Skip to Content
find events + tickets support the music

about the Festival

Our vision is to be among the finest music festivals in the world and a vital part of Jackson Hole’s distinctive culture of excellence.

Our mission is to engage, entertain, educate, and inspire our resident and seasonal communities through exhilarating musical experiences. We feature orchestral, chamber, and solo performances of primarily classical music by world-class artists, and we foster a culture that draws outstanding musicians to Jackson Hole in support of this mission.

the history of the Festival

The Grand Teton Music Festival was founded in 1962 as a part of a movement to actively develop cultural activities in Jackson Hole. The Festival was initially produced by the Jackson Hole Fine Arts Festival, and with the appointment of Ling Tung as music director in 1968, the Festival began growing into the organization we know and cherish today.

Learn More

our staff

Executive Director
307.733.3050
gtmf@gtmf.org
Emma Kail
Executive Director 307.733.3050 gtmf@gtmf.org
Emma Kail joined Grand Teton Music Festival as Executive Director in September 2020 after serving as General Manager of the Kansas City Symphony for nearly a decade. A lifelong musician, she previously held administrative positions with the Alabama Symphony, Omaha Symphony, and the University of Chicago.

Emma is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and earned her bachelor’s degree in music from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Her master’s degree is in trumpet performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and she further pursued musical study at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada and the Vienna Conservatory in Vienna, Austria.

Emma resides in East Jackson with her husband Jeff and their two sons, James and Charlie.

Board of Directors

Grand Teton Music Festival Board 2025-26, credit Kathryn Ziesig
  • Emma Kail
    Emma Kail
    Executive Director 307.733.3050 gtmf@gtmf.org
    Emma Kail joined Grand Teton Music Festival as Executive Director in September 2020 after serving as General Manager of the Kansas City Symphony for nearly a decade. A lifelong musician, she previously held administrative positions with the Alabama Symphony, Omaha Symphony, and the University of Chicago.

    Emma is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and earned her bachelor’s degree in music from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Her master’s degree is in trumpet performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and she further pursued musical study at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada and the Vienna Conservatory in Vienna, Austria.

    Emma resides in East Jackson with her husband Jeff and their two sons, James and Charlie.
  • Don Larson, chair
    Don Larson, chair
    Chair
    Don Larson, a Cincinnati native, spent his entire 43 year professional career with Great American Insurance Company (and affiliates), retiring in 2017 as President & Chief Operating Officer. Don is a Summa Cum Laude Ohio University graduate (BBA Finance, 1973) and earned designations as a Certified Pubic Accountant (CPA) and Commercial Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). He currently serves on the board and as Vice Chairman of Core Specialty Insurance and on the board of the FC Cincinnati Foundation. Don was elected Chair of the Grand Teton Music Festival Board in August 2025.

    Don and his family started coming to the Jackson area in 2004, spending time each summer at the Triangle X Ranch in Moose. They bought a home north of town in 2007 and since retiring in 2017, split their time between Jackson, Cincinnati, Ohio and Sarasota, Florida. Don is married to Lynn Pulsfort Larson and together they have three now-adult children. Don enjoys all outdoor GTNP activities, travel, sports, reading and attending GTMF summer concerts.
  • David Donovan, immediate past chair
    David Donovan, immediate past chair
    Immediate Past Chair
    David E. Donovan spent his professional career in financial services. At the end of his career he was an Executive Vice President of JPMorgan Chase and co-head of Chase Capital Corp. which invested in subordinated debt and equity of private companies in the U.S.

    Prior to that he was an Executive Vice President of Bank One Corp. At various times he was head of Wealth Management, Human Resources and co-head of Capital Markets. Previously he was head of Asset Backed Finance. David started his career at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York.

    He served fourteen years as a Trustee of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. As a board member he was on the Finance Committee and the Investment Sub-committee. David was also a member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee at Texas Christian University for seven years. He is a member of the Board of Visitors for the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University. David was publicly elected Trustee for the Village of Tuxedo Park, N.Y.
  • Susan Sutton, vice chair
    Susan Sutton, vice chair
    Vice Chair
    Susan Sutton brings to the Board extensive experience in development, primarily in the independent school sphere. After starting her career with Georgetown University, she moved to The Spence School in Manhattan and then to The Branson School in Marin County, California. During her 25-year career in development, Susan was responsible for raising funds for annual support, endowments and bricks and mortar projects.

