Colorado College Summer Music Festival 2015 Annual Report
From Music Director Susan Grace As I look back on the 2015 season I am most gratified by the relationships the festival has with our donors, faculty, staff and students. Everyone is so dedicated to the festival, whether teaching, playing, attending concerts or making all the parts of the organization come together smoothly. Without all this wonderful support the festival would not be at the level it is today. I am deeply grateful for the tremendous donor support we received this past year. Thanks to all of you who believe in our mission and continue to support us year after year. It is this kind of dedication that makes my job so much easier and gives me hope for the future. The dedication of our faculty is unsurpassed. Everyone works so well together and it shows in the wonderful music making by our artists. Each one is also a dedicated teacher. The festival fellows work very hard, practicing many hours every day during their three-week residency with faculty guidance. The fellows are enthusiastic and eager to learn and every year leave the college saying this festival has been a life-changing experience. I cannot thank the music festival staff enough. Their job is a challenging one with many moving parts. Virginia Barron, associate director, works with me during the year as well as runs the festival fellow chamber music program during the festival. As of last summer Karin Henriksen is our new assistant director and is in charge of all the administrative details. She oversees student workers as well another staff member in the music department office. This is a year-round job and one that takes on many forms. Thanks to Colorado College, we are able to support more hours in this area. All these many arms of the festival come together to make an exciting season. Finally, the enthusiasm of our audience members of all ages at our concerts is unsurpassed and makes putting the festival together each year a great joy. Last year was one of great note. Please help us make this year even better. Again, thank you all for making the Colorado College Summer Music Festival a great success. Cheers, Susan
“My sense of what a special festival you lead is renewed and deepened with every summer.� - 2015 Festival Artist
From Scott Yoo, conductor The 2015 Colorado College Summer Music Festival was the best in my 14 years as the festival's conductor, and I'm excited to return for the 2016 season. The 56-member Festival Orchestra was one of the strongest ensembles in the festival's history. Some of the finest string, woodwind, and brass fellows we've ever seen came together in 2015 to master difficult repertoire like the Bartók Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta in very few rehearsals. The orchestra played brilliantly in Brahms Symphony No. 1 and Shostakovich's Ninth, and accompanied subtly in the Brahms Second Piano Concerto with pianist William Wolfram. The 2015 festival brought conductor Juan Pablo Noreña to the United States all the way from Medellín, Colombia. Mr. Noreña is a brilliant young conductor who made great strides in three short weeks, conducting Barber's Capricorn Concerto and leading two children's concerts to sold-out halls. I eagerly await his return this summer. I was honored to work with our festival pianists, festival percussionists, and the Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble in presenting Stravinsky's ballet, Les Noces. Deborah Teske did unbelievable work in preparing her chorus to sing this very difficult score in its original Russian text. They earned a richly deserved ovation from our wonderful audience. Festival faculty violinist Steven Copes and Music Director Susan Grace presented a stunning rendition of Berg's Chamber Concerto with a wind ensemble comprised of both woodwind and brass faculty and fellows. The fellows did a magnificent job of navigating such a difficult work in just three rehearsals. For the first time at the festival, Michael Grace and I presented a Notable Encounter, a museum docent's guide to the intricacies of Berg's landmark twelve-tone work. I had the privilege to perform Max Bruch's String Octet with my colleagues Stefan Hersh, Virginia Barron, and Rachel Calin, and fellows Mark Chien, Mary Grace Johnson, Emily Brandenburg and Ray Kim. The fellows integrated seamlessly with the faculty in this group, and it was gratifying to play with such a congenial and talented group of musicians. The 2015 festival was filled with joyous memories, and I can't wait to make more in 2016. