Relive the Colorado Symphony’s landmark New York City Tour
Photos by Amanda Tipton
Some journeys are measured in miles, others are measured in meaning. In the span of one extraordinary week, the Colorado Symphony carried the orchestral sound of the Rockies from Boettcher Concert Hall to the brightest stages in New York City, declaring in a unified voice for all to hear that this orchestra’s moment had arrived.
If ever an orchestra earned its moment in the spotlight, the Colorado Symphony did just that in The Big Apple. What began on January 27 with a triumphant send-off at Denver’s Boettcher Concert Hall culminated in three completely sold-out performances on the grandest stages in the country.
With two sold-out nights at Radio City Music Hall alongside Gregory Alan Isakov and a triumphant sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall with Itzhak Perlman, this was a defining statement about the power of collective ambition and an affirmation that when a community invests in music, that music can carry its voice to the world.
Put simply, this was the Colorado Symphony’s Super Bowl moment: a testament to years of tireless dedication, community support, and the orchestra’s growth from a regional ensemble to one that should be considered among the best in the country.
A Send-Off to Remember
The whirlwind week began right here in Denver, as a packed house gathered in Boettcher Concert Hall for an unforgettable moment of civic pride. A crowd of 2,400 gathered in-the- round with an outpouring of joy and support that left the symphony’s musicians feeling like they could take on the world. This was our community in full voice, proclaiming to Colorado and the world: We are ready.
The program was identical to what the orchestra would perform five days later in Carnegie Hall with Concertmaster Yumi Hwang-Williams, Associate Concertmaster Claude Sim, and Principal Second Violin Kate Arndt stepping into roles that mirrored what the legendary Itzhak Perlman would play in New York. The visual couldn’t have been more clear: the Colorado Symphony is home to 80 superstar musicians, all of whom are among the best in the country at their craft.
A Send-Off Worthy of the Journey
At Denver International Airport, United Airlines and DEN hosted a special sendoff for the orchestra, turning a busy terminal into a civic celebration. Travelers paused, phones came out, and for a few minutes, the airport became a makeshift concert hall.
Concertmaster Yumi Hwang-Williams and Principal Clarinet Jason Shafer performed for the gathered crowd, offering a glimpse of the artistry Colorado was about to share with the world.
Chief Philanthropy Officer Julie DeWoody addressed the crowd, thanking partners, donors, and supporters who made the tour possible and reminding everyone present that this journey belonged not only to the musicians, but to the entire community that believes in them.
It was a rare and moving sight; an orchestra being cheered onto a plane the way a team is cheered onto the field. And in that terminal, surrounded by travelers and well-wishers, the meaning of the tour came into focus: this wasn’t just the Colorado Symphony heading to New York. It was Colorado itself.
Radio City Music Hall
By the time the Colorado Symphony arrived at Radio City Music Hall, the stakes were already enormous and the margin for error almost nonexistent. Two sold-out nights. A stage that has hosted legends. 12,000 patrons buzzing with anticipation. An audience far from Colorado. And an orchestra coming off a cross-country journey with barely time to catch its breath. This was a trial by fire, a moment that would set the tone for everything that followed.
Yet for Gregory Alan Isakov and the Colorado Symphony, this moment didn’t begin in New York. It began nearly a decade ago, in Colorado, where a quiet, authentic collaboration slowly grew into something rare in today’s musical world: a true partnership built on trust, shared musical instincts, and deep mutual respect.
Each night, the energy was palpable as the orchestra’s melodies met Isakov’s poetry under the baton of Resident Conductor Christopher Dragon, who called the opportunity “an absolute thrill.” The result was two nights that felt both epic in scale and personal in spirit: songs that began as whispers and ended as cresting waves, carried by an ensemble fully attuned to the voice at its center. What began as a collaboration rooted in Colorado’s musical community had fully evolved into something far more expansive: a partnership capable of filling — and transforming — one of the largest and most storied stages in the country.
For the symphony’s musicians, the challenge was as physical as it was artistic: deliver two massive, high-profile performances back-to-back, then immediately pivot to the demands of a Carnegie Hall classics program the very next afternoon. But on those two nights at Radio City, none of that strain showed. What the audience saw and heard was an orchestra in full command of its craft, meeting the moment with confidence and heart.
For many in the crowd, the image alone was unforgettable: a Colorado artist, joined by Colorado’s symphony orchestra, commanding one of the most famous stages in the world. For those who have followed this collaboration over the years, it felt like the culmination of a long-built musical relationship arriving, fully realized, on a national stage.
“It just feels so good to be here with the Colorado Symphony. It feels really like home in New York.”
Isakov, addressing the crowd on Saturday
Dragon, who led both performances, later reflected on the experience as a career highlight culminated by him memorably tossing his baton into the cheering crowd.
“Endless thanks,” Isakov posted after what he called an epic double-header. To the Colorado Symphony. To Radio City. To Colorado Symphony Resident Conductor Christopher Dragon. To his band and crew. “I’ll be thinking of those shows for a long time,” he said.
Donors who traveled felt the magic firsthand. Linda Fegley described the moment of seeing the Symphony on that massive stage as “unbelievable,” marveling at how it felt “really neat to be there and realize that there they are our Symphony!” Her husband Harry echoed the pride of seeing Colorado represented in such a grand musical moment. Others spoke of new friendships forged, deep appreciation for the orchestra’s versatility, and the collective joy of being part of something bigger than any one of them.
“We feel more like part of the Symphony than we ever have,” said longtime supporter Monica Owen.
