NATHANIEL RATELIFF SINGS RATELIFF
WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY
CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor
RAYE ZARAGOZA, vocalist
Friday, April 11, 2025 at 7:30pm
Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 7:30pm
Boettcher Concert Hall
CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS INCLUDING A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION.
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
At 19, Nathaniel Rateliff moved to Denver, Colorado from St Louis, Missouri, where he worked night shifts at a bottle factory and took on trucking jobs while honing his songwriting skills. He tested his material at open mic nights, gradually building a reputation for his heartfelt lyrics and soulful performances. In 2002, he formed Born In The Flood, a rock band that quickly gained a devoted local following.
As his musical style evolved, Rateliff shifted to a more stripped-down, introspective sound, exploring folk influences under the moniker Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel. This was followed by Memory of Loss, a deeply personal solo album released on Rounder Records, which further solidified his reputation as a gifted songwriter. In 2013, he continued his solo journey with Falling Faster Than You Can Run on Modyvi Records, followed by the Closer EP.
Rateliff set out to craft a more vibrant sound that captured his enduring love for vintage rhythm and blues. This led to the formation of Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, a band that fuses rock, soul, and blues influences into a high-energy, foot-stomping experience. Their 2015 selftitled debut album, featuring the breakout hit "S.O.B.", catapulted them to international fame. The song’s infectious energy and gospel-infused sound resonated with audiences, earning widespread critical and commercial success.
Since their breakthrough, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have cemented themselves as generational talents through electrifying live performances and a growing catalog of essential recordings. The band has released four LPs, including Tearing at the Seams (2018) and The Future (2021), along with two EPs and a live album. Their performances have taken them to some of the world’s biggest stages, including an appearance on Saturday Night Live. In support of their highly acclaimed new LP, South of Here, the band embarked on their first-ever arena tour, featuring performances at iconic venues such as Chicago’s United Center and a sold out evening at Madison Square Garden.
Australian conductor Christopher Dragon is the Music Director of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, newly appointed Music Director of the Greensboro Symphony 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 debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, his German debut with the WDR Funkhausorchester, performances of Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton with Danny Elfman reprising the role of Jack Skellington and historic performances with Nathaniel Rateliff at Walt Disney Concert Hall and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Upcoming debuts include the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Nasvhille Symphony and the LA Philharmonic.
Christopher is highly sought after as a guest conductor and has worked with the San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Modesto Symphony Orchestra, 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.
Growing up as a woman, you’re constantly told that your wedding will be the happiest day of your life. It’s the ultimate marker of your youth and allure, the moment you’ve achieved stability and have proven that - thank god - you’re desirable to a man. But as many of us know, if it’s lasting happiness, fulfillment, and understanding that you really want, it’s usually wiser to bet on yourself.
Raye Zaragoza’s Hold That Spirit is an album rooted in this realization. The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter has always made political folk music that is informed by her identity as a woman of mixed Indigenous, Asian and Latina heritage. She gained recognition in 2016 with “In The River,” which was written to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. When she performed a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR, she spoke and sang about making live music more economically accessible. And, she currently writes the music for Netflix’s Spirit Rangers, a show featuring an all Native American writers room and cast.
As she approached 30 last year, Zaragoza started thinking specifically about the expectations placed on women as they age: what they should have achieved in their careers, the nuclear families they are expected to pursue and nurture, the way that beauty standards and ageism collude to make it more and more difficult to be seen. 29 was also the year Zaragoza got engaged and, soon after, ended her relationship. After the engagement ended, she used what would have been her wedding budget to fund part of the production of her new album. As much as it was a practical decision, it was also one rife with symbolism: Zaragoza was investing in herself.
There’s an enduring sense of agency to these songs, which pull from buoyant indie pop like Japanese Breakfast and contemplative folk like Joni Mitchell. On tracks like the soaring pop opener “Joy Revolution,” which was a collaboration with fellow LA-based activist-artist MILCK, Zaragoza acknowledges that a big part of achieving happiness is choosing to be happy rather than waiting for your life to be perfect or feeling like you have to earn comfort and ease. She uses this album to claim joy that has always rightfully been hers and to actively mold herself into her own role model. As she says on galloping country track “Sweetheart,” “I don’t want to be a woman, crying on the floor at night. I don’t want to keep on searching for the day I feel alright.”
