The ‘Crown Jewel’ of concerts

Oe Denver Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and it is planning a jubilant throwback concert.

“We’ve been operating continuously for 75 years and putting on wonderful concerts for the community for all those years,” said Lawrence Golan, DPO’s conductor since 2013. “ is particular concert is the culmination of our 75th anniversary, basically a re-creation of May 18, 1948, which was our rst concert.” e 75th anniversary “Crown Jewel” program takes place on May 25 on the Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St., in Denver.

The renowned Antonia Brico

By the time she had settled in Denver, Antonia Brico had conducted professional orchestras in Europe and the U.S., including the Berlin Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic.

According to the DPO’s website, Brico saw a “need for a classical music venue to showcase the talents of local, classically trained musicians continued to conduct the DPO until her retirement in the 1980s. Today, she is the namesake of the stage that the DPO performs on.

Same music, di erent eras

Golan plans to boost the nostalgia quotient of the “Crown Jewel” concert with performances from the organization’s inaugural program. It will include three selections from the 1948 show, including Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture,” “En Saga” by Jean Sibelius and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40.”

“ e original concert was much longer, two or three hours,” Golan said. “At that time, it was before television, and (it) was a time really used for live entertainment (and) live events, whether it was theater, opera, symphony.”

Today, there’s many forms of entertainment — including TV and the internet — and more things that families do together, Golan added.

“Everybody is so busy these days,” he said, “and concerts tend to be short.”

He expects the “Crown Jewel” program will last about an hour-

Attendees will also get to participate in the DPO’s More an Music. ese events are themed for each concert and o er an additional experience to the concert. More an Music ranges from pre-concert chats, during which concert-goers learn insight into the program’s music, SEE ORCHESTRA, P14