Your Colorado Symphony

Your Colorado Symphony is developing future generations of music lovers while shaping a vibrant symphonic future. All this began at a luncheon held at Denver Country Club in 1935 when 75 community leaders gathered for luncheon to form what later became Colorado Symphony Guild.

Bring Classical music outside the hall has been their greatest challenge – one they have met successfully.

The Story

From its inception, the orchestra has grown alongside its home city. However, change can be challenging, and at times the symphony struggled financially – members accepted pay cuts and reduced season plans in the 1970s for example – though artistic excellence remained central to its mission.

Englishman Brian Priestman became music director in 1986 and successfully restored financial stability and led regional tours with the orchestra. Subsequently, he brought in internationally-acclaimed artists like Yo-Yo Ma to perform as guests as well as overseeing its first recording session.

Today, the Symphony offers its services to a diverse audience through education and outreach initiatives, acting as a model for other organizations seeking to break down barriers to classical music for young people. Their chorus devotes over 240 hours annually for rehearsals, distribution of music and travel support from dedicated volunteers; efforts that are yielding fruitful results as the Symphony’s audience keeps expanding! With such dedication forming part of their future success.

The Music

The Colorado Symphony has long been recognized for its musical excellence and continues to lead in classical music today. Through innovative collaborations with organizations like the Denver Zoo, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and Denver Broncos; or educational outreach that reaches thousands of Colorado youth – its impact has never been greater.

Under Marin Alsop’s leadership, the ensemble has experienced unprecedented artistic development and international recognition. Furthermore, musicians play an essential part in running the organization by serving on its board of directors and helping manage governance – something not seen among full-time professional orchestras across America.

Every season, orchestra members devote over 50 rehearsal hours in support of 30 performances a year and dedicate up to 240 hours annually, creating an environment of collaboration and community unrivaled among volunteer ensembles. This success is made possible thanks to an exceptional management staff that oversees all aspects of operations such as scheduling, music distribution, travel arrangements and more.

The Venues

After World War II, Red Rocks Symphony’s regional tours and appearances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre helped build audience support. However, management instability threatened to derail progress. Orchestra members complained about Golschmann rushing tempos to keep performances short; their union refused raises.

Jerome and Mary Kern of New York provided relief, with a $1 million donation that allowed the orchestra’s new board to hire an external CEO to implement needed changes; musicians quickly trusted that these were in their best interests for both their organization and themselves.

Brett Mitchell, the current music director of the San Antonio Symphonia Orchestra, has continued Kerns’ efforts to diversify concert experiences. For instance, he has taken orchestra members to movie nights and collaborated with artists like DeVotchKa and Gregory Alan Isakov – but this diversity has not detracted from their mission of breaking down stereotypes that classical music is exclusive only to certain age groups or socioeconomic levels.

The Audience

The Symphony is the cultural heart of our community, providing Colorado with a rich variety of music that enriches its culture. As a non-profit organization it can only operate with such high standards due to the generosity of donors and philanthropic support – ticket sales cover only half the costs involved with staging concerts; without such donations and support they would simply not take place!

Early on, expenses outpaced revenues – an all too familiar plight among orchestras across America. Large one-time grants and support from old money families helped, but were insufficient to sustain the Symphony through shifting economic circumstances.

An endowment helps the Symphony keep ticket prices affordable while expanding education and outreach activities. Furthermore, an endowment supports musician salaries, brings guest artists to Denver, and provides stability for future endeavors.