A feminist undercurrent unifies these songs. Meditative folk ballad “Strong Woman” was written as a commission for a friend’s daughter, but also more broadly celebrates a world led and built by women. “Not A Monster” candidly addresses Zaragoza’s eating disorder. And “Garden” grapples with all the unfair expectations placed on women as they age. Zaragoza also worked with exclusively female collaborators on the project, a rarity in an industry where less than 5% of production/engineering credits go to women. She feels that working with women allowed her the emotional safety to fully process the pain of her breakup and to make honest art about her life.
Welcome to Denver EATSS. We are excited you’re joining the American Indian College Fund’s celebration of Native culture, hope, empowerment, and self-determination. Originally home to more than 10 nations, Colorado is steeped in Native American roots. Headquartered right here in Denver, the American Indian College Fund (College Fund) is excited to hold our celebration at Boettcher Concert Hall this year, in partnership with the esteemed Colorado Symphony and globally acclaimed musician Nathaniel Rateliff.
Nathaniel Rateliff has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to Native communities through his advocacy work, support of community and nonprofit organizations like the American Indian College Fund, and the establishment of his foundation, The Marigold Project. When friends and allies like Colorado Symphony, Nathaniel Rateliff, and you, join Native communities to build a brighter future through the power of education, we can hope for a world where Native contributions are embraced for the greater good.
Your presence tonight helps raise awareness and support for Native scholars and communities – thank you for helping foster the next generation of Indigenous leaders through the transformative power of education. Your support is opening doors for each student’s pursuit of their academic and career dreams, while ensuring they remain connected to their culture and traditions. Every degree earned makes a difference! Over the past 10 years, the number of Native Americans with college degrees has increased from less than 11% to 16.8% - but that’s still less than half the national average. Every year, thousands of students reach out to the College Fund with the hope of becoming the next Native American with a college degree. This year was no exception. We received more than 14,000 applications but have only been able to fund less than 25%.
Through scholarships, grants, and specialized programs, we extend our reach by providing essential resources that help students from all backgrounds, to everyone’s benefit. When we invest in one community, we elevate everyone - creating a world where opportunity, respect, and understanding are within reach.
To learn more about the American Indian College Fund, visit us at www. collegefund.org or support a Native student by making a gift at www. collegefund.org/EATSSgift
DESTINATION DENVER
WITH YOUR COLORADO SYMPHONY
WILBUR LIN, conductor
ARTISTICO DANCE COMPANY, JOSE ALONSO ROSALES, founder & CEO, ALFONSO MERAZA PRUDENTE, ALEJANDRO CHAVEZ, JONAS PEÑA, CITLALIA RODRIGUEZ, MARCIA ROMERO, ADAMARIS GUTIERREZ, DYANARA GUTIERREZ
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE, CLEO II
NELO TYLER & WAYNE WATTS, rappers
Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 2:30pm
Boettcher Concert Hall
HOLST
GALINDO
ARR. SCOTT O’NEIL
The Planets, Op. 32 IV. Jupiter
“El Son de la Negra”
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Starburst
ARR. NORPOTH
COUNT BASIE
ARR. SCOTT O’NEIL
BEETHOVEN
“One O’Clock Jump”
Excerpts from Symphony No. 5 Movement 1
NELO, WAYNE WATTS & Next Stop Denver
SIAH RAIN’N
ARR. SCOTT O’NEIL
VALERIE COLEMAN
Umoja: Anthem of Unity
CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 50 MINUTES WITH NO INTERMISSION.
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
Known for his creative programming and inviting stage presence, Wilbur Lin’s career has taken him to symphony halls and opera theaters across the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Taiwan. Currently the Music Director of the Missouri Symphony, Lin was also recently promoted to associate conductor of the Colorado Symphony.
