Aspen Music Festival and School Summer Programs

Aspen Music Festival and School Summer Programs includes Sing Play Move, Music on the Mountain, Tunes & Tales, Family or Community Concerts, summer educational programs, Festival Lessons, and the Mariachi Workshop. Sing Play Move includes folk and world music, action and game songs, nursery rhymes, instrumental play, free and guided movement, and simple composition. Festival Lessons are available as a single lesson or a series, and the Mariachi Workshop lets participants explore mariachi music and perform alongside professionals.

Programs

• Summer Programs — open to all ages · summer · Kids and family programming, including Music on the Mountain, Tunes & Tales, Family or Community Concerts, and summer educational programs.
• Sing Play Move — youngest classical music fans; children attend with a parent or caregiver · Monday-Friday, 30-minute class sessions · Early childhood music education program based on folk/world music, action and game songs, nursery rhymes, instrumental play, free/creative and guided movement, and simple composition.
• P.A.L.S. (Passes and Lessons Scholarship) — students entering grades 1-5 and 6-12 · summer
• Festival Lessons — all ages · summer · Lessons with top AMFS students for residents of the Roaring Fork Valley; single lesson or series available; open to music enthusiasts with or without prior music experience.
• Mariachi Workshop — June 29-July 1 · Explore mariachi music and perform alongside professionals.
• AfterWorks — October through May · Sustained music education experiences through private lessons and weekly group classes in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley.
• Beginning Strings — grades 2+ · October through May · Violin, viola, cello, and bass.
• Chamber Music Lab — October through May · Chamber music experiences for intermediate string players.
• Lead Guitar — grades 5+ · October through May · Classical guitar.
• Maroon Bel Canto Choirs — grades 3-8 · October through May · Choir.
• Musical Connections — In-school enrichment and programming; residencies and concerts; honor ensemble opportunities for students in the Roaring Fork Valley's school music programs.
• ArtistYear — K-12 students · August through June · Year-long teaching artist opportunity based in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley.

At a glance

• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Current session: 2027 Full Session (Jun 23–Aug 22, 2027); 2027 Half Session I (Jun 23–Jul 25, 2027); 2027 Half Session II (Jul 26–Aug 22, 2027)
• General schedule: The Aspen Music Festival and School offers an eight-week summer program. Summer programs are available during the summer, and school year programs run October through May. ArtistYear runs from August through June.

About the provider

The Aspen Music Festival and School has a 78-year history, since 1949. Its leadership team includes Robert Spano, Wall Family Music Director; Meghan Martineau Umber, Munroe President and CEO; and Heather Kendrick Stanton, Vice President of Education and Community Programs. The mission statement says it offers summer music education and performance experiences for young artists and provides music education and community programs for local youth. Programs for Local Youth bring music to kids through lessons, programs in schools from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, and free family and community concerts for all ages.

The AMFS does not offer housing for students under the age of 18. The orchestral experience is available to students ages 18 and up. Students under the age of 18 may participate in private lessons and chamber music.

What families say

“Aspen is like nowhere else in the world. Every summer I would come out on the other side, certainly feeling like a different musician, but also like a different person.” — Violinist Simone Porter, AMFS Alumna

Last updated November 4, 2026.