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
2015 Contributors The Golden Baton $10,000 and More
RE $1,500-$2,499
Norton Bain Colorado College Culture Attraction Fund Michael and Susan Grace Inasmuch Foundation Margaret Lane Katherine Loo
Dan and Mary Armour Bee Vradenburg Foundation Gary and Anne Bradley Colorado College Summer Session Jon and Becky Medved Nancy Roeder Dr. Cynthia Rose Mariam Bolner and Jeffrey Schmoyer Darryl and Terry Thatcher Herman Tiemens Mrs. C. Wesley Tyson, Jr. Wells Fargo Advisors Miwako Wilson Darlys Wong
Music Director’s Circle $7,000-$9,999 Richard and Sandra Hilt
Conductor’s Circle $4,000-$6,999 Arthur and Elizabeth Aikin Libby Rittenberg and Nasit Ari Robert D. Lee and Susan A. Ashley Colorado College Music Department Daniel Tynan and Nancy Ekberg John Hobson National Endowment for the Humanities Professorship Harry White and Esther Redmount Dilworth and Judith Sellers John and Laurel Watkins John and Judith Wray
DO $2,500-$3,999 Richard and Dorothy Bradley Laurent Carrier Curtis and Avis Cook Timothy and Kalah Fuller Sam and Mary Alice Hall Thomas Lindblade Richard and Jean McChesney Art Porter Jill Tiefenthaler and Kevin Rask Patricia E. Severn The Webb Family Fund of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation Gwen Weiner Julia Wills
Margaret Satterfield Janine Seay Shivers Fund of the Pikes Peak Library District Suzanne Smith Jan Saddir and Paul Stephens Claire Taber Woodland Music Series
SO $100-$499
Richard J. Agee Roberto Agnolini Geoffrey Ames and Daryll Stevens Phyllis Baker Nancy Baxter William Becker Ofer Ben-Amots and Ronit Even-Or MI Edgar Benton $1,000-$1,499 Jerry Bobbe Susan Bernstein Martha H. Booth Rex Kramer and Cindy Crater Glenn E. Brooks Tracy Coleman and Pat Hayward Ann R. Brooks Ed and Mary Osborne Dwight and Sue Brothers Joe and Judy Pickle Jane Cauvel John Robert and Mary Martha Salata Emily Chan Tom and Bonnie Clark FA Guy and Virginia Cresap Kent Borgrs and Stephanie DiCenzo $500-$999 Nancy Dyer Joseph and Edie Auner Brig. General and Mrs. Charles Cabell, Jr. Catherine Edborg Charlease L. Elzenga Nancy K. Colson Judith and David Finley Frances M. Folsom Lindsay and Johanna Fischer Carlton Gamer Elaine Freed Garrett Family Foundation Katherine George Kendra Henry Eugene and Jolinda Grace William and Nancy Hochman Patricia Ann Graham William T. and Frances M. Hodson Susan Greene Foundation Ida Boatright Hutchison Memorial Fund Sam and Mary Alice Hall Jeffrey Haney Jim and Becky Hurley Donna R. Hathaway Helene Knapp Karin Henriksen John and Linda LeFevre Cynthia Hinds Pamela T. Marsh Timothy C. Hoiles Harold Palevssky and Lorna Lynn Don and Gwen Jenkins James and Eulalie Ringe Mark and Amy Juhas Tom and Pam Sanny Phillip and Kay Kannan
2015 Contributors Janice Keder Carol W. Keenan Jack and Cherry Kinney Dale and Janine Lasater Peggy Berg and Jonathan Lee John and Linda Lefevre Eric Leonard and Lisa Noll Inna Malyshev Thomas Mauch Richard Mello and Nancy Howard Mary Jean Nelson Chris and Linda O’Shea Elizabeth Rebman Horst and Helen Richardson Gretchen E. Robert Mark Seelye Merr Shearn Marvin and Shirley Strait Nancy Sidener Alan Siegel and Edie Greene Janet and Larry Sims Barbara and David St. Andre Mark and Donna Stavig Carol Townsley Tom Trainer and Dr. Susan Rae Jensen Ann Van Horn and Douglas Monroy Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walter Mark Warshaw David Watts Herman White Joe and Barbara Wilcox Diane R. Williams Barbara Yalich James and Ann Young