    She and her husband Nick moved to Jackson Hole from the San Francisco Bay area in 2012. They are parents to a blended family of five children and are the grandparents of nine grandchildren. They love to fly fish and live in Wilson with Bronco, a German Shepard, and Ruby, a Goldendoodle.
  • Mary Weber, secretary
    Mary Weber, secretary
    Secretary
    Mary Weber is a retired partner of Ropes & Gray, an international law firm. She specialized in mergers, acquisitions, and other financings, primarily for public companies and private equity funds. For many years, she served on the law firm’s management committee. Mary is the past President and trustee of Codman Academy Foundation, President and director of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, and trustee of Greater Boston Legal Services and Massachusetts Bar Association. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

    Mary and her husband Rob Duggan have made Jackson Hole their home following many years as a family ski destination. They also spend time in suburban Boston and coastal Rhode Island.
  • Laurentius Marais, treasurer
    Laurentius Marais, treasurer
    Treasurer
    Laurentius Marais has been an Executive Vice President at Compass Lexecon since 2019, having served previously as a Vice President and Principal Consultant at William E. Wecker Associates and on the faculties of the University of Chicago and Stanford University. He holds graduate degrees in mathematics, statistics and business administration from Stanford University. During his more than 30 years in statistical consulting, Dr. Marais has consulted and served as an expert witness in matters of national importance.

    Performing arts organizations whose work Dr. Marais has enjoyed and supported during his 50 years in the U.S.—in addition to the Grand Teton Music Festival and Dancer’s Workshop of Jackson Hole—include the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Music of the Baroque, and Metropolitan Opera, as well as the American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, California Shakespeare Theater, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, and SF Jazz.
  • Sir Donald Runnicles
    Sir Donald Runnicles
    Music Director
    Sir Donald Runnicles is the Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival, General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. In 2019 Runnicles also took up post as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s first ever Principal Guest Conductor. In February 2024, Runnicles was appointed as Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic, beginning in the 25/26 season. He additionally holds the title of Conductor Emeritus of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, having served as Chief Conductor from 2009-2016.
  • Casey Bowlin
    Casey Bowlin
    Casey Bowlin is the Chairman and CEO of Sunstar Insurance Group in Memphis, Tennessee and a member of the Sunstar Insurance Group Executive Committee and Board of Directors. After service as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, he joined E. H. Crump and Company as an insurance salesman and eventually became that firm’s President. 

    Subsequently, he served as Chairman and CEO of Sedgwick Global Ltd., President and insurance CEO of Summit Global Partners, Inc. and President and CEO of Regions Insurance Group. Casey joined Sunstar as its founder and first employee in 2012. He holds the designation of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). Casey is a past chairman of the Trezevant Episcopal Home and former trustee at the Dallas Opera. 

    Casey is a graduate of the University of Virginia and attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife Ruthie have homes in Memphis, TN and Jackson, WY. 
  • Katherine (Kakie) Brooks
    Katherine (Kakie) Brooks
    Katherine (Kakie) Brooks grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, then moved to the East Coast for college and graduate school. She attended Smith College (1981, B.A. in English), then taught high school English in the Boston area for 5 years. In 1986, she moved to Charlottesville to pursue graduate work in University of Virginia’s English department (M.A., 1990) and is ABD—all but dissertation—toward her Ph.D. in English Literature. She taught freshman English at University of Virginia and at Virginia Tech before starting her family in 1993. Around that time, she began a consulting business called The Inheritance Project, which focused on the psycho-social issues surrounding wealth transfer. She and her two partners pursued that work until 2000. Since 2000, she has served on and/or provided informal consulting to a dozen local nonprofits.

