Strings Music Festival

2025 DANCING WITH THE STARS
2025-04-12 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Denver) | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Northwest Rocky Mountain CASA’s 14th annual “Dancing with the Stars.” Local Stars and choreographers will dance onstage at Strings Pavilion. The STAR who raises the most money is crowned the Grand Champion. All proceeds benefit NWRM CASA, serving children who have experienced abuse and neglect in the 14th Judicial District.
No children under 6.

STEAMBOAT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: CELEBRATING SANT'AMBROGIO
2025-04-05 19:00 - 22:00, 2025-04-04 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Presented by the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra
Join the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra for a night to remember, as we “play” tribute to Mentor, Friend, and Steamboat Springs icon, John Sant’Ambrogio.
Thirty years ago, Ernest Richardson received a call from John, the Principal Cellist of the famed St. Louis Symphony. He spoke with unbridled enthusiasm about Steamboat Springs and his music festival inviting Ernest to join him that summer. This would be the start of a very special connection between the Steamboat Symphony and John Sant’Ambrogio. This performance will feature Elgar’s Cello Concerto performed by Sara Sant’Ambrogio (John’s daughter – about whom he says “She’s teaching me how to play the cello.”) We will also experience one of John’s favorite symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s 4th in all its power and promise as we honor friend and mentor John Sant’Ambrogio. The Steamboat Symphony Orchestra is a 501c3 non-profit, whose mission is to inspire the human spirit through outstanding orchestral experiences by providing inspiring performances and educating musicians from all walks of life. Creatively led by Music Director and Conductor extraordinaire Ernest Richardson, the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra is a beloved institution woven deep in the fabric of the diverse Yampa Valley.
*Early pricing for adults ends 2/28/25. Student pricing applies to tiers 2 & 3 only.

STRINGS SCHOOL DAYS WITH ALPIN HONG
2025-03-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Free Community Event!
Join us in supporting our local Routt County students from Steamboat Springs Middle School and Steamboat Mountain School as our next generation of musicians take center stage! At this special Strings School Days event, local Steamboat students will have the unique opportunity to showcase the skills they have learned through hands-on instruction and perform alongside the award-winning Alpin Hong who was the first artist to perform in the inaugural Strings School Days program in 2008. This event is free to attend and music lovers of all ages are welcome!

About Strings School Days:
Strings School Days is a unique music and arts education program provided by Strings Music Festival at no cost to schools, students, or teachers. Annually, the program serves over 3,000 pre-K through 12th grade students in 19 schools throughout the Yampa Valley. The program provides an opportunity for local students to learn from, rehearse with, and perform alongside world-renowned, professional musicians. Through this program, Strings aims for students to appreciate diverse cultures, develop a broader worldview, and move forward with confidence as arts supporters into their adult lives.
About the Mentor:
Whirlwind American tours and performances across the globe have earned pianist and entertainer Alpin Hong the reputation as a modern-day Pied Piper. From Walt Disney Hall to the White House to Netflix, his combination of musical brilliance, unmatched vitality, and rare humor continues to bring audiences young and old to their feet. The New York Times called him “a pianistic firebrand” and The Santa Barbara News Press hailed him as “…a tour de force. Mr. Hong evoked a kind of Beatlemania when he came on stage!” Alpin’s visionary approach to arts education makes him a sought-after clinician and Artist-in-Residence, and his celebrated TEDx talk “Transform Yourself Into a Performer” showcased his ability to inspire excellence in everyone. In addition to his musical talents, Alpin is an internationally renowned speaker and host whose message of artistry, tolerance, and service knits communities together in a spirit of common humanity. He delighted millions around the world as a winning baker on the Netflix series “Nailed It!” and as a guest on the viral YouTube video series “5 Levels of Difficulty” with Jacob Collier and Herbie Hancock. Most recently, Alpin has focused his efforts in the advancement space, building and channeling goodwill in service to education, the arts, and community empowerment.

