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SummerArts: MultiArts Festivals

SummerArts: MultiArts Festivals

Pacific

Artown (Reno, NV)

(July 1-31, 2012) Every July, Reno truly becomes “Art town” as cultural events flood the downtown. Wingfield Park is ground zero for the festival, where there are multiple events occurring on any given day. Numerous other Reno venues also host concerts, exhibitions, and other arts events during the festival. Impressively, over half of Artown’s offerings are now completely free, from children’s art workshops and puppet shows to dance performances and movie screenings. ...more...

Days & Nights Festival (Carmel Valley, CA)

(August – September, 2012) The brainchild of eminent minimalist composer Philip Glass, the Days and Nights Festival offers two late summer weeks of musical performances, theatrical productions, poetry readings, dance recitals and film presentations, most of which are presented at the Hidden Valley Theatre in Carmel Valley. ...more...

Festival Del Sole (Napa Valley, CA)

(July 13 – 22, 2012) The verdant Napa Valley is home to some of the finest vineyards and restaurants in the world, including Thomas Keller’s legendary French Laundry, so it’s not terribly surprising that the Festival del Sole is less an arts festival than a complete and somewhat overwhelming immersion of the senses. The ten-day festival is held every July at various locations all around the Valley and offers a wide variety of programs, including theatrical performances, art exhibitions, classical and baroque concerts, ballet recitals, food and wine tastings, and yoga classes (which are taught by a local winemaker and are followed by a tasting of some of her wares). ...more...

Mountain

Crested Butte Music Festival (Crested Butte, CO)

(June 30 – August 12, 2012) Nestled out in the Rockies, the 1880s town of Crested Butte has molded itself into something of a mecca for exhilarating and intimate musical experiences. For six weeks in July and August, Crested Butte Music Festival brings world-class talent in a variety of genres; opera, bluegrass, musical comedy, gypsy jazz and symphonic classical, to name a few. ...more...

Grand Teton Music Festival (Teton Village, WY)

(July 5 – August 18, 2012) From humble beginnings in 1962, the Grand Teton Music Festival has become one of the largest summer music festivals in the country, bringing the finest in classical music to the base of the Tetons for over 50 years. Seven weeks of summer concerts in Walk Festival Hall feature musicians from esteemed ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and many more. ...more...

Central

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival (Manchester, TN)

(June 7 – 10, 2012) Bonnaroo (the term, popularized by Dr. John, means “a really good time”) gives most other summer arts and music festivals a run for their money. Once primarily a jam band festival, the four-day hippie-friendly camping fest now features an extraordinarily diverse roster with more headliners than you can count. ...more...

Grant Park Music Festival (Chicago, IL)

(June 13 – August 18, 2012) Chicago’s favorite free summer-concert series, the Grant Park Music Festival is conveniently located in Millennium Park, right by the Loop. Over 10 weeks, evening concerts featuring the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus are held in the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, where Chicagoans picnic and enjoy the state-of-the-art sound out on the lawn (festival donors can get priority seating closer to the stage). ...more...

Eastern

Appalachian Summer Festival (Boone, NC)

(May 27 – July 30, 2012) Begun in 1984 as a chamber music festival, the Appalachian Summer Festival has expanded over the years into one of the country’s largest regional multi-arts festivals. One of those festivals from slightly off the beaten path that seems to offer something for everyone, the ASF presents chamber music (naturally), a film series, lectures on art and folklore, ballet, pop vocalists, regular bus trips to Greensboro’s Triad Stage, and all manner of hands-on arts workshops, as well as an annual Independence Day fireworks concert and dinner. ...more...

Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival (North Adams, MA)

(July 9 – 29, 2012) Presented by the seminal new music collective Bang on a Can — founded in 1987 by contemporary composers Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, and David Lang — this July festival takes place at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art each year. As an organization that eschews stylistic genres or restrictive labels, Lang calls Bang on a Can “a place where the homeless composers could all go.” The music written and performed as part of the festival is wide-ranging — seemingly, the only stipulation is that it be contemporary music that values risk-taking. ...more...

Bard Summerscape (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY)

(July 6 – August 19, 2012) Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “one of the most musically satisfying” summer festivals, Bard SummerScape is a seven week smorgasbord of opera, music, theater, dance, film and cabaret. Often, the centerpiece of SummerScape, Bard Music Festival, will highlight the work of one major composer with all or most of the works in the festival centered around the composer or those who influenced/were influenced by him or her. ...more...

Chautauqua Institution (Chautauqua, NY)

(June 24 – August 25, 2012) A National Historic Landmark, the Chautauqua Institution was founded in the 19th century as a training program for Sunday-school teachers, and religious education remains a key part of the programming each season in the form of worship and sacred-song services, fellowship groups, and interfaith lectures and discussions. The Chautauqua summer festival’s commitment to providing spiritual renewal for its visitors is also realized through the arts, represented by theatrical productions, operas, concerts, dance, and other performances. ...more...

