Press Release: Grand Teton Music Festival Concludes ‘Epic’ Summer 2025 Season
[JACKSON, WY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025]—The Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming celebrates a landmark 64th season defined by artistic excellence, innovative programming and fundraising achievements in the Setting the Stage campaign. Over the eight-week summer Festival, which ran from July 3 to August 23, 2025, more than 22,000 audience members experienced an array of world-class performances, including eight Festival Orchestra, six Benoliel Chamber Music and three Gateway Series programs, as well as 120 free community events presented in and around Jackson Hole.
During Season 64, 266 Festival Orchestra musicians performed works including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on GTMF’s Opening Weekend; Mahler’s Symphony No. 7, a debut for Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles, many Festival Orchestra musicians and the Jackson Hole community; and a world premiere song cycle the ocean’s dream of itself by Australian composer Alex Turley. GTMF’s opera tradition continued with its fourth production, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, featuring the Festival Orchestra and a cast of renowned operatic soloists. Guest conductors Enrique Mazzola, Kevin John Edusei and Stéphane Denève took the podium, and world-class soloists included tenor Clay Hilley, violinist James Ehnes, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, pianist Andrea Lam, guest ensemble Time for Three and more.
“One of the greatest joys of this season was seeing how our programming resonated across generations. From the epic Mahler Symphony No. 7 to the enchantment of Hansel and Gretel and Peter and the Wolf—all alongside our free community programs. It was inspiring to watch our audience connect and celebrate through such extraordinary music-making,” said Emma Kail, Executive Director.
GTMF reached more audience members across the Festival’s programming: the Festival Orchestra Series saw a 12% increase in tickets sold; the Benoliel Chamber Music Series increased 51% over 2024; and the Gateway Series increased by 13%.
Setting the Stage
The Grand Teton Music Festival celebrates strong momentum toward the final goal of its Setting the Stage campaign, which was publicly announced in June 2025. Over the 2025 summer season, GTMF has raised $15 million, bringing the total raised to more than $50 million by 86 families—with $10 million needed to reach the campaign goal.
“The incredible generosity of our GTMF family has been nothing short of inspiring,” said Susan Sutton, Chair of the Setting the Stage campaign and Vice Chair of the Board of the Grand Teton Music Festival. “Since our Setting the Stage campaign began in late 2023, we’ve accomplished two of our three goals: raising musician pay and increasing musician housing. Now, we’re focused on the campaign’s final pillar: transforming Walk Festival Hall for future generations.”
Buoyed by this momentum, and with fundraising continuing, the Grand Teton Music Festival Board of Directors approved on Friday, August 22 a motion to begin construction on the Hall transformation in April 2026. GTMF will present a full season outside of Walk Festival Hall in the summer of 2026, including orchestra, chamber music, Gateway concerts and more, as well as free community events. More information on the season will be announced in the coming months.
The team of HGA Architects, DPR Construction, Theatre Projects and Acoustic Distinctions has been selected by GTMF to handle the essential renovations of Walk Festival Hall. The Hall is being renewed with improved accessibility, acoustics, seating, lighting and a refreshed backstage area, along with upgraded recording and amplification systems. A new 3,000 sq ft lobby and updated deck will enhance flow and year-round access, while critical safety and infrastructure upgrades will ensure the building’s long-term resilience. These improvements will only be possible through the continued generosity of the community.
As of September 1st, nineteen families in Jackson have each committed $1 million or more to the Setting the Stage campaign, reflecting extraordinary community support. Thanks to a $5 million lead gift from co-chairs Frances and Allan Tessler, GTMF has doubled its endowment and laid the groundwork for a sustainable future of artistic excellence. A landmark grant valued at $10 million from the Jackson Hole Housing Fund, led by Margot and Cynthia Walk, provides the Festival with rent-free access to 18 additional high-quality bedrooms for musicians for 50 years at 625 Powderhorn in Jackson. Outside the summer, the space provides much-needed affordable housing for Jackson workers. A new $5 million gift from campaign chair Susan Sutton and her husband Nicholas J. Sutton toward the transformation of Walk Festival Hall secures its place as a cultural cornerstone of Jackson Hole for future generations of music lovers. Together, these commitments form a powerful foundation—and an open invitation for others to join in completing the campaign and shaping GTMF’s future.
This progress sets the stage for the campaign’s final chapter: raising the final $10 million to transform Walk Festival Hall into a world-class performance home for future generations. To be part of this transformation—including naming opportunities in the renewed Walk Festival Hall—contact Director of Development Tim Dodge at tim@gtmf.org.
Experience GTMF All Year
GTMF’s year-round programming begins this December with a series of three concerts and four Met Opera in HD rebroadcasts, presented through June. Tickets for year-round events will go on sale October 1. The GTMF website will have full details.