BIG RICHARD
2025-03-22 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $40.25
​​The world-class musicians in Big Richard initially convened in 2021 for a festival date. The quartet showed up to the one-off like they had been together for years, bursting with jaw-dropping virtuosity; playfully irreverent stage banter; stunning four-part harmony vocal interlace; imaginative arrangements; a refreshingly eclectic repertoire; and a healthy dose of lady rage.
Quickly things for the Colorado-based, neo-acoustic supergroup morphed into something way bigger than a one-and-done appearance. The sellout club shows, and the confirmed festival dates across America drastically changed its members’ lives. Now, Big Richard is poised to penetrate the Americana music world and beyond. To date, the quartet has issued 3 singles, the Live from Telluride album, and they have new music on the way.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

RICHY MITCH & THE COAL MINERS APRÉS-SKI TOUR '25
2025-03-21 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
With opening support from Briscoe.
Tickets start at $35
Balancing folk songwriting, rock ‘n’ roll energy, raw instrumentation, and sonic wanderlust, the Seattle-based musicians comprising Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners—Mitch Cutts, Nic Haughn, and Jakob Ervin— draw inspiration from the friendship between them. What began as a high school passion project in Colorado Springs has quietly translated to billions of streams and packed crowds.
Richy Mitch & The Coalminers have cultivated a signature style of their own across RMCM [2017], Solstice [2018], and Subliming [2019]. In 2023, the one-minute and 27-second intro to RMCM, “Evergreen,” caught fire on TikTok, and has since generated over half a billion Spotify streams, while the group has averaged north of 20 million monthly listeners on the platform. “Lake Missoula” also piled up over 100 million Spotify streams. They’ve graced the bills of festivals such as Lollapalooza, Under The Big Sky, and Hinterland; collaborated with Mt. Joy and Caamp on new versions of Lake Missoula and Evergreen; and remained prolific with new singles “Signal Sender,” “Careful,” “Northstar,” and “Sierra Vista.” They conclude 2024 with their biggest tour yet, playing to sold-out crowds coast to coast, and are in the middle of finishing their 4th LP. No matter what happens next, the friendship and the music go hand-in-hand for Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners.
Briscoe
From free backyard performances on the outskirts of UT Austin’s campus to sold-out gigs at Antone’s Nightclub and The Continental Club Gallery, Briscoe’s growth — like the group’s music itself — has been organic. Bandmates Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton met as teenagers, reunited as students at UT Austin, and built their grassroots following the old-school way: by carving out a sound that nodded to the golden era of folk, rock, and pop music, then getting onstage and building a genuine relationship with their audience.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

KEVIN NEALON
2025-03-20 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $63.25
Kevin Nealon, best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, is an Emmy and SAG-nominated actor and comedian who sets himself apart from other comedic performers with his unique sense of humor, dry wit, and likable demeanor.
As one of the longest-running cast members on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (1986-1995), Nealon created some of the show’s most memorable characters, including ‘The Subliminal Man’ and ‘Hans and Franz.’ Nealon’s recurring role as an anchor on ‘Weekend Update’ helped make the sketch a show staple. In 1988, he earned an Emmy nomination as part of the SNL writing team.
Nealon has found great comedic success in his extensive film career. In Anger Management, he played opposite Jack Nicholson and fellow SNL comedian, Adam Sandler. He and Sandler also teamed up in Eight Crazy Nights, The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, Just Go With It, Blended, and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, the latter of which grossed over $200 million worldwide. In Joe Dirt, Nealon joined another SNL alumnus David Spade. Additional film credits include Daddy Day Care with Eddie Murphy, Good Boy with Molly Shannon, Bucky Larsen: Born to be a Star with Nick Swardson, Roxanne with Steve Martin and the cult hit Grandma’s Boy, also with Nick Swardson and Jonah Hill.
Nealon’s extensive television credits include the CBS sitcom, Man With a Plan, in which he starred alongside Matt LeBlanc; Showtime’s Weeds, which ran for eight seasons and was honored at the 2006, 2007 and 2009 Golden Globes with nominations for “Best Television Series Comedy or Musical.” In 2007 and 2009, Weeds was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.”
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

EILEEN IVERS
2025-03-15 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $46
Grammy Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated Eileen Ivers continues to push the fiddling tradition boundaries from a folk music staple to a fiercely fresh, powerfully beautiful, intensely driving world stage experience.
Eileen has performed with Sting, ‘Fiddlers 3’ with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Regina Carter, Patti Smith, Al Di Meola, The Chieftains, was the groundbreaking Musical Star of Riverdance, a founding member of Cherish the Ladies, a former member of the Hall & Oates band, a featured instrumentalist on soundtracks including Gangs of New York and Back to Titanic, and she is one of the most awarded All-Ireland Fiddle and Banjo champions ever. Eileen has been proclaimed “a national treasure” by NCTA Board Chairman George Holt as she celebrates her 30 plus year career as a performer, composer, producer, songwriter, band leader, educator, multi-instrumentalist, and renowned pioneer in connecting her American, Irish traditional, jazz, blues, and world roots.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

