The Colorado College Summer Music Festival celebrated an incredible 40th anniversary season in June, with extra performances and special events to mark the occasion along with the concerts that festival-goers have come to know and love.

The Festival featured its standard Festival Artists concerts, presented by the Faculty and some special guests, and Festival Orchestra performances, presented by the Fellows conducted by Scott Yoo, as well as the beloved Children's Orchestra Concerts, Music at Middays, and Concerto Readings. Additionally, this year's patrons enjoyed an Art Talk by Pat Musick, exploring artist Ethel Magafan and the Broadmoor Art Academy, and a special joint anniversary celebration concert at the First Congregational Church as it marked its 150th anniversary.

"Congratulations to the Summer Music Festival at Colorado College and for the amazing work they are doing in terms of nurturing the musicians of the future who will help to make this world a better place through music," said Margaret Satterfield, a longtime CC SMF supporter and donor.

Also adding a little extra to the 40th anniversary season was longtime Colorado Springs journalist and arts advocate David Sckolnik. He produced reviews and articles that were published in The Gazette, helped curate a historical exhibit in the Packard Hall lobby, posted a live blog throughout the season, and conducted interviews with faculty, fellows, and supporters, such as Satterfield and Kathleen Yasumura, who are self-described "avid fans."

The pair "stumbled upon" the Festival about a decade ago when they came to campus for a different event and caught a poster promoting the upcoming season. For them, the CC Summer Music Festival is an opportunity to support not only a quality local arts organization, but also one that promotes arts education and appreciation for the next generation.

"I think the enthusiasm and the new life that's brought in by all the young musicians," said Yasumura, "it's so wonderful to see all of these seasoned musicians that come in from all over the United States as well as the world, and to watch Scott Yoo direct the young musicians and mentor them in a vibrant, hopeful manner, for the future."

More than 50 Fellows are invited each summer to the CC campus for what can be a grueling three weeks of practicing, rehearsing, learning, and performing. Fellows participate in orchestra and chamber ensembles that perform on campus and in the community. They also have the opportunity to connect with the Festival's Faculty Artists, prominent instructors and performers who come to Colorado Springs from across the U.S., who offer private lessons, masterclasses, and chamber ensemble coachings in addition to rehearsing for their own chamber ensemble concerts presented throughout June.

Nina Weber, a violist pursuing an Artist Diploma at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, has been through a number of different festivals throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies. After attending the CC Summer Music Festival for the first time this summer, it is now one of her favorites.

"The difference is the intensity of it," she said. "It's a very short festival; in terms of length, of most summer festivals, this is on the shorter length. Most are six, seven, or eight weeks. We do pretty much the same amount of work (here) in three weeks."

At school, she said, there is rarely the opportunity to focus on chamber music, as solo instrumental studies and orchestral rehearsals so often take precedence. She was thrilled to be able to collaborate musically in a chamber ensemble every day while in Colorado Springs.

"Chamber music for a lot of musicians, including me, is sort of a dream career," she said. "This is wonderful, when we get a chance to do it. ... What a privilege that is."

It's that kind of passion that keeps Toby Appel, violist, coming back. By his estimate, it's The Juilliard School faculty member's 18th year teaching and performing at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival.

"There's a lot of time that is carved out for chamber music and it's pretty intense, and the level is incredibly high of the students and ridiculously high of the faculty, too," he said.

The reason this Festival has thrived through 40 years, Appel explained, is because of Music Director Susan Grace, who took over running the Festival in 1987. He said Grace and husband Michael cultivate a positive environment at the CC Festival that works hand in hand with high standards in music making.

"The level of professionalism and expertise in performance of the faculty members is exactly what I am asking of the students," he said. "This is a great place, it's a great festival, people have a good time and they're listened to, I think, both faculty and students. That comes from Sue. Always been that way, hopefully always will be that way."