Fort Collins Symphony Celebrates 100th Anniversary

The Fort Collins Symphony celebrates its 100th anniversary with a blockbuster music season. 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 9^th 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 Kenny, 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 such composers as Florence Price, William Grant Still, Arturo Márquez, Vince Oliver, and Joaquín Rodrigo. Signature Concerts are performed live at the Lincoln Center and are available via livestream.

The season also includes a Halloween-themed Pops Concert with a newly commissioned piece of music by Colorado native Morgan Denney set to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. The Friends of the Symphony-sponsored Family Concert features Peter and the Wolf. The Spring Pops concert includes fan-favorite film scores.

“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 narrator 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 Rehearsals – 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 into 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.