STRINGS SCHOOL DAYS WITH TYLER GRANT, ZACH JACKSON, AND DYLAN MCCARTHY
2025-03-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Free Community Event!
Join us in supporting local Routt County students from Steamboat Springs High School as the next generation of musicians take center stage alongside legendary bluegrass musicians! At this special Strings School Days event, local Steamboat students will have the unique opportunity to showcase the skills they have learned and perform alongside celebrated artists Tyler Grant, Zach Jackson, and Dylan McCarthy. This event is free to attend and music lovers of all ages are welcome!
About Strings School Days:
Strings School Days is a unique music and arts education program provided by Strings Music Festival at no cost to schools, students, or teachers. Annually, the program serves over 3,000 pre-K through 12th grade students in 19 schools throughout the Yampa Valley. The program provides an opportunity for local students to learn from, rehearse with, and perform alongside world-renowned, professional musicians. Through this program, Strings aims for students to appreciate diverse cultures, develop a broader worldview, and move forward with confidence as arts supporters into their adult lives.

About the Mentors:
Tyler Grant—a Southern California native and CalArts-trained musician—brings a dynamic blend of classical precision and flatpicking prowess inspired by bluegrass legends. His accolades include a San Diego Music Hall of Fame honor, tours with acclaimed artists, and a respected presence as both a soloist and band member with Pickin’ On The Dead, as well as a mentor at esteemed workshops and expeditions. After discovering Flatpicking guitarists Tony Rice & David Grier, Tyler decided to take his classical training and apply it to mastering the Flatpicking style of guitar.
Denver-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Zach Jackson has spent 15 years igniting the Indie, Americana, and Pop scenes. Known for his global tours, high-profile collaborations, and an electrifying stage presence that once led him to open for The Lumineers on a sold-out arena tour, Zach infuses every performance with creative energy and passion.
Colorado-based award-winning composer and principal songwriter for progressive bluegrass band Jake Leg, Dylan McCarthy, has earned accolades such as a Heartland Emmy, the 2019 Rockygrass Mandolin Championship, and IBMA recognitions. His innovative approach and compelling compositions continue to inspire audiences and fellow musicians alike.

MICHAEL MARCAGI
2025-03-09 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $34.50
With support from Ashley Kutcher.
With a career built largely through grassroots social media support, the folk-rock singer has demonstrated that listeners are hungry for earnest storytelling rooted in age-old American musical traditions.
Cincinnati singer-songwriter Michael Marcagi’s ascent is a homegrown success story. His debut Warner Records EP, American Romance, highlights the timeless sound and engaging sense of emotional truth that has made Marcagi’s music so immediately compelling. Marcagi never undermines his listeners or takes them for granted. “Audiences are usually smarter than the musicians they are listening to,” he says. For him, there’s plenty of evidence that modern listeners of all generations understand and connect with specificity and sophistication in songwriting. This is part of why he aspires to remain as open and approachable as possible — in both his music and his public persona. If what has happened in his career during the past year is any indication, he may be on to something. “I want people to feel like they know me,” Marcagi says. “I’ve never really connected to that mysterious rock band thing — four blurry faces in a field where you don’t know who the guys are. I don’t want to hide.”
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

WE'RE NOT CLOWNS: REUNION
2025-03-08 16:00 - 19:30 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at Kid (0-5) $1.25, Junior (6-18) $11.50, Adults $23
Comedy, juggling, music, and hilarious magical mayhem. The Not Clowns return to Strings with their unique blend of comedy, juggling, music, a whole new arsenal of magic tricks, and something they call “dance.” For nearly 28 years the troupe has been entertaining audiences in the Yampa Valley and across the globe. They have taken the stage as far away as the Netherlands and they won Silver at the International Jugglers’ Association competition in Montreal. After a four-year hiatus, the Not Clowns triumphantly return to Strings Pavilion to celebrate!
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

