New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian outfit Cha Wa radiates the energy of the city’s street culture. “My People,” the band’s follow up to their Grammy-nominated album “Spyboy,” feels like pure joy, a distillation of generations of New Orleans expression. But it also never fails to remind us how hard-won that joy was and still is: not least in the tense, funky and explosive title track, with its declaration “My people, we’re still here.”

The clattering, hollering song of Mardi Gras Indians on the move is primal and powerful. There’s a feeling that you’re somehow witnessing a deeper, stronger spirit breaking through the structures that govern city life, and the only thing more arresting than the sound is the sight of it: the Indians wear towering, elaborate suits that require months’ worth of work, topped with billowing ostrich plumes in riotous colors and festooned with painstakingly hand-beaded patches and panels that glitter in the sun or under streetlights.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

All ages are invited to the Strings Pavilion to watch the Strings Festival Orchestra prepare for Opening Night the following day.

Peer behind the curtain as the Strings Festival Orchestra prepares for two exciting performances. This event is open to the public, giving families and friends an exclusive opportunity to gain insight into the inner workings of a symphony orchestra. Children of all ages are welcome to attend!

The generous support of our community allows us to provide this event free to the public! 

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

The sounds of strings fill the air to start the season, with superstar violinist Chee-Yun and the Strings Festival Orchestra.

The summer begins with strings—first in a lush multilayered meditation by Mendelssohn, then a dramatic, even diabolical early classical symphony from Spain by way of Italian composer Luigi Boccherini. To crown our season-opening evening, the full orchestra takes the stage together with Strings audience favorite, violinist Chee-Yun, in Beethoven’s always electrifying Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major.

Michael Sachs, conductor
Chee-Yun, violin

     MENDELSSOHN String Symphony No. 2 in D Major

     BOCCHERINI Symphony No. 6 in D minor, Op. 12, No. 4
     BEETHOVEN Concerto for Violin in D Major, Op. 61

*Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Legendary Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Famer.

The Graham Nash performance has been rescheduled to Tuesday, June 27, 2023. 

Graham Nash’s remarkable body of work spans more than 60 years from The Hollies through Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, to his latest solo releases. Towering above virtually everything that Graham Nash has accomplished in his long and multi-faceted career, stands the litany of songs that he has written and introduced to the soundtrack of our lives for nearly six decades.

GRAHAM NASH SOUNDCHECK VIP UPGRADE: ticketholders can purchase this upgrade featuring a preshow sound check, autographed tour poster, and more. Learn more.

Beethoven and Richard Strauss take the stage in works for combinations of strings, woodwinds and brass.

Winds and strings come together in an evening of music rivaling the richness of the full orchestra. Beethoven’s youthful genius is on display in his septet for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, and bass—a work so popular it almost gave him fits. This is perfectly paired with Richard Strauss’ tone poem Till Eulenspiegel, stripped to its core, somehow losing nothing, in an artful adaptation for only five instruments.

STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegels Lustige (arr. Hasenoehrl) Streiche, Op. 28
BEETHOVEN Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20

Frank Almond, violin
Erina Laraby Goldwasser, viola
Karissa Shivone, cello
Owen Levine, bass
Afendi Yusuf, clarinet
Whitney Crockett, bassoon
Nathaniel Silberschlag, horn

*Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Brass and percussion bring the cinematic world of John Williams to the Strings Pavilion stage.

From Star Wars to Jurassic Park, John Williams’ enduring and unrivaled domination of film scoring lies in the direct, clear, and universal way he has of expressing emotion. Drawing on Classical and Romantic models, Williams’s music serves cinematic drama while adding no small amount of his own imagination to any story. Many of his most familiar and hummable themes, so deeply ingrained in our lives, come to life in this concert featuring resounding brass and percussion.

Brett Mitchell, conductor
Timothy Higgins, arranger

*Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Nominated nine times for Country Music Association awards, Brent performs with Grand Ole Opry member Mandy Barnett.

Called “the Judy Garland of our time” (American Songwriter), Grand Ole Opry member Mandy Barnett has built a reputation for her commanding voice and unwavering devotion to classic country and popular standards. Mandy has enchanted listeners around the globe with her world-class vocals and musical chameleon qualities. Of this audience favorite, renowned songwriter/artist Jimmy Webb states simply, “Mandy Barnett has a voice for the ages.”