    Kakie has two daughters, Sophie and Anna, and she is married to Dr. George Beller, former Chief of Cardiology at University of Virginia. As a family, they enjoy hiking, skiing, and the arts.
  • Natalie Clark
    Natalie Clark
    Natalie Clark is a British-American classically-trained artist/sculptor, designer and educator. Her current work includes large scale sculptures in a variety of mediums (marble, steel, natural materials, ceramics and snow). She has worked on collaborative art projects in South Africa, Australia, Canada and the UK and with the governments of Australia and Burkina Faso to elevate indigenous art forms from those countries in the worldwide arts community.

    Natalie and her husband Henry Armour have four children and reside in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She splits her creative time between her studios in Barcelona and the Tetons.
  • Christoph Cushman
    Christoph Cushman
    Christoph is originally from Oyster Bay, NY. His parents moved to Jackson WY when he was a teenager, and he graduated from Jackson Hole High School in 1991. He went on to graduate from UVA, class of 1995 and from Columbia Business School, Class of 2023. He works in a family business in commercial real estate.

    Christoph recently moved back to Jackson Hole, after raising his four college age children in Locust Valley, NY. He enjoys skiing, playing tennis, running, and going for hikes. He has also enthusiastically enjoyed attending several of the GTMF concerts over the last couple summers.

    Christoph has been involved with several nonprofits over the years, most recently serving on the boards of the North Shore Land Alliance in Locust Valley, NY and the Green Vale School in Old Brookville, NY. He currently serves as a trustee of the Seal Harbor Village Improvement Society in Seal Harbor, ME and as an Advisory Board Member of the North Shore Land Alliance.
  • Jan Davis
    Jan Davis
    Jan Phillips Davis first came to Jackson Hole in the summer of 1980. She had worked as a stringer/reporter in New York City (born and raised) for various print and magazine titles.

    She is a graduate of Brown University, Columbia University (M.B.A.) and The Outward Bound School. She worked in NYC for Ogilvy and Mather Advertising Company and American Express, before moving "west" to Villanova, PA and then to Pacific Palisades, CA with her husband, Chuck, and 2 children.

    Davis and her husband came to ski at JHMR in the 1980s and fondly remember eating picnic lunches in Rendezvous Bowl on bluebird spring days. They built a home in 2010 and sheltered in Jackson during COVID. Jackson became our fulltime residence in May 2020.

    She served on the Board of the Jackson Hole Land Trust from 2018 to 2024 on the Stewardship, Advancement and RPARK 10 year Anniversary Committees. She served on the GTNPF Resource Council from 2016 to 2024.

    In LA, where she lived for nearly 30 years, Davis was a member of a women's giving circle which supported after school programs for at-youth risk. Chuck and Jan also established a scholarship at Brown University for first-gen college students from East and South Africa and South Central Los Angeles. We have supported 8 students through their 4-year college journeys, serving as their surrogate families and often providing cold weather gear for Providence, R.I. 
  • Chiara Kingsley Dieguez
    Chiara Kingsley Dieguez
    ex-officio
    Violist Chiara Kingsley Dieguez is an active orchestral and chamber musician based in the greater Washington, DC and Baltimore area, where she performs regularly with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Washington National Opera, and the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, in addition to her position as principal viola of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Dieguez also enjoys spending her summers playing with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, as well as playing principal viola with the Arizona Musicfest Orchestra each February.

    As a chamber musician, Dieguez has collaborated with the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Fessenden ensemble of Washington, DC, the IBIS Chamber Music Society of Arlington, Festival Baltimore, the Baltimore-based Sundays at Three and Chamber Music by Candlelight series, the Atlantic Chamber ensemble of Richmond, Virginia, and the Mainly Mozart Festival of Miami.

    Before moving to the DC area in 2008, Dieguez served as Associate Principal Viola of the Phoenix Symphony for seven years, and was formerly a member of the prizewinning Sonore String Quartet, the Downtown Chamber Series of Phoenix, and the Mainly Mozart Festival of San Diego, California. Dieguez holds a Bachelor degree in Viola Performance from Arizona State University, where she studied with Dr. William Magers, and a Master degree in Viola Performance from University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied with Daniel Foster and Michael Tree.
  • Christian Erdman
    Christian Erdman
    Christian Erdman is a Private Investor who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Criticism, and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Managerial Economics, both from University of California, Davis.

