ALTERNATIVE 2025/26
JOHN DENVER: A ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH CONCERT CELEBRATION
CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor
MACK BAILEY, guitar and vocals
JON CONLEY, guitar and mandolin
CHRIS NOLE, piano
ALAN DEREMO, bass guitar
NATE BARNES, drums
Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 7:30pm
Boettcher Concert Hall
SELECTIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM STAGE
CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS INCLUDING A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION.
FIRST TIME TO THE SYMPHONY? SEE PAGE 12 OF THIS PROGRAM FOR FAQ’S TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE GREAT!
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor
Australian conductor Christopher Dragon is the Music Director of Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, newly appointed Music Director of the Philly Pops, former Music Director of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra and is the Resident Conductor of the Colorado Symphony. He joined the Colorado Symphony in the 2015/2016 Season as Associate Conductor – a position he held for four years. For three years prior, Dragon held the inaugural position of Assistant Conductor with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, which gave him the opportunity to work closely with Principal Conductor Asher Fisch.
Dragon has a versatile portfolio ranging from live-to-picture performances including Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, a wide variety of collaborations with artists such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Cynthia Erivo and Joshua Bell, to standard and contemporary orchestral repertoire such as Danny Elfman’s Percussion Concerto; all areas of which he has become highly sought after. Christopher has become known for his charisma, high energy and affinity for a good costume, consistently delivering unforgettable performances that has made him an audience favourite.
Recent highlights include his sold-out symphony tour with Gregory Alan Isakov, which included debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Nashville Symphony, a new orchestral collaboration with Nathaniel Rateliff and his successful German debut with the WDR Funkhausorchester.
Christopher is highly sought after as a guest conductor and has worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Utah Symphony, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. In Australia, he has guest conducted the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. His 2015 debut performance at the Sydney Opera House with John Pyke and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was released on album by ABC Music and won an ARIA the following year.
He has also conducted at numerous festivals including the Breckenridge and Bangalow Music Festivals, with both resulting in immediate re-invitations. At the beginning of 2016 Dragon conducted Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony as part of the Perth International Art Festival alongside Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Christopher began his conducting studies in 2011 and was a member of the prestigious Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program in Australia under the guidance of course director Christopher Seaman. He has also studied with numerous distinguished conductors including Leonid Grin, Paavo and Neeme Jarvi at the Jarvi Summer Festival, Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival and conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.
JOHN DENVER
With more than 33 million records sold and seven Billboard Top Ten albums, John Denver released 23 studio albums over his lifetime. He is best known for the beloved songs “Leaving On a Jet Plane,” “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song” and “Rocky Mountain High,” which is a co-state song of Colorado, and “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which is a co-state song of West Virginia. In addition to his numerous awards and recognition, Denver was instrumental in championing environmental and humanitarian causes. His popularity and continuing influence on popular culture still grow more than a decade after his untimely death. Denver was a true adventurer, exploring all that the world had to offer. Throughout his life’s journey he challenged himself on every level, which is an integral part of what made him an extraordinary man, an uncommon friend, and a rare human being. While the frontiers of the American West satisfied his spirit, less-traveled frontiers appealed to his imagination. Denver was an experienced airplane pilot and collected vintage biplanes. His interest in outer space was so great that he took and passed NASA’s examination to determine mental and physical fitness required for space travel. He then became a leading candidate to be the “first civilian in space” on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Denver planned to write a song in space, but circumstances kept him from joining the ill-fated expedition, which exploded during take-off in 1986. Among his many gifts, Denver was also a talented photographer. He photographed images of the people and places he experienced in his travels and showed his work professionally, often in connection with speeches made at colleges, universities and government and business facilities across the country. Many of Denver’s songs reflected his relationship with nature, and one of his greatest pleasures was spending time outdoors. He spent as much time as possible backpacking, hiking, climbing, and fishing. He was an avid golfer and skier, regularly participating in celebrity charity events for both sports.
Today, millions of fans old and new enjoy the work of this extraordinary performer. Decades after he began, John Denver’s music is as relevant as ever. His humanitarian work continues to strengthen our global village, and his dynamic celebration of life, spirit and nature is a powerful inspiration to us all. More on John Denver at www.johndenver.com
MACK BAILEY, guitar and vocals
Using John Denver’s music, Mack taught himself to play the guitar, so it was a thrill for Mack when he had the privilege of trading verses to “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” with Denver in front of 9000 people shortly before John’s death. Today, his experiences with the Limeliters and John Denver continue to play an active role in Mack’s professional life, even as he pursues his successful solo career. Mack has caught the attention of national folk music audiences with not only his Limeliters performances, but also with his prominent role in the nationally touring show “A Musical Tribute to John Denver” with many of John’s former band members and production crew.
JON CONLEY, guitar and mandolin
Jon Conley is a mainstay of the Nashville music industry. Jon began playing guitar at seven (wanting to play like Roy Clark) and has branched out to include mandolin, fiddle, banjo, vocals and songwriting in his portfolio. Perhaps best known as the lead guitarist for the Kenny Chesney band, he has credits on recordings by a number of artists and attributes his success to practicing and taking every opportunity to perform seriously.
CHRIS NOLE, piano
A former member of John Denver’s band, songwriter/composer, accomplished session musician, producer, and recording artist Chris Nole performs around the world. Nole has toured and recorded with numerous top recording acts including Faith Hill, Travis Tritt, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Shelby Lynne. Chris Nole’s songs have been recorded by various recording artists ranging from Faith Hill to The Swamphonky’s and have been used in such television productions as Men of a Certain Age, Heroes, and E! True Hollywood Story.
ALAN DEREMO, bass guitar
A member of John Denver’s band from 1994 until Denver’s passing in 1997, Deremo has performed and/or recorded with a diverse assortment of artists including Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Eric Marienthal, Glenn Frey, Jesse Colin Young, Kathy Mattea, Dave Alvin, John Doe, Exene Cervenkova, Bo Diddley, Jules Shear, Jack Tempchin, Thelma Houston, the Mamas and the Papas, and the Captain and Tenille. For much of the last decade Deremo has toured and recorded with Men at Work singer/guitarist Colin Hay and served as musical director for Tony Hawk’s annual Boom Boom Huck Jam arena tours.
NATE BARNES, drums
As drummer for the band Rose Hill Drive, Nate Barnes has toured the world headlining shows and opening for acts including The Who, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Stone Temple Pilots, The Black Crowes, Queens Of The Stone Age, and Jane’s Addiction, and shared the stage with Pete Townshend (The Who), Warren Haynes, Leslie West (Mountain), Grace Potter, Matisyahu, Mike Watt, and others. In addition to collaborating and recording with legendary producers/engineers Brendan O’Brien and Nick DiDia, he has also co-produced and co-written three critically acclaimed, full-length albums with the band Rose Hill Drive. Specializing in Rock, Pop, Hip Hop, and Funk styles, Nate has earned a reputation as one of the premier live and studio drummers in the Rocky Mountain area.
