Our Commitment to Education

Our music school and Festival Fellows program are just some of the ways we further our mission to expand access to musical education in Colorado.

Founded in 1995, the Center for Musical Arts is a community music school dedicated to expanding access to quality music education regardless of age, ability, cultural background or financial means. The Center for Musical Arts provides quality, creative music-making opportunities to over 550 students each week in Lafayette, Colorado, and is a full member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education. In 2009, the Center merged with the Colorado Music Festival to provide the community with the highest quality music education and performance.

Festival Fellows

The Festival Fellows Program brings aspiring professional musicians to serve as Festival Fellows in Boulder, Colorado, during the Colorado Music Festival, providing them with access to world-class guest artist mentors as well as performance experience within our Festival orchestra and chamber music settings.

The Fellows program includes coaching from illustrious guest chamber musicians, seminars led by the Festival’s highly qualified organizational leaders, and private instruction from Music Director Peter Oundjian. Fellows perform a weekly concert within the ranks of the Festival Orchestra, with a final quartet performance at the end of their Festival residence.

This program is kindly supported by the SeiSolo Foundation.

2024 Fellows

Jessica Rivero Altarriba, conducting

Jessica Rivero Altarriba, conducting

Latin American conductor Jessica Rivero Altarriba is known for her charismatic stage presence, dynamic energy, and communicative skills. Born in Cuba, Rivera is equally vested in both established and well-known repertoire and contemporary compositions. Recently named the New Jersey Symphony’s first-ever Colton Conducting Fellow for the 2023–24 season, she is also a Freeman Conducting Fellow with Chicago Sinfonietta. Altarriba is the recipient of an Excellence in Music Leadership Fellowship at The Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University, where she is currently pursuing her Masters in Orchestral Conducting under Maestra Marin Alsop.

Myriade String Quartet

Myriade String Quartet

Russell Iceberg, violin
Julia Mizroev, violin
Cynthia Blanchon, viola 
Braden McConnell, cello

The Myriade String Quartet was founded in 2021 at the McGill Schulich School of Music, based on the individual musicians’ love for the string quartet repertoire as well as promoting excellence in Canadian and diverse repertoire. Currently based in Montréal, Québec, the quartet is under the tutelage of professor André Roy, while also having been mentored by Ani Kavafian and Mark Steinberg. The Myriade String Quartet have recently been selected to participate in the Trondheim International String Quartet competition, the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, as well as having been selected as a senior string quartet for the Montreal International String Quartet Academy. As artists in residence at the Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival, the quartet provided lecture-recitals with engagements that followed in 2022 which included collaborations with Charles Richard-Hamelin, Scott St-John, Angela Park, and Sharon Wei of the New Orford String Quartet. This season’s highlights include the Lakeshore Chamber Music Society, recitals at Kin Musique, Le Baptême series, a residency as part of the 2023 Unionville Music Academy Competition, and the quartet fellowship at the Colorado Music Festival. 

Invitation-Only

Audition Process

The Festival Fellows positions were filled by the Festival through an invitation-only audition process in collaboration with faculty at America’s top conservatories. All Fellows receive professional experience working in an intensive environment comparable to that of a full-time orchestra.

Plan Your Festival Visit

 

Visiting Boulder

The Festival performs in beautiful Boulder, Colorado — a breathtaking location full of nature, culture, cuisine, art, and more.

Learn About Our Educational Programs

 

Festival Fellows

Meet the Festival Fellows: eight aspiring professional musicians who receive coaching and performance opportunities through the Festival and its guest artists.

Center for Musical Arts

This excellent community music school is also the educational arm of our organization.