Strings Music Festival will open its 38th season on Saturday with “Contrasts in Classical,” an innovative reimagining of beloved symphonic works at one of Steamboat’s most instrumental performing arts venues.

“This is an opportunity to bring truly top-level artists to the Steamboat audience,” said Michael Sachs, Strings’ music director and principal trumpet of the Cleveland Orchestra. “It’s something you’d expect to hear in New York or Chicago. Here in Steamboat, you get to hear it up close in a beautiful and intimate setting.”

The performance is part of an opening weekend that included Music on the Green Wednesday, Grammy-winning artists Mary Chapin Carpenter and Brandy Clark Friday and The BoDeans on Sunday. The scope of the opening weekend performances is part of a deeper ethos that Strings has been fostering for some time.

“Even within this opening week, the contrast couldn’t be clearer,” said Katie Carroll, Strings’ director of programs. “We want to create something unique, frame music in an exciting and unexpected way and reflect the adventurous spirit of the people who live and travel here.”

Strings Music Festival’s mission is to bring innovative classical and contemporary music to audiences of all ages in an intimate and welcoming setting. With a vision of making exceptional music accessible to everyone in Northwest Colorado, it continues to evolve in a quest to enrich the region’s cultural, educational and performing arts landscapes.

Saturday’s program will feature scaled-down arrangements of works by Rossini, Haydn and Mozart, all of which have been arranged for a nine-piece ensemble rather than a full symphony. It’s a format that Sachs said allows audiences to hear these classic pieces with a new sort of clarity and connection.

“Instead of 24 violins, there’s one. Instead of 12 violas, there’s one. It’s like seeing these works through a magnifying glass,” Sachs said. “You see the intricacies and the way it all fits together in a very human and immediate way.”

The ensemble includes top-tier musicians from the Cleveland Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Houston Symphony. The concert will also spotlight horn soloist Nathaniel Silberschlag, who joined the Cleveland Orchestra at just 20 years old.

“Nathaniel has quickly become one of the premier principal horns in American orchestras,” Sachs said. “He’s a spectacular artist, and this is a great opportunity to showcase him.”

In addition to Silberschlag, the ensemble features Amy Lee (violin), Joanna Patterson-Zakany (viola), Tanya Ell (cello), Scott Dixon (bass), Jessica Sindell (flute), Frank Rosenwein (oboe), Mark Nuccio (clarinet) and William Short (bassoon). 

Sachs will serve as conductor and Andrew Todd will offer commentary throughout the performance. 

The evening will conclude with a free champagne reception, a tradition that provides guests the opportunity to mingle with performers and celebrate the summer concerts ahead.

Under Sachs’ leadership, Strings’ classical programming has embraced its mission with increasing depth and boldness. His philosophy, which involves what he calls a “what’s old is new again” approach, seeks to make classical music feel fresh, vital and emotionally vibrant.

“I want people to walk out with a smile on their face feeling like it was something exciting, thoughtful and invigorating,” Sachs said. “Music lifts people. In a place like Steamboat, it creates something really special within the community and for the artists as well.” 

Carroll, now in her 11th season with Strings, said she has seen that impact ripple through every corner of the community through school outreach programs and a wide range of performing arts events. 

For the artists who are visiting from outside the community, the feeling of being “at home” is something that Strings takes care of as well. 

“This is their home away from home for a few days, and I want them to feel comfortable and supported,” Carroll said. “At the same time, I’m also focused on the details and making sure our team feels ready and excited. It’s the small things that make the experience memorable.”

That attention to detail and to the people who have become part of the Strings family has helped define it as more than just a performance venue. In Steamboat Springs, it has become an essential gathering place as well as a classroom and sanctuary for the arts.

“Our staff and crew are really passionate about what we do,” Carroll said. “We’ve built a team of people who understand that live performance is a kind of magic. We all get a little rush from being part of it.”

With more than 60% of Strings’ events offered free to the public, the organization’s commitment to accessibility and engagement remains a central part of its mission.

“To me, arts of any kind enrich a community,” Sachs said. “And for a town like Steamboat to support this kind of music, and this level of musicianship, is a testament to the heart of this place.”

As the 2025 season begins, Strings Music Festival continues to build on its mission and vision of staying grounded in the small-town values that first brought music to the valley nearly four decades ago.

“Strings is here to create something meaningful,” Carroll said. “Not just for entertainment but for the experience of connection and joy.”

Strings Music Festival’s “Contrasts in Classical” begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Strings Pavilion in Steamboat Springs. For tickets and a full schedule of events, visit StringsMusicFestival.com.