International Festival of Arts and Ideas (New Haven, CT)

(June 16 – 30, 2012) It is fitting that New Haven, home to both a thriving art scene and the distinguished Yale University, should host an International Festival of Arts and Ideas. Established in 1996, this annual festival takes over the city each June for a two-week celebration of creativity and critical thinking that electrifies the community. Venues range from the grounds of Yale to the lovely New Haven Green, where there are concerts, theatrical productions, lectures, panel discussions, dance programs, film screenings, art exhibits, poetry readings, and family fare. ...more...

Lincoln Center Festival (New York, NY)

(July 5 – August 5, 2012) Lincoln Center’s resident companies and artists dazzle audiences all year long, but during the Lincoln Center Festival, held every July, it is the best of the international theater community that goes on display. A collection of well-chosen productions offer the unexpected, some simple and exotic, others breathtaking in their artistry and enormity. Dramatic re-imaginings of Western classics, Mongolian songs, Iranian religious drama, and music from Bach to African pop have all been on the program. ...more...

Music Mountain (Falls Village, CT)

(June 17 – September 9, 2012) Tucked out in the Connecticut woods, the rafters of Gordon Hall have been ringing with the sounds of incredible chamber music since 1930. Home of the oldest continuous chamber music festival, Music Mountain presents a 16-concert chamber music series, a Saturday evening jazz series and several Friday night Baroque concerts throughout the summer. ...more...

Princeton Festival (Princeton, NJ)

(June 9 – 30, 2012) Opera, choral masterworks, musical theater, cabaret, new chamber works. The real question is; what doesn’t Princeton Festival have? Bringing renowned national artists, emerging creators and local talent together with unmatched production values could only be a recipe for success, and this festival has proved it. ...more...

Spoleto Festival USA (Charleston, SC)

(May 25 – June 10, 2012) Devised as an American counterpart to Italy’s Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, the Spoleto Festival USA is an annual celebration of art at its finest. During the 17-day event, opera, ballet, modern dance, theater, classical-music, and jazz performances are held in churches,theaters, recital halls, and other venues throughout historic Charleston, South Carolina. Spoleto USA has premiered works by legends like Arthur Miller, Laurie Anderson, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Allen Ginsberg, while also featuring many emerging artists. ...more...

Pacific

Artown (Reno, NV)

(July 1-31, 2012) Every July, Reno truly becomes “Art town” as cultural events flood the downtown. Wingfield Park is ground zero for the festival, where there are multiple events occurring on any given day. Numerous other Reno venues also host concerts, exhibitions, and other arts events during the festival. Impressively, over half of Artown’s offerings are now completely free, from children’s art workshops and puppet shows to dance performances and movie screenings. ...more...

Days & Nights Festival (Carmel Valley, CA)

(August – September, 2012) The brainchild of eminent minimalist composer Philip Glass, the Days and Nights Festival offers two late summer weeks of musical performances, theatrical productions, poetry readings, dance recitals and film presentations, most of which are presented at the Hidden Valley Theatre in Carmel Valley. ...more...

Festival Del Sole (Napa Valley, CA)

(July 13 – 22, 2012) The verdant Napa Valley is home to some of the finest vineyards and restaurants in the world, including Thomas Keller’s legendary French Laundry, so it’s not terribly surprising that the Festival del Sole is less an arts festival than a complete and somewhat overwhelming immersion of the senses. The ten-day festival is held every July at various locations all around the Valley and offers a wide variety of programs, including theatrical performances, art exhibitions, classical and baroque concerts, ballet recitals, food and wine tastings, and yoga classes (which are taught by a local winemaker and are followed by a tasting of some of her wares). ...more...

Mountain

Crested Butte Music Festival (Crested Butte, CO)

(June 30 – August 12, 2012) Nestled out in the Rockies, the 1880s town of Crested Butte has molded itself into something of a mecca for exhilarating and intimate musical experiences. For six weeks in July and August, Crested Butte Music Festival brings world-class talent in a variety of genres; opera, bluegrass, musical comedy, gypsy jazz and symphonic classical, to name a few. ...more...

Grand Teton Music Festival (Teton Village, WY)

(July 5 – August 18, 2012) From humble beginnings in 1962, the Grand Teton Music Festival has become one of the largest summer music festivals in the country, bringing the finest in classical music to the base of the Tetons for over 50 years. Seven weeks of summer concerts in Walk Festival Hall feature musicians from esteemed ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and many more. ...more...

