Welcome, Festival Season!

From the Telluride Tourism Board, upcoming festivals in Telluride in June include:

June 17-20: Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival features four days of bluegrass music on the stage in Telluride Town Park.

The 2010 Bluegrass Festival lineup includes Lyle Lovett; Court Yard Hounds; Alison Krauss & Union Station, featuring Jerry Douglas; Sam Bush Band; Béla Fleck; Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer; Yonder Mountain String Band; Telluride House Band, featuring Sam, Béla, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan and Stuart; Del McCoury Band; Hot Rize; Leftover Salmon; Tim O'Brien Band; Dave Rawlings Machine; Jerry Douglas; Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band; Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile; Peter Rowan; Carolina Chocolate Drops; John Cowan Band Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros; Imelda May; Cadillac Sky; Mumford & Sons; The Drepung Monks; Väsen; Sarah Jarosz; The Hillbenders; and many more.

June 23-July 3: Telluride Musicfest. For those with different musical inclinations, Telluride Musicfest presents chamber music in its intended form—first-class musicians performing in an intimate home environment. With scores from Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Shostakovich, Faure, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Mozart and other composers, musicians from around the world will share their harmony of sounds.

June 24-27: Telluride Wine Festival. Pairing the beauty of the mountains with indulgence of fine wines, Telluride Wine Festival features winemakers' luncheons, cooking demonstrations, reserve programs, seminars and tastings for novices and experts alike. On Friday and Saturday, there is also music scheduled in Telluride Town Park. This year's performers are Jackie Green and Jason Isbell on Friday and DeVotchka and Blitzen Trapper on Saturday.

June 29 - July 4: Telluride Plein-Air. June’s final festival captures the light and majestic scenery of the region with Telluride Plein-Air, an opportunity to observe some of the nation's top artists as they capture the area's majestic mountain views, historic downtown Telluride and other captivating local settings.

News from Telluride!

Hello from Telluride!

Last week, we received San Miguel County real estate data from our source at Telluride Consulting. In April 2010, sales in the county were up by 350% in dollar volume and 23% in count of sales compared with April 2009. Year-to-date dollar volume has increased by 114% and count of sales by 45% compared with the same time period in 2009. March was also a very positive month, with sales up by 120% in dollar volume and by 39% in count compared with the same month in 2009.

The most active category was Mountain Village homes. In 2008, only 10 homes were sold, in 2009 that doubled, with 20 homes selling, and in 2010 it is remarkable that 11 homes have sold thus far with another 4 homes contracted. This is an interesting contrast to the first quarter of home sales in 2009 which were virtually zero. Many motivated buyers have obviously moved to acquire homes at the newly downward-adjusted prices. We are seeing that dollar volume and sales counts for the last quarter of 2009 and first quarter of 2010 are up significantly. April shows that we are off to an excellent start for the second quarter of 2010. There is also a substantial inventory of Mountain Village condos slated to close in the upcoming months.

In the historic Town of Telluride, there are $53 million worth of pre-sold Element 52 condominiums that will begin closing in June as the buildings are completed. The balance of these condos will close in July and August.

As always, if I can provide you with more data, or information on Telluride real estate or our area, please contact me at 970-728-1234 or buzz@fedorka.com.

JASPER JOHNS’ FLAG REALIZES US$28,642,500 — A WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST

UPDATE FROM CHRISTIE'S GREAT ESTATES, MAY 12, 2010:
Christie’s International Sells US$232 Million of Post-War and Contemporary Art at the May 11 Evening Sale
Jasper Johns’ Flag led Christie’s May 11 Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale at New York’s Rockefeller Center, breaking the world record for the artist at US$28,642,500. The work was one of 31 pieces from The Michael Crichton Collection which totaled $US93.3 million. The author of “Jurassic Park” and creator of the television hit “E.R.” purchased the painting directly from Johns over 30 years ago. Andy Warhol’s “Silver Liz” was another standout, realizing US$18.3 million pushing the evening's total take to US$232 million.

