Aspen Music Festival and School trombone students Jacob Ogbu, Malik Hamza, Marlia Nash and Timmy Gabow busk along the East Hyman Avenue pedestrian mall in Aspen on Saturday afternoon.
Art, music and education.
They were the three pillars of a philosophy espoused by Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke, generally credited as the matriarch and patriarch of modern Aspen.
The Paepckes’ vision for the community led to the 1949 Goethe Bicentennial Convocation and Music Festival — a 20-day cultural gathering in Aspen to honor German poet and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — and the oft-mentioned “Aspen Idea” (“mind, body and spirit”). The event, which included both intellectual forums and musical performances, led to the formation of both the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Music Festival and School. In 1951, the school enrolled its first official class with 183 students.
Thousands of students have since followed in those original musicians’ footsteps, trekking to Aspen every summer to further their knowledge, improve their skills and get their own taste of Aspen’s version of “mind, body and spirit.”
And, tracing the steps of AMFS, Jazz Aspen Snowmass and Theatre Aspen have both established summer intern programs that offer training to musicians and actors of the highest caliber.
This summer, as always, students from around the world are in Aspen working alongside industry veterans and preparing to enter the professional arts world.
Aspen Music Festival and School
Over the last 70 years, AMFS has established itself as one of the top teaching classical music festivals in the world, attracting music students from around the globe each year to train and perform alongside renowned musicians, composers and conductors.
Patrick Chamberlain, vice president for artistic administration, spoke with the Aspen Daily News previously about AMFS’ stature.
“In this country there are a number of great summer music festivals and great teaching music festivals,” he said. “We consider our peer organizations in teaching festivals to be the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, and Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Those are the other top-level teaching festivals.
“They’re both much smaller in terms of student body than we are, but certainly have a reputation for excellence in teaching and performing; but we are the largest of that size in terms of student body,” Chamberlain continued.
In celebration of International Jazz Day on April 30, Jazz Aspen Snowmass brought together middle and high school bands from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley for a special performance at The Arts Campus at Willits. Students from Aspen Middle School kicked off the performance.
This summer, 480 students from 41 states and 29 countries are in Aspen to learn, perform, sing, conduct and compose music as part of the AMFS program, working alongside some of the world’s greatest classical musicians. AMFS offers student programs of study in orchestra/instrumental, solo piano, collaborative piano, opera theater and VocalARTS, conducting academy, composition study, contemporary ensemble, brass quintet abd classical guitar. There are other, supplemental program offerings.
The average age of the students in the program is 24. The oldest student this year is 38 and the youngest student is 8.
Yvette Kraft is a violin player spending her fourth summer with AMFS.
“I came back for the incredible performance opportunities here,” Kraft said. Where else can I play with world class artists, have lessons with some of the greatest teachers of our age and also enjoy one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth? I love performing, so Aspen is my happy place.”
Throughout the AMFS season, which runs through Aug. 24, multiple student performances take place daily — orchestras, recitals, solo and chamber concertos, opera productions, lectures and master classes — at AMFS performance venues at the Aspen Meadows campus in the West End and other spots throughout the valley. Most of the student performances are free to the public.
AMFS’ students can be seen all over Aspen during the summertime, busking and playing outside restaurants and other locales.
Many of the students playing music on local streets and parks are part of AMFS’s Hire a Musician program, which plays a cultural role in the community by bringing high-caliber musical performances to various community establishments and events across Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt and Carbondale.
“Outdoor, live music in Aspen marks the sounds of summer,” said Heather Kendrick Stanton, vice president of education and community programs. “We often hear how the streets come alive when the music students begin busking on the Paradise Bakery corner, at the Aspen Saturday Market and myriad locations in the downtown core. For the AMFS, the Hire A Musician program establishes community connections with hundreds of individuals and businesses throughout the season. For the students, it allows them to integrate into our community’s fabric, to share their incredible talents and to develop in their careers as professional performers.”
Azusa Chapman, vice president and dean of students at AMFS, said the goal of the program is to provide an immersive summer experience that combines world-class musical training with professional performance experience, preparing artists for a life in music.
The JAS Street Horns play to the crowd between sets one afternoon at last year’s JAS Labor Day Experience.
“We consider Aspen to be a place where artistic excellence and personal growth go hand in hand,” Chapman said. “We hope our young artists leave the program transformed — whether they’ve found new inspiration, built lasting connections with peers and mentors or achieved a breakthrough in their technical or artistic development. Any and all of these experiences leave a lasting impact.”
