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Aspen Music Fest names new VP

Patrick Chamberlain comes to Aspen from N.J. Symphony Orchestra

Staff report
Patrick Chamberlain (Coutesy Aspen Music Festival and School)

The Aspen Music Festival and School has hired Patrick Chamberlain as its new vice president for artistic administration, the Music Fest announced Tuesday.

Chamberlain comes to Aspen from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, where he had led artistic planning for nearly six years. A graduate of Cornell University, Chamberlain worked closely with New Jersey music director Xian Zhang and commissioned works from Wynton Marsalis, Paquito D’Rivera, Steven Mackey and Chen Yi during his tenure, also leading efforts on an institution-wide embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion. Before that he was with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where he went immediately after a summer working in the artistic department at the Aspen Music Fest.

“While at Aspen as an artist liaison, I fell in love with the work of artistic administration and have never looked back,” Chamberlain said in an announcement.



Chamberlain will join the Music Fest’s senior management and work closely with president and CEO Alan Fletcher, music director Robert Spano, Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS Co-Artistic Directors Patrick Summers and Renée Fleming and the artist-faculty on all aspects of programming.

“I have known Patrick since his undergraduate days when, as president of the Cornell Glee Club, he was already a talented artistic administrator,” Fletcher said. “He combines a profound intellectual grasp of the repertoire with a great emotional understanding of how music matters, and a deep engagement with the educational process.”




Chamberlain will begin his new position April 12. He replaces the long-serving artistic executive Asadour Santourian, who left for a post at the Boston Symphony Orchestra in January after 18 years in Aspen.

“While the AMFS has an incredible history and prestige, it is its commitment to the future of our art form that is most attractive about this opportunity for me,” Chamberlain said. “From commissioning initiatives, multi-disciplinary events, an embrace of the digital transformation facing our industry, and an inspirational commitment to nurturing the next generation of great artists, this truly is a special moment for the AMFS and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to add my voice to the team as it continues to set the course for presenting and teaching great music in this country and our world.”

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