Summer Music: There is a lot to enjoy...

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The San Jose Mercury News published a list of events in the San Francisco Bay area for folks to enjoy, everything from San Francisco Opera to the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, with the Midsummer Mozart Festival and the International Russian Music Piano Competition also on the docket.

Travel a bit further south and you have the Ojai Music Festival in June. Down in Los Angeles there is the Hollywood Bowl or the Ford Amphitheatre, both which host summer concerts not to be missed. You can also enjoy the outdoors at the Huntington Main Art Gallery with their Summer Festival at the Huntington.

The Denver Post published a list of FREE concerts hosted by the Colorado Symphony. There is also the Colorado Music Festival in late July and August the Aspen Music Festival where you can enjoy the scenic beauty of Aspen Colorado and some of the worlds best musicians, or the Bravo! Vail Music Festival featuring the Dallas & Philadelphia Orchestras and the New York Philharmonic.

Chicago has ChicagoClassicalMusic.org which has a calendar to keep you updated with what events are happening in and around the area. Detroit Symphony is performing their Tchaikovsky Spectacular! in late July and August over in Rochester, Michigan for the Meadow Brook Music Festival.

Over on the East Coast the Boston Globe published a list of what's happening in the arts, perhaps the most popular is the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music in July. Associated Content published their list of must see events in the Philadelphia area for the summer. New York is always filled with options (too numerous to mention here). Although, that said, perhaps the Bard Summerscape 2009 up by the Catskills is worth mentioning simply because of the vast amount on offer.

If you're traveling about Europe perhaps you'll want to check out Time's article on Summer Music Festivals.

In Prades (June 7-20), the Casals Festival will offer Beethoven chamber music (top visiting artist: Rudolf Serkin). At Amsterdam, The Hague and Scheveninge (June 15-July 15), visiting conductors will lead the Concertgebouw, The Hague Residentie and BBC symphonies. At Bayreuth (July 22-Aug. 22), Wagner's two grandsons will mount seven of the master's music dramas. Salzburg (July 25-Aug. 30), as usual, will specialize in Mozart, but will also include the world premiere of Penelope, a new opera by a contemporary Swiss composer, Rolf Liebermann. At Edinburgh (Aug. 22-Sept. 11), six orchestras from five countries will lead the festivities, which include opera, ballet, theater, films and art displays.

Regardless of where you are, there is music to be heard. Don't miss out on the vast opportunities available this summer.

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