Lin’s 2024/25 season will commence with a production of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (Elixir of Love) with the Missouri Symphony and Landlocked Opera Company, followed by concerts with the Colorado, Taipei, Missouri, Ann Arbor, Juneau, and Acadiana symphonies, of which the latter two will be debut performances. In recent seasons, Lin’s highlights included his debuts with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Oak Ridge, Ann Arbor, Elgin, Taipei, and Indiana’s Richmond symphonies, a new studio recording with pianist Eric Zuber and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, a digital single release with the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, and conducting and covering the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops where he finished his tenure as assistant conductor in 2022.
As a cover conductor, Lin has worked with, notably, the Taiwan Symphony, Cincinnati Ballet, and Minnesota orchestras. In his role as the associate conductor of the Colorado Symphony, Lin also serves as the Music Director of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra.
A graduate of Riccardo Muti's Italian Opera Academy, Lin’s operatic endeavors include conducting Verdi’s Macbeth at Teatro Alighieri (Ravenna, Italy), Le nozze di Figaro and L’elisir d’amore with the Missouri Symphony, Die Zauberflöte and Barber of Seville with the Winter Harbor Music Festival (Winter Harbor, Maine), Menotti’s The Medium and Amelia Goes to the Ball as the conductor of Northern Illinois University, and has coached and performed as a pianist with the Indianapolis Opera, Indiana University Opera Theater, Reimagining Opera for Kids, and the Cincinnati Ballet. In 2022, Lin led a new workshop of Robeson by Scott Davenport Richards at the Cincinnati Opera.
Educated in Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Lin has studied with Arthur Fagen and David Effron at Indiana University, Clark Rundell and Mark Heron at the Royal Northern College of Music, and Apo Hsu at the National Taiwan Normal University. He has also received conducting coaching with, notably, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Riccardo Muti, Sir Mark Elder, Helmuth Rilling, and has assisted Peter Ounjian, Jun Märkl, Louis Langrée, James Gaffigan, and John Morris Russell, among others.
ArtistiCO Dance Company is the premier Ballet Folklórico company in the Southwestern United States, dedicated to preserving and innovating Mexican folkloric dance. Based in Denver’s vibrant Santa Fe Arts District, ArtistiCO is recognized for its dynamic performances that blend tradition with contemporary artistry.
Founded in 2019 by former Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández principal soloists Jose Rosales and Alfonso Meraza, ArtistiCO has become a leading force in cultural dance, education, and community engagement. The company’s world-class dancers, each with extensive training in traditional and modern techniques, serve as cultural ambassadors, bringing the richness of Mexican heritage to audiences across the country.
Through performances at prestigious venues, collaborations with major arts institutions, and robust educational outreach, ArtistiCO ensures that the beauty and diversity of Mexican folklore remain alive for future generations. The company’s impact extends beyond the stage, offering accessible dance training to underrepresented communities and fostering cross-cultural connections through the universal language of dance.
For more information, visit www.artisticodance.com or follow us on social media @ artisticodance
Cleo Parker Robinson is Founder and Artistic Director of the 54-yearold Denver based Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. As a master teacher, choreographer, educator, advocate, and cultural ambassador to the world community, she oversees the renowned Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, as well as Cleo II (her 2nd Company), a Youth Ensemble, an Academy of Dance, an International Summer Dance Institute, a 240-seat theatre and a diversity of educational and community engagement programs. Cleo is the recipient of a myriad of honors and awards from civic, community, and artistic organizations world-wide, as she and her Ensemble continuously provide performances, workshops, commissioned works, master classes, and community programming and engagement. Her philosophy of “One Spirit, Many Voices” is reflected in all that she does and is the vision she and her organization share everywhere they go.
CPRD Mission Statement: Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is an international, performing arts and educational institution rooted in African American traditions, and dedicated to excellence in providing cross-cultural instruction, performances and enrichment programs empowering all our communities by cultivating the healthy mind, body and spirit development for intergenerational students, artists, and audiences.
