The Strings Music Festival organizers have built upon the crescendo of their successful summer concert series through recent announcements that include an impressive and diverse winter lineup of artists and talent.

Highlights from the summer season included a star-studded lineup with a wide variety of artists playing a diverse range of musical genres.

“I feel like we had one of our best summer seasons yet,” said Katie Carroll, Strings’ director of programs.

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One moment that captured that summer energy was when Ben Folds performed. While playing a second set driven by audience requests being made via paper airplanes, Folds invited an audience member to perform with him after picking up a request that read, “I know you sing [this song], I can play it for you.”

The audience member played the song as Folds sang and then played another following it. Both were “masterful,” according to Carroll. 

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“It was probably one of the most unique and vulnerable things I have ever seen an artist do,” she said. “The crowd went wild. That was definitely super special.”

Other highlights of the summer season were Emi Ferguson & Ruckus; The Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes; and Melissa Etheridge. Carroll called these shows “epic” while also noting that the entire summer lineup was diverse, unique and at a really high caliber for the venue and community that supports it. 

The upcoming winter series will feature another hard-hitting and diverse lineup of performances with 16 total shows coming to the intimate performance space. 

“I feel like this is the most diverse winter series that we have programmed,” noted Carroll. “We have several family programs that are really different and a film, which is ‘The Polar Express.'”

The family-friendly concerts will include Dan & Claudia Zanes and We’re Not Clowns.

Strings is integrating comedy into the winter series with a performance by Kevin Nealon on March 20. This is in addition to performances that will feature local comedians as well. 

“We really want to help support elevating stand-up comedy in the valley,” Carroll said. Steamboat Comedy does such great work and we want to keep building that audience and to diversify our programming.”

Strings is also continuing their local collaboration with Steamboat Art Museum by presenting three free classical music concerts at the museum this winter. 

Other notable performances on the lineup include the Steep Canyon Rangers on Feb. 2, Marcus King on Jan. 25, Lyle Lovett and his acoustic group on Feb. 15, Michael Marcagi on March 9 and Big Richard on March 22. The Steep Canyon Rangers show was postponed during summer and Carroll noted that it was incredible that the show was able to be rescheduled for February. 

The tribute band 1964, who have headlined at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, will bring their Beatles covers to Strings on Jan. 31 as well.

Strings will be unveiling the last third of their winter lineup, which will feature four additional performances, in early November. 

Carroll noted that the duration of the series has changed to better support the needs of the community and the ability of Strings to continue to be able to offer high-quality and nationally-recognized artists.

“We have shortened our winter series to truly match the ski season,” she said. “This helps us present shows to the largest audience we can and creates space for our community partners to host events in the pavilion during those dark times without any date competition.” 

As Strings looks to the future, Carroll hopes to continue the trend of broadening the scope of nationally-recognized bookings while also supporting “up and coming” performers on the organization’s performance calendar as well. While big-name groups can present minor logistical challenges for Strings due to the smaller venue size, the staff is looking forward to working with new artists in new genres to continue bring the Yampa Valley community premier offerings.  

“We want to bring the best that we can to the community,” Carroll said.

For more information on Strings Music Festival winter series, visit StringsMusicFestival.com/ongoing.