Music in the Mountains

Concert Tickets for Mothers’ Day?  YES!

 I’ve been a mom for a long time.  I love it.  It’s the best job I’ve ever had.  Most of my friends are moms, too, so I speak from a wealth of collective experience when I say that I know what moms want for Mothers’ Day.  Moms want something that will take us away from the mundane.  Something that will cause us to put the cares of our everyday busy lives aside.  And here’s how to make that happen: this year, give Mom tickets to Music in the Mountains concerts.

Let me explain.  There’s hardly anything more enjoyable than listening to classical music, or some spicy Latin jazz, or a heaping serving of roof-raising Irish music, all the while gazing at the fabulous creation that surrounds us here in Pagosa.  That’s the experience that the mom in your life will have when you take her to one (or more) of seven glorious concerts that will take place at Bootjack Ranch this summer. She will consider it as the musical equivalent of “Calgon, take me away!”

Here’s a brief listing of the musical events being offered in this seventh Music in the Mountains Pagosa season:

Friday, July 11- An elegant benefit concert featuring violinist Philippe Quint and pianist David Korevaar.  Sumptuous hors d’oeuvres and libations are included, and much of the money raised goes toward scholarships for music students. 

Wednesday, July 16- You and Mom may not be able to sit down for long after Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul start to play.  You’ll both be totally engaged after about the first 60 seconds of this breath-taking show.

Friday, July 18- If you think Mom would prefer some soothing Poetry in Music, then how about the Schumann Piano Quintet? Performed by festival favorites Vadim Gluzman, Arkady Fomin, violist Valeri Avramenko, cellist Jesus Castro Balbi, and pianist Angela Joffe, this exquisite piece promises to take mom away better than ten Calgon bubble baths ever could. 

Wednesday, July 23 will bring another chamber concert entitled Taking Flight. The program will feature a Brahms horn trio as well as Serenade by Antonin  Dvorak.  Performers for this rich musical fare will be Edward Newman and Elisabeth Adkins of the world-famous Adkins family. 

Friday, July 25- Here’s a concert that will surely make as many memories as it brings back.  Pops on Parade will feature the full Music in the Mountains festival orchestra under the baton of Carl Topilow.  Pops concerts typically contain a mix of Broadway show tunes, lighter classical fare, and pieces that will put a long-lasting smile on Mom’s face.

Sunday, July 27- Does Mom start to sway and smile at the sound of a Latin beat? If so, this is the concert for her.  The Mambo Kings, who played to a sold-out audience last year, will perform their feverishly passionate brand of Cuban Latin jazz once again.  Just so you know ahead of time, Mom may never get the sparkle out of her eyes after you take her to this event…

Friday, August 1- This concert, entitled Passion and Power, features the full festival orchestra under the direction of newly-appointed festival conductor  Guillermo Figueroa.  A foxtrot for orchestra will fill the air on this evening, along with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E-flat (the Eroica symphony) and a passionate performance of Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor featuring celebrated pianist Aviram Reichert. 

There you have it—a veritable bouquet of melodic choices to delight your mother, your wife, your daughter, your aunt and your grandmother.  But don’t wait to get your musical gift for these women in your life.  Tickets, which are selling quickly this season, are available at the Pagosa Chamber of Commerce on Hot Springs Boulevard next to The Springs Resort.  Chamber concert tickets are $40, orchestra tickets are $60, tickets for Eileen Ivers and The Mambo Kings are $45, and the benefit event tickets are $175.  You can call 264-2360 to reserve your tickets now.  Think of it—this could be the beginning of a great Mothers’ Day tradition!