Wintergreen Music Festival kicks off July 2, extends through month

Presented in partnership with Wintergreen Resort and regional partners including Valley Road Vineyards, King Family Vineyards, and Bold Rock Hard Cider in Nellysford, the festival introduces several exciting new offerings while continuing beloved traditions that have made it a treasured summer destination, according to a news release from event organizers.

The festival, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, launches with a jam-packed opening weekend designed to showcase the full Wintergreen Music experience. Festivities begin the evening of July 2 with Opening Night: Red, White and Blues, featuring the electrifying blues, rock and soul sounds of Bad Influence with special guest Mary Shaver as part of the new Roots & Rhythms series. On July 3, audiences will gather for the season’s first MountainTop Masterworks performance featuring the acclaimed Wintergreen Festival Orchestra performing Beethoven, Copland and Vaughan Williams.

The celebration continues on July 4 with a free, family-friendly patriotic pops concert as part of Wintergreen Resort’s July Jubilee. Guests can enjoy a full day of mountaintop activities, including chairlift rides, artisan vendors and family programming, culminating in a festive performance by the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra featuring patriotic favorites, music from Broadway and film, and audience sing-alongs ahead of the resort’s slopeside fireworks display.

“New this season, Wintergreen Music has reimagined the Festival weekend experience, allowing audiences to enjoy the full breadth of programming during a single mountain getaway,” the release said. “The Festival’s signature MountainTop Masterworks orchestra concerts now anchor the weekend with Friday evening and Sunday afternoon performances by the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra, comprised of musicians from leading orchestras and chamber music organizations across the country.”

For a two-day stretch, audiences will experience orchestra performances, pops concerts, chamber music, special events and LEAD (Learn, Explore, Adapt, Diversify) student performances.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Erin Freeman, the festival welcomes an extraordinary roster of guest conductors, including Tamara Dworetz, Vinay Parameswaran, Robert Moody and leading from the piano, Awadagin Pratt. In addition to Beethoven’s 1st Symphony, Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” Copland’s “Music for the Theatre,” Mozart’s 39th Symphony, Valerie Coleman’s “Tracing Visions,” and more, this year’s lineup also features guest artist Rachel Lee Priday (violin), performing Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Wintergreen’s own Elisabeth Adkins (violin) performing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ transcendent “The Lark Ascending” and Kelly Mozeik (oboe) and Jacob Wilder (horn) on Michael Daugherty’s “Songs of the Open Road.”

Pops programming in the July 4 Roots & Rhythms series will kick off with blues/rock/soul band Bad Influence with special guest Mary Shaver. Later in the month, patrons can enjoy New Orleans-style jazz infused with funk and blues with The Adrian Duke Project, an evening of soulful sound and rhythmic energy with Desirée Roots and her trio alongside the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra, and Grammy Award-winning guitarist and vocalist Trey Hensley and his band.

“With professional sound design by StageSound, these four concerts promise a dynamic and immersive audience experience,” the release said. “Weeknight Concerts continue to provide audiences with intimate and engaging musical experiences throughout the Festival. Chamber music performances on the mountain will be featured in the Fresh Perspectives series, while the Mix, Mingle & Music series brings Festival Artists to partner venues throughout the valley for relaxed evenings combining music, conversation, and community.”

The sold-out In-Home Concert Specials return for a fourth year, where an elevated cocktail party meets intimate performances in three private homes. In partnership with The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen, two immersive Music & Nature Hikes will blend music and the scenic mountain landscape.

Another festival highlight is the 8th Annual Benefit fundraiser, Let Our Light Shine, and the popular Sing With Us! program, inviting participants of all experience levels into an immersive summer camp for adults. Throughout July, audiences can also enjoy free, weekday Coffee Talks held each morning in the Hearth Room at Wintergreen Resort’s Mountain Inn.

These podcast-style conversations offer audiences a chance to engage more deeply with festival artists, repertoire and the creative process. Wintergreen Music also will present the fifth year of the LEAD Cooperative, a competitive, tuition-free leadership training program for emerging professional musicians and arts leaders.

The program offers focused study areas in composition, conducting, voice, instrumental studies, collaborative piano, and arts administration, providing students with the opportunity to work closely and collaboratively with one another and with outstanding faculty. Patrons can support the three-dozen talented young professionals traveling to the mountain this summer by attending their free concerts, masterclasses, seminars, and presentations.

Single tickets, weekend packages and a limited number of festival season passes are on sale now at wintergreenmusic.org or by calling (434) 361-0541. Lodging discounts and all-inclusive festival packages are available through Wintergreen Resort.

Discounts are also available for professional first responders, active military personnel and educators. Weekend itineraries are available to help guests explore the music, scenery, dining and outdoor experiences that make the Wintergreen Music Festival a one-of-a-kind summer destination.

For a full list of events during the festival, visit wintergreenmusic.org.