Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town
Interlochen
For music lovers who also want a beach: lakeside summer concerts at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, with a state park and old pines next door.
Music · Heritage · Interlochen
Les Préludes at Interlochen
The free concert that closes every Interlochen Arts Camp season, with all three high school orchestras and dancers in the Interlochen Bowl. 2027 is the 100th.
Les Préludes is how Interlochen says goodbye to summer. In 1928, the camp’s first season, founder Joseph Maddy closed the final concert with Liszt’s tone poem, whose title means the beginnings. Students asked to play it again the next year, and it has ended every season since.
The 2027 performance is the 100th, with alumni, former faculty and families invited back for a reunion. In 2026 it was free with no ticket required; check Interlochen’s calendar for 2027 details.
What to expect
The World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Interlochen Philharmonic and World Youth Wind Symphony play Liszt's Les Préludes together while the Interlochen Summer Dance Ensemble moves through the Bowl's aisles and onto its roof. In 2026 it was free with no tickets needed and broadcast live on Classical IPR.
Location
Where Les Préludes at Interlochen happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks the town; check the organizer for exact venues.
About Interlochen
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Attraction
Interlochen Center for the Arts
The arts camp and boarding school founded in 1928 between two lakes south of Traverse City, with student and guest-artist concerts open to the public.
Under a mile away (straight line)
State park
Interlochen State Park
Michigan's first state park, between Duck and Green lakes, with old-growth pines, two campgrounds and the Interlochen arts campus next door.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Ski area
Hickory Hills
Traverse City's own ski hill since 1952, with 16 runs, Nordic trails including a lighted loop and an FIS-certified course, and disc golf in summer.
About 10 miles away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Hotel · Budget
Interlochen Motel
On J. Maddy Parkway (former M-137) in Interlochen
A small motel on J. Maddy Parkway in Interlochen, listed as open year-round, close to Interlochen Center for the Arts and Interlochen State Park.
More events in and around Interlochen
- Interlochen Arts FestivalInterlochen's summer season of concerts and performances, from student orchestras to touring headliners at Kresge Auditorium on Green Lake.
- Elk Rapids Harbor DaysElk Rapids' summer festival since 1955: several days of parades, car shows, races and contests around the harbor, ending with fireworks on Saturday night.
- Northport Dog ParadeAn August Saturday when Northport dogs and their people parade through the village in costume, with a new theme every year and prizes at the end.
- Suttons Bay Art FestivalA juried weekend art fair with about 100 artists at Marina Park on the Suttons Bay waterfront, held the first weekend of August.