Each summer, the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra is prominently featured at the Breckenridge Music Festival. Breckenridge Colorado was a mining town founded during the gold rush in the 1890s. Well known for its great skiing, the town has also become a draw for summer tourists due to its exciting Breckenridge Music Festival…
The orchestra is made up of 45-50 players under the direction of conductor Gerhardt Zimmerman. Members are chosen by audition. Musicians come from home symphonies throughout the United States including cities such as Dallas, Honolulu, St. Louis, San Diego, and Jacksonville. The Festival itself presents concerts in both summer and winter; however, the orchestra is in residence only for the summer. In addition to the classical orchestra concerts, the festival also presents concerts featuring other musical genres including Country, Jazz, and Blues.
Breckenridge Music Festival
The Breckenridge Music Festival began in 1980 as a 10-day event to celebrate the Town of Breckenridge’s anniversary. For the first 10 years, it was called the “Bach, Beethoven and Breckenridge” Music Festival and music was mostly classical and jazz. In 2001, the festival grew to include non-classical musical performances. Although in the beginning concerts were held at the Bergenhoff Restaurant, the town has grown and now the majority of concerts are held at the modern Riverwalk Center. The Riverwalk Center is a 770-seat venue that began as an outdoor amphitheatre structure that has since been given a roof and walls. An outdoor lawn gives the Center the ability to host over 2,000 guests. There is free parking and while at a concert, guests can enjoy snacks as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The facility is handicapped accessible.
In addition to the classical music presented by the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra, there are several other concert series presented including the Blue River, Champagne, and Winter Series. The Blue River Series presents concerts representing a variety of genres including Bluegrass, Reggae, Folk, Celtic, Americana, and Jazz. The Blue River Series has featured such groups as The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Natalie McMaster, and Asleep at the Wheel. Champagne Series concerts are held in the private homes on Sunday nights throughout the summer. These intimate chamber music concerts are presented by a single musician and are preceded by a champagne reception and concluded with dessert. In the winter, a variety of venues are used to present jazz, chamber music, and classical concerts. Frequently, the performance hall at the Colorado Mountain College’s Summit Campus is used.
Breckenridge Music Festival Tickets
Tickets can be purchased for the Breckenridge Music Festival in a variety of ways. They can be purchased online, through the Riverwalk Center Box Office (907-547-3100). Adult ticket prices range from $25 to $35 dollars. There are also a variety of packages to choose from that will give you a discount should you choose to go that route. Concerts in the Blue River Series can be purchased for an individual concert of in a bundle of 3 or more concerts. These tickets are general admission, not for particular seats at the venue unless you purchase tickets to 3 or more concerts, in which case you are upgraded to receive reserved seating. Classical orchestra performances are reserved seating.
