3 Best Performing Arts in Vail Valley, Colorado

Stretching from late June/early July through early August, the annual Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival is a month-and-a-half-long celebration of classical music. Among the performers in residence for a few days or more than a week are the New York Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Philadelphia Orchestra. Chamber-music concerts, many performed by the ensemble-in-residence, are popular events. While main orchestral events are held at Vail’s Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, you can find chamber music events and free concerts at various venues throughout the Vail Valley.

Held in late July and early August, the annual Vail International Dance Festival hosts an unparalleled collection of ballet and modern dance groups from around the globe. The performers vary from year to year, but frequently include guest artists from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pacific New Ballet, and other world-class companies. In recent years stars from reality TV hits like Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance have appeared. Most performances are at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, an outdoor venue where some people sit in the seats, but many more recline on blankets on the surrounding lawn.

With gold-color wood paneling and an etched-glass mural re-creating with bold strokes the mountains outside, this dazzling performance venue is itself a work of art. Seating more than 500, the horseshoe-shaped auditorium has great views from just about every seat. Throughout the year there's a stellar lineup of events, including concerts by orchestras and pop stars, great theater, and aerial dancers. In the surrounding plazas you'll find many art galleries. Just walking around Beaver Creek is a feast for the eyes, because sculptures are set almost everywhere you look.