Chapman said Aspen is an ideal place for learning because AMFS brings together students and some of the most sought-after instructors from around the world — dedicated mentors who teach, guide and inspire the next generation of classical musicians.
“AMFS is rooted in the spirit of the Aspen Idea,” Chapman said. “AMFS embraces this philosophy in its mission, creating a space where music education is both rigorous and holistic. In addition, the surrounding natural beauty offers an ideal setting for focus and creative inspiration.”
Alan Fletcher, AMFS president and CEO, said if the future of music depends on young people who make a commitment to music, “then it is in extremely good shape.
“We have an absolutely brilliant class for this summer. We had a record number of applicants and we have extraordinary quality in all areas.”
Theatre Aspen’s Summer Cabaret series is almost entirely produced by the Theatre Aspen Apprentice Program. Eight actors in the program this summer performed the cabaret “Hooray for Hollywood” last month at the Hotel Jerome.
Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Jazz Aspen Snowmass launched its music education programs in 1996 with the Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Colony, which became the JAS Academy Summer Sessions in 2000.
The academy is full-scholarship, with all travel, lodging, tuition and meals provided. It is supported annually by a gift from Sasha and Ed Bass, and is the nation’s only all-scholarship summer training program for young emerging jazz artists.
The goal of the JAS Academy is to identify and assist the most talented artists embracing jazz fundamentally while exploring related and unrelated forms of music at the highest level of quality. In addition to their studies and rehearsals, students at the academy also are showcased at multiple public performances.
The academy pairs young artists with acclaimed jazz players such as Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Russell Malone, Monty Alexander and Grammy-winning bassist and JAS Academy Artistic Director Christian McBride in intensive workshops, seminars and performances.
In 2018, JAS Academy joined forces with the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami to expand curriculum to include both performance skills and Frost’s curriculum on the business of music.
Additionally, JAS operates a series of companion Local Education Initiatives for younger musicians that have become the backbone of public school music funding in the Roaring Fork Valley. With an average annual school music program budget of approximately $1,400 per school, JAS’ annual average commitment of $220,000 has become essential in supporting local student musicians and instructors.
“The JAS Academy is at the very heart of JAS,” said Jim Horowitz, founder and president of Jazz Aspen Snowmass. “The sheer number of the high-quality working artists today who came through the JAS Academy over the past 25 years is a testament to its ongoing impact in developing the next generation of professional jazz artists.
“The reputation of this program continues to grow and the number and quality of the applicants continues to grow annually,” he continued. “It’s a highly competitive program. We are now literally picking from the cream of the crop. The program is reaching new heights and has become one of the flagship education initiatives at JAS.”
Atop Aspen Mountain on Saturday afternoon, Bel Suono, a group from Rutgers University, performs as part of the Aspen Music Festival and School’s Music on the Mountain series.
Alumni of the JAS Academy can be found all across the jazz universe, one being Oscar- and Grammy-winner Jon Batiste.
This summer, Jazz Aspen Snowmass welcomed 23 students from some of the top music schools across the country to Snowmass in June for the first of two sessions of the JAS Academy.
The first session, a big band program, was led by McBride who worked in tandem with Frost Dean Shelly Berg and Program Director Chuck Bergeron.
“The JAS Academy big band performances at our recent 2025 June JAS Experience were a musical highlight in a weekend full of memorable performances,” Horowitz said. “They belonged side by side with professionals spread across 12 downtown venues.”
The second academy sessions will take place July 28 to Aug. 11 in Aspen with an additional 23 students who will be led by Trinidad-born trumpeter and Guggenheim Fellowship Recipient Etienne Charles.
Another session will focus on “non-swing” styles of music — including Latin music, music of South and Central America, Africa and the Caribbean — in both combo and big band settings.
Daily program activities for both sessions include a blend of coaching from JAS Academy jazz masters and faculty members along with individual group time for rehearsal and recording. Selective curricula will address topics essential to developing well-rounded musicians with the tools to succeed in the 21st century music industry.
Liam Laird grew up in Carbondale and has been participating in Jazz Aspen Snowmass education programs from middle school through college and now he’s part of JAS Academy. He performed in JAS Academy’s June program of workshops, seminars and performances under the direction of Artistic Director Christian McBride.
