Upbeat with Alasdair-Orchestral Conversations: Meet the Brass

The Community Library, John A. and Carole O. Moran Lecture Hall 415 Spruce Avenue, Ketchum, ID, United States

Get the inside scoop on the Festival’s Winter Season, direct from the musicians! Music Director Alasdair Neale will host his popular Upbeat with Alasdair speaking series on March 14 with a special presentation to kick off the winter concerts, which take place later in the week. For the talk, Maestro Neale will be joined by four Festival Orchestra principal brass musicians who will share the unique characteristics of their instruments and how they will be showcased during the winter performances.

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Upbeat with Alasdair: Why Brahms?

The Community Library, John A. and Carole O. Moran Lecture Hall 415 Spruce Avenue, Ketchum, ID, United States

The Sun Valley Music Festival is pleased to present a new Upbeat with Alasdair talk, featuring pianist Jon Kimura Parker, Concertmaster Jeremy Constant, and Principal Cello Amos Yang in conversation with Music Director Alasdair Neale. Parker will feature prominently in the Festival’s upcoming Winter Season concerts at the Argyros, March 6-9. This year’s program, entitled “The Romance of Brahms,” is the first time the Festival’s Winter Season will focus on the music of a single composer: Johannes Brahms. Accordingly, in this edition of the popular series of talks, Neale, Parker, and two Festival musicians, Jeremy Constant and Amos Yang will explore the music of Brahms, revealing why Brahms continues to be such a beloved composer both for musicians and audiences. This event will also be livestreamed on svmusicfestival.org.

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Upbeat with Alasdair: Meet the Artists: Andy Akiho and Jeffrey Zeigler

The Community Library, John A. and Carole O. Moran Lecture Hall 415 Spruce Avenue, Ketchum, ID, United States

Back in 2021, the Music Festival commissioned composer Andy Akiho, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and multiple GRAMMYⓇ nominee, to write a concerto for Jeffrey Zeigler, former cellist of the Kronos Quartet. Join Music Director Alasdair Neale and these two artists as they discuss the creative process, ahead of the world premiere of the piece on August 2. This event will also be livestreamed on svmusicfestival.org.

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Upbeat with Alasdair: Why Mahler’s Sixth Symphony Still Resonates Today

The Community Library, John A. and Carole O. Moran Lecture Hall 415 Spruce Avenue, Ketchum, ID, United States

Alma Mahler wrote that her husband’s Sixth Symphony was “his most personal work and also a prophetic one.”  Nicknamed the “Tragic” symphony by the composer himself, it’s a work of immense proportions and emotions.  In this edition of Upbeat, Music Director Alasdair Neale explores the enduring appeal and resonance of this epic piece to today’s audiences. This event will also be livestreamed on svmusicfestival.org.

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