The sweetness of summer is made better through the sounds of music in the mountains — check out our picks for July classical concerts to celebrate the Fourth and beyond.
National Repertory Orchestra: Fourth of July Spectacular
July 4, 6:00 p.m., Riverwalk Center
It’s an annual tradition! Don your own stars and stripes and get ready for your favorite patriotic tunes to celebrate the birth of America. Conductor Carl Topilow returns for the annual event of energetic marches, movie music and dancing.
If you’d like to hear the concert a little earlier in the day, the NRO invites you to join them in Silverthorne’s Rainbow Park at 10 a.m.
Telluride MusicFest: A feast of Italian Music
July 6, 6 p.m., Mai Residence
Imagine it: the sun freckling your face, a glass of wine on the table next to you, and a 360-degree view of the Tuscan countryside around you. Telluride MusicFest aims to whisk you away to Italy for their final concert of the season with a festival of the Italian masters: Boccherini, Vivaldi, Verdi, Respighi, dall’Abaco, and Sollima.
Okay, the view might not be Italy, but it’s going to be an unforgettable Coloradan experience.
Bravo! Vail: Verona Quartet & Wu Man, pipa
July 8, 2025, 7 p.m., Vilar Performing Arts Center
It’s always hard to choose just one performance in a month. While Bravo! Vail’s July lineup looks heavenly, the Verona Quartet teaming up with Wu Man on pipa sounds like such a cool experience that it won my vote. Hear the Verona quartet alone on Janáček’s String Quartet No. 1, Man performing solo, and coming together for Tan Dun’s Concerto for String Quartet and Pipa.
Strings Music Festival: Anderson & Roe
July 16, 7 p.m., Strings Music Pavilion
I’m fairly certain the title “dynamic duo” was made for Anderson and Roe. Their collaborative chemistry is off the charts, and if you haven’t experienced it yet, you can hear them live in Colorado once again this month.
Aspen Music Festival and School: A Recital by the American Brass Quintet
July 19, 7:30 p.m., Harris Concert Hall
Nothing fills hearts or concert halls like a brass quintet. Hear the bright, full sound of the American Brass Quintet at Harris Concert Hall, with music ranging from the Renaissance to modern day.
CPR Classical Presents: Colorado Music Festival: Tchaikovsky & Beethoven
July 23, 6:30 p.m., Chautauqua Auditorium
Tchaikovsky loved 18th-century music, and Mozart especially. His showpiece for cello and orchestra, “Variations on a Rococo Theme,” shows exactly how deep that love ran. Join the Colorado Music Festival and CPR Classical for Tchaikovsky, Beethoven’s 1st Symphony and Respighi’s “The Birds.” Plus, meet CPR Classical’s Karla Walker at the event!
Aspen Salida Concerts: Edgar Meyer & George Meyer
July 26, 7 p.m., Salida High School
Bassist Edgar Meyer is known for his cross-genre stylings and his collaborations with musicians like Yo-Yo Ma and Chris Thile. He’s joined on stage by his son, violinist George Meyer, who shares his father's interest in boundary-crossing music.
Hear CPR Classical by clicking “Listen Live” at the top of this website, or download the Colorado Public Radio app. Listen on your radio to CPR Classical at 88.1 FM in Denver, or on radio signals around Colorado. You can also tell your smart speaker to “Play CPR Classical."
