Off the Hook Arts Launches Ambitious 2024 Programming

Northern Colorado music lovers are invited to delight in a first-of-its-kind music education experience presented by Fort Collins non-profit Off the Hook Arts (OtHA) this June. Featuring the world-renowned professional Dali String Quartet and the student Pandan String Quartet from Oberlin College and Conservatory, this inaugural Music Spoke program is a unique, week-long combination of concerts, community outreach, and the opportunity to witness mentorship of aspiring musicians by seasoned professionals. Music Spoke is the summer focus of OtHA programming for 2024, complementing its Music Tours Concert Series featuring widely varying musical genres performed in intimate, one-of-a-kind venues.

Off the Hook Arts’ first-ever Music Spoke Concert Series takes place from June 2nd to June 9th in a variety of venues across Fort Collins. Music Spoke underscores Off the Hook Arts’ dedication to fostering musical education for children of all economic backgrounds and promoting music appreciation in Fort Collins and surrounding communities.

Off the Hook Arts enriches children’s lives through free group music lessons and instruments while enhancing the diversity of music performances in our community and promoting music appreciation through intimate concerts of classical, jazz, and world music.

Music Spoke features the internationally known Dali String Quartet and the Pandan String Quartet from Oberlin College and Conservatory, whose ambition it is to continue as a professional quartet following college. While they workshop together in a mentor/mentee relationship during the week, they will also present six individual and joint performances, several of which are free to the public. Both Off the Hook Arts and the Dali String Quartet emphasize reaching the widest possible spectrum of audiences and encouraging children to explore music at young ages. These free outreach concerts make it possible for all interested members of our local communities to experience world-class music and perhaps spark their continued interest in it. The series culminates in a Merged Musicale on June 7th, for which both quartets perform the Mendelssohn Octet, and concludes with a lively gypsy jazz concert by the Denver group Swing Je T’aime. All details and tickets at offthehookarts.org.

Jephta Bernstein, Director of Off the Hook Arts, highlights the significance of the week, stating, “The Music Spoke Concert Series is more than just performances; it’s a platform for up-and-coming young musical professionals to learn how to better engage all individuals in our community through invigorating outreach concerts, sharing of live music performance, and interaction with diverse audiences. It embodies our commitment to making music accessible and engaging for all.”

While Music Spoke is Off the Hook Arts’ summer showcase, its Music Tours concerts punctuate the rest of the year with a kaleidoscope of musical genres, from cabaret to jazz, funk, rock, Spaghetti western, tango, and other Latin American styles. All by top artists renowned in Colorado and beyond, these performances take place on April 6, May 4, July 27, Sept. 21, and Nov. 9.

All details and tickets at offthehookarts.org.