INTERSECTIONS: MUSIC AT THE MUSEUM FEATURING YAEL WEISS
2025-03-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
This event is free to the community!
Join us at the Steamboat Art Museum for a performance from Yael Weiss as a part of our 2025 Intersections: Music at the Museum series presented by Strings Music Festival and the Steamboat Art Museum. Doors open at 5:30pm, 6:00pm music, and a Q&A with the artists at 6:45pm. These free events are open to music lovers of all ages!
Award-winning Israeli-American pianist Yael Weiss has been hailed for visionary interpretations of surpassing depth, immediacy, and communicative power. She has performed at distinguished venues worldwide including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Moscow’s Bolshoi Hall, Seoul’s Arts Center, and Tokyo’s Gotanda Center. This spring, Yael will embark on her third solo tour of Japan. Following a recent recital, the Washington Post portrayed her as “a pianist who delves deeply and tellingly into that cloudy area where fantasy morphs into improvisation, inventiveness being common to both.”
Yael Weiss is the curator of the groundbreaking commissioning and performing project 32 Bright Clouds: Beethoven Conversations Around the World, bringing together new piano works from countries of conflict, all unified by Beethoven’s “Call for Inward and Outward Peace”. An advocate for the power of music in the service of peace, she has been featured on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ and presented a twelve-hour live marathon online, including performances and interviews with composers from five continents.
Her discography includes solo, concerto, and chamber music works by over a dozen composers, recorded for the Koch International, Toccata Classics, and Bridge Records labels. This past season Bridge Records released The Complete Beethoven Piano Trios 3-CD set by her trio, the Weiss-Kaplan-Stump Trio. The recordings received unanimously enthusiastic critical acclaim in the US and international press, including Gramophone Magazine’s comparison of Yael’s performance to Beethoven himself “…as if the composer were at the keyboard”.
Yael has won numerous honors, including the Naumburg, Kosciuszko Foundation, Winter, and Presser prizes. She has presented master classes at top institutions worldwide and served on the faculties of Indiana University, the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the Heifetz Institute. Her own teachers included Richard Goode and Leon Fleisher.

JACKSON DEAN
2025-02-22 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $40.25
With support from John Hollier.
As one of Nashville’s most intriguing artists with his strong gravel-toned vocals, wayward spirit, intentional songwriting, and overall mystique, the fast-rising singer/songwriter Jackson Dean is quickly earning a reputation for his impressive live show and thought-provoking, lyric-driven music.
The young talent burst on the scene in 2022, showing people how real music can be with his atmospheric, musically-forward debut album Greenbroke that featured his PLATINUM debut single, “Don’t Come Lookin’” which became the fastest debut to reach No. 1 in 2022 and cemented Jackson as the youngest solo male Country artist to reach the top of the charts with a debut. His GOLD-certified Top 10 follow-up single “Fearless (The Echo).” The demand for Jackson skyrocketed after landing on Pandora’s Ten for 2023 (all genres), Spotify’s Hot Country Artists to Watch 2023, Apple Music’s Country Risers, the CMT Listen Up class of 2023, CRS New Faces 2023, Amazon Music’s 2023 Breakthrough Artists to Watch: Country Class as well as a slew of other artist to watch lists and nominations. A vocalist who truly thrives on stage (as evident in his Live From The Ryman album), the Maryland native has leaned hard into touring, wowing audiences, and building a passionate fanbase that connects on a deeper level. Because of that connection and crowd passion, his live show stand out “Heavens to Betsy” has evolved to become his latest single—and lead track from his “..near-perfect follow-up” (American Songwriter) sophomore album On The Back Of My Dreams, (now available via Big Machine Records).
John Hollier
The Louisiana-born and Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist shares honest stories over a backdrop of gruff heartland rock with a twist of country soul. He’s gone from accompanying multi-platinum stars such as Carly Pearce and Cassadee Pope to generating north of 1 million streams independently and packing houses as a solo artist.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

RAILROAD EARTH
2025-02-21 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $61
For over two decades, Railroad Earth has captivated audiences with gleefully unpredictable live shows and eloquent and elevated studio output. The celebrated New Jersey septet chronicles the twists and turns of their journey through eloquent songcraft, bluegrass soul, and rock ‘n’ roll spirit.
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.”
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