Classes in recording techniques, arranging, production, touring, agent representation, artist management, contracts, website development and digital rights are all taught.
The students represent 17 music programs from across the U.S., including Frost School of Music, Julliard, Michigan State, Berklee College of Music, George Mason University, University of Northern Colorado, Montclair State University, University of Oregon, Middle Tennessee State University, Indiana University, University of Memphis, University of North Texas, Southern Illinois University, Eastman School of Music, Oberlin, Morgan State University and Manhattan School of Music.
Liam Laird grew up in Carbondale and has been participating in JAS programs from middle school through college and now is a member of the academy.
“The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Jazz Academy is a truly remarkable experience,” Laird said. “It’s a unique opportunity to grow alongside some of the most talented young musicians, learn from outstanding faculty, and gain valuable insight into the music industry — all under the inspiring direction of Christian McBride.
“Surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, it’s hard to imagine a more ideal setting for such a transformative and enriching experience,” he said.
The Jazz Aspen Snowmass District 8 Honor Jazz Band performs at Carbondale Middle School in this February 2023 photo.
Theatre Aspen
For over a decade, the Theatre Aspen Apprentice Program for aspiring theatre professionals has offered students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with professionals in their fields and the chance to observe and assist in the theatrical production process from pre-production to finish.
Theatre Aspen apprentices range in age from 18-22. They are college students studying theatre and musical theatre at their respective schools. There are 32 places in the class, with eight reserved specifically for performers; the remaining spots are in design, costume, theater administration, stage management, lighting, marketing, music direction and more.
All apprentices work with creative team members and attend weekly seminars taught by Theatre Aspen staff and other leading industry professionals.
Theatre Aspen’s Summer Cabaret series is almost entirely produced by the TAAP. The series consists of three productions — “Hooray for Hollywood,” which happened last month, “Summer Super Bowl Sunday,” on July 20, and “Come Together: A Celebration of The Beatles,” on Aug. 10.
Michael Callahan directed “Hooray for Hollywood!” with TAAP students.
“The apprentice program is an opportunity for young artists to perform with and learn from some of the best in the business,” Callahan said. “They leave with skills that can only be honed by working in a professional setting. I hope they leave with confidence in their craft and perspective on how to function in a professional theatre setting.
“They are all extremely talented and well trained, but learning by doing and watching is priceless,” he explained. “With any profession, the practical application is where the real learning happens. The summer season here in Aspen has a range of theater styles allowing the apprentices to expand their education and execution.”
Callahan said that Aspen is an ideal place for students to learn because of the vibrant artistic community that attracts top tier professional talent.
“Literally, Broadway’s best performers are sprinkled throughout Aspen’s summer theatre season,” Calahan said. “It is rare to watch and learn from these performers up close. The intimacy and beauty of Aspen also gives these young artists a safe place to focus and absorb.”
M.K. Ware is an apprentice in the development program at TAAP. She said she always wanted to learn about behind-the-scenes show production.
“As a development apprentice at Theatre Aspen, I’ve been able to go ‘behind the curtain’ and garner skills necessary for any organizational position in theater,” Ware said. “I’m so excited about all the new information I’ve learned this summer and can’t wait to see what more knowledge will be acquired by the end.”
Ellie Howell is a company management apprentice. She said the program has been an incredible experience and she has enjoyed the community, which has helped her to grow as a person and professionally. She said the cherry on top is Aspen itself.
One perk that performance and stage management apprentices in TAAP have is the opportunity to gain membership to the Actors’ Equity Association after the summer. The apprenticeship with Theatre Aspen is considered professional work on a theater production in the U.S. and therefore qualifies participants for entrance into professional organizations.
Many apprentices return later in their career to work on Theatre Aspen productions. The actress Nevada Riley was an apprentice in 2021 and spent the beginning of her career performing in the summer cabarets. She later starred in “Beetlejuice” on Broadway and returned to Aspen as one of the leads in “Mamma Mia.” this summer.
“It is such an amazing opportunity to work with New York professionals in Aspen,” Howell said. “I am so glad that an apprenticeship like Theatre Aspen allows me to spend the summer in a city I would likely not be able to live in otherwise. I have truly loved my time here so far.
“The city is absolutely incredible and our housing is easily the nicest of any other summer theater program I’ve heard of. With the gorgeous scenery, small-town charm, and hundreds of things to do, I find myself so excited to wake up each day in this beautiful place. It is truly an inspiring place to learn.”
