The Bravo! Vail Music Festival has announced a new artistic director: Philadelphian composer Chris Rogerson. Rogerson, a professor at the Curtis Institute of Music, will assume the role this September, festival leaders announced Thursday.

A New Direction for Bravo! Vail

This appointment represents a significant change for the festival, which for nearly four decades has been led by instrumentalists. “This is a bold choice for our festival,” said Bravo Vail! president and CEO Caitlin Murray. “He’s a composer and that’s a change from a performing artist, and I don’t think you see that in a lot of places.”

Selection Process and Qualities

Murray explained that while the applicant pool of around 30 candidates was exceptionally strong, Rogerson’s deep knowledge of musical repertoire, enthusiasm for the festival’s future, and personality made him the ideal fit. “It’s aligning ourselves with the new generation, new voices in the industry. He represents that fully,” she stated.

Rogerson's Background and Experience

Chris Rogerson’s compositional studies were undertaken at Yale School of Music and Princeton University, with mentors including Jennifer Higdon, Aaron Jay Kernis, Martin Bresnick, and Steve Mackey. He has received commissions from the orchestras of Atlanta, Milwaukee, and San Francisco, and is a co-founder of New York new music presenter.

Previous artistic directors include pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, flutist Eugenia Zukerman, and founding director Curtis violin professor Ida Kavafian, who led the festival from its inception in 1987.

Future Plans and Collaborations

As artistic director, Rogerson will be responsible for guiding decisions regarding artists, repertoire, and artistic projects. He expressed his excitement about fostering more cross-disciplinary collaborations, mentioning photographers and filmmakers as potential partners.

Regarding the Philadelphia Orchestra – a resident orchestra at the festival since 2007 – Rogerson stated it was premature to discuss specific future projects, but confirmed plans to meet with them soon. “I’m sure we’ll have lots of great collaborative ideas,” he said.