can only hear at live symphonic performances.

Read on to get to know more about Chris, his background, and where the inspiration for this year’s piece came from.

We’re incredibly excited to reveal this year’s commissioned Festival Artwork by local artist Ann Smith!

Ann is a local watercolor artist best known for her beautiful and expressive large-scale watercolors. Exhibited regionally and nationally, Ann’s award-winning paintings are passionately created and have been featured in many publications.

Read on to get to know more about Ann, her background, and where the inspiration for this year’s piece came from.

Meet our 2021 Festival Artwork Artist, Tim Kapustka!