The Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra Making Music for Everyone!
Professional symphonic music has been enjoyed inColorado Springs for well over 75 years. However, as the year 2003 began that tradition almost came to an end. The Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra, formerly the oldest performing arts organization in the state, declared bankruptcy and the music making stopped. But the silence was not to last for very long as musicians of the former symphony, along with a handful of dedicated support staff, immediately began an effort to resurrect orchestral music in Colorado Springs. A mere six weeks later, on March 17, 2003, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic was formed, and has become one of the most successful post-bankruptcy orchestras in this country.
The Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra is a vital component of the excellent quality of life the Pikes Peak Region and the City of Colorado Springs offers. For many communities the size of Colorado Springs, even those that have experienced the same explosive growth this region has, a professional symphony orchestra is but a dream. Here, it is not only a reality, but also an orchestra of the highest caliber with 76 professional musicians performing in the acoustically superb and recently refurbished Pikes Peak Center. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra is led by world-renowned Music Director, Lawrence Leighton Smith. As one orchestra supporter put it, “the
musicians have reached a level of performance under conductor Lawrence Leighton Smith that has moved many in the audience to tears. If you miss the concerts, you are missing musical history (being made).
Concert Variety to Please All Palates
The orchestra performs 40 concerts each season and is heard by over 125,000 members of the community. The high caliber music of the orchestra attracts an ever-increasing roster of incredible guest artists. Itzhak Perlman, Andre Watts and Joshua Bell have all graced the stage in past seasons. Most concerts take place at the Pikes Peak Center, 190 South Cascade in downtown Colorado Springs. The center was designed with a professional orchestra in mind and the excellent acoustics attest to that. The Philharmonic begins its 2007-08 season on September 15, 2007 with Battleship Potemkin. The classic film by master film-maker Sergei Eisentein will be shown on a giant screen above the orchestra as it performs Shostakovich’s incredible musical score for the film. Seven Classical Masterworks concerts, each with Saturday night and Sunday afternoon performances in Pikes Peak Center form the core of the season. Guest artists include world renowned pianist Norman Krieger performing Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2, virtuoso violinist Miriam Fried playing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and 20 year-old piano prodigy Yuja Wang performing Chopin. The Classical Masterworks Series opens on September 29-30, 2007 with Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9 with the Colorado Springs Chorale and four outstanding soloists. The Pick of the Pops offers four Saturday, 8 p.m. Pikes Peak Center concerts conducted by Associate Conductor Thomas Wilson. The Pops Season begins with The Best of the West featuring favorite western film scores and songs. After the New Year, the Philharmonic will present audience-selected favorites in a People’s Choice concert, then it’s Off to the Oscars, an Oscar-winning music night with Lord of the Rings, Titanic, The Sound of Music and newly-nominated pieces, and to conclude our Pops Season, guest artistFive by Design pays tribute to old-time televisionshows and commercials in Stay Tuned. The Philharmonic’s Home for the Holidays concerts begin with four Thanksgiving Weekend (November 23-25,2007) performances of the The Nutcracker conducted by Maestro Wilson and danced by The San Diego Ballet along with top young dancers from our region. This is the only fully staged performance of the Nutcracker with a live orchestra and professional ballet company. The Christmas Classics and Carols concert the weekend before Christmas includes Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus and a family sing-along. New Year’s Eve with the Philharmonic welcomes 2008 with Maestro Wilson on the podium for many recognizable favorites. The Philharmonic continues its dedication to outstanding Family entertainment with its three Sunday matinee Family Series concerts which include Halloween Spooktacular, The Many Colors of Doctor Seuss and How’s the Weather. There is always one hour of fun and educational pre-concert activities in the lobby before every concert. Mozart and Friends concerts take place in the beautiful and intimate First United Methodist Church in downtown Colorado Springs. These classical programs continue the Philharmonic’s commitment to reach audiences in smaller settings outside Pikes Peak Center. This year, the three concert series will feature the great Saint-Saens Organ Symphony performed on the Church’s magnificent pipe organ, Mozart’s Gran Partita and Horn Concerto as well as works by Haydn, Prokofiev, Bach and others. July 4th concerts are also well attended reaching 90,000 people for two events. The July 4th Patriotic Celebration Concert takes place at Memorial Park; 1605 E Pikes Peak Ave, and in Woodland Park on July 5th.
Community Involvement
The making of music by the Philharmonic extends beyond performing concerts. Youth education is also a part of ongoing activities with 7,000 students involved in music education of various types. During the school year, the Philharmonic performs Young People’s Concerts in the fall for students in grades K through six and offers its Conductor in the Classroom program whereby the Maestros teach classes about music and conducting. Now in its third year, our Conductor in the Classroom Program is an outreach program offered to area middle and high school orchestra and band programs. Music Director Lawrence Leighton Smith or Associate Conductor Thomas Wilson visit the class and lead a rehearsal of a school’s band or orchestra. The Maestros may also share their insights into using the rehearsal to improve the final product in order to experience the process and joys of making great music come to life. Band/Orchestra members learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. These standards, when applied to a student's own work, demand a new level of excellence and require students to stretch their inner resources. The historical context of the musical work as well as information about the life of the composer provides students with insight into other cultures as well as an enhanced conception of the work. Students are encouraged to actively participate by questioning the conductor and taking musical “risks”. The need to be rhythmically accurate also requires the incorporation of advanced math skills. Young People’s Concerts are a reflection of the Philharmonic’s continued commitment to music education and the “live performance experience.” Each autumn, more than 7000 local children attend a live professional symphonic performance during their school day. These hour-long concerts serve to introduce children to classical music in a way that isinstructive and entertaining. Classes attending these concerts range from pre-school through sixth grade. Prior to the concert, most classes receive a visit from a professionally trained (by our Associate Conductor Thomas Wilson) docent who provides each student with a “newspaper” describing what an orchestra is and specifics of what they should listen for in the concert hall. Within two weeks they have the live concert experience to bring alive what they learned from the docent. For many students Young Peoples Concerts provide their very first introduction to classical music, live orchestra and concert hall experience. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic is dedicated to helping to expand young minds and grow the appreciation of classical music and live performance in our community. The organization provides wonderful opportunities for young adults and children to gain exposure to an art form that enhances our community in many ways. The orchestra collaborates with many other performing groups in the region including choirs, soloists, youth orchestras and dancers. Many orchestra members have jobs in the community as educators and provide music lessons as well.
Looking to the Future
From the near disaster of Colorado Springs losing its professional orchestra, through its rebirth as the Colorado Springs Philharmonic to its re-emergence as a vital component of the city’s quality of life, sustainability of the organization has been a primary goal. As part of a methodical approach to reach this goal, the Philharmonic is reviewing its strategic plan with a newly expanded board of directors, who are dedicated in their commitment to fundraising and community outreach. The background of the board members includes financial, technology, military and commodities industries with many years of experience in the Colorado Springs area. Their dedication and that of ardent supporters and foundations have made it possible to keep this community treasure in Colorado Springs making music for everyone.