For Immediate Release
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The Fort Collins Symphony is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a blockbuster season of music. The 2023-24 season “Then & Now” runs from October 7, 2023 to May 11, 2024. Visit FCSymphony.org/100 for more information.
The season opens with Beethoven’s monumental 9th Symphony.
“Beethoven’s 9th was the first symphony to feature a chorus, which sings Schiller’s homage to brotherhood, the “Ode to Joy” (featuring the Larimer Chorale). This anthem of freedom and peace sets the stage for our celebration throughout the season.”
Wes Kenn3ey, Music Director and Conductor
Listeners will experience five curated Signature Concerts, featuring classical standards by Beethoven, Mozart, Dvořák, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff paired with new favorites by composer such as Florence Price, William Grant Still, Arturo Márquez, Vince Oliver, and Joaquín Rodrigo. Signature Concerts are performed live at the Lincoln Center and are also available via livestream.
The season also includes a Halloween Concert featuring a newly commissioned piece of music set to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” a Film Music Concert featuring fan-favorite film scores, and a Family-Friendly Concert featuring Peter and the Wolf .
“We are delighted to present a diverse range of composers and genres that will resonate with both seasoned aficionados and newcomers to the world of symphonic music.”
Alexandra Lee, Board President
“Then & Now” brings together a host of talented guest artists, including grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux, violinist Yumi Hwang-Williams, pianist Zhu Wang, ghost-story expert Shane Sheridan, film-buff and narrator Jeremy D. Cuebas, and vocalists Tiffany Blake, Nicole Asel, John Lindsey, Graham Anduri, Patty Goble, and the Larimer Chorale.
Visit FCSymphony.org/100 for tickets, concert dates, and program information.
Readers are invited to free educational events before each Signature Concert:
- Composer Talks – an engaging lecture hosted by CSU Professor Dr. K. Dawn Grapes. Held at the old Town Library at noon on the Wednesday prior to each Signature Concert, and sponsored by the Friends of the Symphony.
- Open Rehearsal – see the orchestra rehearse live. Held at the Lincoln Center at 7 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. on the Thursday prior to each Signature Concert.
- Maestro’s Musings – a pre-concert lecture presented by Maestro Wes Kenney. Held at the Lincoln Center and via livestream at 6:30 p.m. before each Signature Concert. Included with ticket purchase.
About the Fort Collins Symphony:
The Fort Collins Symphony has been an integral part of Northern Colorado’s cultural fabric since 1923 when visionary violinist Editha Todd Leonard established the Fort Collins Community Orchestra. In 1950, conductor Will Schwartz revitalized the ensemble and transformed it nto the fully-professional Fort Collins Symphony that we know today. The FCS is led by Maestro Wes Kenney, now beginning his 21st season as the orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor.
The Fort Collins Symphony is sponsored by Arts Without End, City of Fort Collins Fort Fund, Colorado Creative Industries, National Endowment for the Arts, Dr. Ed Siegel, and Dr. Peter Springberg.
For more information, please contact Jeremy D. Cuebas, Marketing and Communications Director, by phone at 970.482.4823 or by email at Marketing@FCSymphony.org.
