The breeze picked up ever so slightly, catching a handful of dandelion seeds and spinning them into the summer sun. As people gathered on the quiet side of the Tetons under a white tent under a bright blue sky, four professional musicians found their seats just behind the Alta Branch Library.
The quartet had traveled the world and played for some of the world’s most famous orchestras, and here, tucked into the Tetons, they graciously thanked the library staff and volunteers most specifically for providing huckleberry-infused water on the particularly hot summer afternoon. There was a laugh, and then a promise from the musicians that they would stop for a huckleberry shake in Victor, Idaho, on their way back over Teton Pass. They are, after all, the Huckleberry Quartet, named for their love of Idaho’s state fruit, the huckleberry.
Guests were seated in chairs set up by staff, and children wiggled around watching as the musicians set their pose with two violins, a viola and cello. They began moving their bows against their instruments’ strings, and Antonio Vivaldi’s “Summer” from the composition “Four Seasons” met the seasonal moment: light and bright, gaining in tempo and intensity.
The Grand Teton Music Festival’s “On the Road” series is hitting its midsummer stride hosting free recitals across a variety of venues, including the library in Alta, parks, churches and museums. Led by the festival’s education curator, Meaghan Heinrich, the events have cast wider musical nets to capture the curious in more intimate settings. The venues allow the listener to have more access to the musicians, as Heinrich serves as both a host and educator.
