Press Release: Grand Teton Music Festival Announces Full Summer Programming for its Landmark 65th Season
Jackson, WY (April 7, 2026) – The Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF), led by Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles and Executive Director Emma Kail, today announces complete programs for its 2026 Benoliel Chamber Music Series, with five concerts taking place from July 9 to August 13 – including the world premiere of a new work by José González Granero, plus Kevin Lau’s The Nightingale, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale; selections from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons; and works by Fauré, Beethoven, Dvořák, Brahms, Mozart, and more, accompanied by commentary from host and Chamber Music Advisor Adelle Eslinger Runnicles.
This season also features a robust lineup of family and community presentations, including Musical Adventures, On the Road, an outdoor Free Family Jam, pre-concert talks one hour before Festival Orchestra concerts in the Jackson Hole High School Lobby, and Open Rehearsals at 10:00 AM on any Friday in the Festival Orchestra series at the Jackson Hole High School Auditorium ($20 tickets). Tickets to all of GTMF’s 65th anniversary season programs, which run from July 2 to August 15, go on sale today, April 7, via the Festival website or by phone at 307.733.1128. The full schedule of 2026 summer programs is available at gtmf.org.
GTMF’s 2026 Benoliel Chamber Music Series features the artistry of world-class Festival Musicians in an intimate and welcoming setting on Thursdays at 7:00 PM during the Festival season. Attendees can enjoy core classical repertoire and family-friendly tunes from July 9 through August 13 at Jackson Hole High School Auditorium. The Benoliel Chamber Music Series offers five weekly programs featuring Festival Musicians and guest artists such as pianist Tanner Jorden (July 9) and violinist Maria Ioudenitch (July 30) in small ensembles performing repertoire ranging from Brahms, Vivaldi, Dvořák, Beethoven, André LaFosse, Mozart, and more to music by contemporary composers such as Kevin Lau, Anna Clyne, Caroline Shaw, and José González Granero, whose piece Hojoki receives its world premiere on Thursday, July 30 at 7:00 PM.
Featured this year are chamber music programs Light & Shadow (July 9), a pan-European collection of masterworks; Brahms & Dvořák (July 16), complete with folk influences, a heartfelt literary connection, and some inventive instrumentation; Fairy Tales, Four Seasons & A World Premiere (July 30), featuring a musical fairy tale for all ages narrated by Stoner Family Education Curator Meaghan Heinrich; From the Heart (August 6), contrasting string quartets by Kevin Lau and Beethoven; and Little Miracles (August 13), with works by two living female composers and pieces by masters of centuries past. Complete chamber music programs are listed here. Tickets are $35 for adults and $5 for children and students.
The Grand Teton Music Festival is committed to engaging with its community through interactive programs that reach people of all ages. A myriad of offerings provide instruction, fun, and learning for thousands in Jackson and its neighboring communities. Musical Adventures continue this summer, June 29 through August 12, led by GTMF Stoner Family Education Curator Meaghan Heinrich. These free events are fun, informative, and engaging music sessions for young children and their adult caretakers. Geared toward listeners up to age five, the sessions are also accessible for all ages, and held downtown at Jackson Hole Land Trust’s Greenspace on the Block on Monday mornings, in Teton Village on Tuesday mornings, and in the Idaho communities of Driggs, Victor, and Tetonia on selected Wednesdays.
Families will discover how percussion instruments function and create their own instrument to take home, join Meaghan Heinrich for a fun sing-along, and enjoy a free healthy lunch from Hole Food Rescue’s Sprout Mobile on July 3, July 22, and July 30.
On the Road events bring live classical music to audiences in Teton County and surrounding communities through free concerts presented in partnership with community organizations in accessible locations, ranging from Teton Science School’s Murie Ranch in Grand Teton National Park, the Teton Raptor Center, the Alta Library, Jackson Hole History Museum, Shepherd of the Mountains Church, and Pierre’s Theatre in Victor, Idaho. Participating ensembles feature members of the Festival Orchestra. Meaghan Heinrich leads programs that are appealing to all ages and bring the music to life with explanations and demonstrations.
GTMF will host the 9th Annual Donald Runnicles Musical Arts Scholarship Competition on July 18 & 19. The competition is open to graduating high school seniors from Wyoming, Idaho, or Montana who are pursuing a music degree in college. Six semi-finalists are invited to perform for a panel of judges, including Maestro Runnicles; Jerry Hou, Music Director of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra; and Stephanie Key, a Festival clarinetist and Musician Board Member. Three finalists are chosen to compete for $50,000 in scholarship awards, and – new in 2026 – the first-prize winner will be invited to perform as a soloist with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra in its upcoming season. The semi-finals and finals on July 18 & 19 at Jackson Hole High School are free and open to the public. The application deadline for competitors is Monday, May 4. More details at gtmf.org/scholarship.
