Summer Festivals V

The Moab Music Festival was founded in 1992 by New York based musicians, pianist/conductor Michael Barrett and violist Leslie Tomkins. On a rare vacation, the husband and wife team fell in love with the red rocks of Moab and were inspired to combine the magical landscape with the joys of music-making. “Starting a music festival seemed like the perfect way to make sure we would return again and again,” says Tomkins. Now in its 25th year of “music in concert with the landscape,” the award- winning Moab Music Festival is noted for its distinctive programming and unique concert experiences of chamber music, traditional, jazz, Latin, and the music of living composers. The 20 concerts of the 2017 season are held in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues around Moab, with the Festival’s signature events, the Grotto Concerts, taking place in a pristine wilderness grotto, which is 30 miles down the Colorado River. The stunning grotto is reached by jet boat, and the concert presenters bring in (and remove) everything needed, including a grand piano! The concert hikes include stunning views through the Moab desert. The combination of the music and the amazing location(s), creates a festival experience that is impossible to replicate. This week’s playlist includes selections from the opening weekend of the festival which starts this coming Friday. If you live in the area – go! I would love to join you.

ST#126 – Summer Festivals V