As the Grand Teton Music Festival marks its 65th anniversary, Executive Director Emma Kail talks to Juliette Barber about a season like no other
The Grand Teton Music Festival’s (GTMF) 65th anniversary season is taking place under unusual circumstances, with Walk Festival Hall undergoing its $35 million renovation and the festival effectively camping out across Jackson Hole. How have you approached programming for a season that is spread across multiple venues?
This is certainly an unusual summer for GTMF, but our mission remains the same: mean more to more people. While Walk Festival Hall undergoes its much-needed renovation, the Jackson Hole High School Auditorium is our Festival Orchestra’s temporary home. Its stage is large enough to allow us to present repertoire for both full orchestra and a robust chamber music series. We’re excited to explore programming that highlights both our musicians and the intimacy of this setting.
At the same time, GTMF will be more present throughout the valley than ever. In addition to our orchestral concerts, audiences will find chamber performances in locations ranging from Grand Teton National Park to Teton Raptor Center and beloved local churches. Walk Festival Hall may be under construction, but the festival is very much alive across Jackson Hole. This season gives us a special opportunity to connect with audiences in new ways and deepen the role music plays throughout the community.
What was the impetus behind the renovation of Walk Festival Hall, and how will the updates impact GTMF’s future?
When Walk Festival Hall was built more than 50 years ago, its founders recognised that Jackson Hole’s natural beauty and creative spirit made it an extraordinary place to experience and make music. They wanted a concert hall designed specifically for orchestral performance, and the hall’s exceptional acoustics, intimate atmosphere and outstanding sightlines have made it a beloved cultural landmark ever since.
Today, however, the facility requires significant modernisation to meet current standards and community needs. The renovation will address critical infrastructure improvements, including structural upgrades, fire suppression systems, accessibility enhancements and refreshed interior spaces that better serve artists and audiences alike.
Beyond preserving a treasured venue, the project will expand Walk Festival Hall’s role in the region. The renovated hall is expected to host approximately 35 additional event days each year, attracting an estimated 7,000 new out-of-county visitors during the off-peak and winter seasons. These improvements will ensure that Walk Festival Hall remains a world-class performance venue while strengthening GTMF’s ability to serve the community year-round and contribute to the cultural vitality of Jackson Hole for generations to come.
The Festival Orchestra draws more than 250 musicians from 84 orchestras and 72 educational institutions across North America and Europe each summer. What is it about GTMF that continues to attract these musicians, and what does that collective bring to the music-making?
Our Festival Musicians love coming here because of their love of the outdoors, the tremendous friendships they make and the extraordinary level of music-making at our festival. The incredible outdoor opportunities in Jackson combined with the quality of the orchestra draw musicians back year after year. As one of our musicians, violinist Dorris Dai Janssen, recently wrote when asked to reflect on her 25-year tenure: “After I joined GTMF, July has become my favourite month of the year because I spend it in Wyoming with this community.”
Of course, our musicians absolutely adore working with Sir Donald Runnicles, our Music Director. There is a mutual trust between Donald and our players, and they are able to find a unified artistic voice in a remarkably short amount of time. In just a few days, musicians from dozens of orchestras and higher educational institutions come together and perform with the cohesion of an ensemble that has worked side by side for years. The result is extraordinary, thrilling music-making.
This summer marks your sixth summer as Executive Director at the Grand Teton Music Festival. When you took on the role in 2020, what did you see in GTMF that made it the kind of place you wanted to commit to long-term?
From my earliest conversations with festival leadership, musicians and patrons, it was clear that GTMF was much more than a summer concert series. It is an institution that has a profound impact on the cultural life of the region, bringing together world-class artists and audiences in our small but mighty mountain town. I saw an organisation with a remarkable legacy, tremendous artistic momentum under Sir Donald Runnicles’ leadership, and an engaged community that truly values the role of music in enriching lives.
When I joined GTMF in 2020, the organisation, like all performing arts organisations across the world, was navigating the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the past six years, it has been incredibly rewarding to see the festival not only recover but grow. We are welcoming record audiences, expanding our programmes and strengthening our impact throughout Jackson Hole. That growth is a testament to the dedication of our musicians, staff, board, donors and community, and it makes me even more excited about the festival’s future.
This summer marks two additional significant anniversaries: the 65th anniversary of the festival and Sir Donald Runnicles’ 20th anniversary as Music Director. What do those anniversaries mean to GTMF and the Jackson Hole community?
Both anniversaries are worth celebrating, but Donald’s 20th season as Music Director feels especially remarkable. Twenty years is a long time in the music world, and the impact Donald has had on this festival cannot be overstated. He has shaped not only the artistic direction of GTMF, but also the culture of the orchestra. Our musicians genuinely love working with him, and I think that’s one of the reasons so many return year after year.
One of the most amazing things to watch every summer is how quickly Donald brings the orchestra together. Our musicians come from dozens of orchestras and universities across North America, many of them seeing each other for the first time since the previous summer. Within a few rehearsals, they’re making music together at an incredibly high level. There’s a trust between Donald and the musicians that has been built over two decades, and audiences can hear it.
The festival’s 65th anniversary is a chance to zoom out and appreciate how far we’ve come. What started as a small summer orchestra playing in a high school gym has become an institution that means a great deal to Jackson Hole. Generations of musicians, patrons, volunteers, board members and audience members have helped build it.
To me, these anniversaries are really about people. They’re about the community that has sustained the festival for 65 years and about a music director whose leadership has shaped GTMF for nearly a third of that history. It’s a rare privilege to celebrate both in the same summer.
The Grand Teton Music Festival takes place from 2 July
to 15 August. For further details, visit gtmf.org