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LIFESTYLE
2015 ROUND TOP MUSIC FESTIVAL For program and ticket info,
Festivalhill.org, 979.249.3129
May 31-July 15 • Round Top • Festivalhill.org
Photography courtesy of Round Top Festival Institute
Every summer, the tiny town of Round Aspen. Of the 700 applications the Festival ern music to the holiday favorite The Nut-
Top turns into a classical music Mecca that Institute received this year, about 98 were ac- cracker ballet.
draws audiences from all over Texas and cepted to study and perform.
beyond with the Round Top Music Festi- Visitors are enthralled not only with the
val, an internationally acclaimed gathering They’ve also made full use of social concert hall but also the ambiance of the
of renowned conductors, esteemed faculty media, he says, adding that their YouTube grounds, with one of the highlights being
and brilliant young talent. Celebrating its channel has more than a half million views. the 1883 Edythe Bates Old Chapel. The
45th year, the Round Top Festival Institute Still, there’s no substitute for the real thing, various flora are also popular, most notably
will once again host a dazzling array of and that includes the experience of attend- the McAshan Herb Gardens, along with
more than 30 concerts from May 31-July ing performances in what is unquestion- herbs, medicinal plants, roses and more.
15, featuring a diverse repertoire from an- ably one of the most architecturally and Year-round events at the Festival Institute
cient to 21st century music. acoustically perfect venues anywhere — include forums in theater, museums, po-
the magnificent 1,000-seat Round Top etry and herbs.
Internationally acclaimed concert Concert Hall.
pianist,founder and artistic director James Growing up in Kansas, James Dick says
Dick can hardly believe this signature Texas “It’s like sitting inside a glorious instru- he’s always loved nature. “I even sold veg-
event he created in 1971 has spanned almost ment,” he says, “and hearing that sound etables door to door so I know the value of
five decades, but the success of his brainchild whether it’s orchestral or choral.” Dick says land and how precious it is. I wanted a
is indisputable. In addition to the physical he gets outstanding feedback from visiting place that the public could enjoy as a green
growth of the Festival Institute campus to a conductors who have played some of the space. Over the years we have planted
200-acre haven of gardens, historic build- greatest venues in the world. “It truly 24,000 trees.” He delights in the surround-
ings, library and museum collections, Dick stands out as one-of-a-kind. It was built ings and hopes that audiences do, too.
is both proud and happy to witness the and fashioned by hand, the wood cut ei- “Where else can you picnic on real grass
growth by leaps and bounds of the Festival ther with a knife or router, every inch of under glorious live oaks and then walk a
Institute’s reputation, putting it on par with it.” If you miss the summer series, you can few feet into a concert hall of such magnif-
legendary music festivals at Tanglewood and make plans for the April to August series icence?” No place but Round Top.
which can include everything from West-
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