By Ray Mark Rinaldi |
Matching personal tastes to what happens on stage takes some work, but that’s a good problem to have
For decades — including much of the 20th century during their peak in popularity — American orchestras performed their music in predictable patterns that were easy for fans to comprehend. They announced a series of programs, all built around major works by such composers as Beethoven, Mozart or Brahms, and presented them on successive three-day weekends from September until May.
The only real challenge for ticket buyers was whether they preferred to go to the concert hall on Friday and Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons. There were exceptions, of course — some pops concerts or the occasional one-off show — but audiences could easily choose what they wanted to hear without so much parsing of the details.
But musical tastes have changed dramatically, especially in the last decade, as entertainment options have expanded. Orchestras, like the Colorado Symphony, have had to adapt. Pleasing the public and keeping seats filled has required a nimbleness that includes adding programs built around movie soundtracks and video games, or that feature small ensembles and celebrity musicians, or that make the most of holidays, or that try to incorporate newer music by living composers.
It’s a whole new world, and I have to say, a better one, as the lineup for the Colorado Symphony’s about-to-start 2026/27 season demonstrates. The offerings are looser, more diverse and democratic, and even more fun for today’s concertgoers. The orchestra will, of course, continue to produce the timeless warhorses its core audience craves, but they are just part of the mix, no longer at the top of the concert food chain.
The downside is that audiences have to work a little harder to scope out the season. Matching personal tastes to what actually happens on stage takes some work. Though I would say that is a good problem to have.
I pulled out a few concerts for your consideration this go-around, starting early next month. The events here look promising from an artistic standpoint, but they also demonstrate the breadth of what this orchestra, and many of its peers across the country, are playing for their varied public these days.
There is plenty more to choose from on the organization’s website: coloradosymphony.org.