Summer Classical Music and Poetry Series Begins at Avogadro’s

Church of Beethoven, a nonprofit music organization that started in Albuquerque in 2007, will host eight concerts featuring some of the best classical performers and poets in northern Colorado. 

The original Church of Beethoven (NPR story here) was founded by the late cellist Felix Wurman in 2007 in a funky gas station/arts space on Route 66. Felix tragically died of cancer in 2009 at age 55. 

C of B-NoCo director Leslie Merriman was Felix’s girlfriend and helped run the Albuquerque branch. Director Jean Lyons Lotus ran a Church of Beethoven in Felix’s hometown of Oak Park, Ill., for seven years in a community theater. 

Church of Beethoven was developed as a civic project with the help of the Larimer County Extension’s Family Leadership Training Institute. 

Fort Collins performances will be held in a socially distanced outdoor setting in compliance with all Larimer County Health Department regulations.

The informal short concerts are one hour long and feature 10 minutes of poetry and 2 minutes of silence. Tickets cost $16 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets for patrons under age 30 cost $9 in advance and $10 at the door. 

Find out more and buy tickets at: www.churchofbeethoven-noco.com

The lineup for the series is below:

• Sunday, May 23: – CSU Faculty Brass Quintet featuring John Mcguire, horn, with poet Dan Beachy-Quick
• Sunday, June 6 – Red Rock String Quartet with spoken word artist Laura Pritchett
• Sunday, June 20 – Classical guitar/flute Quatra Duo with poet Kathleen Willard
• Sunday, July 18 – Solo harp by Mia Theodoratus with spoken word artist Marcelo Sosa 
• Sunday, Aug. 1 – Synesthesia Chamber Music with poet Autumn Bernhardt (Fort Collins poet laureate!)
• Sunday Aug. 15 Ambel String Quartet with poet John Calderazzo
• Sunday, Sept. 5 – Viola duo Talla Rouge with poet Veronica Patterson (Loveland poet laureate!)
• Sunday, Sept. 19 – WW5 Woodwind Quintet featuring Jeremy Wendelin with poet Aby Kaupang

ABOUT CHURCH OF BEETHOVEN: The Church of Beethoven is a ‘church’ with no preaching, just a one-hour-long program presenting classical music (45 min), spoken word art (10 min), and a two-minute celebration of silence. We begin at 3 PM sharp and end by 4 PM. Book signings will be available by featured spoken word artists, and Avogadro’s delicious menu is available for dining. 

Not just a concert, not quite a church, the Church of Beethoven was founded initially by American cellist Felix Wurman, in Albuquerque in 2007. Wurman started this organization “to create a new concept in classical music… to get rid of the ‘fourth wall’ between the players and the audience and create a more familial feel… a community.” 

ABOUT AVOGADRO’S NUMBER: Avogadro’s number is a legendary Fort Collins restaurant, bar, and music venue that has been supporting community arts since the 1980s with healthy food.