Colorado top orchestra returns with traditional concerts, creative collaborations

By Olivia Venuta

It’s March 2012 and you’re headed to Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver to watch a collaboration between the Colorado Symphony and pop-rock band Guster. The combination of traditional symphony and whimsical rock is progressive and like nothing you’ve ever heard before. You leave the performance in awe, wishing you could relive the experience. Nine years later, you’re in luck.

On Sunday, July 25, Guster and the Colorado Symphony will join forces once again, this time at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. After many canceled shows and online performances, it has been a difficult year for the Colorado Symphony, but it is ready to take the stage again. Other upcoming in-person performances will include collaborations with Brandi Carlile, Yo-Yo Ma and the Wu-Tang Clan. The Symphony also planned their 2021-22 classical season in Boettcher Concert Hall with full audiences, and tickets are moving quickly.

“That tells me that audiences are ready to come back, and people are comfortable, given the work that the governor and mayor have done here in Colorado to keep people safe,” said Chief Artistic Officer Anthony Pierce. “The vaccination rate is high. We feel like we are ready to be back, so we’re excited.”

Although a step in the right direction, ticket sales and full capacity performances came with their own difficulties. COVID-19 had a large impact on the arts in an unprecedented way, and the Symphony felt these effects deeply. Musicians were socially distanced on stage, masks were worn while performing, and recurring COVID tests were mandatory.

Pierce said he is “very proud of the Colorado Symphony and the community, and that we were able to protect our musicians. Everyone stepped up to protect our musicians.”

The symphony is back to mostly normal operations, and has played several shows at Red Rocks this summer already. As Pierce explained it, the experience of having everyone back together is surreal.

Plenty of content will be announced in the next few weeks, including modern film scores and classical concerts. A huge component of the Colorado Symphony’s mission is to demonstrate what the future of symphonic music can be. The first step is bringing people to the experience, Pierce explained, and unconventional performances help to fill the seats. The musicians enjoy playing modern music and collaborating with artists but in the long run, are always committed to the core mission. They’re focused on bringing people together and inspiring. The Symphony leaders know they cannot transform the greater population into classical music fans overnight but are dedicated to taking steps toward this goal.

Click here for more information on the symphony and all its upcoming shows.

Upcoming shows

Guster on the Rocks with Colorado Symphony

Sunday, July 25, 2021 7:30PM

Mozart Under Moonlight at the Arvada Center Outdoor Amphitheater

Sunday, August 1, 2021 7:30 PM

Music Moves – Yoga in the Park

Thursday, August 5, 2021 6:30 PM

Wu-Tang Clan with your Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks

Friday, August 13, 2021 7:30 PM

Wu-Tang Clan with your Colorado Symphony at The Mission Ballroom

Saturday, August 14, 2021 7:00 PM

Yo-Yo Ma at Red Rocks

Monday, August 16, 2021 7:30 PM

Brandi Carlile with the Colorado Symphony Saturday, September 11, 2021 7:00 PM

Sunday, September 12, 2021 6:00 PM

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 with Emanuel Ax Friday, September 17, 2021 7:30 PM

Saturday, September 18, 2021 7:30 PM

Sunday, September 19, 2021 1:00 PM

Dvorak Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”

Friday, October 01, 2021 7:30 PM

Saturday, October 02, 2021 7:30 PM

Sunday, October 03, 2021 1:00 PM

Brahms Symphony No. 1 conducted by Christopher Dragon

Friday, October 15, 2021 7:30 PM

Saturday, October 16, 2021 7:30 PM

Sunday, October 17, 2021, 1:00 PM

Andrea Bocelli, Believe World Tour, with the Colorado Symphony

Sunday, October 31, 2021 8:00 PM