Brent Rowan made his mark as a Nashville studio guitarist and record producer, nominated nine times for Country Music Association awards. In addition to over 15,000 recording sessions, he has played on dozens of film soundtracks and recorded with Chris LeDoux, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Olivia Newton-John, Sting, and Neil Diamond, along with many others. 

 

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

The celebrated New Jersey septet chronicles the twists and turns of this journey through eloquent songcraft, bluegrass soul, and rock ‘n’ roll spirit.

For over two decades, Railroad Earth has captivated audiences with gleefully unpredictable live shows and eloquent and elevated studio output. The group introduced its signature sound on 2001’s The Black Bear Sessions. Between selling out hallowed venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, they’ve launched the longstanding annual Hangtown Music Festival in Placerville, CA and Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival in Ozark, AR—both running for a decade-plus. Sought after by legends, the John Denver Estate tapped them to put lyrics penned by the late John Denver to music on the 2019 vinyl EP, Railroad Earth: The John Denver Letters. Beyond tallying tens of millions of streams, the collective have earned widespread critical acclaim from David Fricke of Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Glide Magazine, and NPR who assured, “Well-versed in rambling around, as you might expect from a band named after a Jack Kerouac poem, the New Jersey-built jam-grass engine Railroad Earth has let no moss grow under its rustic wheels.”

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

What happens when life imitates art? You get PBS favorite, Under the Streetlamp and their electrifying show featuring an inspiring catalog of classics.

With over 6,100 airings in more than 170 markets and all 50 states, Streetlamp has spent 10 years entertaining audiences through public television and assisting PBS stations nationwide in their fundraising efforts.  Streetlamp keeps adding to the more than 300 million people who have seen their performances on television and more than half a million who have seen their live shows!

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

“Huge range of dynamics, massive sound, and spontaneity…all the warmth, balanced sound, rhythmic solidity, and elegance one could wish for.” – The American Record Guide

The quartet achieved incredible success in their formative years, with an unbroken streak of top prizes. In addition to their career-defining achievement at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, where they were among the youngest First Prize winners in history, they also received the Grand Prize at the 2019 ENKOR International Music Competition and second prize at the 2019 Yellow Springs Chamber Music Competition.

PIAZZOLLA Introducción del Angel
BARTÓK String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85
LAU String Quartet No. 5 “The Train to Improbable Places”

BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130 and Große Fuge, Op. 133

*Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Boyd Meets Girl pairs Australian classical guitarist Rupert Boyd with American cellist Laura Metcalf. The duo has toured the world sharing their eclectic mix of music from Debussy and Bach to Radiohead and Beyoncé.

The duo’s debut album, released in 2017 on the Grammy award-winning label Sono Luminus, reached #3 on the Billboard Traditional Classical chart and received the following praise in Gramophone: “They play like one, with a harmony of purpose as sure as their intonation.”

*Music for the Community: Pay what you can!  Strings welcomes music lovers ages six and older to enjoy a beautiful performance without the worries of cost, seating, or classical music knowledge. Attendees are invited to pay what they can and choose seats anywhere in the Pavilion.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Nickel Creek is the platinum-selling, internationally renowned roots trio of mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins, and guitarist Sean Watkins.

The Grammy-winning band has revolutionized folk and roots music since first performing together as children at a pizza parlor in San Diego in 1989. Nickel Creek quickly broke through in 2000 with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP, which showcased not just their instrumental virtuosity but their burgeoning songwriting prowess. The trio quickly followed that effort with the Krauss-produced This Side, a landmark release that earned Nickel Creek the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

VIP PACKAGE UPGRADE:
*Must have a ticket to show to purchase package
*Access to private pre-show performance by Nickel Creek
*Access to private Q&A with Nickel Creek
*Limited edition poster signed by the band
*Celebrants Club Enamel Pin
*Early entry to venue
*Crowd free merchandise shopping
*On-site event host

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Anna Geniushene’s fresh, layered, and powerful interpretations defined her participation at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition— and won her the coveted silver medal and the adoration of fans around the globe.

