June 26-August 9, 2020
Don't miss one of the top summer music festivals in the country - with concerts under the stars in a beautiful mountain setting! Each summer, the Brevard Music Center presents a big variety of 100+ events and performances during a 10+ week span while students from around the world gather at their campus. The BMC Summer Festival includes an exceptional line-up of symphony, opera, chamber, pops, jazz, country, bluegrass, and folk concerts. Their Artistic Director is Keith Lockhart, also Principal Conductor of the Boston Pops.
As one of the country's top summer music schools, the Center's 500 gifted young musicians perform alongside an artist faculty from world-renowned orchestras and universities - plus some well-known headliners. Concerts are held at multiple venues on campus and in Brevard. Their campus is about 34 miles southwest of downtown Asheville.
In 2020, enjoy a dazzling array of concerts and events, the inaugural season of their Parker Concert Hall and a celebration of Beethoven's 250th birthday. World-renowned classical virtuosi—Garrick Ohlsson, Gil Shaham, The Shanghai Quartet, and Ray Chen—will be featured among an equally legendary line-up of non-classical artists including Judy Collins, Béla Fleck, and Bryan Sutton.
Two perennial audience favorites return. The rousing Fourth of July concert features live cannons and Pendergrast Patriotic Pops. Their "night at the movies" this year presents Walt Disney Studios’ live-action remake of The Lion King with the symphony performing Hans Zimmer’s score. Be the first to attend special classical and contemporary piano and chamber concerts at the beautiful new 400-seat Parker Concert Hall.
Here's just a sampling of their season:
Pre-Season
Acclaimed acoustic guitarist Bryan Sutton leads a North Carolina Guitar Celebration concert on May 30. Other concerts include an Evening of Classical Guitar on June 11, a tribute to the First Lady of Jazz with Jane Monheit Sings Ella on June 12, and the lively sounds of Jazz@Brevard on June 18.
Opening Weekend
- Friday, June 26: Artistic Director Keith Lockhart officially launches the Beethoven@250 Festival for a spectacular All-Beethoven Celebration, featuring the joyful Symphony No. 7 and the return of renowned pianist Garrick Ohlsson for the 4th Piano Concerto.
- Saturday, June 27: ABBA the Concert. A fun tribute to one of the greatest bands ever.
- Sunday, June 28: Resident Conductor Ken Lam leads one of classical music’s most beloved works, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concert No. 1, featuring the superb talents of pianist Anna Tsybuleva. Plus, the BMC Orchestra joins Grammy®-Award winning singer-songwriter Judy Collins for a brand new symphonic arrangement of her landmark 1967 record, Wildflowers.
Beethoven @ 250: A “Festival Within A Festival”
In 2020, BMC will be part of a global celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday with a season-long exploration of masterworks created or influenced by the master composer. This “Festival Within A Festival” pays tribute to Beethoven’s legacy with symphony, chamber, piano, and even opera with Season Finale: Fidelio in Concert on August 9, the powerful and inspiring concert version of Beethoven’s singular opera, featuring conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing and hundreds of artists on the WPA stage.
Opera
Three fully staged operas include Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio, and Leigh-Wasserman’s Man of La Mancha - plus a recital of Opera’s Greatest Hits and a very special Evening of Cole Porter. All operas are staged at the Porter Center (on the Brevard College campus) and complemented by English supertitles above the stage.
Subscription and Ticket Information
Tickets to Brevard Music Center’s Summer Festival start at $20 for lawn tickets. We recommend paying extra for covered, reserved seating in case of rain and for better sound (prices vary depending on concert). Lawn seating is free for children under 17 (with a paying adult) and students 18 and older with a valid ID. Many performances will be presented free of charge. Many concerts will sell-out, so get tickets in advance.
For tickets and concert information, go to their Web site or call 828-862-2105. Parking is free.
Brevard Music Center is one of the few organizations of its kind that owns and operates its own physical facilities. The BMC campus encompasses more than 150 buildings spread over 180 beautiful mountainside acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
Arrive early to picnic by the lake. Or picnic on the lawn adjacent to the Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium during a show. Bring your food or buy snacks, beer, hard cider and more at their concessions stand.
From Asheville: Allow 45 minutes to drive. GPS: 349 Andante Ln, Brevard. Take I-26 E to the Asheville Airport exit, #40. Turn right off the exit onto Highway 280 and drive 16 miles into Brevard. As you approach downtown Brevard, you will see directional signs to the Music Center. For their complete schedule, go to their Web site.
More Info
