Marshall Miles Interviews-Oskar Espina Ruiz: Music Mountains Closing Weekend For 2022

• September 18, 2022
•  Gordon Hall, Music Mountain

(Sun Quartets Concert #6/6)   HAYDN String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 20 #5GODFREY Guitar QuintetTURINA The Bullfighter’s PrayerBOCCHERINI Guitar Quintet in D Major, G.448, “Fandango”

Since 1930, generations of music lovers have come to Music Mountain for an exceptional concert experience and audiences continue to praise the outstanding quality and consistency of the events at Music Mountain, the exceptional acoustics of air-conditioned Gordon Hall, and the beauty and peaceful serenity of Music Mountain’s mountaintop grounds. While The New Yorker has described Music Mountain as “the summer shrine of the string quartet,” recent concertgoers see Music Mountain as “a peaceful green oasis” and highlight its “amazing venue, ambience, and experience.”

Music Mountain, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, began as the unique vision of Jacques Gordon, Chicago Symphony concertmaster from 1921 to 1930 and the founding first violinist of the Gordon String Quartet, one of the leading quartets of its time. The buildings at Music Mountain form a well-designed campus in the Colonial Revival style. They were built by Sears, Roebuck & Company’s prefabricated housing division and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Nicholas Gordon, the son of Jacques Gordon, was president of Music Mountain from 1974 until his death in 2017. With an encyclopedic knowledge of chamber music and performing quartets, he expanded the teaching programs, and arranged for broadcasts of Music Mountain concerts that reach over one million listeners nationwide and in 45 countries. As artistic and executive director, as well as principal fundraiser, Nick's guidance included not only traditional chamber music classics, but also the introduction of Twilight Jazz Concerts on Saturday nights. Nick believed Music Mountain's longevity is due to the fact it has been faithful to its mission and is supported by a dedicated community sharing a passion and love of music--traditions that are alive and well today.

​​​​​​​Since 2016, artistic director Oskar Espina-Ruiz and Music Mountain’s dedicated board of directors steer Music Mountain through a period of continued growth.