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Steamboat Springs — In addition to the traditional Bach and Brahms, this week's musical offerings at the Strings Music Pavilion bring brass, gold and crystal, as well as bamboo and blues, to the stage.

The Denver Brass5, the premier recital quintet of the Denver Brass, gives two performances Tuesday. Join them as they pay tribute to real-life heroes and superheroes. The first concert is nearly sold out, but consider joining us for the special family concert at 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday night's concert features Haochen Zhang, co-gold-medalist in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, arguably the most prestigious piano competition in the world. At 19, Zhang also was the youngest competitor in the June 2009 competition. The last time the Cliburn Competition awarded a tie for the gold medal was in 2001. Zhang's solo program includes works by Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt. He also is joined by Strings Music Festival performers Emma McGrath, Monique Mead, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt and Anne Martindale Williams for Schumann's Piano Quintet in E-flat Major.

If you appreciate the blues - and who doesn't? - then plan on coming to the Pavilion on Friday night for Ruthie Foster's return to the Strings stage. Foster was nominated for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year in the 2008 Blues Music Awards, and she is one of the acoustic music world's brightest new stars. There also is a special fundraising concert on Thursday night featuring Ruthie Foster at the Larsons' gorgeous new barn in the heart of the Yampa Valley.

Also on Thursday is the weekly Music on the Green at Yampa River Botanic Park, featuring local jazz musicians Steve Boynton and Tim Cunningham.

On Saturday night, Strings will bring a couple of unusual instruments to the stage. In addition to performing a solo flute piece, flute master Alberto Almarza will join Strings Music Director Monique Mead for a lullaby by Iranian composer Reza Vali. Mead will play crystal glasses and Almarza will play the Shakuhachi flute, a traditional Japanese instrument made from the root end of bamboo stem. The instrument can be used to play a wide repertoire of original Zen music, ensemble music with other Japanese instruments, folk music, jazz and other modern pieces. During the 1980s, it was shipped as a "preset" instrument on synthesizers and keyboards, and it can be heard on music by such pop artists as Peter Gabriel, Sade and Michael Bolton. The concert also will include pieces by Moszkowski, Bach and Brahms.

Elissa Greene is education and information technology director, and advertising coordinator, for the Strings Music Festival. Contact her at 970-879-5056, ext. 100, or elissa@stringsmusicfestival.com.