resorttownlodging's travelblog

18 Mar 2010

Thu Mar 18, 2010 Full Page

Breckenridge Music Festival Delights The Breckenridge Music Festival has already brought country pop singer Pat Green out for a rousing concert at the Riverwalk Center, and soon guests staying in Breckenridge vacation rentals will be able to catch a concert nearly any week they plan a trip this summer. On Sunday, July 19, virtuoso violinist and composer Mark O’Connor, who has earned a name not only in classical music but also in bluegrass, comes to Breckenridge. Plus, he takes after legendary French jazz master Stephane Grappelli with his jazz tunes. This month, the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra comes to town, featuring some of the finest musicians nationwide. The festival began in 1981, in order to bring classical music education and performance to locals and guests in Breckenridge lodging. Several years ago, organizers added variety to the festival with the Blue River Series, which is responsible for bringing in names like Green and O’Connor. The festival also hosts a winter concert series, which has presented the sweet voices of the Vienna Choir Boys, the patriotic tunes of the U.S. Army Field Band & Soldiers’ Chorus and the inspiring sounds of the Colorado Children’s Chorale. The fundraising arm of the festival, called Applause!, is always busy planning sophisticated theme parties. For instance, on Sunday, July 12, it presents Tramonto in Trieste, with Italian wines and a tasty buffet. Most of these events have a wonderful, intimate feel because they take place in people’s homes, which are so spectacular, they could be Breckenridge vacation rentals themselves! Applause! even organizes educational wildflower hikes with local botanists. Tuesday night, July 21, the orchestra strikes up the band with its first official concert of the season, featuring Panayis Lyras on piano. The concert includes Mozart’s “Piano Quintet in E-Flat Major, K. 452,” Granados’ “The Maiden and The Nightingale,” Debussy’s “L’Isle joyeuse” and Dvorak’s “Piano Quintet in A-Major, Op. 81.” However, Thursday, July 23, is considered the orchestra’s grand opening night. It starts at an amazing new Shock Hill home (Shock Hill is one of the most popular areas for Breckenridge vacation rentals, since it is right next to the gondola, which goes to Peak 8). After the in-home concert, the orchestra plays at the larger Riverwalk Center, where audiences will hear Suppe, Bach and Mendelssohn. Orchestral concerts continue until Aug. 22, though the last Applause! event for the summer is a pig roast on Aug. 30. The Blue River Series continues in August with three concerts: Leo Kottke on Aug. 2, Asleep at the Wheel on Aug. 20 and George Winston on Aug. 23. Leo Kottke is a well-known acoustic guitar player with innovative fingerpicking style reminiscent of the blues, jazz and folk music. Asleep at the Wheel was so popular last time it came to Breckenridge that it’s back with its western swing band sound, which it re-popularized after the form fell out of favor in the country world. George Winston made a stir a few years ago when he played his piano music based on The Doors. Now he’s returning with a melodic impressionistic style that people describe as a blend of folk, pop and rhythm and blues. He calls it “rural folk piano,” but there’s nothing rustic about his polished sound. To purchase tickets or learn more about the Breckenridge Music Festival, please visit www.breckenridgemusicfestival.com.

Filed under United States of America

Wed Mar 17, 2010 Full Page

Breckenridge Cooking at Colorado Mountain College As you might already know, Colorado Mountain College has been building a new — bigger and better — 35,000 square-foot campus just outside of downtown Breckenridge. The campus is quite close to Breckenridge vacation rentals in the Highlands neighborhood; it’s located at 107 Denison Placer Road. Along with physical expansion, the college is also increasing its course offerings. One exciting new addition is its new classes revolving around the culinary arts. The college built a kitchen designed to teach amateurs how to create cuisine like a pro; it’s a perfect thing to do during your Breckenridge vacation. This fall, classes range from a three-day course focusing on how to create French stocks and sauces to ongoing series, such as making soups (the former owner of Mi Zuppa, Doug Schwartz, will teach a series of seasonal soup recipes). People also can sign up for several evening adventures, such as preparing a four-course French menu, touring the taste of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, and a girls’ night out featuring mouth-watering Italian, French, Spanish and Moroccan dishes. There’s also a special class for kids, teaching them how to make guacamole, salsa and peanut butter from scratch. A bunch of classes focus on one particular country, such as China, France and Italy. These are usually $40 for three-hour courses. Other creative cooking classes include Cooking on a Shoestring, Cooking with Wild Mushrooms (which are bountiful in our mountains, as long as you know what to look for and where), Cooking Quick Breads and Sushi 101. Though the campus is just offering these cooking classes to the public, it’s not new to teaching culinary skills. The school has one of the few apprentice-based culinary programs in the nation. At its Culinary Institute, award-winning chefs teach students to create dishes for five-star restaurants at Keystone Resort. Because the school didn’t have a kitchen until now, all classes were held at Keystone. In addition to cooking, the college also offers web-based courses on diverse topics, from logic or music appreciation to human nutrition or starting your own business. Visitors staying in Breckenridge lodging may also want to take advantage of the college’s classes in outdoor studies: river orientation, ice climbing, avalanche safety or survival skills. Many of these classes are only $45. For more information on Colorado Mountain College classes, please visit www.coloradomtn.edu.

18 Mar 2010

resorttownlodging

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