Announcing This Summer’s Concert Schedule and Repertoire
The Sun Valley Music Festival announces repertoire details and the concert schedule for its return to in-person concerts July 26-August 19, 2021 at the Sun Valley Pavilion. The 37th annual Summer Season will feature 14 admission-free concerts alongside the fundraising Gala Concert and multiple outreach and education events, all presented safely in a beautiful, outdoor setting. Programming highlights this year include the world premiere of a Festival commission – Jessie Montgomery’s Five Freedom Songs with soprano Julia Bullock; Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with superstar Joshua Bell for the fundraising Gala Concert; a celebratory concert honoring frontline heroes; Rachmaninoff’s renowned second piano concerto with Joyce Yang; Schumann’s Cello Concerto with Alisa Weilerstein; Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with Vadim Gluzman; Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, and a season finale featuring Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.
All summer performances, including chamber concerts and recitals, will take place at the Sun Valley Pavilion and can be enjoyed outdoors, from within the open-air Pavilion or from the lawn. Concerts begin at 6:30 PM Mountain Time. Complete concert details can be found at svmusicfestival.org/events. Concert schedules and repertoire are subject to change. Seating and attendance protocols will be determined closer to the start of the Summer Season, based on health guidelines in place when the performances begin. Please visit the Festival website at svmusicfestival.org/attending-a-concert for attendance protocols. Gala tickets go on sale early summer; details will be announced in the coming weeks. For the latest news and information on summer concerts and programs, visit the Festival website at svmusicfestival.org or sign up for e-news at svmusicfestival.org/subscribe.
2021 SUMMER SEASON DETAILS
Opening Night
Monday, July 26, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Chamber Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Vadim Gluzman, Violin
Smith: The Star-Spangled Banner
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216
Haydn: Symphony No. 104 in D Major, “London”
Appalachian Spring and the Prague Symphony
Tuesday, July 27, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Chamber Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Copland: Suite from Appalachian Spring for 13 Instruments
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K. 504, “Prague”
Gluzman in Recital with Festival Musicians
Thursday, July 29, 2021, 6:30 PM
Recital
Vadim Gluzman, Violin
Peter Henderson, Piano
Juliana Athayde, Violin
Adam Smyla, Viola
Joen Vasquez, Viola
Amos Yang, Cello
David Premo, Cello
Stravinsky: Suite Italienne for Violin and Piano
Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence for String Sextet
Beethoven’s “Eroica”
Saturday, July 31, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Chamber Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Sameer Patel, Conductor
Beethoven: Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, “Eroica”
Celebrating Frontline Heroes
Monday, August 2, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
A special tribute to the heroes in healthcare, education, transportation, food service, social work, and emergency services who worked so hard to improve our lives these last two years.
Gala Concert with Joshua Bell
Wednesday, August 4, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Joshua Bell, Violin
One of the most celebrated violinists of his era, Grammy Award-winner Joshua Bell is joined by the Festival Orchestra for the annual fundraising concert. Ticket sales help keep the rest of the season’s performances admission-free.
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy
Tchaikovsky: Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 35
Memories and Reflections: Mazzoli, Mozart, and Brahms
Thursday, August 5, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Sameer Patel, Conductor
Jason Shafer, Clarinet
Mazzoli: These Worlds In Us
Mozart: Concerto in A Major for Clarinet and Orchestra, K. 622
Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn, Op. 56a
The American Experience
Saturday, August 7, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Julia Bullock, Soprano
Florence Price: Ethiopia’s Shadow in America
Jessie Montgomery: Five Freedom Songs (World Premiere; co-commissioned by Sun Valley Music Festival, San Francisco Symphony, Boston Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Grand Teton Music Festival, Kansas City Symphony, and Virginia Arts Festival)
Copland: Lincoln Portrait
Mahler Symphony No. 4
Monday, August 9, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Julia Bullock, Soprano
Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G Major
Edgar M. Bronfman String Quartet
Tuesday, August 10, 2021, 6:30 PM
Chamber Concert
Jeremy Constant, Violin
Polina Sedukh, Violin
Adam Smyla, Viola
Amos Yang, Cello
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110
Mozart: String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465, “Dissonance”
Alisa Weilerstein Plays Schumann
Thursday, August 12, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Sameer Patel, Conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, Cello
Higdon: blue cathedral
Schumann: Concerto in A Minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 129
Pops Night and Lawn Party with the Villalobos Brothers
Saturday, August 14, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Jacomo Bairos, Conductor
Villalobos Brothers
After a traditional Pops Night tribute to the Armed Forces, the Villalobos Brothers join the Festival Orchestra for a spirited evening of Latin-inspired music.
Post-concert: Lawn Party—¡Fiesta de baile!
Joyce Yang Plays Rachmaninoff
Sunday, August 15, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Sameer Patel, Conductor
Joyce Yang, Piano
Smetana: The Moldau from Má Vlast [My Fatherland]
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2 in C Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 18
Brahms’s Magnum Opus
Tuesday, August 17, 2021, 6:30 PM
Chamber Concert
Peter Henderson, Piano
Erin Schreiber, Violin
Shawn Weil, Violin
Cassandra Lynne Richburg, Viola
Bjorn Ranheim, Cello
Brahms: Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118
Brahms: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34
Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony
Thursday, August 19, 2021, 6:30 PM
Festival Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, Conductor
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64