LYLE LOVETT AND HIS ACOUSTIC GROUP
2025-02-15 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Starts at $149.50
A singer, composer, and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel, and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers.
Whether touring as a ‘Duo’ or with his ‘Acoustic Group’ or his ‘Large Band,’ Lovett’s live performances show not only the breadth of this Texas legend’s deep talents but also the diversity of his influences, making him one of the most compelling and captivating musicians in popular music.
Since his self-titled debut in 1986, Lyle Lovett has evolved into one of music’s most vibrant and iconic performers. Among his many accolades, besides the four Grammy Awards, he was given the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award and was named Texas State Musician.
His works, rich and eclectic, are some of the most beloved of any artist working today.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Annual Fund receive presale access. Tickets go on sale to the public on September 20 at 10:00AM (MST)

moe.
2025-02-13 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $80.50
​​Hailed by American Songwriter for their “mind-bending musicality,” moe. is treasured for their mesmerizing musical synergy, unfettered showmanship, and smart, resonant songcraft.
For three decades, the band has corralled myriad musical forms on a truly original journey rich with crafty, clever songwriting and astonishing resourcefulness. Fueled by an impassioned fan base, moe. has spent much of those thirty years on the road, encompassing countless live performances marked by eclectic wit, deep friendship, and exploratory invention. moe. is truly a live band, rightly adored by a fervent following for their epic concert performances, each one imaginatively improvisational, rhythmically audacious, and utterly unique. Having built an enduring legacy with hard work and a confirmed commitment to creativity and community, moe. seems as surprised as anyone to find themselves at such a significant landmark.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access. On sale to the public November 15.

QUARTETO NUEVO
2025-02-06 15:30 - 17:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Free community event at the North Routt Community Charter School!
Quarteto Nuevo merges western classical, eastern European folk, Latin, and jazz with an organic feel that packs a wallop! The ensemble’s razor-sharp precision is enhanced by jazzy interludes, lightly rumbling percussion motifs, and mesmerizing rhythms. They effectively meld the music of ancient worlds and faraway places with a contemporary groove that enchants audiences of all ages!
Winners of the Beverly Hills National Auditions, Quarteto’s master musicians create emotionally charged soundscapes with instruments and sensibilities that represent very different world cultures. Their unique instrumentation–soprano saxophone/alto flute (Damon Zick), cello (Jacob Szekely), guitar (Kenton Youngstrom), and hand percussion (Felipe Fraga)–richly colors their wide-ranging repertoire, from Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Bachianas Brasileiras” and Chick Corea’s “Children’s Song No. 6″ to Traditional Macedonian “Gadjarsko” and original works “Hector, Desmond and Titus”, “Rain Song” and “Dizer O Que”.

INTERSECTIONS: MUSIC AT THE MUSEUM FEATURING ELENI KATZ AND SUSAN ZHANG
2025-02-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
This event is free to the community!
Join us at the Steamboat Art Museum for a performance from Eleni Katz and Susan Zhang as a part of our 2025 Intersections: Music at the Museum series presented by Strings Music Festival and the Steamboat Art Museum. Doors open at 5:30pm, 6:00pm music, and a Q&A with the artists at 6:45pm. These free events are open to music lovers of all ages!
Hailed for her virtuosity and vibrant musical spirit, bassoonist Eleni Katz has established herself as a prominent soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player, while pianist, entrepreneur, and educator Susan Zhang has garnered numerous awards and praise from audiences across the country for her innovative approach to curating and delivering performances.
Eleni Katz’s “thoughtful and expressive” approach to music making has led her to performances by the bright blue waters of Bermuda to the lights of Carnegie Hall (San Diego Union Tribune). Eleni is a winner of the 2022 Concert Artist Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Nu Deco Ensemble, the Jupiter Chamber Players, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Sarasota Orchestra, and as a member with the New World Symphony.
Susan Zhang is a pianist, entrepreneur, and educator celebrated for her innovative approach to curating and delivering performances. In 2016, she co-founded The Concert Truck, a mobile music venue that brings classical concerts to unexpected outdoor spaces. She made her orchestral debut at age twelve with the Augusta Symphony and has won accolades in several prestigious competitions, including the Thousand Islands Chopin Competition, the Bauru-Atlanta Competition, the Burgos International Music Festival Competition, and the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition at the Southeastern Piano Festival. In high demand as a soloist, Zhang has appeared on stages across North America, Europe, and Asia, earning widespread acclaim for her artistry and entrepreneurial spirit.

