Cultural Events Calendar

The inspiring, untold story of three incredible women who spearheaded recreation, conservation and resilience in America's most beloved landscapes, for readers of Pam Houston and David Grann

If you shrunk to the size of a single cell, the world would be unrecognizable. You might be in water, but swimming would get you nowhere. There might be food around, but reaching would push it further away. And you would not have a brain — after all, brains are billions of cells, but you would be just one cell. And yet, single cells have devised ingenious ways of discovering, interacting with, and thriving within their world. In this lecture, I will describe new ways of moving, eating, and thinking that are unfamiliar to us but work just fine at the scale of a cell. I will discuss how basic physics constrains these ways of living, and how cells can get around these constraints by joining together into multicellular groups. Cell-scale physics reveals the ingenuity of evolution and offers a new perspective on survival, disease, and the transition to multicellular life.

Traffic Jams in The Vault at the Wheeler is a free August concert series presented in partnership with the City of Aspen Transportation Department, intended to help shift your trip and reimagine the late‑afternoon commute. Rather than sitting in traffic on Main St, audiences are invited to step out of their ride – car, bus or bike – and into The Vault for live music, and refreshments.

Larry & Joe is a Venezuelan-Appalachian musical duo featuring Larry Bellorín and Joe Troop, formed in 2023 in North Carolina. They blend their respective folk traditions—Venezuelan música llanera and Appalachian bluegrass—to create "latingrass". The duo, featuring banjo, harp, cuatro, fiddle, and vocals, highlights their diverse backgrounds as a source of cross-cultural unity.

Lhakpa Sherpa is the first Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest and holds the world record for the most Everest summits by any woman. Beyond her extraordinary accomplishments as a climber, Lhakpa is also a survivor of domestic violence who now shares her story to inspire courage, healing, and resilience.

Through film and live conversation, Lhakpa will reflect on her journey from scaling the world’s highest peaks to navigating profound personal challenges and the strength required to survive both physical and emotional mountains.

R. STRAUSS: Serenade for Winds in E-flat major, op. 7
REENA ESMAIL: Double Concerto (AMFS Co-Commission)
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BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 73

To enhance the audience experience, this event features performance imagery screens on both sides of the stage. To learn more, click here.

BARBER: Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance, op. 23a
RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 4 (1941 version)
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SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, op. 47

To enhance the audience experience, this event features performance imagery screens on both sides of the stage. To learn more, click here.

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

Local Music at the Paul JAS Center – Free Admission – RSVP Below!
Every Tuesday, we’re turning the spotlight on locals and community members!

Doors at 5pm

Writers Round w/Inspire Aspen Students – 5:30pm

Jaidyn Hurst – 7pm

Join us for a beautiful performance from local musician Jaidyn Hurst! Enjoy food and drink specials, and a night of great music.

Jaidyn Hurst is a twenty-one-year-old American singer-songwriter from Aspen, CO, who has been writing her own music since her early teen years.

HAYDN/PIATIGORSKY, EDGAR MEYER: Divertimento in D major (after Baryton Trios, Hob. XI/113 and 95)
BOTTESINI: Romanza Patética
BOTTESINI: Fantasia Cerrito
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EDGAR MEYER: Original Works

Hailed by The New Yorker as “…the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument,” Meyer’s unparalleled technique and musicianship in combination with his gift for composition have brought him a vast and varied audience. His unique artistry earned him a MacArthur Award in 2002.

Meyer is joined by pianist Amy Yang, who balances and active career as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue.

PLEASE NOTE: Most pass discounts/benefits do not apply to this event.

First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing is a literary podcast produced and hosted by Mitzi Rapkin. Each week the podcast features an in-depth interview with a fiction, non-fiction, essay, or poetry writer. The show is equal parts investigation into the craft of writing and conversation about the topics of an author’s work.

The Wreck of the Mentor is the story of the American whaleship Mentor, wrecked in 1832 on a remote reef in the western Pacific.

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