Born in Moscow on New Year’s Day in 1991, Anna made her recital debut just seven years later in the small hall of the Berlin Philharmonic. She has since developed a diverse and versatile career as an artist: performances in major world venues such as the Town Hall in Leeds, National Concert Hall in Dublin, Museum of Arts in Tel Aviv, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, and Sala Greppi in Bergamo.

*Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Three-time Grammy-winners Nitty Gritty Dirt Band come to Strings with a refreshed lineup and newfound energy.

The group formed in 1966 as a Long Beach, California jug band, scored its first charting single in 1967, and embarked on a self-propelled ride through folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll, pop, bluegrass, and the amalgam now known as “Americana.” The first major hit came in 1971 with the epic “Mr. Bojangles,” which, along with insistent support from banjo master Earl Scruggs, opened doors in Nashville. Behind those doors were Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, and others who would collaborate on a multi-artist,multi-generational, three-disc 1972 masterpiece Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which went triple platinum, spawned two later volumes, and wound up in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 2022 album, Dirt Does Dylan, has received widespread critical acclaim.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

David Sedaris is one of America’s preeminent humor writers. He is a master of satire and one of today’s most observant writers.

Beloved for his personal essays and short stories, David Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, and Calypso, which was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year.

There are over 16 million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 32 languages. He has been awarded the Terry Southern Prize for Humor, Thurber Prize for American Humor, Jonathan Swift International Literature Prize for Satire and Humor, and Time 2001 Humorist of the Year Award, as well as the Medal for Spoken Language from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Ireland’s premier contemporary and classical guitarists cross the ocean.

The celebrated composer Philip Glass has hailed Dublin Guitar Quartet as, “A wonderful ensemble that has carved a place for itself in the world of classical music.” As the first guitar quartet entirely focused on new music, they have created a unique catalogue of works through new commissions and arrangements of music from outside the guitar repertoire. With the help of six-string and custom-built eight-string guitars, DGQ explores a vast array of sounds and textures in works by Glass, Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, Rachel Grimes, Nico Muhly, and more. Their innovative approach has captivated audiences worldwide and has redefined the classical guitar quartet.

*Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

“PROJECT Trio is packed with musicianship, joy, and surprise!”  – Downbeat Magazine

Combining the virtuosity of world-class artists with the energy of rock stars, PROJECT Trio is breaking down traditional ideas of chamber music. Blending their classical training with an eclectic taste in musical styles, they make a big impact on audiences of all ages. The genre-defying Trio is acclaimed by the press as “packed with musicianship, joy, and surprise” and “exciting a new generation of listeners about the joys of classical and jazz music.”

* PROJECT Trio has mentored music students in the Yampa Valley in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 as part of the free Strings School Days program.

 Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Three of Strings’ favorite stars come together in an evening of unforgettable, heartfelt music for strings with piano.

At turns powerful, tender, glittering, and suave, the piano trio of Anton Arensky anchors an evening of music for piano and strings. Reena Esmail’s affectionate and meditative tribute to her Indian-American household’s musical multilingualism, Jhula Jhule, is paired with two heartbreaking Rachmaninoff songs in adaptations for cello and piano.

ESMAIL Jhula Jhule
RACHMANINOFF Two Songs from Romances, Op. 4

ARENSKY Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32

Vijay Gupta, violin
Joel Noyes, cello
Benjamin Hochman, piano

*Included in 3-show package (The Soldier’s Journey: A Musical Narrative, Dreams and Impressions: Music for Strings and Piano, Romantic Lyricism). Use code TRIO for 25% off.

Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Join Jamey Lamar, recording engineer and lecturer, as he delves into the rich and fascinating world of music. Musical Talks bring music enthusiasts of all ages together for intimate roundtable discussions about music theory and history. Whether you’re a seasoned musician or just a music lover, these talks are a great opportunity to expand your knowledge and deepen your appreciation for this timeless art form.

The generous support of our community allows us to provide this event free to the public!  

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

A deal with the devil leads to a raucous, diabolical fable-drama in Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale.

