Cultural Events Calendar

MOZART: Overture to La Clemenza di Tito, K. 621
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453
---
CAROLINE SHAW: Entr’acte
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503

Acclaimed for his tonal warmth, nuanced interpretations, and the freshness he brings to familiar works, Emanuel Ax makes a rare Aspen appearance in two of Mozart’s most brilliant piano concerti.

Join Carbondale and the Roaring Fork Valley community in celebrating the best event of the summer, Mountain Fair, going 55 years strong! The heart+soul of the fair is all the love, history and humanity that have built community through art in Carbondale.

Enjoy live music, family-friendly activities, and loads of unique artisans; non-stop entertainment all weekend long.

COPLAND: Quiet City
GLAZUNOV: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B major, op. 100
---
VARÈSE: Amériques
RAVEL: La valse

This concert will be carried live on Aspen Public Radio! Tune in 91.5FM and 88.9FM or at aspenpublicradio.org.

Presented as part of the Hurst Lecture Series.

Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and professor of political science at Stanford University, joins Elliot Gerson, senior fellow at the Aspen Institute, for a conversation about the evolving landscape of international relations. Drawing on his experience as both a diplomat and author of the recent book, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America and the New Global Disorder, McFaul examines the state of US relations with rivals China and Russia, the broader geopolitical challenges facing democracies, and the role of diplomacy in an increasingly complex world.
Paepcke Auditorium, doors at 5:00 pm

RegistrationThis event is free and open to the public, but registration is required, and capacity is established on a first-come, first-served basis. Once an event is at capacity, we will have an in-person waitlist at the door.

Public registration is now open for summer 2026. Please click here to register.

Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and professor of political science at Stanford University, joins Elliot Gerson, senior fellow at the Aspen Institute, for a conversation about the evolving landscape of international relations. Drawing on his experience as both a diplomat and author of the recent book, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America and the New Global Disorder, McFaul examines the state of US relations with rivals China and Russia, the broader geopolitical challenges facing democracies, and the role of diplomacy in an increasingly complex world.

Every Tuesday, we’re turning the spotlight on locals and community members! This Tuesday, bring your talent (or just come to enjoy) as we showcase music, poetry, comedy, and more! Free admission with food & drinks available for purchase.

Sign up coming soon!

Join Sabrina Rudin at Explore Books to celebrate the release of her new cookbook, Healthy with a Side of Happy.

Join us at Explore Books for a night of bites and conversation to celebrate the release of Healthy with a Side of Happy with creator and entrepreneur Sabrina Rudin, the founder and owner of Spring Café Aspen and creator behind @springbysabrina. In the book, Sabrina shares 100 plant-based recipes designed to nourish the whole family—from juices and smoothies to pastas, salads, and simple sweets. Rooted in her belief that food is medicine, the book pairs approachable recipes with pantry guides, meal prep strategies, and thoughtful kitchen practices.

Best-selling author and researcher Scott Weidensaul shows us why we should never underestimate the resiliency of birds, and why creating a world that works for birds will work for everything, including us.

These lunchtime discussions features prominent performers, composers, and musicologists in lively discussions with AMFS Munroe President and CEO Alan Fletcher, joined by countenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and Rafael Payare.

Summer 2026 High Notes Dates:
- Wednesday, July 8
- Wednesday, July 15
- Wednesday, July 22
- Wednesday, July 29
- Wednesday, August 5
- Wednesday, August 12
- Wednesday, August 19

Your immune system faces a remarkable challenge: it must defend you against viruses and other pathogens it has never seen before. It solves this problem by learning. Instead of storing a fixed list of answers, it tries new approaches and remembers the ones that worked in the past. In this lecture, I will describe how the body generates an enormous repertoire of antibodies, each with a different molecular “shape,” and how infection or vaccination triggers a surprising process in which some immune cells deliberately mutate their genes to generate novel antibodies. These cells undergo cycles of mutation and competition within your lymph nodes (hence the swelling!), to generate improved variants. The result is better antibodies that bind more effectively to their targets. This is Darwinian evolution, but accelerated to the timescale of days and occurring inside your own body. I will discuss how biophysical models can help us understand this learning process, why it matters for vaccines, how failures of immune learning contribute to autoimmunity, and why immune learning might become less effective with age.