    Throughout his career, he has held positions at Ulupalakua Ranch Inc., The Abalone Farm Inc., TerraMax Inc., Bar E LCC, Buck Long Ranch Partnership, Spokane Gateway LLC, Valhalla Property Holding LLC, and Shasta Copper Exploration Inc.

    Christian currently serves as the Chair of the Frank H. and Eva B. Buck Foundation. He recently stepped off the boards of the University of California Davis Foundation and of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. At the UC Davis Foundation, he was a member of the finance and investment committee and of the audit committee; at The SF Conservatory, he was a member of the Executive Committee and had served at various times as head of the Audit Committee and of the Committee on Academic Affairs and Student Life.

    Christian lives in Teton Village with his wife Jacqueline and their daughter Mackenzie. They have had property in Jackson since 2004, and recently moved here full-time along with Christian’s office from San Francisco.  
  • Lynn D. Fleisher
    Lynn D. Fleisher
    Lynn D. Fleisher, PhD, JD, is a medical geneticist and a lawyer. She recently retired as General Counsel to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine, and the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Lynn previously spent 30 years in the Health Law Group at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, where she represented associations, credentialing bodies, and foundations in the health care area, including advice regarding board governance, conflicts of interest, and organizational and professional liability. She developed and for many years edited the book, Telemedicine and E-Health Law. She has participated in litigation and advocacy efforts, including challenging restraints on reproductive rights and arguing against the patenting of human genes and related technology. 

    In addition to the Grand Teton Music Festival, Lynn currently serves on the boards of the Off Square Theatre Company in Jackson, and Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Lynn and her husband, John C. Roberts, a lawyer and former Dean of the DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, have three children and five grandchildren. They split their time between Chicago and Jackson.
  • Gary Harvey
    Gary Harvey
    Gary Harvey is the President and CEO of Cirque Analytics, a consulting firm that specializes in the application of economics, statistics, and data analytics to legal, regulatory, and business issues headquartered in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and with offices in Southern California and Washington D.C.

    He has served as an expert in litigation, arbitration, and regulatory proceedings involving evaluation of damages, antitrust, breach of contract, sample design and analysis, U.S. and international credit and debit card market analysis, health care & epidemiology, pharmaceuticals, unfair competition and monopolization, environmental damage, class certification, and Big Data analysis. Clients include Visa, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Basketball Association, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), BP, and Meta.

    Gary and Melissa have four children (Cameron, Caedran, Peyton and Regan) with two children living in Jackson Hole. Gary is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a former officer in the U.S. Air Force. After the Air Force, they lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 18 years before moving to Jackson Hole in 2013. Gary enjoys traveling, skiing, mountain biking, road biking, hiking, boating, music, opera, and exploring all the opportunities around Jackson Hole.
  • Peter Fenton
    Peter Fenton
    Peter Fenton is a General Partner at Benchmark. He joined Benchmark in 2006 after spending seven years as a partner with Accel Partners. Fenton splits his expertise between consumer and enterprise companies, with investments and board seats spanning the likes of Sorare, Robocorp, Wildlife Studios, Digits, Docker, TimescaleDB, Cockroach Labs, and Buoyant. In enterprise, Fenton had one of the most unusual days in venture history in December 2014: Two of his investments, Hortonworks and New Relic, went public on the same day. Fenton also was an investor in Zendesk (IPO 2014) and Yelp (IPO 2011). Most recently, he saw exits through the acquisition of Quip to Salesforce and Zenly to Snap, and Zuora’s IPO.

    Education: MBA from Stanford Business School; BA from Stanford University.
  • Stephanie Key
    Stephanie Key
    ex-officio
    Stephanie Key is a 20-year GTMF musician and supporter of the Festival, having served as a judge for the Donald Runnicles Musical Arts Scholarship Competition and frequently liaised with Festival patrons and donors.