The soldier at the center of Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat is a Faustian anti-hero for the ages, trading his soul for worldly riches and fame. Conceived together with Swiss poet C.F. Ramuz as a portable theater piece during World War I, when large-scale productions were not possible, Stravinsky brought all of his cheeky wit and rhythmic precision to bear in this modernist masterpiece.

Mark Gould, conductor
Brian McWhorter, narrator

     STRAVINSKY L’Histoire du Soldat

Vijay Gupta, violin
Maximilian Dimoff, bass
Benjamin Lulich, clarinet
John Clouser, bassoon
Michael Sachs, cornet
Domingo Pagliuca, trombone
James Ritchie, percussion

*Included in 3-show package (The Soldier’s Journey: A Musical Narrative, Dreams and Impressions: Music for Strings and Piano, Romantic Lyricism). Use code TRIO for 25% off.

Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Elegance and sophistication, naturally! But ebullience, whimsy, and exotic mystique too—all in an evening of French chamber music.

Full of highly personal stylistic colors, textures, and rhythms, and so perfectly suited to the medium of this type of ensemble, Ravel’s String Quartet stands alone. Joining it on the program is a rare glimpse into the development of Claude Debussy: his piano Trio, which he composed at age 18 and lay undiscovered until 1982. To round out the program, Saint-Saëns’ Septet Militaire—masterfully, imaginatively, and with good humor—blends the brilliant sound of the trumpet with the piano and five strings.

RAVEL String Quartet in F Major
DEBUSSY Piano Trio in G Major
SAINT-SAËNS Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 65

Vijay Gupta, Laura Albers, violin
Mark Jackobs, viola
Joel Noyes, cello
Maximilian Dimoff, bass
Benjamin Hochman, piano
Michael Sachs, trumpet

*Included in 3-show package (The Soldier’s Journey: A Musical Narrative, Dreams and Impressions: Music for Strings and Piano, Romantic Lyricism). Use code TRIO for 25% off.

Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Kearney, a multi-platinum songwriter and producer has performed live on the TODAY Show, Ellen, The Tonight Show, Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Nashville-based, Oregon-born Mat Kearney is back with January Flower. Written between an isolated retreat in Joshua Tree and his home studio, January Flower sees Kearney in his rawest form, distilling the songwriting process and rediscovering the joy of making music. Over his career, Kearney has released five studio LPs, claimed the #1 spot on iTunes, topped multiple Billboard charts, made four entries into the Hot 100, amassed over 577M on demand streams and over 2.5B global streams. 

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

They say three’s a crowd, but not when music is your love language—just ask husband and wife composing team Robert and Clara Schumann!

Robert and Clara Schumann’s passionate marriage is at the center of the Romantic movement in music. Robert’s Five Pieces in Folk Style, for cello and piano, are as free and imaginative as his incomparable art songs. Likewise, Clara’s Three Romances are full of tenderness and rich melodic invention. The Schumanns would have delighted in the Iberian sounds with which Joaquín Turina infuses his Piano Trio No. 2, as they would have likewise enjoyed the company of the 25th piano trio of Joseph Haydn, whose music is always a balm for the soul.

Student Night: To broaden horizons, local students receive free tickets to this concert.

*Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

HAYDN Piano Trio in G Major, Hob. XV:25 “Gypsy”
C. SCHUMANN Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22
R. SCHUMANN 5 Stücke im Volkston, Op. 102
TURINA Piano Trio No. 2 in B minor, Op. 76

Sheryl Staples, violin
Joel Noyes, cello
Dominic Cheli, piano

Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

The Ohio-bred and Texas-transplanted band’s first new music since 2015’s Restless Ones, A Beautiful Life affirms frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom as a songwriter with the power to profoundly influence our state of mind, often by alchemizing her idealism into viscerally potent rock-and-roll songs.

On the new album A Beautiful Life, Heartless Bastards share a wide-eyed and radiant vision for harmonizing a broken world. With its delicate coalescence of so many eclectic touchstones— French pop and Celtic folk, space rock and symphonic pop, Disney scores and post-punk— the result is an album that immediately lures the listener into a more receptive mindset, one that leads to deeper generosity, greater compassion, and a restored sense of possibility.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

All ages are invited to the Strings Pavilion to watch the Strings Festival Orchestra prepare for Closing Night the following day.

