35th Music in the Mountains Returns with a Few Surprises

The Music in the Mountains festival may be a little smaller this year, as it returns to live performances following the pandemic. But it's big on variety and great music. You're watching the Local News Network, brought to you by Kroegers ACE Hardware in Durango and Choice Building Supply ACE Hardware in Cortez. I'm Wendy Grahams Settle. After offering a limited schedule of virtual concerts last summer, Music in the Mountains Festival organizers say they're excited for the return of live performances for the 35th annual celebration. The festival started on July 13, with a series of free concerts in the region, thanks to a new moveable stage the festival built this past spring. This year's schedule includes more ensemble and chamber music performances, and only three concerts with a full orchestra. A reflection of the financial blows the festival suffered from the pandemic. But Executive Director Angie Beach says audiences can expect the same high quality musicianship that's the hallmark of Music in the Mountains.

You know, the pandemic was really, really tough in a lot of ways, but it was also an opportunity for us to sort of get introspective and think about who we are, what we do, why we do it and just really refocus on that. And I think that is our non-profit mission is to just go ahead and continue to build engagement with and awareness of classical music. Really, really high quality, world class classical music in Durango. Among the highlights is a hot dog dinner and family concert on Wednesday, July 21, for only $5.00 per person. The performance features Leopold Mozart's "Toy Symphony" and a modern work called "Tyrannosaurus Sue," a cretaceous concerto by Bruce Adolf. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. on the lawn at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, followed by the performance at 6:30 p.m. Adults will have an opportunity to win a Viking River Cruise for two, as part of the Pops Night performance on Saturday, July 31 at the Sky Youth Events Center in Ignacio.

The only people who can buy is Pops attendees, so your odds of winning this amazing Viking River Cruise package are really good. And so someone's going to walk away with an eight night, two person Viking River Cruise package to anywhere they go in Europe, good through 2022. So we've taken that theme and we've run with it. We're going to have this international food fair for the first half. And you're going to eat and drink your way around the globe. And then, you're going to move into a slightly different space for the performance, which is going to be a really, really fun upbeat kind of party. It's an Elton John tribute and it's performed by Craig A. Meyer, who's the premiere Elton John impersonator and he is - He looks exactly like him. He sounds exactly like him. He's got all the costumes. It's going to be a really fun night.

Music in the Mountains began in 1987, with five small chamber music performances under a tent at Purgatory Resort. Since then, it has grown into a month-long affair, featuring educational events and dozens of concerts. Recent economic development study determined that Music in the Mountains contributes $3.6 million in spending annually. Creates 43 year-round jobs and offers priceless opportunities to learn about and listen to classical music, played by world class musicians. To see a full schedule of events and to purchase tickets, visits the festival website, at musicinthemountains.com. Thanks for watching the Local News Network. I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

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