Beneficiary

The Jackson Hole Wine Auction benefits the Grand Teton Music Festival, one of the nation’s leading music festivals for over 45 years. Each summer, the Festival performs for a seven-week season of full orchestral concerts and a mix of chamber and popular music concerts for live audiences in Walk Festival Hall, an acoustic gem set at the foot of the spectacular Teton Mountain Range.

Now in his fifth season, Music Director Donald Runnicles is committed to further enhance the already spectacular programming for our Festival Orchestra – a dream orchestra that reinvents itself each year with professional musicians chosen from among leading concertmasters, first chairs, and principal players of the world’s foremost orchestras and conservatories. Maestro Runnicles’ remarkable career includes being the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the San Francisco Opera, as well as Principal Conductor New York’s Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In 2009, he adds the directorship of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the very prestigious Deutsche Oper in Berlin to his posts.

The Grand Teton Music Festival and Maestro Runnicles are proud to celebrate the beautiful community of Jackson Hole with inspiring music and many vibrant education and outreach programs, funded primarily through proceeds from the Jackson Hole Wine Auction. They include:

6:15 Music Machine – Young people’s concerts feature the Festival Orchestra in performances especially designed to introduce children to the world of classical music.

Music in the Schools – Festival musicians visit local classrooms and engage children in interactive workshops that stimulate a deeper understanding and appreciation of music in their lives.

Music in the Hole – This Fourth of July celebration features the Grand Teton Music Festival and local talent in an outdoor picnic-style concert – a festive family afternoon and community favorite.

Open the House: GTMF Presents – Walk Festival Hall opens its doors to present end-of-school year concerts for the local high school band and orchestra giving these students a rare opportunity to perform on the very stage that showcases renowned performers during the summer months.

Orchestra Mentorship Program – Selected local band and orchestra students are matched with one of our GTMF orchestral musicians for a week of valuable training and education during the summer.

StringFest – A unique 3-day workshop brings middle school string students from two local valley schools together to rehearse and finally to perform as one cohesive ensemble on stage at Walk Festival Hall.

Tune-UP! – A supplemental program taps into local musical talent to provide 6th through 12th grade students with private instrumental instruction otherwise unavailable through the schools.