This February, the largest privately funded, free-admission orchestra in America brings a new classical music experience to Sun Valley, the outdoor paradise known as much for its arts and culture as its recreational opportunities.

Sun Valley, ID -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/11/2018 --This coming February 19-23, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony will present its first-ever Winter Festival. The Symphony is known for bringing world-class musicians and renowned guest artists from across the globe to perform annually in the scenic mountains of central Idaho. Performances are admission-free, and the season regularly draws crowds of more than 50,000 over the course of the summer. The Winter Festival will take place at the new Argyros Performing Arts Center in the heart of America's first destination ski resort, Sun Valley. The concerts and events are designed to create a new classical music experience.

The Festival begins with an invitation-only "Friends and Family Night" on Thursday, February 21. Public performances will be presented on Friday and Saturday night. The same program will be performed each evening.

"We're very excited to perform at the Argyros," explains Executive Director Derek Dean. "We've designed the program to exploit the full capabilities of the state-of-the-art acoustics the Argyros will offer, and we hope it creates a new and different experience of classical music for our audience."

"I don't want to give up all our secrets, but I can tell you that you will see some familiar faces from the orchestra, and some new faces as well," added Music Director Alasdair Neale. "You'll likely be familiar with a couple of the pieces, but I've programmed one that I'm pretty sure almost no one will have heard. And for another, I'm putting pen to manuscript paper to create something pretty special!"

Aside from the performances, the Festival will also include several education events. Musicians and guest artists will spend time with students from the Symphony's School of Music throughout the week, including classroom visits. Additional student events on Friday and Saturday afternoons include a private concert and discussion, and a session focused on the technology behind the Festival.

While admission is free for the public performances, capacity will be limited; reservations are therefore strongly encouraged. Reservations may be made online at svsummersymphony.org beginning Monday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. (MST). There is a limit of two seats per household. All reservations are general admission; please arrive early for the best seat selection.

The Argyros is located at 120 Main St. S., Ketchum, Idaho. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. A limited number of rush seats will be released at 6:00 p.m. The line for these forms at the entrance of the venue. Guests with reservations must be checked in by 6:15 p.m. as unclaimed seats will be released at that time.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase before and during the show and may be taken into the theatre. Each performance will include two intermissions and will end at approximately 8:45 p.m.

For the latest information and news on the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, visit the Symphony website at svsummersymphony.org. For more information on Sun Valley, go to visitsunvalley.com.