Under the baton of Maestro Wes Kenney, the Fort Collins Symphony (FCS) invites audiences to experience “Rachmaninoff Reverie,” the final concert of its Then & Now 100th Anniversary Season. This evening of grand orchestral music will be performed live at the Lincoln Center and via live stream at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
The FCS’s centennial season concludes with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, music that has captivated audiences in concert halls, movie theaters, and figure skating arenas for over 100 years. Colorado State University musicologist Dr. K. Dawn Grapes calls this concerto “sumptuous” and “a sonic wave of emotion.” Melodies from this work will be familiar as they have been adapted into popular songs, most notably “Full Moon and Empty Arms,” which have been recorded variously by Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and Bob Dylan. The FCS welcomes celebrated guest pianist Zhu Wang, who will perform this widely popular work. The New York Times calls Mr. Wang “a thoughtful, sensitive performer” and featured his Carnegie Hall debut on their “Best of Classical Music” list in 2021.
Béla Bartók’s vibrant Dance Suite will imbue the evening with the rhythmic energy of regional Hungarian folk music. Written for the 50th anniversary of the founding of Hungary’s capital city, Budapest, in 1923 – the same year as the founding of the Fort Collins Community Orchestra.
The evening concludes with Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. Full of warmth, optimism, and lush melodies, this masterpiece was composed during the summer of 1877 in a picturesque Austrian lakeside retreat.
Don’t miss this final opportunity to celebrate a century of music with your Fort Collins Symphony in-person or via live-stream.
Tickets/Details:
When: Saturday, May 11, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Fort Collins Lincoln Center: 417 West Magnolia Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521, and via live-stream
Cost: Adult: $25-67, Student/Child: $10, Livestream: $25 per device.
Tickets and more information: FCSymphony.org/Piano or by calling the Lincoln Center Box Office at 970.221.6730 (Noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday) or LCTix.com.
Week-of-Concert Events
Composer Talk: Join CSU professor Dr. K. Dawn Grapes for an informative and entertaining lecture about the concert’s featured composers. Sponsored by the Friends of the Symphony. Light refreshments provided.
- Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024
- Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
- Venue: Old Town Library, 201 Peterson St, Fort Collins, CO 80524
- Admission: Free
Open Rehearsal: Learn firsthand what it takes for an orchestra to bring live music to the stage.
- Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024
- Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
- Venue: Lincoln Center, 417 W Magnolia St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
- Admission: Free
Maestro’s Musings Pre-Concert Lecture: Ticket holders (in-person and via livestream) are invited to join Maestro Wes Kenney for a pre-concert lecture in the concert hall.
- Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024
- Time: 6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
- Venue: Lincoln Center, 417 W Magnolia St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
- Admission: 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 transformed the orchestra into the fully-professional Fort Collins Symphony that we know today. The FCS is led by Maestro Wes Kenney, now in his 21st season as the orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor.
The Fort Collins Symphony’s 100th Anniversary Season is dedicated to the memory of long-time board member John E. Roberts.
The Fort Collins Symphony’s May 11, 2024, Signature Concert is dedicated to the memory of past Symphony and Friends of the Symphony board president Kathryn “Kay” Quan.
Signature Concert 5 sponsors: Joe & Jan Carroll, Bill & Susan Friedman, Gary & Carol Ann Hixon, Gisela Hobman, Don & Jan Jorgensen, Larry & Sharyn Salmen, Tom & Suzie Smith,
FCS Season sponsors: Arts Without End, City of Fort Collins Fort Fund, Colorado Creative Industries, David & Alison Dennis, Lyric Cinema, National Endowment for the Arts, Dr. Ed Siegel, and Dr. Peter Springberg.
Media Sponsors: CO Sound 105.5, KUNC 91.5 FM, KRFC 88.9 FM Radio FC, and North 40 News.
For more information, please contact Jeremy D. Cuebas, Marketing and Communications Director, at 970.482.4823 or via email at [email protected].