    Key has served as Second Clarinetist at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2021. Previously, Ms. Key was the Associate Principal/E-flat/Second Clarinetist with the San Antonio Symphony and a member of the Houston Ballet Orchestra. She has appeared as Guest Principal Clarinetist with the Minnesota Orchestra and Fort Worth Symphony. She has also performed with symphonies in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Monterrey (Mexico). She spends her summers performing at the Grand Teton Music Festival. A passionate advocate of contemporary classical music, Ms. Key is a founding member and current Artistic Director of SOLI Chamber Ensemble.

    An Illinois native, Ms. Key grew up in Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from New England Conservatory of Music with Distinction in Performance where she studied with Bill Wrzesien, and continued with graduate work at California Institute for the Arts with Michele Zukovsky. A cross-country cyclist and mountain climber, she recently finished her fifth Boston Marathon and has also added ultra-distance trail running to her list of obsessions.
  • Matthew Lusins
    Matthew Lusins
    Matthew Lusins, CFA, CFP is the Founder & CIO of Bootpack Financial Partners, a private wealth advisory firm based in Jackson, WY. Matthew spent most of his career at Meritage Group LP, the $11B multi-family office for employees of Renaissance Technologies, most notably the Simons family. Based in New York, he oversaw $2.5B of investments across a wide range of global alternative strategies. Prior to Meritage, Matthew helped build two successful hedge fund platforms at The Carlyle Group and Deutsche Bank. He started his career at the United States Senate where he was the Special Assistant to the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the Senior Senator from New York.

    He received his MSc from the London School of Economics and his BA from Boston University, where he was a scholarship Division I rower. Matthew resides in Jackson with his wife Erin, CFO of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, and their three children. Matthew is currently the Chair of GTMF’s Investment Committee.
  • Nancy Martini
    Nancy Martini
    Auxiliary President
    Nancy Martini moved to Jackson full-time in 2017 after 35 years of visits from her longtime home in New England. A University of Minnesota graduate, she built a global career in advertising, marketing, and construction while raising two sons and volunteering for causes close to her heart. Today, she is happily “semi-retired,” consulting for her sons’ business, exploring the outdoors, and now serving as President of the Grand Teton Music Festival Auxiliary. Passionate about the Festival’s world-class performances and welcoming community, Nancy considers it one of the true highlights of life in Jackson.
  • Suzanne Jin Mesinoglu
    Suzanne Jin Mesinoglu
    Suzanne Jin Mesinoglu is an experienced international technology and change management consultant whose career has included leading large multicultural and multi-disciplinary teams to deliver digital business transformation programs for global retail and travel industry clients. As part of SapientNitro’s executive leadership team, Suzanne was responsible for the agency’s growth and entry into new markets in Asia and the Middle East. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and a Concentration in Music from Northwestern University.

    Suzanne, with her husband Ahmet and two children, lives in Jackson, WY and Brussels, Belgium, where she is active in the community and serves on the Board of Trustees of the International School of Brussels and a European Director for Northwestern University’s Alumni Admissions Council. Suzanne is a pianist and lifetime supporter of the musical arts. She has been a GTMF subscriber since 2010.
  • Susie Rauch
    Susie Rauch
    Susie Rauch founded and served as Executive Director of Interconnections 21 (IC 21) from 1997-2015. IC 21 was a non-profit organization based in Jackson, Wyoming, dedicated to helping schools and communities in the Northern Rockies “learn about critical world concerns and take action.” Under her leadership, IC 21 brought prominent national and international speakers to Jackson Hole, sponsored Model United Nations conferences, and oversaw student study and service-learning trips abroad. Other programs included fundraising to build and support a school in Sierra Leone and organizing teacher workshops on themes such as UNESCO’s World Heritage program.

    Susie moved to Wyoming after a successful 15-year career at UNESCO HQ in Paris.  While at UNESCO, she worked on developing education programs in Eastern and Southern Africa where she traveled frequently. In 1980, she was seconded to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and worked on the repatriation and resettlement program in Zimbabwe after it achieved independence.

    After leaving UNESCO in 1986, Susie served as a consultant with UNESCO, UNDP, Save the Children and World Education. She has been a resident of Jackson Hole since the late 1980s, where she enjoys skiing, fishing and hiking with her dogs.  Other interests include classical music, learning Spanish and bridge.

