Festival History
The Colorado College Summer Music Festival was founded in 1984 by conductor and music director of the Fort Worth Symphony, John Giordano, Elmer Peterson, dean of the Summer Session, and Michael Grace, chair of the Music department and first festival director. Susan Grace, the musical director, took over in 1987. Since then, many brilliant performers and gifted student musicians have been summer guests at the college.
35th Anniversary: 1984-2019
The 35th anniversary seemed like an ideal time to look back at how this all got started and has evolved since the first sounds in 1984. To celebrate the anniversary in the summer of 2019, there were special presentations, lobby exhibits, and social media postings. On this page, you will find links to the Festival's history, excerpts from interviews with Festival Artists, Fellows, and supporters, and blogs and reviews from the 2019 Festival.
All interviews and stories were conducted and written by longtime Colorado Springs journalist and arts advocate David Sckolnik.
David takes a look back at the last 35 years:
Here David takes us through the day-to-day of the festival with the following blog posts and photos.
Artists kick off CC Summer Music Festival's 35th year with style and passion.
We honor our donors at our annual Donor Luncheon on June 9.
Our June 9 Festival Artists Concert was comprised solely of female composers.
The June 11 Festival Orchestra Concert featured Orion Weiss on piano for the Ravel Piano Concerto.
From 1997-2003 KCME-FM aired the arts interview/review program "ArtsPeak for Southern Colorado" every week. Host and creator David Sckolnik reviewed a panorama of public art offerings and the program was always certain to include reviews of the Summer Music Festival's Festival Artists Concerts.
Here are five of them as they sounded when first aired.
ArtsPeak Review - June 27, 1997
(transcript for ArtsPeak Review - June 27, 1997)
ArtsPeak Review - June 26, 1999
(transcript for ArtsPeak Review - June 26, 1999)
ArtsPeak Review - June 24, 2000
(transcript for ArtsPeak Review - June 24, 2000)
ArtsPeak Review - June 23, 2001
(transcript for ArtsPeak Review - June 23, 2001)
ArtsPeak Review - June 22. 2002
show all / hide all
Video Interviews
Michael Grace begins at the beginning...
Bill Hochman was Summer Session Dean at the time...
Stefan Hersh tried to leave the Festival, but it called him back...
Bill Wolfram talks about conductors...
Bassoon faculty Michael Kroth talks about the Festival's adventurous programming...
Scott talks about the Fellows' experience in the orchestra...
Current music director Susan Grace took over in 1987...
Festival supporters Libby Rittenberg & Nasit Ari are decades-long fans...
Nasit tells us more...
Ginny Barron is both associate director and viola faculty...
Festival conductor and violin faculty Scott Yoo talks about the Festival's learning culture...
Jon Manasse on the Festival family...