Announcing the 2024 Winter Season “The Romance of Brahms”

The Sun Valley Music Festival announces its sixth Winter Season at the Argyros Performing Arts Center, from March 6 to 9. The 2024 Winter Season focuses on “The Romance of Brahms” and offers two chamber music programs specially curated by Music Director Alasdair Neale, featuring pianist Jon Kimura Parker—winner of the Gold Medal at the 1984 Leeds International Piano Competition—and string musicians from the all-star Sun Valley Music Festival Orchestra. Presented in an intimate atmosphere, the all-Brahms programs include beloved pieces by the Romantic composer for solo piano and string ensembles, such as Hungarian Dance No. 4 in F-sharp Minor, Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Trio No. 1 in B Major, and the inventive and technically demanding Handel Variations.

“It’s a privilege to welcome Jon Kimura Parker back to our intimate stage at the Argyros in Ketchum, warming up the winter with Brahms’s timeless and emotional piano music,” said Neale. “To give our audiences as much music as possible, we’re offering—for the first time—two different programs, each performed twice.  I love Brahms because, like few others in the musical Pantheon, he channels the human condition perfectly.  Sorrow, joy, humor, pathos—it’s all there in the notes, and no matter how often you listen to it, there’s always more to explore and learn from.”

Two unique programs will be performed on alternating evenings: Program A on March 6 and 8, Program B on March 7 and 9. The concerts will take place at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, starting at 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) The concerts are about two hours long, including a 20-minute intermission. As always, attendance is free, though reservations are required.

On Tuesday evening, March 5, at 6:30 p.m., the Music Festival will present an “Upbeat with Alasdair” featuring Alasdair Neale and Jon Kimura Parker in conversation.  The event will be held at the Community Library in Ketchum, and livestreamed from the Music Festival’s website.  Also during the week, all Music Festival musicians will interact with students in local schools, offering demonstrations, coaching, and master classes.

Tickets

Admission is free, but space is limited and reservations are required. Reservations for the public begin on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 9:00 a.m. (Mountain Time). Reserved seats are limited to two seats per household per program for a total of four for the Winter Season. Reservations are available online at svmusicfestival.org. Festival donors at $6,000 and up may reserve seating early, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 9:00 a.m. (Mountain Time), by calling the Festival office at 208.622.5607. Concertgoers can purchase beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages at the concerts. All details can be found on the Festival website.

For the latest news and information on the Sun Valley Music Festival and Winter Season, including reservations and details on attending, visit the Festival website at svmusicfestival.org or sign up for e-news at svmusicfestival.org/subscribe.