    Susie received a BA from Smith College and a MA in the Teaching of History from Teachers’ College, Columbia University.  She also holds an EdD in International Education from the University of Massachusetts.
  • Jack Selby
    Jack Selby
    John R. Selby (Jack) is a technology and finance entrepreneur. His primary role is as Managing Director at Peter Thiel’s family office, Thiel Capital, based in Los Angeles. Jack also founded and manages AZ-VC, the largest venture capital fund in Arizona.

    As a “PayPal Mafia” member, Jack co-founded, along with Peter, Clarium Capital Management, a macro hedge fund after selling PayPal to eBay in October 2002. At PayPal,
    Jack joined as an original employee and later served as a Corporate Officer/Senior Vice President, overseeing the company’s international and corporate operations.

    As an active technology investor and advisor, Jack’s involvements include notable companies such as SpaceX, Palantir, Affirm, Blend, Paradox, Myeloid Therapeutics, Kisbee Therapeutics, Convergence Bio, and many more.

    Jack also founded and manages High Frequency Entertainment, an independent film production company. His credits include Roofman (Channing Tatum), The Last Showgirl (Pamela Anderson), Memory (Jessica Chastain), His Three Daughters (Natasha Lyonne), Windfall (Lily Collins), Silk Road (Jason Clarke), Freeheld (Julianne Moore), Bernie (Matthew McConaughey), Act of Valor (Navy SEALs) as well documentaries Fastball (Kevin Costner), Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (Morgan Spurlock) and many more.

    Jack received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Hamilton College. He currently serves as both a Charter Trustee and member of the Investment Committee for the college’s
    endowment.

    Jack’s other philanthropic activities include the Navy SEALs Foundation, member of the Advisory Council to the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, member of the Board of Directors at the Arizona Commerce Authority, member of the Board of Directors at the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, member of the Board of Directors at the Grand Teton Music Festival and co-founder and member of the Board of Directors for the Wyoming Global Technology Partnership with Governor Mark Gordon.

    Jack is a resident of Paradise Valley, Arizona, Teton Village, WY, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
  • Robert F. Spetzler, M.D.
    Robert F. Spetzler, M.D.
    Robert F. Spetzler, M.D., was born in Stierhoefstetten, Germany in 1944. In 1953, his family moved to the United States and on July 16, 1965, he was naturalized. He attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, and graduated cum laude with Bachelors of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry in 1967. In 1967, he entered medical school at Northwestern University, where he obtained his M.D. in 1971 and completed his internship in 1972. In 1972, Dr. Spetzler moved to the University of California at San Francisco where he trained as a resident under Charles B. Wilson, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery. It was there, under the expert tutelage of Dr. Wilson, that his interest in neurovascular surgery developed and his commitment to academic neurosurgery was established. Before finishing his residency, he had already published 15 articles in refereed journals, on eight of which he was first author; had helped edit two books; and had made almost 20 presentations at national and international meetings. During the last year of his residency, he was awarded a Trauma Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He also received the Annual Resident Award at the 27th Annual Meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. After his residency, Dr. Spetzler joined the Department of Neurosurgery at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio as an Assistant Professor. In 1980, he received his first major grant from NIH, developing a baboon model of stroke that has been particularly generative for testing new therapeutic treatments for stroke and cerebral ischemia. In 1981, he was promoted to Associate Professor, holding that appointment until 1983. In 1983, Dr. Spetzler was recruited by Dr. John R. Green to assume the J. N. Harber Chair of Neurological Surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) in Phoenix, Arizona. Under Dr. Spetzler's leadership, the BNI has grown from primarily a regional center to an internationally recognized center of excellence that attracts both visiting health care professionals and patient referrals from around the world. The residency program has become the largest and one of the most highly sought programs because of the diversity of clinical experience and the emphasis on developing independent research projects. Among just a few of Dr. Spetzler's contributions, have been the development of the NPPBT and a grading system for cranial and spinal AVMs; cardiac arrest for giant infratentorial aneurysms and the development of innovative approaches for CM’s in the brainstem and thalamus. Overall, he has published 856 articles in refereed journals and authored 29 books. He has presented virtually every named lectureship nationally and internationally. Among countless honors, Dr. Spetzler was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from his undergraduate alma mater, Knox College, and was chosen as the Honored Guest of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons 1994-the youngest member ever to receive this award. In 2022 he again was the Honored Guest of the congress, the only and first neurosurgeon so recognized. In 2017 he received the AANS highest honor, the Cushing Medal. He retired from performing surgery in 2017 but has remained active with presentations around the world. He is happily married to Nancy, his inspiration and the mother of their two precious children. They share a passion for skiing, biking, hiking, traveling, and performing and enjoying classical music.
  • Lisa LaBossiere Steele
    Lisa LaBossiere Steele
    After starting a family in 1980, Lisa left her research position in Boston and began focusing on education and women’s health issues. As the family moved to take advantage of professional opportunities, Lisa’s commitment to mission-driven board service increased. Over the years she has served on numerous councils and organizations. The list includes the Chicago Lying-In Hospital Board of Directors, the WVIA Public Media Board of Directors (a PBS/NPR affiliate in Pennsylvania), the Transitions of PA Board of Directors, Chair (a domestic violence/sexual assault service agency), Vertical Harvest of Jackson Hole Board of Managers (a vertical farm staffed by disabled individuals), the Cultivate Ability Board of Directors, Chair (a disability awareness and inclusion organization), and the Resource Council for the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. She currently serves on the Wyoming Humanities Council Board of Directors (the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities).