II? The members of Cleo Parker Robinson’s 2nd company, Cleo II, are highly trained dancers with expertise in the areas of both performance and education. They teach and perform throughout Colorado, and around the country. Under the direction of Cedric D. Hall, they study and present a wide range of CPRD repertoire, thereby helping to preserve much of the organization’s legacy and history.
First dancing with the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre’s CONSORT Youth Dance Training and Development Program, Mr. Hall later became a full company member. He was featured in numerous musicals including The Wiz, West Side Story and Footloose, and has worked with renowned choreographers Terrance Greene, Dianne McIntyre, Gary Abbott, and Kevin “Iega” Jeff. After twelve seasons as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Mr. Hall is now the Rehearsal Director of Cleo II, for whom he also choreographs, and is an integral part of the Cleo Parker Robinson Education Department and Academy of Dance. He also portrays the beloved character of “Griot / The Preacher” in the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance holiday production Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum.
Jasmine Valencia, a Colorado native from Aurora, is a recent Summa Cum Laude graduate from Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) with a B.A. in Dance. She performed at the American College Dance Association and trained primarily with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance ensemble members in Ballet, Graham, Horton, and Jazz. She has attended the International Summer Dance Institute at CPRD for the past three summers and recently trained at Deeply Rooted Dance Theater’s Summer Intensive. Jasmine has also received scholarships to programs at Ruth Page Dance Center, American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, and Alabama State University. She became a Cleo II apprentice in August 2023 and is now in her second season.
Jesús David Muñoz is a Latin dance artist and percussionist within Mexican, Cuban, Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary dance techniques. Muñoz is a recent MFA in Dance Graduate at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Theatre & Dance and he holds a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of Central Oklahoma, Department of Dance. Alongside his contemporary dance work, Muñoz continues his involvement in the Latin dance community as a freelance dance artist, educator, performer, and choreographer.
Katie Carothers grew up in Littleton, Colorado, where she received her primary training at Denver Academy of Ballet. Katie has also trained at Alonzo King LINES Ballet and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, spent a season as a trainee with State Street Ballet, and in 2023 graduated from CU Boulder with a BFA in dance. While at college, Katie pursued a BA in psychology and took up grant writing to fund supplemental dance research. She was invited to perform with Cleo II in August 2023, joined Cleo II for CPRDE’s 53rd season, and is thrilled to be here for the 54th.
Kayla Massey, from Upper Marlboro, MD, is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, earning a B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Information Systems with a minor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. She trained under Vicki Wooten Tchanque and at The Washington School of Ballet. In college, she performed with the Baltimore Dance Project and at venues like the REACH/Kennedy Center and the Baltimore Lights Festival. Her choreographic work, Between You & Me (2021), was selected for the American College Dance Association’s gala concert. She has performed works by Shaness Kemp, Brandon Perry Russel, Ann Sofie Clemmenson, Doug Hamby, Nicole Clarke-Springer, and Tracey Franklin and attended intensives with Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Dallas Black Dance Theater, and Cleo Parker-Robinson Dance. This is her second season with Cleo II.
Koura Wright, born in Ithaca, NY, began her dance training in Knoxville, TN, studying various techniques at Austin-East Magnet High School. She attended the University of Vermont, performed on the dance team, and danced with Ithaca Ballet. After training at the Ailey School, she became a soloist with Appalachian Ballet Company. In 2020, she earned a B.S. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Middle Tennessee State University. She later danced with Contemporary West Dance Theater in Las Vegas, directing its Youth Training Division, and co-directed Live Arts’ youth program. Some of her favorite roles include Night Creature (Alvin Ailey) and Vespers (Ulysses Dove). This is her first season with Cleo II, and she is excited to be part of this inspiring group. Koura also hula hoops and has a cat named Carebear.
