Arts in Abundance

The July 2018 Guide to Aspen's Cultural Calendar

The summer heats up with Snowmass concerts, an Aspen Santa Fe Ballet premiere, Ai Weiwei at Anderson Ranch, Harris Hall's 25th anniversary, and more.

By Andrew Travers June 5, 2018 Published in the Summer 2018 issue of Aspen Sojourner

1 and 11 Yuja Wang, Aspen Music Festival and School
Returning to Aspen for the first time since her days as a student, Wang is now among the world’s most sought-after concert pianists. At the Festival Orchestra’s opening Sunday concert at the Benedict Music Tent, she performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 1 and Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony, then plays one-handed with the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra on Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (July 11). aspenmusicfestival.com, 970-925-9042

Yuja Wang had to cancel her performances in Aspen. Instead the Aspen Festival Orchestra will perform on July 1. Robert Spano will conduct Jonathan Biss on piano for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 in C major. On July 11, the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Debussy's Gigues from Images, Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 in B-flat major, conducted by Ludovic Morlot. Updated July 1, 2018

5 Glen David Andrews, Snowmass Concert Series
This charismatic trombonist, vocalist, and former member of the Rebirth Brass Band is pure New Orleans. Known as the “Crown Prince of Treme,” Andrews has shaped his generation’s Crescent City sound, becoming one of the city’s most popular live acts with his rich gumbo of jazz, brass, blues, and hip-hop. gosnowmass.com, 970-922-2233

Pianist Yuja Wang gives two concerts in July.

Image: Kirk Edwards

7 Bryan Arias premiere, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
This may be the first you’ve heard of Arias, but it won’t be the last. The Puerto Rican choreographer and rising star of the dance world makes his Aspen debut with a world premiere. His new piece will be performed in repertoire with the company debut of Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman’s multimedia “Tuplet” and Jiri Kylian’s “Sleepless.” aspensantafeballet.com, 970-925-7175

12–16 The Barber of Seville, Aspen Opera Center
One of the most popular comic operas—you know, “Figaro!”—gets a fully staged production at the Wheeler Opera House, directed by Edward Berkeley. It opens an opera season that also includes Jacques Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann (Aug 14–18), also at the Wheeler, and a much-anticipated selection of scenes from Die Walküre, with soloists Tamara Wilson and Ryan McKinny, to close the festival at the Benedict Music Tent (Aug 19). aspenmusicfestival.com, 970-925-9042

13 Ajax Phillips’s The Palace of the Beast, Skye Gallery
Audience participation is encouraged at this exhibit of new work by the envelope-pushing, locally based sculptor sometimes known as “Ajax Axe.” Her latest works touch on narrative, magic, astrology, and tarot. Viewers will be called on to enact rituals and cast spells. skyegalleryaspen.com, 970-429-0555

15 Ann Wilson, Belly Up Aspen

Heart’s lead singer and songwriter has had an unlikely comeback in the last few years, releasing two EPs and starring in a revealing documentary. For this solo show, she promises an elegant and intimate career retrospective, including enduring Heart songs like “Barracuda,” “Magic Man,” and “Crazy on You.” bellyupaspen.com, 970-544-9800

18 and 19 Ai Weiwei, Anderson Ranch Arts Center
The Chinese dissident and cross-disciplinary artist will be honored with the Ranch’s International Artist Award for his influential marriage of art and activism, which includes recent works like Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, a pointed commentary on the international refugee crisis that covered all five boroughs of New York. He’ll give a free talk with the Guggenheim Museum’s Alexandra Munroe. andersonranch.org, 970-923-3181

Ai Weiwei, whose *Gilded Cage* is shown here, comes to Anderson Ranch in July.

21 Spin Doctors, Deaf Camp Benefit
Born in the 1970s, the Deaf Camp Picnic was immortalized in local music lore with performances by the likes of John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. This year it’s all about ’90s nostalgia, as the Spin Doctors—the band behind earworms like “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”—take the Fanny Hill stage at Snowmass. aspencamp.org, 970-315-0513

28 Harris Concert Hall 25th Anniversary Recital, Aspen Music Festival and School
Who better to celebrate a quarter century of concerts at Harris Hall than violinist Robert McDuffie, the Aspen Music Festival and School alum who has been a staple here for more than 40 summers? The program includes Glass’s Violin Concerto no. 1 and works by Prokofiev and Vincent d’Indy. aspenmusicfestival.com, 970-925-9042

30 Disney’s A Decade in Concert, Aspen Music Festival and School
Frozen fans of all ages are likely to pack the Benedict Music Tent for this welcome mix of popular entertainment and classical music. Co-presented by Disney Animation, the concert combines a live symphony performance with big-screen scenes from nine recent animated Disney films. aspenmusicfestival.com, 970-925-9042