Carnegie Hall: A Defining Symphonic Moment
There are concert halls, and then there is Carnegie Hall, a place whose name alone carries more than a century of music history. To step onto its stage is to enter a lineage that defines classical music itself, and to do so after two sold-out nights at Radio City Music Hall, with barely time to reset, is to ask an orchestra for poise, stamina, and grit under the brightest possible spotlight.
For the Colorado Symphony, this return to Carnegie Hall was more than 50 years in the making. And it was worth the wait.
The Colorado Symphony’s performance with Itzhak Perlman, conducted by Music Director Peter Oundjian, carried a gravity that went far beyond the prestige of the venue. Perlman and Oundjian share a long and storied musical relationship spanning decades of collaboration, mentorship, and mutual trust. That history was palpable in the room, shaping a performance that felt like a reunion of old friends speaking a deeply familiar musical language.
Under Oundjian, the Symphony delivered music that critics and patrons alike have called vivid, confident, and unmistakably mature. The program included the New York premiere of John Adams’ Frenzy, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition as orchestrated by Ravel, and personal highlights from Perlman’s rich repertoire including Dvořák and Kreisler favorites and the iconic John Williams theme from Schindler’s List.
Perlman’s presence brought warmth, humanity, and unmistakable star power, but it was the dialogue between soloist, conductor, and orchestra that gave the evening its emotional weight.
And then came the finale, as the Colorado Symphony performed Pictures at an Exhibition. In Carnegie’s storied acoustic, the orchestra’s sound bloomed: brass blazing with confidence, winds etched with character, strings carrying both muscle and lyricism. Each movement unfolded like a gallery brought vividly to life, from the ominous weight of “Gnomus” to the grandeur of “The Great Gate of Kyiv.” The performance showcased the orchestra’s full dynamic range and made an unmistakable case for where this ensemble now stands artistically.
“You don’t get to go to these venues unless you’re starting to gain really large recognition as one of the premier performing ensembles,” explained Michael Thornton, Principal Horn. “And so this is a very big step for the orchestra in terms of the way that we’re perceived in the world.”
Oundjian added that, if you look at any internationally regarded orchestra, “It’s the fact that they go out and are acknowledged in other cities, in other countries that really gives the community this sense of confidence and pride in their home orchestra.”
Concertmaster Yumi Hwang-Williams remarked, “This concert was born of years of dedication, hard work, and the support of so many people who believe in this orchestra. Performing to a sold‑out Carnegie Hall and feeling the audience’s standing ovations was unforgettable. Colorado, your Symphony did you proud.”
Principal Viola Basil Vendryes summed it up perfectly saying, “Meaningful beyond words to finally bring this orchestra, the great Colorado Symphony, to Carnegie Hall. We brought great concentration, artistry, and musicianship to the stage and hopefully showed that we belong with the best of the best.”
“[The Colorado Symphony] has been overlooked as a main player on the American orchestral scene, but this concert made a clear statement: Colorado is a musical giant that is just starting to wake.”
Seen and Heard International
Reflecting after the tour, Colorado Symphony President & CEO Daniel Wachter described his own epiphany:
“At Carnegie Hall in particular, the sound of this orchestra was extraordinary. It was a powerful reminder of just how great this orchestra truly sounds when the acoustics of the hall allow its full voice to emerge.”
That experience, he emphasized, will have a direct impact on thinking about the upcoming Boettcher Concert Hall renovation as a catalyst for ensuring Colorado’s home stage can support artistry at this level.
“The standard we set in New York is not something to admire from a distance; it is something to build on,” added Wachter.
The success of the tour also reflected the strength of the Symphony’s leadership at every level. Under the guidance of Wachter, Board Chair John Street, and the Board of Trustees, the organization has built the stability and ambition that made a moment like this possible.
A Tour That Showed Who We Are
Throughout the tour, musicians voiced both humility and pride. Principal Flute Brook Ferguson put it beautifully:
“They say the way to Carnegie Hall is: practice, practice, practice. True. But also: planning, fundraising, rehearsing, problem-solving, schedule-juggling, truck-loading, music-marking, and about 200 passionate humans making magic happen behind the scenes. The music is the spark. The people are the miracle.”
“This tour showcased the range and skill of the Colorado Symphony as well as how far the orchestra, which has a strong professional reputation, has come in the broader musical world.”
Colorado Public Radio
This tour embodied the symphony’s mission and values, to inspire and unite humanity through live symphonic music. It was a reminder that orchestral performance is not just about excellence in sound, but about shared human experience, connection, and the power of a moment. Without question, the Colorado Symphony won the audiences in both Boettcher Concert Hall on January 27 and in New York.
What Comes Next?
As the Symphony returns to Colorado, it brings with it memories of triumphant performances in New York, and momentum for all that lies ahead. The attention garnered, the pride felt by audiences, and the belief expressed by donors extends far beyond these three magnificent performances.
From Radio City Music Hall to Carnegie Hall, and back home to Boettcher Concert Hall’s renewed future and renovation, this tour made something abundantly clear:
There are moments in an orchestra’s life when preparation, belief, and opportunity collide and everything is suddenly on the line. This was the Colorado Symphony’s Super Bowl week, a test of endurance and artistry, and an orchestra that rose to the occasion.
“Fifty years may have separated the Colorado Symphony’s appearances at Carnegie Hall, but Sunday’s performance made a compelling case for a much swifter return – here’s hoping we won’t have to wait nearly that long to hear them again.”
Broadway World