    Lisa and her husband Glenn have supported symphony orchestras and opera companies in all the major cities in which they lived, including Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. As avid opera enthusiasts, they have maintained a season subscription and have been supporters of the Metropolitan Opera for 45+ years.

    Lisa and Glenn live in Jackson and have owned a home in Teton County since 1983. As outdoor enthusiasts, the choice to purchase a second home in Wyoming, after years of skiing at various places in the West, was an easy one. The decision to make it their full-time residence 10 years ago was also easy. Their children, now adults, and their grandchildren consider Jackson their home away from home.
  • Matt Stoner
    Matt Stoner
    Matt Stoner is a Partner at Tidal Partners, a technology-focused investment bank headquartered in Palo Alto, California, that provides strategic M&A advisory services to the world’s leading companies. A native of Houston, Texas, and lifelong musician, Matt completed his undergraduate studies at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and holds an MBA, with honors, from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where he was an Edward Tuck Scholar. Matt serves on the MBA Council for the Tuck School of Business and the 1919 Board of Advisors for the Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank based in Palo Alto.

    Matt and his wife, Marguerite, live in North Texas with their two young children and two hound dogs, Pickles and Beans, and spend as much time as possible in Jackson.
  • Shari Turpin
    Shari Turpin
    At Pearls by Shari, we believe every pearl tells a story—of pain transformed into beauty, of ordinary moments revealing extraordinary treasures. Founded by Shari Turpin in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, our brand was born from humble beginnings: Shari sold her early designs door to door while homeschooling her children. Today, Pearls by Shari is an internationally recognized name, with locations including Neiman Marcus nationwide.

    As an award-winning South Sea pearl buyer, Shari has spent over 25 years seeking the world’s rarest pearls. Her pursuit is not just about beauty—it’s about purpose. Inspired by the message of redemption, each pearl symbolizes hope and transformation. This mission continues to guide her work and philanthropic efforts around the globe.
  • Andrew Watson
    Andrew Watson
    After growing up in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, Andy attended college at the University of Wisconsin and graduate school at the University of Minnesota, majoring in math and engineering.

    Now retired, he enjoyed a 30-year career as a consulting mechanical engineer in California and served as president of Syska Hennessy Group, the largest engineering firm of its type in the country, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and other major cities. Notable accomplishments under his leadership included firm-wide technology advancements, creating a strong client-service culture, designing sophisticated sales and marketing initiatives, and rebranding the firm as a broader based consulting company.

    Andy resides in Wilson, Wyoming near Grand Teton National Park and in Tucson, Arizona. In Wyoming, he served on the Teton County Energy Board as they implemented a major energy reduction plan.

