Festival Hill is in full swing for the Summer
Every year the Round Top Festival Institute puts on an amazing 6 week Music Festival in Round Top, Texas- at a place locals and visitors like to call "Festival Hill". Read on to find out more about what to expect at this magical place and why you should go check it out.
First, Let's clarify some terms
Round Top Festival Institute: A non-profit organization founded by James Dick in 1971 that provides students the opportunity to continue their musical education during the summer. This amazing organization thrives on providing a haven for young and experienced musicians alike and every year (this is year 47) they host the Round Top Music Festival to share that talent with the community. These musicians come from all over the world- young students all the way to some of the most profound, award winning musicians of our generation.
"Festival Hill": This term refers to the grounds, the atmosphere, the culture-the location where the school is located and also where the events are held (we will elaborate on this in a bit). Covered in beauty from gardens to historical homes-Festival Hill is truly a magical place to be.
Round Top Music Festival: A 6 week event that runs from the beginning of June to mid-July every year. This event holds three concerts every Saturday and smaller, more intimate shows throughout the week. Each concert is comprised of close to 50 world-renowned faculty and conductors performing alongside 95 talented, young musicians. These students have won scholarships to study and perform through the program- providing these deserving, talented musicians the unique opportunity to immerse themselves into the culture and perform with the very people they admire.
Now that we've covered the in's and out's of this magical festival, without further adieu-
Here are the 5 reasons why you should visit the Round Top Music Festival
1. It's the Perfect Day/Weekend Trip to Round Top, Texas
Round Top, Texas is a city nestled between Houston & Austin. Notorious for its Antique Shows-Round Top is the destination for thousands of antique enthusiasts every Spring & Fall. During the summer when the shows are over, many people still yearn to visit this small town that boasts a population of 90. It's seen as a place to escape from the big city, a place to disconnect and go back to a simpler time. With the Festival going on every Saturday it would be a perfect opportunity to experience music, culture, and the grounds at Festival Hill while still getting to experience Round Top when its not so crowded. It could be a simple, yet fulfilling visit to take while keeping the driving to a minimum.
2. The Grounds
Can you say breathtaking? Festival Hill has truly grown in it's 47 years and is home to some of the most beautiful gardens and reclaimed structures in Fayette County. The Campus started out with only 6 acres in 1971 and has since grown to a span of 210 acres. It has been generously planted with gardens, rare trees and herbal collections lined by ponds, trails, fountains and unusual landscaping. Over time it has become a destination for visitors from all over the world.
Edythe Bates Chapel
William Clayton House
The Festival Hill grounds has accumulated many structures over the years. The small school building built in 1956 is the only building on the original 6-acre site. The William Lockhart Clayton House (1885) from La Grange and the Menke House (1902) from Hempstead came to Festival Hill soon after its creation and today provide lodging, meeting, rehearsal, dining and practice space for the Young Artists, Faculty and staff. In 1994, the Edythe Bates Old Chapel (1883), formerly the Travis Street United Methodist Church of La Grange, was added to the campus. See a full list of historical homes and buildings on the proprty here
"It's a total experience - a place unlike most places,"
3. "The Hall"
Concert Hall
The Concert Hall at Festival Hill is one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in Texas. It could easily be deemed the 8th wonder of the world with its beautiful custom wood work and shapes designed to provide not only excellent acoustics, but also a breathtaking view. Seating around 1100 in its plush red chairs, this concert hall in the middle of Round Top, Texas bears a striking resemblance to it's European counterparts. Combining the utter beauty of the hall along with the sounds that travel so eloquently through it creates an intense and satisfying experience for all who get to be apart of it.
4. Supporting Musical Education for the Future Generations
Unfortunately, musical education in the United States has been declining in the recent years, with many public schools taking out the program all together. Round Top Festival Institute is a non profit organization that provides scholarships for nearly 90 students every year to continue their education during the summer months. These budding young musicians are housed, fed, and educated during their 6 week stay and learn alongside world renowned composers and faculty whose primary focus is nourishing and growing the next generation of musical talent.
5. A Cultural Experience
Photo by: Bernard Mendoza Photography.
The orchestra of students, faculty, and composers that make up the the Round Top Music Festival are from all over the world. The ambiance you experience when visiting Festival Hill is one of excitement. Cultures from all over the globe, brought together in one place. People having never met before, are striking up conversations with eachother, learning from eachother. Festival Hill offers the experience to meet and interact with people you otherwise would have never met.
This place is truly magical.
We want to thank the Round Top Festival Institute for bringing this worldly experience to a small Texas town. James Dick and his staff have done a stellar job in nurturing this place to grow into what it has become today. Congratulations on the 47 years. Here's to many more!
Also:
If youre looking for a cool place to stay during your visit to Festival Hill and Round Top Check out our availability at Flophouze - We'd love to have ya'll!