Peer behind the curtain as the Strings Festival Orchestra prepares for two exciting performances. This event is open to the public, giving families and friends an exclusive opportunity to gain insight into the inner workings of a symphony orchestra. Children of all ages are welcome to attend.

Event is free to attend!

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Michael Kaeshammer has invested a lot— countless hours at the keyboard, hundreds of recordings, thousands of live performances, millions of miles in the air and on the road— all in pursuit of a mastery of 12 notes across 88 keys.

Over the course of decades as a professional performer, Kaeshammer has developed a signature blend of classical, jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie with effortless pop hooks for a compelling crossover style that’s immediately engaging yet impressively substantial. Born and raised in Germany, Kaeshammer began performing club, theatre, and festival stages throughout Europe in his early teens and continued on that trajectory after emigrating to Canada’s West Coast with his family in the mid-‘90s. His first studio album, Blue Keys, dropped in 1996 and spurred a consistent sequence of heralded releases and high-profile international performances. Through it all, the world watched as he grew from child prodigy to full-fledged phenom; from unparalleled pianist to virtuosic singer-songwriter.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Bassoon takes center stage in a festive send-off to the classical season celebrating the genius of Mozart.

Four examples of the genius of Wolfgang Mozart fill our last orchestra program of the summer, all written before the composer’s twentieth birthday. His first opera overture, produced at age eleven, charms as effectively as the serenata notturno, written almost a decade later. Fans of the bassoon will delight in Mozart’s sole surviving concerto for the flexible and expressive instrument, performed by one of its most accomplished practitioners: William Short, principal bassoonist for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. One of the most compelling of Wolfgang’s teenage-period symphonies, No. 29 in A Major, makes a brilliant finale to the summer.

Michael Sachs, conductor
William Short, bassoon

     MOZART Serenade No. 6 in D Major, K. 239

     MOZART Concerto for Bassoon in B-flat Major, K. 191
     MOZART Apollo et Hyacinthus, K. 38
     MOZART Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201

*Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators.

Her essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. The New York Times Book Review calls Lebowitz an “important humorist in the classic tradition.” Purveyor of urban cool, Lebowitz is a cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Amos Lee performs music from  My Ideal (A Tribute To Chet Baker Sings) , a 16-song collection that simultaneously pays tribute to Lee’s musical hero, reflects on the Billboard chart-topper’s deep jazz roots, shines a light on his Philadelphia music community, and toasts an exciting year of returning to the road and releasing new music. Chet Baker Sings is a record that Amos has always loved, but now holds even deeper meaning as a source of light in the darkest days of the pandemic – where his daily routine included waking up, meditating, and playing the 1954 jazz epic front-to-back.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Kathy Mattea, hailed by The Washington Post as “one of Nashville’s finest song interpreters,” performs with Suzy Bogguss, one of the country’s most pristine and evocative vocalists.

Kathy Mattea has enjoyed much success and acclaim during her 35-year career in country, bluegrass, and folk music; including two Grammy wins, four CMA Awards, four #1 country singles, and five gold albums (plus a platinum Greatest Hits collection). 

Suzy Bogguss quickly became one of the key artists that defined those golden days of ’90s country. She scored a string of Top 10 singles with country radio staples like “Outbound Plane,” “Drive South,” “Hey Cinderella,” “Letting Go,” and “Aces,” and her 1991 album of that name was certified platinum.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Countless tunes you know from the first note, rip-roaring gigs you can count on, and a whole lot of energy you’ll take home with you.

Founded and led by original frontman, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Kurt Neumann, the band’s catalog consists of generational anthems such as “Good Things,” “You Don’t Get Much,” “Idaho,” and “Closer to Free,” just to name a few. However, they still reflect the soul and spirit of the modern American experience on their 14th full-length offering, 4 The Last Time.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Buffalo Rose takes the singer-songwriter tradition to a new level by crafting original songs which are emotive, meticulously arranged, and inspired by a world of idiosyncratic influences that never let a dull or predictable moment creep in.

