Bear Valley Music Festival

Musician and Staff Housing

The most serious budgetary and logistical problem the Festival faces is housing the 200 musicians and staff members required to produce our event within our tiny community. Our ultimate goal is to house 100% of the orchestra in donated housing. We are so grateful for our gracious donors and we hope that your positive experience will encourage more people than ever to participate this year. The musicians themselves are thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of our community and are anxious be back among us. The Adopt a Musician program is alive and well!

If you're not familiar with this opportunity, one of the things that makes this festival so unique is the blending of the musicians into our community - it's one of the reasons they come. I strongly urge any of you who have not had musician guests before to consider this remarkable experience. Those of us who have provided housing can attest to the lifelong friendships that have been created - many musicians return each year specifically to see old friends and make new ones Most important for me and my family has been the exposure to the artistic world - the fascinating people who live and work in it and the sharing of their experiences: listening to them practice, engaging in wonderful conversations about Mozart, Rachmaninoff or whoever - learning about how and why they created the music they did. Our connection with the performers on stage makes our experience of the music incredibly personal and very special.

Please consider this opportunity to enrich your experience of the Festival. We need bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen privileges from those of you who will be in Bear Valley. If you cannot be here and would like to donate your entire home/condo, we would be incredibly grateful. You will receive a donor benefit of $750 per bedroom with an additional $500 benefit if you will not be occupying the space. If you are on the Bear Valley Real Estate rental program and would like to donate your house or condominium to the Festival, they will be happy to accommodate your wishes, providing you contact them before the space is rented. (As always, please contact your personal tax advisors regarding the deductibility of this benefit). You can be assured that all musicians sign a housing contract which dictates the terms of their use of the spaces. We will diligently ensure that the homes are being treated well, and we guarantee that they will be cleaned and returned to the owners in the same condition we received them.

We can only invite as many musicians as we can house. Please take a few moments to review the attached form, fill it out and send it in. While I realize that many of you have not made your plans for the summer yet, we need to begin our planning. The sooner you can let us know the better. I can promise you that your personal involvement will give you the satisfaction that you have helped to ensure the continuation of our wonderful Festival, as well as greatly enhance your own enjoyment of the season.

Thanks so much for your time and consideration. If you have any questions, please contact the BVMF office. I encourage you all to take this unique opportunity to involve yourselves in the magical world of music. A housing donation form can be downloaded here.

Ann R. Hicks, Vice President
Bear Valley Music Festival