For those that truly love classical music, it isn’t just the great composers that brings them joy. The real joy comes when watch great beginning musicians perform their craft for regular audiences. Enjoying classical music doesn’t mean that you have to sit at home to listen to it, or attend an opera to hear it played well. All over the United States, there are numerous festivals and classical music events that enthusiasts can visit and enjoy.
Every year between the months of June and August the Aspen Colorado Music Festival takes place. In addition to hearing renditions of pieces by some of the greatest composers of classical music, the festival also features master classes in both opera and piano for those attending the festival. Many of the concerts do cost money to attend, but there are some free events for the public to enjoy, such as recitals, story telling hours where you can learn information about different composer’s lives, and pre concert talks where the audience can learn all about the music they will be hearing. The festival lasts almost two full months, so there’s plenty of time to make plans to attend.
Another great festival to visit is the Mainly Mozart Festival held at the Coral Gables Museum in Coral Gables, FL. For the past nineteen years, the festival has been held in order to expose local residents and visitors to classical music. The event features concerts by local ensembles and soloists from around the area. There are also educational workshops and performances geared toward bring a love of classical music to children. This includes two Mozart for children concerts, a number of interactive performances, and free admission for kids on designated days. The festival lasts from April to June, with specific dates given out before the festival begins each year.
Moving up to its 45th season is the Newport Music Festival held in Newport, Rhode Island. Every year this festival gets bigger and better by hosting fabulous performers, many that make this there first stop in their American debuts. For the 2012 festival, the offerings consisted of sixty-one chamber music concerts, a large number of recitals, a gala cocktail reception, and events for children. The festivals signature event is its yearly “Classical Smackdowns” competition, where the audience votes for its favorite composer of all time. Every year festival organizers work to improve the experience, so the events for next year promise to be even bigger and better.
Although there are a great number of festivals to choose from throughout the year all over the United States, the last one to be mentioned here is the annual Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. The annual seventeen day spring festival lasts from May 24th through June 9th, and is one of the most popular classical music festivals in the United States. Each year the festival features operas, theater, music, and dance all in the classical genre to delight attendees. Although this years festival has already concluded, next years festival promises to be just as great with preparations already underway.