Central

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival (Manchester, TN)

(June 7 – 10, 2012) Bonnaroo (the term, popularized by Dr. John, means “a really good time”) gives most other summer arts and music festivals a run for their money. Once primarily a jam band festival, the four-day hippie-friendly camping fest now features an extraordinarily diverse roster with more headliners than you can count. ...more...

Grant Park Music Festival (Chicago, IL)

(June 13 – August 18, 2012) Chicago’s favorite free summer-concert series, the Grant Park Music Festival is conveniently located in Millennium Park, right by the Loop. Over 10 weeks, evening concerts featuring the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus are held in the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, where Chicagoans picnic and enjoy the state-of-the-art sound out on the lawn (festival donors can get priority seating closer to the stage). ...more...

Eastern

Appalachian Summer Festival (Boone, NC)

(May 27 – July 30, 2012) Begun in 1984 as a chamber music festival, the Appalachian Summer Festival has expanded over the years into one of the country’s largest regional multi-arts festivals. One of those festivals from slightly off the beaten path that seems to offer something for everyone, the ASF presents chamber music (naturally), a film series, lectures on art and folklore, ballet, pop vocalists, regular bus trips to Greensboro’s Triad Stage, and all manner of hands-on arts workshops, as well as an annual Independence Day fireworks concert and dinner. ...more...

Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival (North Adams, MA)

(July 9 – 29, 2012) Presented by the seminal new music collective Bang on a Can — founded in 1987 by contemporary composers Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, and David Lang — this July festival takes place at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art each year. As an organization that eschews stylistic genres or restrictive labels, Lang calls Bang on a Can “a place where the homeless composers could all go.” The music written and performed as part of the festival is wide-ranging — seemingly, the only stipulation is that it be contemporary music that values risk-taking. ...more...

Bard Summerscape (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY)

(July 6 – August 19, 2012) Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “one of the most musically satisfying” summer festivals, Bard SummerScape is a seven week smorgasbord of opera, music, theater, dance, film and cabaret. Often, the centerpiece of SummerScape, Bard Music Festival, will highlight the work of one major composer with all or most of the works in the festival centered around the composer or those who influenced/were influenced by him or her. ...more...

Chautauqua Institution (Chautauqua, NY)

(June 24 – August 25, 2012) A National Historic Landmark, the Chautauqua Institution was founded in the 19th century as a training program for Sunday-school teachers, and religious education remains a key part of the programming each season in the form of worship and sacred-song services, fellowship groups, and interfaith lectures and discussions. The Chautauqua summer festival’s commitment to providing spiritual renewal for its visitors is also realized through the arts, represented by theatrical productions, operas, concerts, dance, and other performances. ...more...

International Festival of Arts and Ideas (New Haven, CT)

(June 16 – 30, 2012) It is fitting that New Haven, home to both a thriving art scene and the distinguished Yale University, should host an International Festival of Arts and Ideas. Established in 1996, this annual festival takes over the city each June for a two-week celebration of creativity and critical thinking that electrifies the community. Venues range from the grounds of Yale to the lovely New Haven Green, where there are concerts, theatrical productions, lectures, panel discussions, dance programs, film screenings, art exhibits, poetry readings, and family fare. ...more...

Lincoln Center Festival (New York, NY)

(July 5 – August 5, 2012) Lincoln Center’s resident companies and artists dazzle audiences all year long, but during the Lincoln Center Festival, held every July, it is the best of the international theater community that goes on display. A collection of well-chosen productions offer the unexpected, some simple and exotic, others breathtaking in their artistry and enormity. Dramatic re-imaginings of Western classics, Mongolian songs, Iranian religious drama, and music from Bach to African pop have all been on the program. ...more...

Music Mountain (Falls Village, CT)

(June 17 – September 9, 2012) Tucked out in the Connecticut woods, the rafters of Gordon Hall have been ringing with the sounds of incredible chamber music since 1930. Home of the oldest continuous chamber music festival, Music Mountain presents a 16-concert chamber music series, a Saturday evening jazz series and several Friday night Baroque concerts throughout the summer. ...more...

Princeton Festival (Princeton, NJ)

(June 9 – 30, 2012) Opera, choral masterworks, musical theater, cabaret, new chamber works. The real question is; what doesn’t Princeton Festival have? Bringing renowned national artists, emerging creators and local talent together with unmatched production values could only be a recipe for success, and this festival has proved it. ...more...

Spoleto Festival USA (Charleston, SC)

(May 25 – June 10, 2012) Devised as an American counterpart to Italy’s Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, the Spoleto Festival USA is an annual celebration of art at its finest. During the 17-day event, opera, ballet, modern dance, theater, classical-music, and jazz performances are held in churches,theaters, recital halls, and other venues throughout historic Charleston, South Carolina. Spoleto USA has premiered works by legends like Arthur Miller, Laurie Anderson, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Allen Ginsberg, while also featuring many emerging artists. ...more...