GTMF priortizes educational programming in 2024 – JH News&Guide

…For the next eight weeks (Meaghan) Heinrich, who also teaches oboe and chamber music at the Wisconsin Music Conservatory, will lead or host more than three dozen free programs designed to introduce the community to some of the fundamentals of music and music making, members of the Festival Orchestra and a few of the works to be performed in Walk Festival Hall.

“The initiative came from Emma,” Heinrich said, referring to Emma Kail, who is preparing to launch her fourth season as GTMF’s executive director and who has worked with Heinrich at the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. “I’ll never forget her calling me up, telling me she had become the director of GTMF. … and asking if I’d like to be her education coordinator. ‘I don’t know — twist my arm!’”

It didn’t take much twisting.

“She’s like a pied piper,” Kail said of Heinrich. “You put her out there and kids just start following her around.”

…That schedule does not include other behind-the-scenes projects scheduled through the summer, such as bringing music to Sage Living, working with the Teton Literacy Center, putting together a weeklong music unit with Camp Jackson, creating a summer string camp for middle school students with the Teton Music School, and collaborating with the Jackson Hole Youth Orchestra (which will work through the summer with festival violinist Barbara Scowcroft), attend an open orchestra rehearsal and give an end-of-summer performance on Aug. 19.