It’s a picturesque July evening in Teton Village as the sun sets behind Rendezvous Mountain and the Aerial Tram makes its final trips of the day.
Sporting colorful tie-dye, Jackson resident Justin Fuller looks like he could’ve been mountain biking. But he’s here to see classical music: Stéphane Denève leading Concierto de Aranjuez, featuring South Korean guitar prodigy, JIJI.
“It’s beyond brilliant, just every piece, completely unique and amazing,” he said.
This is his twenty-third show at Walk Festival Hall. Tonight, he’s part of a crowd Grand Teton Music Festival hopes to grow: young people.
Classical aficionado Carlyann Edwards hosted a pre-concert happy hour and gave away free tickets to faces that may more typically be found a few doors over at The Mangy Moose Saloon.
She’s part of a group trying to show that classical concerts are more than high-brow ceremonies and can be enjoyed by anyone with an open mind. Edwards’s grandmother was first chair violin with the Charlotte Classical Symphony in North Carolina and her mother is a cellist. The 27-year-old is a classically trained opera singer.
“Realistically we are the next generation of classical music supporters and you need to gain that support somehow,” she said.
Grand Teton Music Festival’s general manager Jeff Counts says the festival is trying to address several barriers to entry, offering cheaper and free tickets and looking for ways to make the music feel less intellectually daunting.
“The key to that is demystifying the experience, right? To make it easy not only to come, but to want to come back,” he said.
Part of that is concertgoers in their twenties and thirties finding things in common with working musicians. Violinist and novelist Ling Ling Huang is in her tenth summer here, mingling with concertgoers over drinks.
“There’s just more space to think and the opportunity to go on hikes after playing with the night’s concert before echoing in my mind,” she said.
Another piece is exploring how the music is still relatable.
“I was able to relate to music without words and it’s not different from how I feel about techno,” she said.
Bringing in young people often just comes down to money, according to festival Education Curator Meaghan Heinrich.
“I don’t think there’s a single other festival who is doing as much in the community for people of all ages for free as we are,” she said.
Upcoming free events this year include the Trombone Trifecta at the Teton Raptor Center, Alive at Five outdoor chamber music in the Village Commons, and performances by Jackson Hole Youth Orchestra Camp and a Coomb’s Ukulele Club. Otherwise, tickets range from $40 to $80, while students and kids can attend for just $5.
