Anne-Marie McDermott Renews Contract As Bravo! Vail's Artistic Director And Unveils Long-Range Vision

The Bravo! Vail Music Festival and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott announce the extension of Ms. McDermott's Artistic Director contract through the 2023 season, following an unprecedented period of programmatic growth, educational expansion, and universal audience and supporter enthusiasm. Under the last nine years of Anne-Marie McDermott's artistic leadership, Bravo! Vail has grown to be a premier summer destination for classical music. Over the course of six weeks, the Festival hosts three of the world's most prestigious symphonic orchestras - the Dallas Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic; an internationally known chamber orchestra; and the leading soloists and chamber musicians of our time. Today, the festival also unveils the next steps in its evolution with Ms. McDermott's long-range vision and plan.

Anne-Marie McDermott's plans for the future are ambitious and reinforce Bravo! Vail's international importance in summer classical music performances and innovation. Her plan involves four primary areas of growth:

1. Annual International Chamber Orchestra Residency
2. Bravo! Vail Symphonic Commissioning Project
3. Mini Immersion Festivals
4. Renewed Commitment to Education and Community Engagement

Details of new initiatives:

With its commitment to an annual International Chamber Orchestra Residency, Bravo! Vail formalizes its ongoing resolution to bring an international chamber orchestra every season. The next will be Chamber Orchestra of Europe, performing with superstar pianist Yuja Wang on June 25, 27, and 28, 2020. Ms. Wang will perform three concertos over three concerts demonstrating the stunningly and stylistically diverse range of piano concerto repertoire - Chopin Nos. 1 and 2, Shostakovich No. 2, and J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5.

Perhaps the most newsworthy artistic initiative is the ambitious commissioning under the Bravo! Vail Symphonic Commissioning Project in the 2021-2024 seasons. This brings the vibrant world of important living composers to the Vail Valley. The project calls for 15 new symphonic compositions over five years, a momentous achievement in partnership with Bravo! Vail's resident orchestras: The Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Mini Immersion Festivals will allow audiences to go in-depth in timely subjects with talks, films, writings, and interactive encounters. Beginning in 2020, the festival will have one mini-immersion festival per season. The mini-festival subjects will be pertinent, beginning with the Beethoven Piano Sonatas performed by three pianists during the Beethoven centenary in 2020; and in 2021, all of Bartok's String quartets performed over two concerts.

Education and Community Engagement remain at the heart of Bravo! Vail's mission and artistic vision. The final part of Anne-Marie McDermott's strategic plan focuses on an integrated approach to this mission. The objectives of this plan seek to create meaningful connections and inspire musical curiosity with the Vail Valley community. Plans for the future involve bringing local students into performances with resident orchestras and outdoor works with a programmatic connection to the landscape.

2019 Season Recap:

Ms. McDermott's contract extension takes place on the heels of the Festival's most ambitious and impactful summer in its 32-year history. Not only did the Festival produce its first-ever staged opera under the musical direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin with The Philadelphia Orchestra, but the festival also welcomed the triumphant return of conductor Jaap van Zweden with the New York Philharmonic and hosted the North American debut of the Chamber Orchestra Vienna-Berlin, featuring violinists Paul Huang and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Chamber music is a vital component of the Bravo! Vail season, and leading and debuting ensembles performed works by over 15 different living composers, including the Vail premiere of the Bravo! Vail Co-Commission - Philip Glass's first composition for percussion quartet performed by Third Coast Percussion. Two new educational series were also launched under Ms. McDermott's direction this summer - the first a collaboration with the Vail Symposium entitled, "Opera Explored: An In-Depth Look at Puccini's Tosca"; the second called "Inside the Music," a combination of masterclasses and book discussions with artists and scholars. Ms. McDermott comments, "My biggest passion when I started was around creating an environment where musicians felt inspired and beloved and our audiences felt ownership and pride in 'their' festival. The 2019 season exemplifies everything I hold so close to my heart about Bravo! and all of the layers of music-making that makes us so completely unique!"

Anne-Marie McDermott is an internationally recognized concert pianist, chamber musician, educator, and artistic visionary. Her leadership ushered the Bravo! Vail organization through the last chapter of transition and growth, and her vision for the future provides an inspiring and cohesive plan for the next four years.

About Bravo! Vail Music Festival

The Bravo! Vail Music Festival brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout the Vail Valley for nearly seven weeks, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host four of the world's finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrated its 32nd season from June 20 through August 4, 2019. The 2019 season featured residencies with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic - plus the Chamber Orchestra Vienna-Berlin, which made its North American debut as the second international orchestra to perform in the Festival's history. In addition, internationally acclaimed chamber artists and soloists performed a wide array of unique and carefully curated chamber music programs. Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott has served the Festival since 2011. For more information about Bravo! Vail, visit bravovail.org or call 970.827.5700.

Event details including programs and artists are subject to change. Visit bravovail.org for complete season information and updates.

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