While many musicians are struggling to get their music heard during this pandemic, the Colorado Symphony drew perhaps their biggest audience ever last month for the “Digital Ode to Joy.” Millions of people all over the world saw 49 symphony musicians collaborate virtually from their homes to play the Beethoven classic, as the video went viral and was picked up by major national news outlets. As all the professional musicians in the ensemble are well aware, the show must go on. So the symphony also is following up the Beethoven performance with a series of weekly Virtual Music Hour performances. 

The Colorado Symphony's Chief Artistic Officer Anthony Pierce sat down with Colorado & Company to discuss the symphony's #PlayOn initiative including the Virtual Music Hour taking place every Friday at 6 p.m. through Sunday at 6 p.m. Find all the details at ColoradoSymphony.org.

The Colorado Symphony is keeping its work alive through its #PlayOn series, which lets people enjoy different kinds of performances until at least May 11. About three weeks ago the symphony shared a digital version of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” on YouTube, which quickly gained traction on social media, earning about 500,000 views. Other videos the organization has shared include bassoon excerpts from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and horn-players performing The Police’s “Don’t Stand So Close to Me.”

In this time of social distancing, when your job relies on getting 80 people in the same room, things can be difficult. So, if you can’t bring people to the music, take the music to the people — virtually. The Colorado Symphony decided to come together by playing apart. “We also understood that this is a stressful, difficult time for everybody, and our music can definitely help bring some peace to people,” Tony Pierce said. “And Beethoven Nine really made a lot of sense because it’s all about brotherhood and community.”

The Colorado Symphony was featured by USA Today in this article discussing how orchestras are coping with concert postponements and cancellations during the COVID-19 crisis. Chief Artistic Officer Tony Pierce discusses how the Colorado Symphony's digital Ode to Joy came to be.