Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado Symphony musicians have provided invaluable mentorship and instruction wherever and whenever possible, engaging with DYAO students virtually and in person when it was safe to do so in an effort to provide continued education during a time of great uncertainty. For the musicians of the Colorado Symphony, mentoring DYAO students has always been a meaningful experience, but perhaps never more so than during this past year, lacking the joy and comfort so often experienced during live performances at Boettcher Concert Hall. As the organizations look ahead to more exciting collaborations in the coming years, the future of symphonic music has never looked brighter. 

In light of the challenges faced by so many during the COVID-19 health pandemic, the Colorado Symphony is thrilled to share a spirited, thought provoking, and moving virtual concert with students and families across Colorado. The 2020/21 education curriculum was developed around the theme of "Lift Every Voice", delivering a message of unity, social justice, and creative self-expression through an inclusive virtual concert experience featuring uplifting repertoire from a diverse array of composers and artistic performers. This youth concert and curriculum meets the moment of our pandemic reality and is an invaluable entry point for classrooms across Colorado to hear world-class symphonic music, celebrate our common human spirit, and receive a message of unity and creative self-expression. 

The comfort of music has never been more vital than during the isolation brought on by COVID-19. For those that are immunocompromised, the danger of COVID-19 remains ever prevalent, especially for those patients currently receiving treatment for diseases such as cancer. In an effort to meet the needs of the moment, UCHealth and the Colorado Symphony approached Rendever, a virtual reality company that has partnered with UCHealth to help staff manage stress and provide comfort to patients, about expanding its virtual reality catalog. The three organizations brainstormed the idea of bringing an immersive live concert experience to patients undergoing cancer treatment during COVID-19.  

Burdened by the inability to host the kind of live, in-person concert events the Colorado Symphony Association (CSA) has become renowned for, the importance of philanthropic giving has never been more evident. In response to that need, audiences, donors, and philanthropic supporters have given back in record numbers, helping the CSA to an end of year giving campaign success story, the likes of which the organization has never seen before, led by an anonymous substantial gift that will allow the Colorado Symphony to continue paying its musicians and staff full salary compensation through the end of the fiscal year ending in June 2021, in addition to healthcare benefits. 

Over recent years, vocalist Devin DeSantis has become synonymous with the Colorado Symphony’s annual holiday concert experience — A Colorado Christmas. As a Colorado native, DeSantis grew up in Boettcher Concert Hall as a proud member of the Colorado Children’s Chorale and started his solo career with the Colorado Symphony at the age of 11 in Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. So it should come as no surprise that he was thrilled to celebrate Christmas with the Colorado Symphony and audiences across the state once again in 2020. We sat down with Devin to discuss the formative experiences that shaped his career, Colorado Christmas memories, and what audiences can expect from this year’s virtual Colorado Christmas experience.