Music, Adventure, Mentorship, Purpose—Elevated
OUR MISSION
Mountain Light Music Festival is a place where wilderness, elegance, and musical masterworks come together in perfect harmony. Artists and audiences are invited into an environment where music feels both intimate and expansive—rooted in nature, elevated by craftsmanship, and illuminated by purpose.
Each summer, we host diverse concerts with many styles, instruments, programs, and artists to choose from. Admission ranges from free to exclusive donor-tier, affording opportunities for all ages and interests. Venues across town offer backdrops that highlight the best of Pagosa, including concerts at Keyah Grande, Liberty Theatre, Springs Resort, Elk Lake Lodge, the Cade Mountain Meadow, Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse, and Community Methodist Church. Catch musicians around Pagosa for pop-ups at local favorites like Riff Raff Brewing, Pagosa Brewing and Grill, and Town Park.
At the core of our mission are four guiding pillars: Music, Adventure, Mentorship, and Purpose. Mountain Light Music Festival hosts world-class artists, professional music faculty, and passionate student fellows to create a community devoted to artistic discovery. As they soar toward future careers, fellows explore their truest musical identity while learning from mentors who value curiosity, authenticity, and expressive depth.
But Mountain Light is more than a festival—it’s an experience shaped by the land itself. Adventure is woven into our artistic process, inviting participants to engage with the natural world through guided excursions, quiet moments in the meadow, and the shared experience of making music in a place untouched by distraction. Here, art and nature are not separate; they inform, challenge, and inspire one another.
Every performance, workshop, and conversation is designed with purpose—to cultivate meaningful artistry, build connections across generations of musicians, and reimagine what a music festival can be when creativity is allowed to roam freely in the wild. At Mountain Light Music Festival, we believe the mountains help reveal who we are as artists—and who we can become.
Each summer, we host diverse concerts with many styles, instruments, programs, and artists to choose from. Admission ranges from free to exclusive donor-tier, affording opportunities for all ages and interests. Venues across town offer backdrops that highlight the best of Pagosa, including concerts at Keyah Grande, Liberty Theatre, Springs Resort, Elk Lake Lodge, the Cade Mountain Meadow, Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse, and Community Methodist Church. Catch musicians around Pagosa for pop-ups at local favorites like Riff Raff Brewing, Pagosa Brewing and Grill, and Town Park.
At the core of our mission are four guiding pillars: Music, Adventure, Mentorship, and Purpose. Mountain Light Music Festival hosts world-class artists, professional music faculty, and passionate student fellows to create a community devoted to artistic discovery. As they soar toward future careers, fellows explore their truest musical identity while learning from mentors who value curiosity, authenticity, and expressive depth.
But Mountain Light is more than a festival—it’s an experience shaped by the land itself. Adventure is woven into our artistic process, inviting participants to engage with the natural world through guided excursions, quiet moments in the meadow, and the shared experience of making music in a place untouched by distraction. Here, art and nature are not separate; they inform, challenge, and inspire one another.
Every performance, workshop, and conversation is designed with purpose—to cultivate meaningful artistry, build connections across generations of musicians, and reimagine what a music festival can be when creativity is allowed to roam freely in the wild. At Mountain Light Music Festival, we believe the mountains help reveal who we are as artists—and who we can become.
HISTORY
Since 1978, Founder and Director Brent Phillips visited Pagosa Springs, CO, to backpack with Voice of Wilderness, an organization offering outdoor adventures.
These formative excursions remained with Phillips when he sought to develop a creative opportunity for university faculty to recruit and train promising young musicians in a unique setting, and to bring excellent performing arts to this beloved town. He founded Mountain Light Music Festival (MLMF) in 2015.
Today, MLMF continues to afford students experiences of nature, adventure, and community in an inspiring alpine setting. Faculty cook, serve, teach, perform and mentor students in their professional and creative pursuits.
These musicians give back their talents to the Pagosa community by performing a range of concerts in various local settings. MLMF provides breathtaking concerts featuring students, guests, and prolific guest artists.
These formative excursions remained with Phillips when he sought to develop a creative opportunity for university faculty to recruit and train promising young musicians in a unique setting, and to bring excellent performing arts to this beloved town. He founded Mountain Light Music Festival (MLMF) in 2015.
Today, MLMF continues to afford students experiences of nature, adventure, and community in an inspiring alpine setting. Faculty cook, serve, teach, perform and mentor students in their professional and creative pursuits.
These musicians give back their talents to the Pagosa community by performing a range of concerts in various local settings. MLMF provides breathtaking concerts featuring students, guests, and prolific guest artists.
PARTNERSHIP WITH VOICE OF WILDERNESS
The primary goal of Voice of Wilderness is to communicate the reality of Jesus Christ and the practical application of the teachings found in the books of the Bible. In a complex society such as ours, man has virtually ignored this vital part of an educational process. We use the wilderness setting as a tool to relate Biblical principles to the everyday needs of the individual. God used the wilderness to deal with His people; Moses, Elijah, David, John the Baptist, and Jesus were all led into the solitude of their natural environments to reflect and develop.
Where life is basic, man is more likely to realize his need for dependence on his Creator. Here, an individual can see God's creation and understand more of His power. Free from day to day distractions, one can clearly examine the life Christ claimed to give. The wilderness is truly a voice that declares God's "invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature." (Romans 1:20)
Where life is basic, man is more likely to realize his need for dependence on his Creator. Here, an individual can see God's creation and understand more of His power. Free from day to day distractions, one can clearly examine the life Christ claimed to give. The wilderness is truly a voice that declares God's "invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature." (Romans 1:20)