STEEP CANYON RANGERS
2025-02-02 19:00 - 23:30 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Starts at $63.25
Hailing from both the Appalachian and Piedmont regions of North Carolina, the Rangers have long held traditional bluegrass paramount, while possessing an exceptional ability to bring it down the mountain, and to incorporate accessible influence from all walks of the region. With the band’s last few albums, they have gained recognition from well beyond the world of bluegrass, earning a reputation as some of the most influential songwriters in Americana today.
The Rangers are made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals; Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals; Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals; Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals; Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals; and Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals. Steep Canyon Rangers have been on a journey that is uniquely their own. The band started in college at UNC-Chapel Hill, then dove head first into bluegrass in its most traditional form. Over the years they have risen to the top of the bluegrass genre headlining top festivals such as Merlefest and Grey Fox Bluegrass. They were ultimately discovered by Steve Martin, famous actor and banjo player. Martin has taken the Rangers on a decade-long tour introducing them to hundreds of thousands of new fans and giving them prime time TV exposure. This helped Steep Canyon Rangers become the most recognizable modern name in bluegrass music. The band has continued to tour extensively on their own, without Martin, and they have expanded their genre into country, jam, and Americana. The Rangers are big players in the bluegrass/country and Americana scene today. They are often compared to predecessors The Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the modern Zac Brown Band.
Over the band’s esteemed career, the three-time Grammy nominees have released 14 studio albums and three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin. They were inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and appeared on some of music’s biggest stages. In 2013, Nobody Knows You won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, while 2012’s Rare Bird and 2020’s North Carolina Songbook garnered nominations in the same category.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Annual Fund receive presale access. Tickets go on sale to the public on September 20, 2024

1964 The Tribute
2025-01-31 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $51.75
Since the early eighties, “1964”…The Tribute has been thrilling audiences around the globe by taking them on a journey through a quintessential moment in music history that will live forever. Over twenty years of researching and performing have made “1964” masters of their craft. They are hailed by critics and fans alike as THE most authentic and endearing Beatles tribute….which has earned them the distinction from Rolling Stone magazine as the “Best Beatles Tribute on Earth”. “1964” recreates an early ‘60s live Beatle concert with period instruments, clothing, hairstyles, and onstage banter with an accuracy that is unmatched. “1964” is: Mark Benson as John Lennon, Mac Ruffing as Paul McCartney, Tom Work as George Harrison, and Bobby Potter as Ringo Starr.
1964 The Tribute is not endorsed by or affiliated with Apple Corps, LTD.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

TOM PAPA: GRATEFUL BREAD TOUR
2025-01-30 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
With opening support from Andy Fiori
Tickets start at $63.25
With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country, finding success as an actor, host, and author, in film, TV, radio, and podcasts as well as on the live stage.
The comedian has had 6 highly rated stand-up specials including his most recent Netflix stand-up special, Home Free, which premiered on October 29th. Filmed at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., Tom holds nothing back, as his kids are finally out of the house and it’s just him, his wife, and a bunch of animals ready to return to their glory days. Tom has seen a lot over the years, from close calls with a pachinko ball to late-night 7-Eleven runs, and he’s sharing all his thoughts as he parties on into the next stage of life. Papa’s other specials include What A Day!, You’re Doing Great!, Human Mule, Freaked Out , and Tom Papa Live in New York City, two of which were directed by Rob Zombie.
In 2023, Tom released his highly anticipated third book, We’re All In This Together…So Make Some Room. The book compiles comedic essays that aim to unite us through our stupidity. Every mistake has already been made, and this should bring us great comfort as we join together in our fight for survival, or at least in our attempt to get through the day. Whether we like it or not, we’re all in this together.
In 2020, he released his second book, You’re Doing Great! – And Other Reasons To Stay Alive, which was the follow-up to Your Dad Stole My Rake: And Other Family Dilemmas both released by St Martin’s Press, making “Summer Must Read” lists from Parade Magazine to The New York Post. Tom is also a contributing writer to the New Yorker Magazine.
Tom hosts the weekly podcast, Breaking Bread with Tom Papa, which features Tom and his guest eating, drinking, and celebrating the true meaning of breaking bread with insightful, revealing, and always funny conversations. He also hosts the popular daily Netflix radio show, What A Joke With Papa And Fortune on Sirius XM Channel 93 and the monthly show, Come To Papa Live on Channel 94. When he’s not on the road, Tom lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two daughters, a cat and dog, where he spends most of his time writing and baking bread.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access. On sale to the public November 15.

CANCELED! MARCUS KING: AN INTIMATE ACOUSTIC EVENING FEATURING DREW SMITHERS
2025-01-25 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Message from the band:
Due to the snowfall in Steamboat, we have been informed by the Colorado Department of Transportation that chain law is in effect for commercial vehicles. This, along with Rabbit Ears Pass being unsafe to cross prevents us from making it safely to town for the show tonight.
There is nothing I love more than playing shows, and nothing I hate more than cancelling them. However, safety for you, the fans, as well as our touring crew is always our top priority.

