Colorado Symphony Blog

What is the significance of symphonic music in the 21st century, what role will it play moving forward, and how can orchestral music stay relevant with the challenges presented by modern society? This is a question the Colorado Symphony is at the forefront of addressing. From the best of the past to the edge of tomorrow, your Colorado Symphony is pursuing groundbreaking concepts that inspire new generations of music lovers while ensuring a bright future for live symphonic music in Colorado.

Among the most prolific and revered works in the entire symphonic cannon, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth and Sixth Symphonies captured the composer at the height of his heroic middle period and continue to captivate listeners more than two centuries after their debuts. Hear these pieces back-to-back in the same concert from February 25-27, 2022 at Boettcher Concert Hall.

Marin Alsop, the world-renowned conductor and a pioneer for women in music, returns to Boettcher Concert Hall for her first podium appearances with the Colorado Symphony since November 2014. Alsop was appointed as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony in 1993 and served in that capacity for 12 highly successful years through 2005. Don’t miss your chance to see Alsop and your Colorado Symphony at Boettcher Concert Hall January 7, 8, and 9.

The Colorado Symphony’s mission extends far beyond the walls of Boettcher Concert Hall. At the heart of that mission lies a profound commitment to furthering music education and outreach statewide, providing increased access to live symphonic music for a growing and more diverse audience than ever before, and helping to inspire the next generation of musicians and concertgoers. Learn more about how the Colorado Symphony is charting a new course for music education in Colorado through a renewed focus on innovative programming, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Assistant Concertmaster and Musician Trustee Yi Zhao has been named the 2021/22 Women of Note honoree. Since 2011, the members of Women of Note have served as goodwill ambassadors for the Colorado Symphony, encouraging individuals and organizations to attend concerts, shining a spotlight on the women of the orchestra, providing financial support to the region's premier performing arts organization, and each year honoring one of the orchestra’s female musicians whose talent and commitment to the CSA have contributed to its success by raising funds which are applied to her salary.

Through education and outreach, the Colorado Symphony continues to inspire the next generation of musicians throughout Colorado. With the help of donors and philanthropic supporters, the Colorado Symphony was able to offer free access to its virtual educational concerts and curriculum for all schools in Colorado for the entire 2021/22 Season.

The moniker “Beethoven’s 10th” has long been attached to Brahms’ First Symphony, the fulfillment of a prophecy articulated nearly a quarter century before, when Schumann hailed then-20-year-old Brahms as the great Beethoven’s successor. And indeed the work is a natural continuation of Beethoven’s musical legacy, containing echoes of Beethoven’s Fifth and Ninth Symphony’s and yet standing alone as a truly magnificent and unique symphonic achievement. The Colorado Symphony will perform this monumental work October 15-17, 2021 at Boettcher Concert Hall under the baton of Resident Conductor Christopher Dragon. 

Adversity is as revealing as it is inevitable. While unpredictable, overwhelming, disruptive, and chaotic, it nonetheless has the power to illuminate a wellspring of resolve previously obscured or unknown to us altogether. The world has spent much of the last year and a half grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 health pandemic, causing disruption on a previously unimaginable scale; isolating people from their families, friends, and loved ones; and irrevocably altering the lives of countless millions. Despite these difficult circumstances, the Colorado Symphony Association (CSA) refused to go dark, fold, or cease music making even as the pandemic surged around it. As the Colorado Symphony begins its first indoor concert season in 18 months, take a look back at the how the organization persevered despite seemingly insurmountable odds and join us in looking forward to a triumphant return replete with incredible performances, educational programming, and exhilarating collaborations.

Music has the power to bring people together, inspire, and unite the human spirit. The Colorado Symphony Association (CSA) believes that symphonic music must be available to everyone and that communities thrive when music is accessible to all. As part of this mission, the Colorado Symphony announced in January an exciting new addition to its educational programing in partnership with Canta y Baila Conmigo® (CyBC). The CSA’s Education department was awarded a Bowen Family Performing Arts Fund grant to pilot the CyBC program in 10 bilingual classrooms within the Adams 14 School District. 

On Monday June 14, 2021, your Colorado Symphony unveiled a new logo in conjunction with the announcement of the 2021/22 Classics Season schedule. This special moment in time presents a once-in-a-century opportunity, for a jubilant revival of live concerts after a worldwide, year-long health pandemic, and a reaffirmation of our standing as an inventive and exciting organization. As the season progresses, you’ll see shifts in color to truly reflect how music's in our nature. We took great care in considering all elements of our past to carry us into our dynamic and exciting future. With this new mark we truly become Colorado’s Symphony.