FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Nick Dobreff, Communications and Creative Director
616.485.3913 (m) – 303.308.2477 (o)
REPERTOIRE ANNOUNCED FOR CHRIS THILE WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY
He will perform his new work – ATTENTION! – alongside works by Beethoven, Copland, and Caroline Shaw
Sept. 30, 2024 – Denver, CO – The Colorado Symphony announces repertoire for an extraordinary performance featuring world-renowned mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile, presenting the Colorado premiere of his latest work — ATTENTION! — at Boettcher Concert Hall on October 12. This promises to be an unforgettable concert experience, blending contemporary creativity with classic masterworks.
The evening will also feature Beethoven’s Creatures of Prometheus Overture, a lively and inspiring piece reflecting the mythical story of creation and enlightenment. Caroline Shaw’s And So will bring a modern, evocative touch to the program, showcasing her unique voice as a composer. Rounding out the program is Aaron Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring Suite, a beloved American masterpiece that captures the essence of hope and renewal.
REPERTOIRE:
BEETHOVEN Creatures of Prometheus Overture
CAROLINE SHAW And So
COPLAND Appalachian Spring Suite
CHRIS THILE Attention!
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About ATTENTION!
“I adore orchestras. Whether scaled up for grandeur, or down for intimacy, nothing makes me prouder to be human than hearing a stage full of highly skilled orchestral musicians practicing their craft together. It’s magic, and it’s something I’ve been desperate to participate in since the early aughts, when a hero of mine, Edgar Meyer, walked me through the score of a violin concerto he wrote for another hero of mine, Hilary Hahn. In the late aughts I wrote a mandolin concerto, but after performing it quite a bit for a year or so with some truly lovely orchestras, I realized that it was basically the musical equivalent of fan fiction (like I’m tempted to rename it “Bartók meets Adès for coffee at Edgar’s”). SO, I went back to admiring orchestral music from afar, even as I continued to monitor my inner ear for something that might justify another attempt.
A year or two ago, a tantalizing text from my pal Eric Jacobsen (“Thile, whatever you wanna do with orchestra, we can make it happen!”) prompted more proactive monitoring and I started hearing bits of what would eventually become ATTENTION! I was confused at first, ’cause these little aural visions included not just mandolin and orchestra but singing AND talking as well. Whoa, ok…FUN. Further dreaming led to the conviction that there should be an actual STORY, not just loosely related vignettes (which has pretty much been my M.O. on long-form pieces with vocals up to this point). But WHAT story? I’ve always loved writing songs based on short stories, so I started there, widened the search to essays, then read a bunch of plays, but every time I got excited about something, a nagging little voice (probably remembering my last orchestral piece) would say, “Yeah, but why would YOU be the one to musicalize this story?” Ugh. Fair. Ok, fine then: What is a story I like to tell about something that happened to me that my friends seem to like hearing? Ah HA! THIS ONE, hands down, no contest. If you’ve ever had a couple rounds with me at a good cocktail bar, chances are I’ve trotted it out, and the thought of turning it into a piece of orchestral music got my inner ear cranking like never before. It’s a ridiculous story, but it’s 100% true, and the more I’ve worked on the telling of it, the more aware I’ve become of what a profound impact the whole experience had on me as a person who loves to make things and show them to other people.
You can find the lyrics at christhile.com/attention, but I recommend only using it when my diction isn’t up to snuff (I’m working on it, swear to God!). Now, if you’ll just give me your attention…” – Chris Thile
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Tickets for Chris Thile with the Colorado Symphony are available now at coloradosymphony.org. For concert descriptions and ticket information, please visit coloradosymphony.org or call the box office at 303.623.7876.
EVENT INFORMATION:
What: Chris Thile with the Colorado Symphony
Where: Boettcher Concert Hall
When: SAT October 12, 2024 at 7:30pm
Tickets:Available now at coloradosymphony.org
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MEDIA 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 2024/25 Colorado Symphony Season is provided by: The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Genesee Mountain Foundation, Denver Arts & Venues, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Chamber Initiatives, 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 – Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, noon – 5 p.m., and two hours 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 Principal Conductor Peter Oundjian, the Colorado Symphony is home to eighty full-time musicians, representing more than a dozen nations, and regularly welcomes the most celebrated artists from the world of symphonic music and beyond. The orchestra celebrated its Centennial during the 2023/24 concert season. In the last year, the Colorado Symphony served over 340,000 people attending live performances at concert and non-traditional venues throughout Colorado’s Front Range. Recognized as an incubator of innovation, creativity, and excellence, the Colorado Symphony continually expands its reach through in-person and virtual education programs, outreach, and programming. The Colorado Symphony partners with the state’s leading musical artists, cultural organizations, corporations, foundations, sports teams, and individuals to expose diverse audiences to the transformative power of music. To learn more, visit coloradosymphony.org.