    He is the past board chair for True Concord Voices and Orchestra in Tucson Arizona and serves on the board of the Tucson Desert Song Festival. He serves currently on two theatre boards in Arizona, the Arizona Theatre Company and the Rogue Theatre. In retirement he utilizes the educational resources of the University of Arizona, attends many of Tucson’s and Jackson’s cultural events, and enjoys hiking, golfing, skiing, bridge, and travel.
  • Beryl Weiner
    Beryl Weiner
    Beryl Weiner was born in the US, grew up in Mexico City, and returned to Los Angeles at age 13.

    After graduating from UCLA and Loyola Law School, Beryl began his law career first at the State Attorney General’s Office, then in private practice including establishing the Los Angeles law firm of Selvin & Weiner, APC in 1975 with Paul Selvin, Beryl’s mentor and partner. Beryl’s legal career has included broad experience involving complex civil litigation in trial and appellate courts, extensive work in connection with real estate disputes, advising healthcare facilities, estate and trust matters, casino and gambling licensing and regulation, not-for-profit organizations, etc.

    Beryl has been involved on the boards of various non-profit organizations for the past 15 years.

    Beryl is married to Joyce Craig. They have six children between them. They split their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Jackson. Since 1995, activities in Jackson have included GTMF concerts, friends, Monday morning men’s group, skiing, kayaking, golfing, hiking, working, and just plain relaxing.

Lifetime Directors

  • David Augé
  • Charles C. Baker*
  • Joseph Bennett*
  • Peter A. Benoliel*
  • Lynne V. Cheney
  • John Costello
  • Sen. Roy Goodman*
  • Chris Hartley
  • Jayne Hilde
  • Al Hilde, Jr.*
  • Earl Sams Lightner*
  • Barbara McCelvey
  • Sylvia Neil
  • Gilman Ordway*
  • Robert Paulson
  • Ari Rifkin
  • W. Richard Scarlett, III
  • Mary Seidler
  • Stanley Seidler
  • Sen. Alan K. Simpson*
  • Allan Tessler
  • Margot Walk
  • William D. Weiss*

* Deceased

Auxiliary

  • Emily Ambler*
  • Kirsten Beda
  • Martha Birkett-Morley*
  • Maria Coulter
  • Reade Dornan
  • Jean Ferguson*
  • Lynn Fleisher*
  • Rebecca Gallaher
  • Ilene Garber
  • Theresa Godchaux
  • Joan Goldfarb*
  • Michele Goodman
  • Natalie Goss*
  • Chris Gulotta
  • Louise Haberfeld*
  • Nanci Halper,
  • Chris Hartley*
  • Jennifer Hayes
  • Julia Heileson
  • Barbara Herz
  • Christine Hruza-Iams*
  • Patty Jaquith*
  • Nancy Jarrell*
  • Lenore Jonasson
  • Alison Jones*
  • Judy Kaelber
  • Chris Kadue
  • Robin Keeler
  • Charlotte Kidd
  • Patty Krause
  • Beedee Ladd*
  • Catherine Loevner
  • Nancy Martini
  • Kimberly McMorrow
  • Elinor Miller*
  • Dale Naylor
  • Pam Niner
  • Michele Pacifico
  • Nancy Pasfield
  • Robin Paulson*
  • Lucy Rankin*
  • Anne Read
  • Carol Schwender*
  • Louise Shiverick,
  • Priscilla Sibson*
  • Anastasia Slivker
  • Priscilla Sorensen
  • Rebecca Studer
  • Joan Thulin*
  • Terry Trauner
  • Jeana Troyan
  • Holly Wardle
  • M.E. Weber
  • Janet Whitmire
  • Diane Winder

*Denotes Sustaining Member

past seasons

reports & documents

View the Grand Teton Music Festival's reports, policies and other documents here.

watch & listen

Listen to the music of the Festival Orchestra all year round. Experience high-quality recordings and videos from the Walk Festival Hall stage.

job opportunities

GTMF has a year-round, full-time, salaried staff and offers a competitive benefits package. Full-time, part-time and/or seasonal opportunities will be posted at the link below.

current openings