The Fort Collins Symphony’s upcoming February 5 concert, “Solemn, Joyful & Ecstatic,” requires 73 talented musicians to perform the Romantic and contemporary music you will experience (in-person or live-streamed).

Sadly, the Lincoln Center’ main stage is not large enough to safely seat this many instrumentalists during a pandemic. Your Symphony conscientiously abides by the current county COVID gathering directives and carefully limits the number of musicians who perform on indoor stages. We do this in order to keep everyone—instrumentalists, audience, and staff alike—safe and healthy. 

So, riddle me this:

What was Maestro Wes Kenney thinking when he chose February’s musician-heavy repertoire?!

Well, Maestro was thinking wonderful things! In creating an evening that you will thoroughly enjoy, he selected specific works that require just the right number of musicians to be on stage at any given time. To keep everyone safely distanced, the first half of the program will feature 29 wind, brass, and percussion and no strings (well, guest cellist Anthony Elliott is the exception).

Then during intermission, the stage will be flipped and cleaned for 44 strings to perform. This way we can keep our talented musicians employed, provide you with the incredible music you’ve come to expect, and make sure everyone is as safe as possible. 

It’s no joke that together, with flexibility and ingenuity, your orchestra hasn’t missed a beat throughout the great pandemic.

Thanks to Maestro for his creativity and to YOU for your participation, support, and generosity.

Stay tuned and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday, February 5!