Strings Season 25 in Pictures

Strings Music Festival - Steamboat Springs, CO

As we wrap up our 25th Anniversary Season with Asleep at the Wheel this Friday, I thought I’d take a moment and give you a snapshot of this summer. Thank you to all who shared this exceptional season with us.





MASS Ensemble ~ June 30

William Close came to Strings Music Festival in the midst of his America’s Got Talent competition to play the strings of the giant Earth Harp. After performing here, Howie Mandel of America’s Got Talent said, “I would pay any amount of money to see that show.” And just think – some of you got to see it for free!

Free Community Day ~ July 1

1,000 community members showed up for four hours of music and dancing with Earth Harp, Drum Orb, African Dance and Drum Ensemble, and Jasmir Belly Dancers performances.

Tesla Quartet

This year our young Artist-in-Residence quartet was the Tesla Quartet, and we enjoyed hearing them play at Music on the Green, outreach performances, chamber concerts, and orchestra concerts.

Kitchen and Garden Tour ~ July 21

We had the biggest ever Kitchen and Garden Tour this year with 503 participants and a gorgeous day for touring seven Steamboat homes.




Chris Botti ~ July 27

In the most magical concert of the summer, Chris Botti and his talented band wooed the audience with pieces ranging from smooth jazz, to soul, to classical.

k.d. lang and the siss boom bang ~ August 3

With a show like the Pavilion has never seen before, k.d. lang blew away the crowd with her heartfelt vocals and powerful stage presence.

Classical Finale Orchestra ~ August 4

The classical season ended with a full stage of orchestra musicians and Wendy Chen at the piano.

Steamboat Springs All Arts Festival

August 15 - August 19, 2012

Did you know that of all the arts and culture events attendees, 59% travel to any given area specifically to experience arts and culture? With all those arts and culture tourists out there, it’s no wonder that Steamboat Springs’ all encompassing All Arts Festival is such a hit with locals and visitors alike.  

From August 15 to August 19, the 2012 All Arts Festival will bring you the best of visual art, music, and culture of Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley. Whether you like fine art, historical art, dance, theatre, opera, orchestra, western swing, or bluegrass, you’re sure to enjoy all Steamboat has to offer this coming weekend. 

If music is your favorite art form, here’s what we recommend: 

Wednesday August 15

Emerald City Opera’s 10^th Anniversary Concert – 7:00pm, Strings Music Pavilion

Thursday August 16

Music on the Green with John Gibbs and Randy Kelley – 12:15, Yampa River Botanic Park

Friday August 17

Asleep at the Wheel – 8:00pm, Strings Music Pavilion

Saturday August 18

Steamboat Springs Symphony Orchestra Opening Concert – 7:00pm, Strings Music Pavilion

Sunday August 19

Meet the Maestro Ernest Richardson, Steamboat Springs Symphony Orchestra – 6:00pm

Click here for the full schedule of events.

Music of the 2012 Olympic Games

Picture the summer Olympics. Gymnasts flying through the air, swimmers reaching for the wall, runners sprinting for the finish line. A full sized symphony orchestra?

Yes, indeed. The London Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the 2012 Opening Cermony. But before we get to the musical athletes themselves, we must first pay tribute to the Olympic theme music. NBC's broadcast of the Olympic games wouldn't be complete without the "bum, bum, ba bum bum bum bum" before and after every commercial break. Of course, there have been other Olympic themes throughout the years, which are covered in a fun post by NPR. And let’s not forget about all the national anthems played during the medal ceremonies for the best athletes in the world.

Hot Air Balloons Land at Strings

Every morning in Steamboat Springs you can see a hot air balloon rising into the crisp blue sky above Emerald Mountain. The funny thing about hot air balloons is you never know where they’re going to land. And sometimes they like to stop at Strings for a concert….

Hot Air Balloon at Strings Music Pavilion

I remember…

“Hot air balloons landing on the lawn at Torian Plum during classical concerts.”

“Hot air balloons landing outside the tent during an adagio movment – you couldn’t hear a thing!”

"Sailing Ships" - by Steamboat Springs High Schoolers

Back around graduation time, young Steamboat musicians Kate and Nissa woke up one morning to find that their practice video had received over 100,000 hits overnight. Now, almost two months later the video has over 300,000 hits and thousands of fans.  

"Sailing Ships," aptly named for Steamboat Springs High School’s Sailors mascot, perfectly captures the high school mentality of simultaneously longing for the past and anxiously waiting to be set free. Listen to the song below.

The simple trio of vocals, piano, and cello set mostly in a minor key brought me back to one of my own high school memeories, where two of my very good friends wrote a song with the same arrangement for their graduation. I can’t be sure if it was Kate and Nissa’s heartfelt music or memories of my own youth that brought goosebumps to my arms, but the song certainly moves everyone who listens to it.  

We’re proud that Kate had the chance to participate in Strings School Days before graduating high school to pursue a career in music. Kate will begin at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the fall. Nissa has one year left at The Lowell Whiteman School in Steamboat Springs. She will play at the Strings Music Pavilion on Wednesday August 1. This last Heritage Concert of the summer features 14 young Steamboat musicians who will perform on stage with the professionals. Visit the Strings Music Festival website to purchase tickets.

Rainbows End at Strings

"My favorite memory of Strings is the rainbow before Kathy Mattea’s performance.”

Strings Music Festival Tent - 1996

Last week, we were graced with another beautiful rainbow as we celebrated 25 years of Strings. It seemed especially fitting that it ended at the Pavilion.

Strings Music Pavilion - 2012

Spotlight: Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds

“A seriously funky collective capable of bringing elements of deep soul, New Orleans funk, Stax/Memphis stylings and earthy R&B together . . . Kincheloe wove a sultry, sexy spell with her incredible blues-soaked lines and deep-in-the-groove dance moves.” -The Buffalo News

Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds

Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds have hit the ground running since 2010 with the release of their debut, self-titled album. The band is the next hottest thing, having opened for the Black Keys, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, the Rebirth Brass Band, and the Soul Rebels Brass Band, and with lead singer Arleigh Kincheloe’s voice being compared to Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Janis. Their music turns jazzy New Orleans blues into rock ‘n roll, and the crowd can’t resist the urge to dance.

Below you can watch the band’s newest music video, 'Another Ride.' Kincheloe says, “The whole carnival idea, “Another Ride” is about life, but the imagery is directly inspired by being a little kid at the Margaretville Fair.”