History

Our History

In 1982, inspired by the writings of Willa Cather, GCMF founders Robert Bonfiglio and Clare Hoffman set off – with harmonica and flute tucked into their backpacks – for a five day, rim-to-rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike. On day two of their hike, Ranger Joe Quiroz discovered Clare playing her flute in the washed out trunk of a tree, and asked if she and Robert would consider playing a concert that night. They did. That intimate concert, for rangers Joe Quiroz and Gale Burack, in the ranger’s cabin at Cottonwood Campgrounds, was the inspiration for the Grand Canyon Music Festival.

Encouraged by the local community and businesses, the inaugural season took place in September 1983 and has grown from three concerts to nine concerts that span a 3-week period.

Grand Canyon Village residents and businesses have been invaluable partners in the Grand Canyon Music Festival since its inception and continue to show their support through volunteerism, donations, and the hospitality they extend to all our visiting artists. We hope you will join us in thanking them.

Ed Mell
Arizona artist Ed Mell’s stunning Grand Canyon oil paintings have been the Grand Canyon Music Festival’s signature images, available as collector’s posters and giclees and on note cards and t-shirts at our gift shop.

Visit Overland Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ or Medicine Hat Gallery in Tucson, AZ or Santa Fe, NM.

Artists who have performed at the Grand Canyon Music Festival

Composers-in-residence:

Paul Moravec, Brent Michael Davids, John Corigliano, William Bolcom, Arnold Black, Seymour Barab, Katherine Hoover, David Mallamud, Adam Overton, Raven Chacon, Matt McBane, Jerod Impichaachaaha’ Tate, Trevor Reed, Richard Einhorn

Ensembles:

Lark String Quartet, Miró Quartet, Enso String Quartet Angeles String Quartet, Corigliano Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Manhattan String Quartet, Arcata String Quartet, Trio Solisti, The Amadeus Trio, The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo, The Bonfiglio Group, Miami String Quartet, ETHEL, Calder Quartet, Catalyst Quartet

Piano:

Emanuele Arciuli, Edward Auer, Alan Chow, Lydia Artymiw, Doris Stevenson, Jon Klibonoff, Joel Fan, Kamal Khan, Melvin Chen; Kenneth Cooper, Marian Hahn, Lydia Artymiw, Stephanie Brown, William Bolcom, Phillip Bush, Paige Hoffman, Abba Bogin, Jeffrey Swann, Hannah Reimann

Harpsichord:

Kenneth Cooper

Violin:

Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, Benny Kim, Maria Bachmann, Eugene Drucker, Carmit Zori, Mark Peskanov, Yukiko Kamei, Ik-Hwan Bae, Paul Rosenthal, Lara St. John, Joe Deninzon, Lynn Chang, Timothy Baker, Laura Seaton, Cenovia Cummins, Masako Yanagito, Phillip Lewis, Kathleen Lenski, Claire Jolivet, Martha Caplin, David Rife, Connie Kupka, Joe Deninzon, Yulia Ziskel, Susanna Perry Gilmore, Mary Rowell, Cornelius Dufallo, Jennifer Choi, Kip Jones, Tema Watstein, Jessie Montgomery, Karla Donehew Perez, Bryan Hernanadez-Luch

Viola:

Paul Coletti, Steven Tenenbom, Karen Dreyfus, Toby Appel, Toby Hoffman, Evan Wilson, Marcus Thompson, Milton Thomas, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, Mary Hammann, Caroline Wolff, Nicole Divall, Roland Kato, Eileen Swanson, Ralph Farris, Christopher Jenkins

Cello:

Colin Carr, Nathaniel Rosen, Peter Reijto, Gary Hoffman, Warren Lash, Jeffrey Solow, Alexis Pia Gerlach, Daniel Gaisford, Yehuda Hanani, Michael Mermagen, Astrid Schween, Dorothy Lawson, Roberta Cooper, David Speltz, Marcia Peck, John Whitfield Bass: Julius Levine, Skip Edwards, Andrea Pejrolo, Tony Falanga, Patrick Neher, Karlos Hernandez

Flute:

Clare Hoffman, R. Carlos Nakai, Peter Sheridan, Jerome Jim, Robert Mirabal

Guitar:

Michael Newman, Laura Oltman, Stephen Benson, Chris Millitari, Jay Berliner, Kevin Kuhn, Jeff Peterson

Oboe:

Ronald Roseman, Marilyn Coyne

Clarinet:

Charles Neidich, Alan R. Kay

Banjo:

Dean Osborne

Bassoon:

Kenneth Munday, Frank Morelli

Harmonica:

Robert Bonfiglio, Rob Paparozzi

Harp:

Emily Mitchell

Trumpet:

Stephen Burns

French horn:

Chris Komer

Trombone:

Miles Anderson

Percussion:

Gordon Gottlieb, David Rozenblatt, Pablo Rieppi

Video artist:

Lucy H.G.

Vocalist:

Amy Burton, Josephine Mongiardo, Jubilant Sykes, Robert White, Joan Morris, Dana Hanchard, John Sebastian, Napua Davoy, Lisa Monheit, Clark Tenokhongva, Cabiria Jacobsen, Kirk Dougherty

Storyteller:

Michael LaCapa, Michael Kabotie

Narrator:

Ruth Black

Actor:

Philip O’Hern

Vocalist/guitarist:

James Bilagody

And:

The Guardians of the Grand Canyon