Each summer, world orchestras play an open-air stage in Vail's Ford Park

Tucked into Ford Park on the east end of Vail sits an open-air stage where, on a summer evening, you might hear the New York Philharmonic tuning up with the peaks of the Gore Range still catching light behind them. The venue is the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, an outdoor space managed by the Vail Valley Foundation, and the music is the Bravo! Vail Music Festival.

Bravo! Vail began in 1987 and has grown into the orchestral series’ summer home for several of the country’s leading ensembles. In recent seasons its orchestral residencies have welcomed the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic, along with a guest international chamber orchestra that changes from year to year. Performances run across late June and July.

Part of the draw is the setting. The amphitheater is roofed over the stage but open to the mountain air, so the sound carries out past the seats toward the slopes. You can buy a seat under cover or bring a blanket and sit on the lawn, where families and dogs tend to settle in.

Exact dates, the season’s visiting orchestra, and what’s free versus ticketed shift each year, so check the current program at Bravo! Vail’s official site before you plan an evening.