The Grand Teton Music Festival is pleased to announce that this fall, the recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 will be commercially released on Reference Recordings. Conducted by Sir Donald Runnicles, a leading interpreter of Mahler, the Festival Orchestra performed the work in Walk Festival Hall in July 2024. More information on the release date will be shared on the GTMF website.
In addition, audiences around the country can tune into the eighth season of Live from the Grand Teton Music Festival, GTMF’s national radio broadcast and podcast series co-hosted by Sir Donald Runnicles and General Manager Jeff Counts. The latest season consists of 13 hour-long programs, featuring the Festival Orchestra and vocalist/composer Clarice Assad, pianist Michelle Cann, pianist Anna Geniushene, violist Amihai Grosz, Third Coast Percussion and more. The shows are available to listen to on GTMF’s website and SoundCloud and as a podcast through Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Amazon. To learn more about where to listen to Live from the Grand Teton Music Festival, visit gtmf.org/radio.
Board Appointments
At the 2025 Annual Board meeting on August 22, Don Larson was unanimously elected to serve as the new Chair of the GTMF Board. Six directors— Katherine Brooks, Christoph Cushman, Robert F. Spetzler, Lisa LaBossiere Steele, Andrew Watson and Nancy Martini (ex-officio) were elected. Christine Hartley was elected as a Lifetime Director.
Katherine (Kakie) Brooks led a career in education and English before starting her family in 1993. Around that time, she began a consulting business called The Inheritance Project, which focused on the psycho-social issues surrounding wealth transfer. Since 2000, she has served on and/or provided informal consulting to a dozen local nonprofits. Brooks returns to the GTMF Board after six years of prior service ending in 2023.
Christoph Cushman was raised in Jackson and works in commercial real estate, responsible for the management and development of a portfolio of industrial and retail properties across 20 states. Cushman has been involved with several nonprofits over the years, most recently serving on the boards of the North Shore Land Alliance in Locust Valley, NY and the Green Vale School in Old Brookville, NY. He currently serves as a trustee of the Seal Harbor Village Improvement Society in Seal Harbor, ME and as an Advisory Board Member of the North Shore Land Alliance.
Robert F. Spetzler, M.D., is a leading neurosurgeon and educator who has led a 45-year career in medicine. In 1983, Spetzler assumed the J. N. Harber Chair of Neurological Surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) in Phoenix, Arizona. Among just a few of Spetzler’s contributions have been the development of the NPPBT and a grading system for cranial and spinal AVMs; cardiac arrest for giant infratentorial aneurysms and the development of innovative approaches for CMs in the brainstem and thalamus. Spetzler rejoins the GTMF Board after six years of prior service from 2018-2024.
Lisa LaBossiere Steele has served on numerous councils and organizations, including the Chicago Lying-In Hospital Board of Directors, the WVIA Public Media Board of Directors, the Transitions of PA Board of Directors, Vertical Harvest of Jackson Hole Board of Managers, Chair of the Cultivate Ability Board of Directors, and the Resource Council for the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. She currently serves on the Wyoming Humanities Council Board of Directors.
Andrew Watson enjoyed a 30-year career as a consulting mechanical engineer in California and served as president of Syska Hennessy Group, the largest engineering firm of its type in the country, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and other major cities. He serves or has served on the Teton County Energy Board, the True Concord Voices and Orchestra Board, the Tucson Desert Song Festival Board, the Arizona Theatre Company Board and the Rogue Theatre Board. Watson returns to the GTMF Board after six years of prior service from 2018-2024.
Nancy Martini built a global career in advertising, marketing, and construction while raising two sons and volunteering for causes close to her heart. Now, Martini consults for her sons’ business. She was elected as President of the Grand Teton Music Festival Auxiliary, a service organization supporting GTMF, and serves as an ex-officio director of the Board.
Christine Hartley built a distinguished career in Critical Care nursing, holding BSN and MSN degrees from the University of Kansas and national certification in cardiac care (CCRN). She cofounded a consulting company specializing in creating career ladders in hospital settings. Hartley is a former board member of the Grand Teton Music Festival, Jackson Hole Community Foundation, Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the Stone Research Foundation in San Francisco. Currently, Hartley volunteers as a Wyoming Public Media advisory committee member.
About the Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF)
Over eight weeks each summer, the Grand Teton Music Festival unites over 260 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 Festival Orchestra concerts on Friday and Saturday nights, the summer season also features visiting guest artists and chamber music on weekdays, and many free community engagement programs presented throughout Teton County and beyond.
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., it is the most prominent arts organization in the state of Wyoming and a national treasure. As the single largest performing arts presenter in Jackson, Wyoming, with more than 150 annual events, GTMF presents yearlong programming that includes community concerts and educational programs for Teton County students.
GTMF is a 4-star charity as rated by Charity Navigator and has a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. For more information, visit gtmf.org. Follow @grandtetonmusic on socials.
Media Contact
Madeline Lauver
Director of Marketing & Communications | Grand Teton Music Festival
madeline@gtmf.org | 307.732.9957