About Us
Presented annually by the Appalachian State University Office of Arts & Cultural Programs, An Appalachian Summer Festival is attended by more than 25,000 people, and has emerged as one of the nation's most innovative and highly regarded regional, multidisciplinary arts festivals. Inaugurated in 1984, the festival is committed to showcasing American talent, commissioning new works, and building new audiences for the fine arts. For many years, the festival has been named one of the "Top 20 events in the Southeast" by the Southeast Tourism Society.
Music
At the heart of An Appalachian Summer Festival is a remarkable array of musical offerings. The internationally renowned Broyhill Chamber Ensemble, the festival's resident chamber ensemble, whose audience grows with every passing summer, expands musical vistas for our audiences through a concert series featuring unique presentations of classic repertory as well as contemporary works. Symphony performances, School of Music faculty recitals, jazz ensembles, special children's concerts, and appearances by acclaimed guest artists from around the world offer a diverse musical menu. The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Newport Jazz Festival All-Stars, North Carolina Symphony, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra, and guest artists Chet Atkins, BeauSoleil, Marcus Belgrave, Mary Black, Buckwheat Zydeco, Sam Bush, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Cowboy Crush, Diamond Rio, Arlo Guthrie, Emmylou Harris, Natalie MacMaster, Audra McDonald, Robert Merrill, Jo Dee Messina, Mingus Big Band, John Michael Montgomery, Willie Nelson, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Mark O'Connor, Roberta Peters, Kenny Rogers, Peter Schickele (PDQ Bach), Peter Serkin, Solas, Doc Watson, André Watts, Wesla Whitfield, Robin & Linda Williams, Lee Ann Womack, and Pinchas Zukerman are but a few of the artists who have appeared at An Appalachian Summer Festival in the past.
Dance
The very best in the world of dance is represented by An Appalachian Summer Festival in offerings ranging from traditional folk ensembles to ballet to modern dance. The legendary stars of the American Indian Dance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Limón Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet, Noche Flamenca, North Carolina Dance Theatre, the Ohio Ballet, Parsons Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Pilobolus have all graced the stages of the festival in past years.
Theatre
Innovative and thought-provoking theatre of the finest quality has always been a key component of An Appalachian Summer Festival. In recent years, the festival has collaborated with the New York's award-winning Signature Theatre Company, the acclaimed 92nd Street Y, and Nine Circles Chamber Theatre, to co-produce An Appalachian Summer Festival's theatre offerings. Works by such noted playwrights as Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams, Shakespeare, Romulus Linney, and Lee Blessing have all been featured in the past, as well as staged readings of works such as The Bacchae and The Inferno of Dante. The 2004 festival saw a staged reading of He felt... - director David Kaplan's adaptation of the Eudora Welty short story Music from Spain - featuring actress Brenda Currin and pianist Evan Megaro. 2004 also saw a continuation of the popular From Page to Stage series with the presentation of two new works: When Samson Met Delilah and In This House. From Page to Stage presentations allow audience members to sit onstage for a one-of-a-kind "theatre in the round" experience - placing the audience in the heart of the artistic arena, within inches of the performers. The 2006 festival continued An Appalachian Summer Festival's noted Works in Progress Series with The Kreutzer Sonata, a one-man dramatization of a new staged music-theatre adaptation.
Visual Arts
Two national, juried competitions - helping to promote both emerging and established American artists - form the basis for the festival's dynamic visual arts program. As part of the annual Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition, sculptors from across the country exhibit their work on the Appalachian campus. Framed by the Blue Ridge Mountains, the campus consists of one of the most scenic outdoor galleries anywhere. The Halpert Biennial Exhibition showcases two-dimensional works by noted regional and national artists. Appalachian Summer Festival's offerings in the visual arts have been greatly enhanced with the opening of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in May 2003. In partnership with The Turchin Center, an exciting array of exhibition and educational programs in the visual arts are embraced as part of festival programming. Visual arts workshops for adults and children are also offered each summer.
Film
The festival is pleased to announce the addition of a new film series to its stellar schedule of events. 2007 marks the first year of including film to its multidisciplinary offerings, with Patagonia's Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival. Held in Farthing Auditorium, the film presentations offer over 20 short films for children and adults, presented in a three-part series.
Press Quotes
"Appalachian State University's ambitious An Appalachian Summer Festival brings to town a month-long whirlwind of top-notch classical, jazz and folk performers, plus ballet, dance, drama and visual arts. Call it high culture in the high country, and look for plenty of options to choose among..." - Southern Living Magazine
"This annual arts festival features something for everyone with special programs focusing on family entertainment, the classics, and future stars." - US Airways Magazine
"The hills around Boone, North Carolina are enlivened during July with the sounds of An Appalachian Summer Festival." - Atlanta Journal Constitution
"In summer, the university's annual Appalachian Summer Festival offers a month of dance and theatre, symphony and jazz concerts, workshops and art exhibits." - The New York Times
"The festival is Appalachian State University's cultural commitment to bring top quality music, dance, theatre and visual arts to its corner of the world." - Blue Ridge Country Magazine
"An Appalachian Summer Festival is finally upon us, and with it comes the sounds, sights and fabulous spectacles that make the High Country such a perfect place to be during the summer." - The Mountain Times
