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The Aspen Idea Then and Now

The Aspen Idea is a term that captures the spirit and mission of a group of cultural and educational institutions that were founded in Aspen, Colorado, in the mid-20th century. These institutions include the Aspen Institute, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Aspen Center for Physics.

The Aspen Idea was inspired by the vision of Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke.  Walter was a Chicago businessman and philanthropist who saw the potential of Aspen as a place for "lifting us out of our usual selves" and stimulating the "mind, body, and spirit". He envisioned this grand project would transform Aspen into a center for the "American Renaissance", a movement that would revive the ideals and values of Western civilization and American democracy in the aftermath of World War II.  

Walter Paepcke said his vision was for Aspen to be “a community of peace” with opportunities for man’s complete life “where he can earn a living, profit by healthy physical recreation, with facilities at hand for his enjoyment of art, music, and education.”

 

The first celebration of the Aspen Idea, in a then sleepy town, was a 20-day Goethe Bicentennial Convocation and Music Festival ­– held in a tent in the Aspen Meadows – which was a global celebration of idealism and unity of mankind. A petition was circulated in support of the continuation of such programming.  

The Aspen Institute, Aspen Music Festival and School and Aspen Center for Physics are fulfilling Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke’s vision of an Aspen that would be “a community of peace” and share a common goal to foster intellectual, artistic, and civic leadership for a better society and world.

The Aspen Idea has become a foundational part of the Aspen community over the years - so much so that in the most recent Aspen Area Community Plan, a new chapter called "Aspen Idea" was added. This chapter speaks to the enduring legacy of the Aspen Idea and the critical importance of its place in Aspen, and provides a vision of "revitalizing and sustaining the Aspen Idea."

*photo by Margaret Durrance

Contribution to Aspen Today

Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute has more than 60 programs that cover a wide range of topics, such as arts, education, health, environment, democracy, and international affairs. These programs organize public events, policy forums, leadership seminars, fellowships, and publications that aim to foster informed dialogue, creative thinking, and collaborative action.

The Institute attracts thousands of people to Aspen every year, both as participants and as audience members to events including the renowned Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen Security Forum, and Aspen Words Literary Prize. The Institute also welcomes thousands of participants in its leadership initiatives, such as the Aspen Global Leadership Network, the Henry Crown Fellowship, and the Resnick Aspen Action Forum.

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Through its diverse programming, the Institute benefits the community of Aspen by enriching its cultural and intellectual life, promoting civic engagement, and enhancing its reputation as a global destination for ideas and innovation. The Institute also supports ongoing programs that serve the local community, such as the Aspen Community Programs, the Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship, and the Hurst Community Initiative.

 

The Institute's impact is evident in the testimonials of its alumni, partners, and supporters, who praise its role in inspiring, challenging, and connecting leaders from different sectors and backgrounds. The Institute also contributes to the economic vitality of Aspen by generating revenue for local businesses, creating jobs, and providing scholarships and subsidies for local residents.

 

Every year, Aspen Institute visitors, scholars, and speakers occupy 6,500 room nights on the Aspen Institute campus and hundreds more in Aspen .  Our guests contribute significantly to the Aspen economy. 

Aspen Music Festival and School

Founded in 1949, AMFS is regarded as one of the leading classical music festivals in the world, noted both for its concert programming and its musical training of mostly young-adult students. The typical eight-week summer season includes more than 300 classical music events—including concerts by three orchestras, solo and chamber music performances, fully staged opera productions, classes, lectures, and children’s programming—and brings in 100,000 audience members. We believe the AMFS experience is transformational and inspirational for all involved while uniting multigenerational audiences with talented artists and students from all parts of the world. By offering free lawn seating outside the main concert venue, and making nearly 60% of summer events free to the public, we strive to bring this experience to all members of our community.

Each summer AMFS brings 460 students to the valley from over 30 countries and 40 states. These highly talented musicians come to Aspen to study with more than100 artist-faculty who are leaders in the classical music field and come from conservatories, universities, and world-class orchestras. To assist in the logistics of this complicated endeavor, AMFS hires over 100 summer staff to fill roles as piano tuners, librarians, stage crew, and more. These people are all part of Aspen’s summer experience and serve to blend our organization into the community in a meaningful way.

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AMFS audiences have an estimated economic impacts close to $80 million. Tourism research demonstrates that arts visitors stay longer and spend more than the average traveler. Benefitting local hotels, restaurants, and businesses, AMFS visitors stay an average of seven to ten days. Furthermore, AMFS attracts more than 31% of Aspen’s summer visitors, thereby contributing to Aspen’s draw as a significant cultural destination. 

 

 ​AMFS music education and community outreach programs reach 4,000+ students in grades 2-12 across three area school districts from Aspen to Glenwood Springs. Programming offers school-based music education and residencies, library concerts, and a summer “Festival For Kids” including P.A.L.S. (Passes & Lessons Scholarships), Sing Play Move, Tunes & Tales, and Festival Lessons. Tuition and instrument assistance ensures everyone in our diversely populated community has access to the developmental benefits of sustained musical study. 

Aspen Center for Physics

For over 60 years the Aspen Center for Physics has fostered groundbreaking science by offering a unique environment where physicists come together to think, innovate, and collaborate. The Center was founded in 1962, the brainchild of George Stranahan, Robert Craig, and Michael Cohen, who recognized the power of time spent in the mountains to energize science and scientists.

 

Each year over 1,000 scientists from around the world participate in scientific programs at the Center. Throughout the summer a series of two- to four-week overlapping workshops bring together a dynamic community of outstanding researchers with related interests and complementary expertise to work on open problems and share ideas about the most exciting topics at the frontiers of research in physics. One-week conferences throughout the winter focus on the latest discoveries and questions at the forefront of research in several fields. 

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Over 70 countries have been represented, and 68 Nobel laureates have participated in a program at the Aspen Center for Physics. In 2012 the Center was designated a Historical Site of the American Physical Society because of its important contributions to several major developments in physics.

 

In addition, the Aspen Center for Physics offers public programming in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley that includes free community physics lectures, programs for local high school students, summer jobs on the Aspen Center for Physics campus, and interviews with physicists aired on local public radio.

 

Aspen Center for Physics supports local hotels, property management companies, private homeowners, and housekeepers to house the hundreds of physicists who attend for weeks at a time during the summer.  By bringing over 1,000 people to Aspen every year, Aspen Center for Physics contributes to virtually every facet of the Aspen economy.

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