The band released their debut album, The Soil and the Seed, in 2018 and established themselves as a vocal, instrumental, and creative force. Since then, Buffalo Rose has dropped two EPs, 2019’s Big Stampede and 2020’s Borrowed and Blue, opened for the Wood Brothers, Mipso, Pokey LaFarge, Tyler Childers, Infamous Stringdusters, and shared a festival stage with the legendary Sam Bush. The band’s upward trajectory continues into 2022 with their latest EP Rabbit, created in collaboration with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tom Paxton, followed by a new full-length LP scheduled for release later in the year.

Juniors (ages 6-18) discounted tickets for children 6 and up attending select evening concerts.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Join Buffalo Rose for a sensory friendly concert. Everyone is invited, but especially friends and family in the Yampa Valley who have a sensory processing disorder. Lights will be up, the music will be soft, and there will be places to move around while you enjoy this sweet show.

Buffalo Rose takes the singer-songwriter tradition to a new level by crafting original songs which are emotive, meticulously arranged, and inspired by a world of idiosyncratic influences that never let a dull or predictable moment creep in.

The band released their debut album, The Soil and the Seed, in 2018 and established themselves as a vocal, instrumental, and creative force. Since then, Buffalo Rose has dropped two EPs, 2019’s Big Stampede and 2020’s Borrowed and Blue, opened for the Wood Brothers, Mipso, Pokey LaFarge, Tyler Childers, Infamous Stringdusters, and shared a festival stage with the legendary Sam Bush. The band’s upward trajectory continues into 2022 with their latest EP Rabbit, created in collaboration with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tom Paxton, followed by a new full-length LP scheduled for release later in the year.

*Music for the Community: Pay what you can!  Strings welcomes music lovers of all ages to enjoy a family friendly performance without the worries of cost or seating. Attendees are invited to pay what they can and choose seats anywhere in the Pavilion.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

“A timeless voice, deep and hearty, weathered but comforting.” -Boulder Weekly

Well-versed in the Americana tour circuit, Daniel Rodriguez is one of the founding members and lead songwriters of the transcendental folk band, Elephant Revival. Elephant Revival released six albums and headlined Red Rocks Amphitheatre three times before the band went on hiatus. Daniel immediately headed out on tour as a solo artist, sharing stages with The Lumineers, Jim James, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mandolin Orange, Josh Ritter, Fruition, and John Craigie.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

With dozens of movie scores and over 500 recording credits to his name across Jazz, R&B, and Opera, Marcus’ resume speaks for itself.

In 2020, Marcus created, musically produced, and posted the Lift Every Voice get out the vote event, which brought together political leaders and musical legends to encourage political participation. Additionally, he contributed to UNESCO’s United Against Racism video alongside countless industry legends, and was commissioned by Prince Albert of Monaco to create the orchestral arrangement for Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All Be Free” video, which he also appeared in.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Celebrated acoustic guitarist and two-time Grammy nominee Leo Kottke joins guitar virtuoso Julian Lage.

Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation and among the “highest category of improvising musicians” (New Yorker), Julian Lage has spent more than a decade searching through the myriad strains of American musical history via impeccable technique, free association and a spirit of infinite possibility. The California-born New York-based musician boasts a prolific resume on his own accord in addition to collaborating with Gary Burton and John Zorn, as well as duo projects with Nels Cline, Chris Eldridge and Fred Hersch, among others.

Raised in 12 different states, acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11. Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut, Mudlark positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972’s Greenhouse and 1973’s live My Feet Are Smiling and Ice Water found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning, and rocking his giant upright bass as a founding member (along with Brian Setzer and Slim Jim Phantom) of the Grammy nominated music group The Stray Cats, who sold over 10 million albums and garnered 23 gold and platinum certified records worldwide.  He has since been named “Greatest Of All Time” in Bass Player Magazine’s 2022 listing of the top 100 bassists ever.  Come hear Lee and his band perform Stray Cats hits like “Sexy and Seventeen”, “Stray Cat Strut” and “Rock This Town”, plus lots of other rockin’ songs Lee performed post-Stray Cats with music legends from Ringo Starr and George Harrison to John Fogerty and The Rolling Stones.

On sale to the public May 11.

*Donors of $500 or more to the 2023 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.