Maestro Alasdair Neale, music director for 24 years, keeps the artists and repertoire details secret but releases a few teasers
By Emilee Mae Struss
The Argyros Performing Arts Center will warm up this winter with classical music performed at the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s Inaugural Winter Festival. Public performances will take place on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.
Curator and host, the symphony’s maestro, Alasdair Neale, is keeping details of the event a secret.
“I want there to be an element of surprise,” Neale said during a phone interview. “What I can say about it is that there will be a vast range of musical experience from 900 years of music and there will be tremendous variety.”
Fifteen classical musicians from outside of Idaho will gather for the festival, their names and repertoire announced from the stage. That repertoire, Neale shared, will be unlike any other previously seen performance, and will, in part, have a nightclub feel.
“I’m excited to bring more music and things that I think many people will be experiencing for the first time,” Neale said. “It will not be a typical concert format.”
The Winter Festival will commence with an invite-only “Friends and Family” night on Feb. 21. The week also includes several educational opportunities for youth. Musicians and guest artists will work with students from the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s School of Music in partnership with the Blaine County School District. The events will include classroom visits, a private concert with open discussion and a session focused on technology.
Under the direction of Neale, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony is now the largest privately funded, free-admission symphony in America.
Dr. Carl Eberl and his wife Julianne founded the symphony in 1985 as the Elkhorn Music Festival. Neale took over in 1995 as the music director and grew the orchestra to more than 100 musicians.
The symphony, as its name demonstrates, is typically performed at the Sun Valley Pavilion in Sun Valley during the warmth of summer. With the new Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, the symphony is able to expand programming throughout the year.
And while Neale said it’s too early to suggest a name change, “We are happy to expand our presence in the Valley and are thrilled to have a [new] venue.”
With 24 years behind him, Neale attributed the symphony’s growth and success to the community’s consistent generosity.
“We rely on private donations time and time again,” Neale said. “People have gone above and beyond to support all of the artistic initiatives.”
The new performing arts venue gives Neale a suitable sound system, flexible acoustics and an array of staging options to offer the public.
“I hope, at the very least,” Neale said, “that people will have something to talk about over dinner [after the performances].”
To reserve seats for the Winter Festival, or to get more information about the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, visit svsummersymphony.org. Concert reservations will be available starting Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. Admission is free; however, reserving seats on their website is suggested.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for general admission and the performances begin at 6:30 p.m., ending at 8:45 p.m. There is a limit of two seats per household and a few of the rush seats will be released at 6 p.m.
The Argyros Performing Arts Center is located at 120 S. Main St., Ketchum.