Sun Valley Music Festival Announces 41st Summer Season: July 28-August 21, 2025 —Don’t Miss a Note!—
The largest privately-funded, admission-free classical music festival in the United States presents four weeks of world-class performances this summer in a beautiful outdoor alpine setting, featuring the Festival’s all-star orchestra led by Music Director Alasdair Neale.
Renowned guest artists include Gabriela Martinez, Time for Three, Gautier Capuçon, and Olga Kern.
Sun Valley, Idaho, January 15, 2025—The Sun Valley Music Festival proudly announces its landmark 41st season, from July 28 to August 21, at the Sun Valley Pavilion, in the beautiful, natural surroundings of Sun Valley—the country’s original destination ski resort. Curated by Music Director Alasdair Neale, the 2025 summer season will feature the all-star Festival Orchestra—the finest musicians from orchestras throughout North America—performing with world-renowned guest artists including pianist Gabriela Martinez, the Grammy-winning trio Time for Three, cellist Gautier Capuçon, and pianist Olga Kern.
“I’m so excited at the prospect of the season ahead of us. Our stellar guest lineup includes return appearances by Time for Three and Gautier Capuçon as well as debuts by pianists Gabriela Martinez and Olga Kern,” commented Music Director Alasdair Neale. “The orchestra shines in all-Ravel and all-Strauss programs designed to show the sumptuous range of color of a full symphony orchestra. In addition, we have the first-ever Sun Valley performances of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony and Schumann’s Fourth Symphony (the latter led by Stephanie Childress, who returns for her third season as Associate Conductor). And Jacomo Bairos conducts a Latin Pops concert that will likely have you dancing in the aisles.”
The music
In its 41st season, the Music Festival welcomes back the Grammy-winning and genre-defying Time for Three. The trio will perform a new triple concerto written for them by composer Mason Bates and co-commissioned by the Music Festival. Bates describes the work, titled Silicon Hymnal, as “an electro-acoustic book of songs.”
Stephanie Childress returns for a third season as Associate Conductor, leading several performances including Haydn’s Symphony No. 80, Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2, and Gabriela Smith’s Tumblebird Contrails. Major orchestral repertoire also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4, Brahms’s Symphony No. 4, and a season finale featuring Richard Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration as well as his suite from Der Rosenkavalier. All concerts are offered free of charge, with ample seating inside the Sun Valley Pavilion and on the lawn, featuring a state-of-the-art big screen and sound system.
This year the Festival welcomes acclaimed pianist Gabriela Martinez to open the season with Mozart’s popular Piano Concerto No. 20, followed by the composer’s “Haffner” Symphony. Martinez will also join Festival Orchestra musicians to perform Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor. Cellist Gautier Capuçon returns to Sun Valley for a pair of concerts, one featuring Elgar’s haunting Cello Concerto and the other offering Schubert’s Cello Quintet in a chamber setting with Festival musicians. Olga Kern, the only woman to have won the Gold Medal in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in more than thirty years, makes her Sun Valley debut performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Following, she’ll join with Festival musicians in a chamber setting to perform Beethoven’s “Ghost” Trio.
Additional programs feature Anna Clyne’s Within Her Arms, a beautiful ode to the composer’s mother; Arturo Marquez’s rhythmic Danzon No. 2; and Reena Esmail’s Testament. The Music Festival celebrates Ravel’s 150th birthday with a program offering two of his Miroirs (La vallée des cloches and Alborada del gracioso), Valses nobles et sentimentales, and his Suite No. 2 from Daphnis et Chloé. For the annual Pops Night, conductor Jacomo Bairos, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Miami’s Nu Deco Ensemble, brings a program of Latin-inspired dance music to the Sun Valley Pavilion.
Education Programs: Sun Valley Music Festival Music Institute
In addition to presenting first-rate classical music performances, the Sun Valley Music Festival is dedicated to bringing the joy of music into young people’s lives. Now in its 27th year, the Festival’s Music Institute provides year-round music education programs for students of all abilities, from second graders to college undergraduates. This summer, students in grades 2-12 can attend programs for most orchestral instruments, voice and piano from August 4 to 8. College undergraduates and exceptional high school students studying piano, strings and voice can participate in the Advanced Chamber Program from July 28 to August 9. Students hone their skills and work on select pieces with Festival musicians, conductors, and guest artists—including Gabriela Martinez and Time for Three—and also attend orchestra rehearsals and concerts. Their experience culminates with an opportunity to perform on the Sun Valley Pavilion stage. Thanks to the generosity of Music Festival donors, students pay only nominal registration and materials fees. More information about education programs, including registration (which is now open), can be found at svmusicfestival.org/summer-programs.
How to attend
Summer concerts offer an exciting social experience, where people from all walks of life can enjoy music together—for free. While some seats in the Pavilion may be reserved in advance by donors at certain levels, great admission-free seats are always available to the public both in the Pavilion and on the lawn. For concert dates, details, and updates, please visit svmusicfestival.org or subscribe to the Festival’s e-news at svmusicfestival.org/subscribe. Details about the fundraising Gala will be announced in February. This concert is the only ticketed event of the year; sales help keep the rest of the concerts admission-free.