Event Preview: Moab Music Festival

Photo by Richard Bowditch

Every year, Moab Music Festival puts on a two week-long string of events catering the best environment for music lovers. The festival will run August 31 through September 14 this year and will include traditional genres, live composers and jazz. 

Moab Music Festival was created in 1992 by musicians from New York, Michael Barrett and Leslie Tomkins. Barrett is a pianist/conductor and Tomkins is a violist. Both with passions of classical instruments, they make for a perfect duo to create a place with those classical sounds still incorporated. 

“Starting a music festival seemed like the perfect way to make sure we would return again and again,” shares Tomkins.

The scenic event will put on an estimated 20 concerts this year, using the unique landscape of Utah to create an idyllic setting for live music performances.  

With COVID-19 guidelines, some things have changed. Masks are required and an appropriate space of social distancing at all times. All of the concerts are planned for outdoors and there will be assigned seating.  

However, not all of this is bad news  — with concerts outdoors, it allows the listeners more views of the beautifully curated red sandstone walls and gorgeous blue skies. 

Read more on the Moab Music Festival in the upcoming Fall 2020 print issue of Spoke+Blossom. Find a full event schedule and more information at moabmusicfest.org.