Bravo! Vail: In the hall of the mountain king

The mountain air carries scents of flowers from the garden just outside the entrance. It’s green everywhere, from the grass blanketing the ground to the evergreens that calmly fence the space, and beyond that, the endless trees that cover the mountains behind the open amphitheatre. The Colorado resort of Vail is a skier’s paradise of white snow in the winter, but come summertime, the cozy village is set against this vibrant forest.

Clouds threaten to pass overhead, but the crowd on the lawn is ready, armed with rain jackets, umbrellas — and even tarps — along with their picnic blankets and dinner spreads of sandwiches, fruit and grain bowls. A few couples in the theatre seats under the awning, between the stage and the lawn, crack open boxes of buttery popcorn. As birds, squirrels and those mountains listen in, the orchestra begins to play.

For six weeks from late June to the beginning of August, the Bravo! Vail festival presents performances every day, including a chamber music series, intimate ‘soirees’ at private residences, community concerts at churches, libraries and the ‘Music Box’ — a mobile stage created during the pandemic — and orchestral performances at the open-air Gerald Ford Amphitheater, a short walk from the centre of Vail Village.