Music Tent renamed ‘Michael Klein Music Tent’ ahead of AMFS’ 75th season

The Aspen Music Festival and School, America’s premier center for classical music performance and training, announced a gift to the organization, given by current board chair Michael Klein.

The gift is the second largest in the institution’s history. To honor this significant donation and in recognition of Mr. Klein’s history of financial and leadership contributions, the AMFS will name its main performance venue, the 2,050-seat Music Tent, in his honor for the next 25 years. This gift structure is designed to thank the institution’s most committed supporters while creating the opportunity for future investment. The new name will be the “Michael Klein Music Tent.”

“This gift reflects the deepest belief in the mission and work of the AMFS, from one of the world’s most generous and principled philanthropists,” said AMFS President and CEO Alan Fletcher. “Mike steered the festival through the pandemic with strength and wisdom, and he gives this gesture of belief and confidence at the perfect moment, at the beginning of our 75th anniversary season.”

The gift comes at a time when the festival and school are investing significant funds to renovate the nearly 24-year-old structure, are creating plans for increased costs for operating and especially housing, and are expanding its community-based music education programs. This gift will provide key support to the institution overall and will help ensure its ability to offer the world’s finest classical music performance and education in Aspen.

For most of its history, the AMFS’s main venue has been known simply as the “Music Tent” or, further back, the “Aspen Amphitheater.” In 1993, it was dedicated with its first official name, the “Bayer-Benedict Tent,” honoring its two architects, Herbert Bayer and Fritz Benedict. When the next generation of the tent, designed by Harry Teague, opened in 2000, it became the Benedict Music Tent in honor of Mr. Benedict’s longtime board membership and leadership.

The AMFS will continue to honor Mr. Benedict at the main entrance of the Music Tent, renaming it the “Benedict Entrance” for the duration of the use of the current structure and adding a plaque describing his role with the AMFS.

“This milestone anniversary is the perfect time to both honor our roots and invest in our future, a key balance at every non-profit,” Fletcher said. “We are grateful to Mike for leading us into our next 25 years this way, and we remain grateful to Fritz Benedict and others who gave so much of themselves to make the festival what it is today. I hope everyone in Aspen can join us for our 75th-anniversary community party before our opening Sunday concert next summer to celebrate the many people who together have made this institution truly great.”

“It is an honor to be able to give a gift like this to an organization I believe in so much,” said Michal Klein. “Having watched the miraculous work of the young musicians of the festival and school close-up, literally, for more than thirty years, I am convinced that the work here is some of the world’s most inspiring and uplifting. The world needs the brilliant, hopeful work of our young musicians, faculty, and visiting artists, and I’m proud to be able to support it this way.”