Virginia's Blue Ridge Music Festival

Welcome to the inaugural season of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Music Festival, centered in beautiful Floyd County — a vibrant rural community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We are preparing for a dynamic and exciting eleven days – May 30 through June 9 — of orchestral concerts, intimate chamber music, and other diverse musical experiences, presented in both traditional venues and unusual sites in this friendly mountain community.

Our 2013 Festival, “Classics in the Blue Ridge – from Bluegrass to Beethoven”, features young, highly talented emerging artists, supported by extraordinary, experienced professional musicians who both perform with and serve as mentors to rising young talent. As Artistic Director and Conductor, I feel privileged to work with such capable musicians, as well as an active Board of Directors and impressive group of volunteers, in a community that has opened its hearts, homes, and financial resources to support this unique and collaborative musical adventure.

The music will be diverse. Among the Classics to be performed, you will hear Dvorak’s beloved Symphony No 9, “from the New World”, Shostakovich’s testimony to life under Stalin in his powerful Fifth Symphony, and Beethoven’s wonderful Fifth Symphony. Elgar’s beloved “Enigma” variations will showcase our full Festival Orchestra, and we connect to the mountain heritage with mandolin virtuoso and composer Jeff Midkiff ‘s new concerto “From the Blue Ridge”. There are programs for every music lover to cherish, and you should be prepared for some delightful surprises. The broad array of music will be performed in some grand sites, as well as warm and intimate settings.