Refunds will be issued for all patrons starting Tuesday, February 4 — or if you wish to receive a credit or donate your tickets as a donation, please let us know by 5pm (Mountain Time) on Monday, February 3. All gifts are tax-deductible within the limits of the law. Just call our box office at (970) 879-5056 ext. 105 and leave a voicemail if you would like to receive a credit or donate your tickets.

If you prefer a refund, we will issue it to the original form of payment. No action is needed on your part. Refunds will begin processing on Tuesday, February 4 and may take up to 14 days to appear on your credit card statement.

Thank you for your understanding and your support of Strings Music Festiva

INTERSECTIONS: MUSIC AT THE MUSEUM FEATURING EMPIRE WILD
2025-01-21 18:00 - 19:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
This event is free to the community!
Join us at the Steamboat Art Museum for a performance from Empire Wild as a part of our 2025 Intersections: Music at the Museum series presented by Strings Music Festival and the Steamboat Art Museum. Doors open at 5:30pm, 6:00pm music, and a Q&A with the artists at 6:45pm. These free events are open to music lovers of all ages!
Empire Wild is a genre-bending, crossover ensemble founded by Mitchell Lyon and Ken Kubota, two Juilliard-trained cellists dedicated to exploring musical frontiers and pushing their instruments to the limit. The ensemble fuses pop, folk, jazz, and more into their innovative songwriting and composition. Since they first met as undergraduates at The Juilliard School, Mitch and Ken have shared a desire to explore further musical vistas. Mitch is driven by a passion for leading string players in new stylistic directions, incorporating contemporary techniques into existing repertoires, and challenging assumptions about the cello’s role in the broader musical landscape. Ken, seeking a renewed sense of purpose, redefined his approach to music, focusing on joy, collaboration, and the inspiration found in shared musical experiences. He often treats the cello like a guitar, exploring its capabilities and challenging its social norms. Both musicians are committed to community engagement and teaching, prioritizing creative musical outlets for students of all backgrounds. Empire Wild thrives on collaborations with unique artists, enriching performances, and offering audiences fresh, dynamic experiences. Together, they created Empire Wild to explore a wider sonic landscape, celebrating good music across genres and providing a platform to express diverse human experiences and emotions.

TALK SAVES LIVES
2025-01-09 12:00 - 13:30 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
This event is FREE to attend!
Presented by REPS, Strings Music Festival, and UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center
REPS, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to preserve, protect, and promote life by fostering suicide prevention and providing a lifeline of support and healing in Routt and Moffat Counties, has partnered with The Strings Music Festival (Strings) and UCHealth for a suicide prevention and education event entitled Talk Saves Lives on Jan. 9 at the Strings Music Pavilion.
The presentation reviews the scope of suicide as well as its impact, causes, risk factors and effect on different communities and demographic groups. Prevention measures to reduce suicide risk and promote positive self-care will be topics along with guidance on how to recognize warning signs, start a conversation with someone at risk, and how to offer support and resources for yourself or others.
Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide (REPS) is a local non-profit organization serving Routt and Moffat County. Our mission is to preserve, protect, and promote life by fostering suicide prevention and providing a lifeline of support and healing in our community.

DAN AND CLAUDIA ZANES HOLIDAY SING-ALONG
2024-12-28 16:00 - 19:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Starts at kid (0-5) $1.25, Junior (6-18) $11.50, Adults $23
This unique holiday show is a musical celebration inspired by the Christmas sing-alongs that Grammy Award winner Dan Zanes and jazz vocalist/music therapist Claudia Zanes experienced every year. This quartet embodies the festive far-reaching spirit of the season and the legacy of intergenerational communal music-making.
This unique holiday show is a musical celebration inspired by the Christmas sing-alongs that Grammy Award-winner Dan Zanes and jazz vocalist/music therapist Claudia Zanes experienced every year. The Holiday Sing-Along songbook—printed and distributed to the audience members–includes seasonal numbers from a variety of traditions, languages, and locations. Enjoy traditional Christmas favorites, songs from Puerto Rico, Korea, Wales, Tunisia, Haiti, and Washington DC, as well as songs celebrating Hanukkah, Korean New Year, Kwanzaa, and Winter Solstice.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Annual Fund receive presale access. Tickets go on sale to the public on September 20 at 10:00AM (MST)

