Aspen Music Festival Announces Expansive 2025 Summer Season Featuring Premieres, Renée Fleming’s Directorial Debut

ASPEN, Colo. – The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) has unveiled the details of its 2025 Summer Season, marking the institution’s 76th year dedicated to performance and mentorship. Set against the backdrop of Aspen’s renowned mountain landscape, the festival is scheduled to run from July 2 to August 24, 2025.

The upcoming season promises a rich and diverse musical offering, featuring over 450 talented young artists. These students will perform alongside distinguished artist-faculty members and acclaimed guest musicians hailing from leading orchestras and music schools worldwide. Over the course of the seven weeks, the festival will present nearly 200 public events, encompassing orchestral concerts, chamber music, opera, recitals, and special programs.

Exploring the Spiritual in Art

The 2025 Festival is centrally organized around the compelling theme, “Concerning the Spiritual in Art.” This theme, borrowing its title from Wassily Kandinsky’s influential treatise, will inform programming across the season, prompting explorations of the transcendent and profound in musical expression through a variety of works spanning different eras and genres.

Season Highlights: Premieres and Productions

A cornerstone of the 2025 season is the commitment to new music, highlighted by several significant premieres and AMFS co-commissions. Among the most anticipated events is the world premiere of Siddhartha, She, a major AMFS co-commission crafted by composer Christopher Theofanidis and librettist Melissa Studdard. This new work will be conducted by the festival’s distinguished Music Director, Robert Spano.

The season also features a significant operatic undertaking: a fully staged production of Mozart’s beloved opera, Così fan tutte. This production is notable as it marks the directorial debut of Co-Artistic Director Renée Fleming, bringing her vast experience as one of the world’s leading sopranos to the stage in a new capacity.

Further cementing the festival’s dedication to contemporary composition is the U.S. premiere of Thomas Adès’s The Origin of the Harp, another noteworthy AMFS co-commission. The festival will also present world premieres of new AMFS co-commissions from prominent composers Samuel Adams, Christopher Stark, and Max Vinetz, demonstrating ongoing support for the creation of new musical works. Performances of recent co-commissions will also be integrated into the programming.

Adding historical depth to the season, a special event will celebrate the centennial of legendary composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, with concerts led by acclaimed conductor David Robertson.

Esteemed Artists Take the Aspen Stage

The 2025 season welcomes a host of exceptional artists making their festival debuts, adding fresh perspectives and sounds to the Aspen stages. These include bass-baritone Davóne Tines, known for his powerful performances and innovative programming; pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, a master interpreter of contemporary and classical repertoire; and a unique duo performance featuring violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja alongside cellist Sol Gabetta.

Other significant debuts feature conductor Enrique Mazzola, who will lead a concert performance of Puccini’s classic opera La bohème, and conductor Stéphane Denève, who will take the podium to conduct works by Richard Strauss, promising performances of lush orchestral writing.

The festival also proudly welcomes back a constellation of cherished returning artists, whose presence is a hallmark of the Aspen experience. Among them are piano superstar Lang Lang and Broadway and vocal icon Patti LuPone, both presenting highly anticipated solo recitals. Conductors Vasily Petrenko and Xian Zhang will return to lead orchestral performances, bringing their distinct interpretations to the podium.

Recitalists Conrad Tao and Alexander Malofeev are also scheduled to return, offering intimate musical experiences. The orchestral soloist lineup features an impressive roster including pianist Yefim Bronfman, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, violinist Gil Shaham, and cellist Alisa Weilerstein, all set to perform concertos with the festival orchestras.

Education and Performance Intersect

A core mission of the Aspen Music Festival and School is its educational program, which brings together young musicians from around the globe to study and perform alongside seasoned professionals. The participation of over 450 young artists in almost 200 public events underscores the festival’s vital role in nurturing the next generation of classical musicians, providing unparalleled performance opportunities and mentorship in a uniquely inspiring environment.

The announcement of the 2025 season sets the stage for another summer of world-class music, artistic exploration, and educational growth in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.