See the Christie’s press release for more information:
Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale Totals US$231.9 Million. The Collection of Michael Crichton Totals US$93.323,500

Please contact buzz@fedorka.com for more information on these sales, or any Telluride real estate information.

Jazz Fest Bonus Information!

"JAZZ AFTER DARK" LINE-UP
After the music stops in Town Park, Jazz keeps going with performances in Town at the Sheridan Opera House, the Nugget Theater, the Llama, and the Fly Me to the Moon Saloon; and at the Peaks Resort and Spa in the Mountain Village (a short, free gondola ride away). Patrons and Weekend All-Access passholders may enter these venues with their wristband. A limited number of tickets to each show will be sold in advance on the Jazz website beginning April 19.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5
The Peaks Resort and Spa- Mountain Village- 8:00-8:45 pm
Hazel Miller Band (free)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6
Sheridan Opera House- 9:30 pm
Chuchito Valdes Afro-Cuban Ensemble

Nugget Theater- 9:30 pm
Raul Midón

The Llama- 10:00 pm (2 sets)
An Evening with Charlie Hunter

Fly Me to the Moon Saloon- 11:00 pm (2 sets)
Hazel Miller Band

The Peaks Resort and Spa- Mountain Village- 9:00 - 10:00 pm
Bob Montgomery- Al Hermann Sextet (free)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7
Sheridan Opera House- 10:00 pm
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Nugget Theater- 9:30 pm
Jackie Ryan

The Llama- 10:00 pm
An Evening with Charlie Hunter

Fly Me to the Moon Saloon- 10:00 pm (2 sets)
Eric Krasno & Chapter 2
featuring Adam Deitch and Nigel Hall

The Peaks Resort and Spa- Mountain Village- 9:00 - 10:00 pm
Josh Quinlan Quartet (free)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8
Sheridan Opera House- 10:30 pm
Eric Krasno & Chapter 2
featuring Adam Deitch and Nigel Hall
(no passes)

If you have already purchased your tickets for Jazz this year, or if you are thinking about it now, today is a great time to make your plans. On the day after Jazz ends, there will be two nights of Phish performances that will max out the capacity of Telluride and Mountain Village lodging. Our lodging sponsors have committed to holding rooms for Jazz-goers, and we'd like to help them help you get your lodging booked.

FREE YOGA CLASSES FOR JAZZ TICKET HOLDERS!!!

Join CorePower Yoga for an exhilarating hour of outdoor yoga. Their unique style of Vinyasa flow yoga combines energy, music, movement and community to create a one-of-a-kind yoga experience. Regardless of your age, strength or flexibility level, this class is for you! You’ll leave feeling rejuvenated, detoxified, and ready for the day. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to try one of the most popular and fun approaches to yoga!

Telluride Jazz is really excited to welcome our new Presenting Sponsor, CorePower Yoga. Make sure to check out their website, http://corepoweryoga.com for locations, classes, and to sign up for their newsletter. On the Saturday and Sunday of the Jazz Celebration they will hold FREE CLASSES for beginners and advanced students at the festival grounds in Town Park. Your Jazz wristband is your free entrance. Start your day with yoga and end it with Jazz!

Raul Midón's One Man Show!

This New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter unleashes a silky, soulful tenor and dazzling percussive guitar style in which bass, harmony, and melodic lines emanate from the fretboard in one slap-happy storm. If that weren’t enough, Midón busts out his improvisational mouth horn technique, in which he creates a bebop “trumpet” solo entirely with his lips, earning himself a spontaneous burst of mid-song applause from the audience in the process.

His newest album, “Synthesis”, is a genre-defying blend of soul, pop, jazz, folk, and Latin elements. Just released in the U.S., “Synthesis” sets some of Midón’s more biting insights about betrayal, fear, loss, and the American Dream to deceptively up-tempo swinging rhythms and deliriously catchy melodies.

Telluride Jazz welcomes Raul Midón to the Nugget Theater on Friday, August 6 and the Town Park Mainstage on Sat., August 7.

Please contact buzz@fedorka.com for more information on Jazz Festival, or any Telluride real estate needs.