MELVIN SUTTON, assistant to the Cleo II rehearsal director, dancer
Melvin Sutton (Raleigh, NC) holds a B.S. in Rehabilitation Studies & Human Services from Winston-Salem State University and an MFA in Dance from the University of The Arts (2022). He began training under Susan Hill and Lisa Wilder and has studied various styles, performing with Theatre of Movement and North Carolina Black Repertory Company’s Black Nativity. He has trained with luminaries like Shani Collins, Baba Chuck Davis, Karen McDonald, Debbie Allen, and Milton Myers. In 2015, he performed at the Special Olympic World Games with Stevie Wonder, Becky G, and J Balvin and worked with Gospel artist Walt Whitman in 2012. In 2021, he made history as one of the first male Carolina Panthers cheerleaders. Through Mellow Movement, he blends contemporary, hip-hop, and jazz in his choreography. This is his third season with Cleo II and first as assistant rehearsal director.
Nasira Watson is a dance artist born and bred in Cleveland Ohio. She began her educational dance training at Cleveland School of the Arts where she trained in ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporary styles for 9 years. Following that, she went on to continue her dance training at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, with a focus in contemporary dance. She then went on to study at The Ailey School in New York City. Nasira has trained, studied and worked with many world renowned dance artists and choreographers such as Robert Battle, Christopher Huggins, Troy Powell, Darrell Moultrie, Ronald Alexander and Caridad Martinez, amongst many others.
WILLIAM J. DAVIS, dancer
William J. Davis always loved to dance but didn’t get serious with formal training until his sophomore year of high school. It ignited an intense passion that has blossomed in the last four years. Mr. Davis trained at Roosevelt High School of the Arts in Fresno, California along with Severance Ballet Conservatory (California Arts Academy Fresno). After graduating, he trained at Fresno City College for a year before being picked up by Bay Pointe Ballet. While at Bay Pointe Ballet, he had the opportunity to study with the Chocolate Heads at Stanford University. After moving back to Fresno, Mr. Davis opened Revive Dance Company with two other founders in 2015. In 2019, Davis created a branch of Revive called Haux of Bougieé that works with local LGBTQ artists to put on shows and events.
Rapper, singer, and songwriter Nelo introduced himself to the world in early 2020. He creatively infuses soul and life experiences into his music. In 2023, during hip hop’s 50th anniversary, Nelo was named Westword’s Best in Hip Hop.
As an artist, he has leveraged his platform to support the community by directing a non-profit organization called The Kaleidoscope Project, whose mission was to advance health equity through the arts. This summer, Nelo collaborated with The Drop 303 radio station to open for Common at their annual block party. He is currently partnered with the Colorado Symphony for a series youth concerts.
Nelo, along with Kerrie Joy, Adams County Poet Laureate, co-created the wildly popular Dope $h!t w/ Friends concert series, a set of independently run shows that highlight BIPOC artists.
A one-of-one artist, Nelo has quickly made a name for himself. With his expansive ability to consistently engineer new sounds, he is definitely an artist to watch and collaborate with.
WAYNE WATTS, rapper
Co-Founder & Director of Artist Development: Dream Create Inspire Tour
Wayne Watts stands as a dynamic force at the intersection of music, sports, and community empowerment. As a co-founder of the DCI Tour, he leads a pioneering initiative aimed at fostering collaboration and showcasing emerging talents across diverse creative communities. Wayne’s visionary leadership has established a nationwide platform for artists to connect and collaborate together.
Beyond his contributions to the DCI Tour, Wayne served as the Director of Player Engagement for the Denver Nuggets during their 2022-2023 NBA championship season, where he applied his expertise in program development and social impact initiatives. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in nurturing holistic off-court development, fostering a culture of growth, and equipping players with resources and strategies for success beyond the game. As an artist himself, Wayne is a master of crafting immersive performances that transcend mere music. His shows offer audiences a captivating journey that engages all the senses, leaving them wholly absorbed in the moment. Through a blend of storytelling and music, Wayne creates a multidimensional experience that resonates powerfully and deeply with his audience. Guided by his dedication to partnership development, creative growth, and social impact, Wayne Watts continues to push boundaries and inspire positive change across the realms of music, sports, education, and beyond.