SYMPHONY

musicians, the Colorado Symphony has grown in size and in the diversity of its members. e Symphony currently has 80 fulltime musicians, representing more than a dozen countries around the world.

The Colorado Symphony today Denver is a vibrant city full of people who yearn to experience the arts. From taking in contemporary paintings at the Denver Art Museum to seeing hip hop concerts at Red Rocks, and from watching classic works performed by the Colorado Ballet to laughing at stand-up acts at Comedy Works, locals love to get out and experience the best of Colorado arts. “Twenty years ago, people said Colorado was just a great place for the mountains — a great place for sport. at is what people were interested in. I feel there has been a huge shift in what people in Denver want,” Oundjian said. “We had the biggest crowds ever at Boettcher Concert Hall last year. Nobody moves to Denver to just sit inside and watch TV. Colorado is all about getting out there.” roughout the 100 years of symphonic music in Colorado, performances and o erings have shifted and grown to meet the needs and wants of the changing audience. e Colorado Symphony not only performs classical works from composers like Mozart, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, but it also performs contemporary pieces, pop songs and soundtracks from fan-favorite lms.

ese include “Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert,” “Disney in Concert: Time Burton’s e Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Home Alone in Concert.” ere will also be performances for children like the “Halloween Spooktacular,” “Elf in Concert” and “Peter and e Wolf & e Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.”

“In the last 10 years, there has been a tremendous shift from the Colorado Symphony. It is one of the great leaders in the evolution of programming. ey collaborate with musicians from every possible musical genre and from lm,” said Oundjian. “We have absolutely cutting-edge music, world premieres and also the beautiful performances of the great classics. Sometimes we perform these classics juxtaposed to a contemporary piece. We try to keep the program very alive so that the people are attracted to as much of it as possible. You’re not going to appeal to every person in Denver, every night. We try to present, over the course of the season, all of the great elements of the musical art form.”

Oundjian said the Colorado Symphony’s milestone could not have been reached without the longstanding and overwhelming support of the community.

“ is season carries special signi cance as we celebrate 100 years of music and look ahead to the next century of music making in Colorado,” said Oundjian. “ is celebration belongs as much to you and our state as it does to our orchestra, and we can’t wait to share the excitement with you all season long.”