The Sun Valley Music Festival has unveiled details of its eighth Winter Season, set to take place from 19 to 21 March 2026, with acclaimed violinist Benjamin Beilman appearing as both featured soloist and guest curator.
Based in Idaho’s Wood River Valley, the Festival has steadily expanded its winter programming in recent years, complementing its long-established summer season. The 2026 Winter Season continues this trajectory, bringing together Festival Orchestra musicians and an internationally recognised soloist for three evenings of chamber-orchestral repertoire.
A curated programme spanning three centuries
At the centre of the programme is a carefully balanced selection of works ranging from the Baroque to the contemporary. Beilman will collaborate closely with members of the Festival Orchestra in performances of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite, John Adams’s Road Movies, and Antonio Vivaldi’s ever-popular The Four Seasons.
The concerts will open with Sanguineum, a work for solo violin written specifically for Beilman by contemporary American composer Gabriella Smith. The piece adds a distinctly modern voice to the programme, framing the season with a sense of continuity between past and present.
Beilman’s role as curator reflects his long-standing reputation as a thoughtful chamber musician as well as a compelling soloist. His programming places stylistic contrasts in dialogue, from Copland’s spacious American lyricism and Adams’s rhythmically charged modernism to the familiar seasonal narratives of Vivaldi.
Performances in Ketchum
All three concerts will take place at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum. Performances are scheduled for 19, 20 and 21 March 2026, each beginning at 7:00 pm. The venue lobby will open at 6:00 pm, with auditorium doors opening at 6:30 pm.
Each concert will run for approximately two hours, including an intermission. In keeping with the Festival’s commitment to accessibility and community engagement, admission is free, though advance reservations are required due to limited seating.
Beilman’s growing presence on the international stage
Benjamin Beilman has established himself as one of the most versatile violinists of his generation, equally at home in concerto repertoire, chamber music, and contemporary works. His collaborations with living composers have been a defining feature of his career, making the inclusion of Sanguineum a natural extension of his artistic profile.
His appearance in Sun Valley continues a tradition of inviting high-profile guest artists to shape the Festival’s winter programming, offering audiences a more intimate perspective on performers best known from major international stages.
Winter season as a distinct artistic statement
Now in its eighth year, the Sun Valley Music Festival’s Winter Season has evolved into a distinct artistic offering rather than a supplement to the summer programme. With its focus on chamber-scale works, close collaboration among musicians, and curated thematic programming, the winter concerts provide audiences with a different listening experience—one that emphasises immediacy, detail, and dialogue.
The 2026 edition, anchored by Beilman’s curatorial vision, reinforces this identity, combining familiar masterpieces with contemporary voices in a setting that prioritises musical connection over spectacle.
Further information about reservations and the Festival’s wider activities will be released through the Sun Valley Music Festival’s official channels in the coming months.
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