BRENT ROWAN AND FRIENDS: ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS FEATURING JAN GARRETT & JD MARTIN
2024-12-22 19:00 - 22:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $86.25
Brent and his amazingly talented guests revive a musical tradition with this memorable holiday show. 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.
Jan Garrett and JD Martin are lifelong musicians and award-winning singer-songwriters who live and create music in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado, near Aspen. Their music and personal appearances have been described as “A soul-drenched ride through the heart of harmony, well-being made audible. Their songs are refreshingly rich and intelligent, a velvet hammer wake-up call as satisfying to the soul as they are to the ear…a feast of musical endorphins.”
Jan and JD have been happily married (to each other) for nearly 30 years, and have written and produced 10 albums of original music. Jan Garrett is a jazz singer with a poet’s soul. In her colorful musical past, she recorded and toured with John Denver and Steve Martin, and appeared on the Tonight Show. She joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for their historic 1977 Soviet Tour, and was later listed in the Rolling Stone “Who’s Who in Rock & Roll.”
A native of Virginia, JD Martin has written 5 Number One and 10 Top Ten country and pop hit singles. His songs have been recorded by such luminaries as Reba McEntire, Terri Clark, B.J. Thomas, Peter Cetera, and Kathy Mattea. JD has received 15 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awards for excellence in songwriting in Nashville and LA. His velvet voice and signature piano style are a perfect match for Brent’s brilliant guitar playing, and they have worked together on many fine recording projects.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

THE POLAR EXPRESS
2024-12-14 16:00 - 19:00 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Tickets start at $1.25 Kid (0-5) $11.50 Junior (6-18) $17.25 Adult
The Academy Award-winning team of Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) reunite for The Polar Express, an inspiring adventure based on the beloved children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Annual Fund receive presale access. Tickets go on sale to the public on September 20 at 10:00AM (MST)

HOTEL ELSINORE
2024-10-20 19:00 - 23:30 | Strings Music Pavilion, 950 Strings Road
Starts at $20
Denmark. 2am. A hotel room. Three weary travelers, an unexpected will and a production of Hamlet to rehearse before morning. Tragedy and humor blend in this new play about the challenges of family, forgiveness, and Shakespeare.
Real-life family–Susanna Hamnett, Joshua MacGregor, and Lily MacGregor–play the bereaved family of the once-great actor, Henry Elder, who was billed to perform his career-defining solo Hamlet at the famous Elsinore Shakespeare Festival. But, as they discover, Henry Elder is determined not to let anything as inconvenient as death prevent him from being there. With Shakespeare’s Hamlet as the pivot around which the family’s story revolves, the play is by turns absurd and poignant.
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2024 Strings Annual Fund are granted early ticket access.

MUSICAL STARGAZING FEATURING BETH BLASKOVICH
2024-10-12 18:00 - 21:30 | Yampatika’s Environmental Learning Center at Legacy Ranch, 35465 U.S. Hwy 40, Steamboat Springs, CO, 80487, United States
Tickets start at: $30
Live Americana and classical music accompany an astronomy lesson and hands-on viewing during this unique collaboration between Strings Music Festival and Yampatika.
Look. Learn. Listen. This unique program is a collaboration between Strings Music Festival and Yampatika. The evening will feature music from solo pianist Beth Blaskovich on Saturday night. Colorado Mountain College professor Paul McCudden will teach basic astronomy as the sun sets and stars rise in the autumn sky. Participants will be able to safely view celestial objects through telescopes. Bring a dinner picnic and enjoy!
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Annual Fund receive presale access. Tickets go on sale to the public on September 20 at 10:00AM (MST)

MUSICAL STARGAZING FEATURING APPLE PIE AND A GUY
2024-10-11 18:00 - 21:30 | Yampatika’s Environmental Learning Center at Legacy Ranch, 35465 U.S. Hwy 40, Steamboat Springs, CO, 80487, United States
Tickets start at: $30
Live Americana and classical music accompany an astronomy lesson and hands-on viewing during this unique collaboration between Strings Music Festival and Yampatika.
Look. Learn. Listen. This unique program is a collaboration between Strings Music Festival and Yampatika. The evening will feature music from Americana group Apple Pie and a Guy on Friday night. Colorado Mountain College professor Paul McCudden will teach basic astronomy as the sun sets and stars rise in the autumn sky. Participants will be able to safely view celestial objects through telescopes. Bring a dinner picnic and enjoy!
*Donors of $500 or more to the 2025 Annual Fund receive presale access. Tickets go on sale to the public on September 20 at 10:00AM (MST)
