Moving forward with life in the time of the coronavirus pandemic can require determination and a lot of creativity. Fortunately, the Moab Music Festival organizers have both.
The Moab Music Festival has announced its signature series of concert performances in unique outdoor locations will return in August and September for a 28th season, this time “reimagined” to keep all involved safe in the COVID-19 era.
Organizers announced that only outdoor concerts will be presented. Intermissions, pre-concert talks and post-concert receptions will not be held this year.
MMF Board President Hank Rutter pointed out that the outdoor nature of the festival’s concerts is a good fit with coronavirus prevention.
“Our outdoor concerts in Moab’s canyon country allow us to social distance and preserve the pure acoustics of ‘music in concert with the landscape,’ while still enjoying our trademark world-class live-music experiences,” he said.
“We feel privileged to be one of the first festivals in the US to be able to proceed, which we hope will send a vital and powerful signal that the arts will survive and resonate again,” said Rutter.
The festival’s line up includes genres ranging from chamber music to Latin jazz, with a special emphasis tied to worldwide celebrations of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday.
“Beloved by audiences, the German master was powerfully inspired by composers who came before him, and had a seismic influence on succeeding generations of musical creators in so many genres,” the organizers said in a statement.
The season kicks off with a 3-day/2-night Westwater Canyon Musical Raft Trip through the Colorado River’s Ruby-Horsethief and Westwater Canyons, beginning in the early morning of Monday, Aug. 31.
Other events include a 45-minute jet boat ride down what organizers describe as the “acoustically perfect” Colorado River, and four Music Hikes, where participants hike to a scenic outdoor location – such as a secluded canyon – to enjoy an open-air concert. Red Cliffs Lodge will host three evening events, including a free annual Labor Day extravaganza on Monday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m., and a MMF fundraising event will be held at a private ranch on the banks of the Colorado River featuring “an eclectic mix of jazz, classical, and original music” by violinist Charles Yang and pianist Peter Dugan. Event organizers promise this will be a “sizzling, virtuosic romp, setting off musical fireworks that are likely to rival the pyrotechnics that close out the evening.”
For more information about the festival or to purchase tickets, visit www.moabmusicfest.org or call 435-259-7003.
Outdoor concert series finds a way amidst pandemic
When: Aug. 31–Sept. 14
Where: outdoor locations in and around Moab
Contact: 435-259-7003, info@moabmusicfest.org
Website: www.moabmusicfest.org