New this year is GTMF’s Classical Music Listening Club, which is free and open to the public on select Mondays at 1:00 PM at Teton County Library in Jackson. Suitable for interested novices and seasoned fans alike, this adult education group will explore the history, theory, and stories behind epic classical works each week. Led by Stoner Family Education Curator Meaghan Heinrich, participants can prepare for the coming weekend’s Festival Orchestra concerts or simply join the discussion in the Classical Music Listening Club.
Another new partnership this year is Downtown Sounds: Strings & Arias – GTMF, Teton Valley Chamber Music Festival (TVCMF), and the Downtown Driggs Association present a special classical music night in Teton Valley. Hosted by Heinrich, musicians from GTMF and TVCMF will join forces for an unforgettable celebration of music and community.
The 2026 Festival Orchestra Series features gems across the classical repertoire and renowned soloists, including Maria Ioudenitch, Madeline Adkins, Eleni Calenos, Daniel Luis Espinal, and José González Granero, alongside GTMF’s own Festival Orchestra Musicians led by Sir Donald Runnicles. The Festival Orchestra is the heart of GTMF and includes Rachmaninoff & Tchaikovsky’s Fifth on July 10 and July 11, featuring pianist Tanner Jorden, a 2021 Donald Runnicles Musical Arts Scholarship winner; Shostakovich & Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto on July 17 and July 18, featuring clarinetist José González Granero; Melodies of Britain on July 31 and August 1, featuring violinist Maria Ioudenitch; Beethoven & Korngold on August 7 and August 8, featuring violinist Madeline Adkins; and the Festival Finale: Night at the Opera on August 14 and August 15, featuring soprano Eleni Calenos and tenor Daniel Luis Espinal.
Two weeks of outdoor concerts will be held this year: at the Center for the Arts Lawn in downtown Jackson from July 2 – 4 and Teton Village Commons on July 24 & 25. Performances include Opening Night: From the Stage to the Silver Screen (July 2), a Free Family Jam with host and Stoner Family Education Curator Meaghan Heinrich (July 3), the Jayne & Al Hilde, Jr. Patriotic Pops led by conductor Donato Cabrera and featuring soloist Capathia Jenkins (July 4), Music of the American West, which brings the wide-open landscapes of the American West to life in a rousing program of classic Western tunes (July 24), and Fantasia 2026, a special night of classical favorites including selections from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Nutcracker Suite, Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours, an excerpt from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, and Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice (July 25).
The 2026 Gateway Series presents renowned artists from a variety of musical genres, and this year brings energetic Broadway, chorus, and folk music to the Center for the Arts Theater. Highlighted performers include The King’s Singers (July 6), the GRAMMY® and Emmy award-winning ensemble with a diverse program ranging from The Beatles and Disney favorites to choral standards; the GRAMMY®-winning virtuosic acoustic quintet Punch Brothers (July 27), comprised of mandolinist Chris Thile, guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Paul Kowert, banjoist Noam Pikelny, and violinist Brittany Haas; and Give Our Regards to Broadway (August 3), with leading ladies of Broadway taking center stage in an unforgettable evening of songs from the world of musicals featuring shining vocalists Cassondra James (The Queen of Versailles), Kate Loprest (First Date, Hairspray), and Andrea Ross (Whistle Down The Wind) with artistic director and conductor Andy Einhorn.
New in 2026 is the Teton House Concert Series, taking place in exquisite, private homes throughout Teton County, WY. Experience the virtuosity of Festival Musicians performing chamber music in curated, intimate settings. These one-of-a-kind social and musical experiences include a cocktail hour, performance, and time to mingle with world-class musicians. Performers include pianist Tanner Jorden, violinist Caroline Jorden, harpist Elisabeth Remy Johnson, violinist David Coucheron, violist Susan Gulkis Assadi, cellist Silver Ainomäe, and flutist Mercedes Smith.
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About the Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF)
Each summer, the Grand Teton Music Festival unites over 250 celebrated orchestral musicians led by Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles. These musicians represent 84 orchestras and 72 institutions of higher learning in North America and Europe. In addition to orchestral concerts on Friday and Saturday nights, the summer season also features visiting guest artists and chamber music on weekdays.
The Grand Teton Music Festival is one of America’s leading summer classical music festivals. Recognized by The New York Times as one of the top 10 music festivals in the U.S. and chosen by BBC Music Magazine as their 2020 “Festival Choice,” it is the most prominent arts organization in the state of Wyoming and a national treasure.
GTMF’s mission is to engage, entertain, educate, and inspire our resident and seasonal communities through exhilarating musical experiences. We feature orchestral, chamber, and solo performances of primarily classical music by world-class artists, and we foster a culture that draws outstanding musicians to Jackson Hole in support of this mission. For more information, visit gtmf.org.
All programs, dates, and artists are subject to change.