The Crested Butte Music Festival Announces 2021 Programming

The Crested Butte Music Festival (CBMF) will celebrate its 25th year of presenting world-class music in beautiful settings throughout the Gunnison Valley. This season features innovative musical adventures in wilderness settings, a new Singer-Songwriter camp, and introduces the Sally Miner Lecture Series. The Festival will take place from July 23rd through October 1st with a Preview Party on June 25th. Programs will be located across the Gunnison Valley, from the I Bar Ranch, to the shores of Blue Mesa Lake, to the new technologically advanced Crested Butte Center for the Arts, a $20 million performing arts center that features state-of-the-art acoustics. In the words of CBMF Executive Director Erica Vernon, “We are excited to present our most creative and innovative season yet in celebration of 25 years.”

Virtuoso pianist Anna Arzumanyan will perform an all-Chopin program, followed by a presentation of the 1991 film, Impromptu, depicting Chopin’s life. This will be the first of three “Music and a Movie” events. Yonder Mountain String Band and The Another Brothers will each bring the sounds of progressive bluegrass to the Valley. The Gypsy Jazz All-Stars, a perennial favorite, will play at both ends of the Gunnison Valley and for the Django Jeeping event. Secret Six livens up Labor Day weekend with New Orleans Jazz. Grammy-nominated indie rock favorite DeVotchKa will perform at the I Bar Ranch. The Alexander String Quartet, one of the most acclaimed chamber music ensembles in the world, will perform twice. Winner of many prestigious musical awards, Don Byron, will play jazz compositions at the Festival’s annual Gala.

The CBMF invites attendees and music enthusiasts to support Festival programming by joining the new Crescendo Club. The Crescendo Club is focused on forming relationships among our musical community and cultivating a connected festival experience. Membership offers many benefits.

This season’s week-long, educational camps include Bluegrass and Beyond; the Colorado Gypsy Jazz Camp featured on PBS; and new this year, the Crested Butte Singer-Songwriter Camp. The Sally Miner Lecture Series are free lectures taught by CBMF Co-Artistic Director, Dr. Erik Christian Peterson, on topics ranging from Dancing Bach to An Introduction to Rhythm. The Festival again features Music + Mountains, in which artists perform al-fresco with a backdrop of Mt. Crested Butte’s stunning mountain views. Co-Artistic Director Dr. Emily Ondracek-Peterson, who performs herself this summer, points out “the opportunity to experience the finest music amidst the most beautiful scenery makes the CBMF truly unique.”

The CBMF presents world-class musicians in classical, Gypsy Jazz, opera, bluegrass, and more. Through CBMF’s guest artists, residents and visitors of Gunnison County have access to performances and educational opportunities that would typically only be available in a major metropolitan area. CBMF offers educational programming and events for all ages, many of which are free. To view the entire schedule and purchase tickets, please visit crestedbuttemusicfestival.org.