FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Nick Dobreff, Communications and Creative Director
616.485.3913 (m) – 303.308.2477 (o)
COLORADO SYMPHONY TO PRESENT COLORADO PREMIERE OF JOE HISAISHI’S CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA, WITH DEANNA THAM CONDUCTING
Joe Hisaishi is unable to travel to Denver;
Performances on October 16 and 17 will proceed as scheduled
DENVER, Oct. 14, 2026 – The Colorado Symphony will present the Colorado premiere of Joe Hisaishi’s Concerto for Orchestra, a work the orchestra co-commissioned, on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17, at Boettcher Concert Hall. Guest conductor Deanna Tham will lead both performances. Hisaishi, who was scheduled to conduct, is unable to travel to Denver this weekend.
“I am deeply saddened that I will not be able to join the Colorado Symphony and its wonderful musicians and audience for these performances,” said Hisaishi. “I have been looking forward to sharing this music with you, and I sincerely hope you will still join the orchestra to experience the Colorado premiere of my Concerto for Orchestra. It means a great deal to me that this work will be heard in Denver by one of the orchestras that co-commissioned the piece, and I am grateful to the musicians of the Colorado Symphony for bringing it to life. I hope very much to have the opportunity to return and make music with this remarkable orchestra in the future.”
Tham has previously guest conducted the Colorado Symphony, most memorably during the orchestra’s Latin Beats concert in September 2025. She is currently Music Director of the Union Symphony Orchestra and most recently served as Associate Conductor of the Oregon Symphony.
“Our orchestra has been preparing this program for months, and the musicians are ready to perform it,” said Tony Pierce, Chief Artistic Officer of the Colorado Symphony. “It is a challenging program, with works by David Lang and Steve Reich alongside Maestro Hisaishi’s Concerto for Orchestra, and we are glad Deanna Tham is available to lead it. She is a true star in the conducting world. Of course, we are disappointed Maestro Hisaishi cannot be with us this weekend, and we are working with him to find a future date for him to perform in Colorado.”
Ticketing Options
Maestro Hisaishi’s music remains at the heart of this program, and we hope you will join us for it. If you plan to attend, you don’t need to take any action. Your tickets will provide access to the performance as scheduled. If these concerts no longer fit your plans, the following options are available for the October 16 and 17 performances:
- Exchange your ticket(s) for another 2026/27 performance through June 30, 2027. All exchange fees will be waived.
- Exchange your ticket(s) for account credit, which can be used for Colorado Symphony events at Boettcher Concert Hall through June 30, 2027. All exchange fees will be waived.
- Donate your ticket(s) and receive a tax deduction for the total ticket value.
- Request a refund of the ticket purchase cost and City Seat Tax. Service fees are not refundable as they are used for technology, processing, and staffing.
- Tickets purchased through a third party must be reconciled through the point of purchase.
To use any of these options, please submit your request through the links above or call the Colorado Symphony at 303.623.7876 by October 19, 2026.
About Deanna Tham
Powerfully compelling, Deanna Tham is known for her captivating presence and tenacious spirit on and off the podium. Tham regularly guest conducts with leading orchestras across the country, including the Colorado Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Nashville Symphony, National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony and San Francisco Symphony. Her previous appointments include Assistant Conductor of the Omaha Symphony and Jacksonville Symphony, as well as Principal Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras. In 2024, she was a semifinalist in the prestigious La Maestra International Conducting Competition in Paris. Her international performance experience includes appearances at the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood.
PROGRAM
David Lang Mountain
Steve Reich Music for Ensemble and Orchestra
Joe Hisaishi Concerto for Orchestra (Colorado premiere)
EVENT INFORMATION:
What: Music of Joe Hisaishi, Lang, & Reich | Deanna Tham, conductor
Where: Boettcher Concert Hall
When: Friday, October 16, and Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 7:30pm MT
Tickets: Available now at coloradosymphony.org
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CONTACT:
For more information or to request interviews, please contact:
Nick Dobreff, Communications and Creative Director
ndobreff@coloradosymphony.org - 303.308.2477 (o)
For high-resolution, downloadable images of the Colorado Symphony, contact: ndobreff@coloradosymphony.org
Support for the 2026/27 Colorado Symphony Season is provided by: The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Denver Arts & Venues, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, CU Anschutz, The Schoen Foundation, and the Colorado Symphony Guild.
TICKETS:
Tickets to Colorado Symphony events are available online at coloradosymphony.org/tickets, by phone at 303.623.7876, and in person at the Boettcher Concert Hall Box Office, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1000 14th Street. The Box Office is open Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to each performance.
ABOUT THE COLORADO SYMPHONY
One of the leading orchestras in the United States, the Colorado Symphony Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization performing more than 150 concerts annually at Boettcher Concert Hall in downtown Denver and across Colorado. Led by Peter Oundjian as its Music Director as of the 2025/26 season, the Colorado Symphony is home to eighty full-time musicians representing more than a dozen nations and regularly welcomes the world’s most celebrated artists from across musical genres. The orchestra celebrated its Centennial during the 2023/24 concert season and now serves more than 340,000 people each year through live performances at Boettcher Concert Hall, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, and other venues throughout Colorado’s Front Range. Boettcher Concert Hall, which opened in 1978, was the first in-the-round symphonic venue built in the United States. In November 2025, voters passed the Vibrant Denver Bond, which allocates $20 million to the future renovation of the concert hall. In August 2026, Denver City Council approved a funding agreement between the City of Denver, Denver Arts & Venues, and the Colorado Symphony that establishes the foundation for Boettcher Concert Hall’s future. Guided by a vision to inspire and unite humanity through live symphonic music, the Colorado Symphony is a living heartbeat of the state — expressing its beauty, creativity, vitality, and inclusive spirit. Through unmatched artistry and bold innovation, the Symphony inspires Colorado and audiences everywhere while expanding access, fostering education, and creating lasting memories through meaningful personal connections. Recognized as an incubator of innovation, creativity, and excellence, the Colorado Symphony listens to and learns from its diverse communities, musicians, and staff; composes and creates with curiosity and versatility; and leads with empathy, collaboration, and responsible stewardship. The Symphony continually expands its reach through in-person and virtual education programs, community partnerships, and programming that celebrates achievement, honors diverse voices, and infuses joy on and off the stage. The Colorado Symphony partners with leading musical artists, cultural organizations, corporations, foundations, educators, sports teams, and individuals to connect people, uplift communities, and inspire everyone to feel part of something greater.