Postcard from Boulder: Colorado Music Festival

The drive west across the Colorado plains towards Boulder took my breath away: against a wide, dramatic sky the Rocky Mountains rise up and stretch from horizon to horizon, dividing continental North America from Canada to New Mexico.

For six weeks each summer since 1976, this spectacular setting has been home to the Colorado Music Festival (CMF). Under the music directorship of Peter Oundjian, principal conductor of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and former leader of the Tokyo Quartet, the festival is known for star visiting soloists and new commissions, and for its orchestra, which is made up of section principals from top US orchestras, who converge on the delightful university town of Boulder for the duration of the festival. The CMF has an eye on future talent too, through its Festival Fellows programme. Eight aspiring professional string players from diverse backgrounds are selected from leading US conservatoires to be embedded in the festival for its duration. The 2023 Fellows – four individual players and a string quartet – had the opportunity to attend coaching sessions and seminars, as well as perform in festival concerts. It is an unparalleled opportunity to be heard by and make valuable connections with members of the best orchestras in the US, all in one place..