The Moab Music Festival was founded in 1992 by Michael Barrett and Leslie Tomkins, professional musicians based in New York with an abiding love for the red rock country of southeastern Utah. According to Michael, “Creating the Festival allows us to combine two of the major passions of our lives—our love of great music beautifully performed and the tremendous beauty of the Moab area.”

Since its inception, the Festival has remained true to their dream: to marry world class musical performances with the spectacular landscape of the Utah canyonlands region and to bring musical opportunities to the Moab community, particularly to its children. The Festival engages the Moab Community, its children and youth through the Education Outreach and Artist-in-Residence programs.

The Festival is noted for its distinctive programming. Classical chamber music is the mainstay of the Festival, with traditional folk music, jazz, Latin music, and the compositions of living composers, many of whom have served as Composers-in-Residence, adding spice to the repertoire. Over the course of the Festival’s history, close to 170 professional, world-class musicians have performed in Moab; many returning year after year, driven by their desire to make music in concert with the landscape. Recognized for its excellence, the Festival received the Utah Arts Council’s 2002 Governor’s Award in the Arts, the 2003 ASCAP First Prize for “Adventurous Programming” and a 2007 Utah Governor's Mansion Artist Award.

The Festival begins the Thursday before the Labor Day holiday and continues through the next weekend. Concerts are scheduled in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues around Moab; the most spectacular of these being a grotto 30 miles down the Colorado River. At these special benefit concerts patrons travel downriver by motorized boat to enjoy the stunning visual beauty and acoustical splendor of this site. In addition, each Festival usually includes a benefit concert hosted at one of the many attractive homes in the Moab area.  The Festival ends with another unique benefit event:  the Colorado River Musical Adventure Raft Trip.  This multi-day, camping excursion down the Colorado River offers a small group of music lovers musical performances at remote natural sites, as well as floating on the water.

The Festival is governed by a Board of Trustees and managed by a small professional staff, supported by enthusiastic community volunteers, housing donors and advertisers. Recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit organization, the Festival is funded through ticket revenues and contributions from individuals, foundations, local businesses and grants from local, State and Federal agencies.