Grand Teton Music Festival proves that the hills are alive with the sound of music.In Teton Village, there is a beautiful little concert hall that is home to the Grand Teton Music Festival every year. Walk Festival Hall, with 685 fixed seats, underwent almost $5 million in updating of its acoustics in 2007. Under the direction of Music Director Donald Runnicles, the Festival Orchestra provides the valley with a season of music that seems extra special due to its setting. The festival is in its 47th season this year. A summer season is the mainstay of the festival, but there is a winter concert series as well. Guest musicians and conductors round out the mix. This summer features Grammy winning violinist James Ehnes and San Francisco Opera singers performing in Maestro Runnicle's adaptation of Der Rosenkavalier The opening festival concert will be on July 3, 2008, with a tribute to Leonard Bernstein. Subsequent summer concerts will feature Mahler, "The Planets" by Holst, the aforementioned highlights from "Der Rosenkavalier" by Strauss, Debussy, Ravel and Rachmaninoff. For more information, call (307) 733-3050 Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A special fundraising event this summer, for the Grand Teton Music Festival, is the Jackson Hole Wine Auction. Dates are June 26 to June 28, 2008. This major fundraiser draws top chefs and winemakers from around the country to Jackson Hole. Come taste the fine wine and gourmet food and support the festival too! Tickets for a "Taste of Jackson Hole" begin at $75 and go as high as $2000 for a "Connoisseur Package." Raffle tickets (for a 2008 Lexus LX 570) are $500 (5 for $2000). The drawing is June 28. Auction lots are for wines, experiences, trips. Again, call (307) 733-3050 for more information.
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The orchestra is comprised of musicians from different orchestras around the nation, and these talented folks take up residence in the valley during the season in which they'll play. Strolling through Teton Village during the season is pleasant in part because of the sounds of various musical instruments floating on the crisp air, as musicians practice near open windows.