Staunton Music Festival Returns with 10 Days of Bold, Immersive Classical Performances
STAUNTON, VA — One of Virginia’s most acclaimed classical music celebrations, the Staunton Music Festival, is making a powerful return August 15–24, bringing with it a global roster of 90 world-class musicians and an ambitious lineup of 30 immersive events designed to reimagine the classical concert experience.
Ten Days of Timeless Music in Intimate Settings
The 2025 festival offers a distinctly European-style chamber music experience, featuring everything from Baroque opera to contemporary world premieres — all performed in intimate historic venues throughout downtown Staunton. Known for its superb acoustics and up-close engagement, the festival invites audiences into a deeply personal connection with the music.
Musicians from institutions such as the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera will perform alongside emerging talent in spaces that bring each note closer to the listener.
Reimagining the Classics: A Staged ‘Messiah’ and Concert ‘Magic Flute’
This year’s programming flips traditional presentation on its head. Handel’s “Messiah”, often performed as an oratorio, will instead be staged as an opera — emphasizing its dramatic and visual storytelling. Meanwhile, Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” will be offered as a concert piece, allowing the music’s raw power to stand on its own without visual theatrics.
The festival’s commitment to bold interpretation has long been its calling card, and this year’s lineup pushes that vision further than ever.
Old and New: A Dialogue Across Centuries
One of the festival’s defining traits is how it seamlessly weaves together works spanning over 600 years, sometimes within a single program. In 2025, that includes the Virginia Soundscapes project — a showcase of living Virginia composers placed side by side with Renaissance and Romantic era works, allowing fresh voices to resonate alongside the masters.
This unique programming reflects the festival’s mission to bridge musical eras and provoke new listening experiences.
Historic Instruments, Authentic Sounds
In a rare treat for classical purists and curious newcomers alike, many performances will be played on authentic period instruments, staying faithful to the way the music would have sounded in its original time. This historically informed approach offers layers of richness and nuance that modern instruments often overlook.
From gut-string violins to 18th-century flutes, the instruments themselves become storytellers in this deeply respectful celebration of the genre.
Free Midday Concerts, Late-Night Cabarets, and More
In addition to ticketed performances, the festival offers a full suite of free events to the public:
- Midday concerts across downtown
- Late-night cabaret-style shows
- Pre-concert talks with scholars and musicians
- Composer Q&As and downtown pop-up sets
These moments invite audiences to go beyond the performance and engage more deeply with the ideas, histories, and people behind the music.
Tickets and Schedule
Festival director Jason Stell said the response from artists and audiences alike has been “incredibly enthusiastic,” calling Staunton “a place where music thrives in ways you rarely see.”
To explore the full lineup, purchase single event tickets, or reserve a festival pass, visit the official Staunton Music Festival site.
What do you think about Staunton’s approach to blending old and new music? Will you be attending any of these performances? Let us know in the comments and follow ChicagoMusicGuide.com for more classical festival highlights across the U.S.!