LA $1-$99 Cecelia Barrocas Nancy Barthlow Linda Beidleman Pamela Burkholder Robert Cate and Cindy Donovan Steven Chapman Richard and Katherine Doherty Melissa and Tad Foster Janey and Michael Guest
Sam and Mary Alice Hall Werner and Suzanne Heim Neil and Sally Hinchman Kathleen Hindmarch William J. Hybl Barbara Ingwalson Marilyn Kastel Mina Kidd Michael and Margo Montgomery Gladys Orr Over the Hill Lunch Group Carol J. Riggle James and Carol Simerville Charles and Judy Warren Nancy Wilson Bert and Glenda Wong James and Ann Young
Foundations and Funds Bee Vradenburg Foundation The Bain Family Foundation Colorado Cultural Attractions Fund Inasmuch Foundation EOS Foundation The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund The Garrett Family Foundation William T. and Frances M Hodson Foundation Ida Boatright Hutchison Memorial Fund The Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund National Endowment for the Humanities Professorship Pikes Peak Community Foundation Pikes Peak United Way The Schwab Fund of the Pikes Peak Library District T. Rowe Price Fund The Webb Family Fund of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation
Matching Gifts IBM Corporation Inasmuch Foundation
2015 Donor Luncheon Recognition Wells Fargo Advisors
Supporting Radio Stations Classically Colorado and Colorado Public Radio American Public Media’s “Performance Today” KCME 88.7 FM Radio Colorado College KRCC
In Appreciation Colorado College Music Department Sara Bermingham Stormy Burns Michael Grace Kaylyn Kinney Beril Mese Libby Rittenberg Gina Spiers
Wine Donation Jay Heminway ’63 (Green and Red Vineyard) Mike Hirby ’97 (Relic Wine Cellars) Peggy McKinley ’74 (Coaltrain Wine) Bill Phelps ’76 (Joseph Phelps Vineyards) Samuel Spencer ’92 (Head High Wines) Rob Talbott ’71 (Talbott Vineyards)
Summer Music Festival Advisory Committee Nasit Ari Gary Bradley Laurent Carrier Timothy Fuller Michael Grace Jeffrey Haney Karin Henriksen Jon Medved Libby Rittenberg Ron Rubin Judith Wray
2015 Festival Artists Susan Grace, music director and pianist Virginia Barron, associate director and violist Scott Yoo, conductor and violinist Toby Appel, viola Rachel Calin, bass Kevin Cobb, trumpet Steven Copes, violin Mark Fewer, violin Anne Marie Gabriele, oboe Stefan Hersh, violin Bil Jackson, clarinet John Kinzie, percussion Michael Kroth, bassoon Jon Manasse, clarinet
Elizabeth Mann, flute Jon Nakamatsu, piano John Novacek, piano John Rojak, trombone Stephen Rose, violin Stewart Rose, horn Elizabeth Koch Tiscione, oboe Michael Thornton, horn Bion Tsang, cello Orion Weiss, piano William Wolfram, piano David Ying, cello Phillip Ying, viola
2015 Festival Guest Artists Peter Cooper, timpani Jennifer DeDominici, mezzo soprano Michelle Djokic, cello Nena Lorenz, percussion Alex Richardson, tenor
Ashraf Sewailam, bass baritone Deborah Teske, Colorado Vocal Arts
Ensemble, artistic director Mike Van Wirt, percussion Annamarie Zmolek, soprano
Festival Orchestra Guests Joe Boylan, tuba Alice K. Dade, flute Tonya Jilling, harp
Ann Marie Liss, harp Alejandro Vieira, contrabassoon
2015 Festival Fellows Juan Pablo Norena Chloe Chabanole Mark Chien Thomas Cooper William Foy Leslie Heinzen Alice Hong Mary Grace Johnson Ye-Rim Lee Madeleine Manasse Ann Mills Keanu Mitanga William Overcash Julia Suh Emily G, Brandenburg Kathleen Crabtree Drew Alexander Forde
Halam Kim John Petrey Jessica Pickersgill Katherine Audas Benjamin Francisco Justin Goldsmith Hyugrai (Ray) Kim Angelique Montes Danny Poceta Alexander Bickard Reed Tucker Victor Wang Cassie Pilgram Theodosia Roussos Sam Boutris Dan Giacobbe Nathan Kirchoff
“It’s hard to put into words how much it has meant for me to be able to be a part of this amazing community and world of music. Feeling so welcome, supported and loved is such a special feeling, especially when I have learned so much on top of it all. I am going to cherish my time here for the rest of my life and take away so many jewels of wisdom and joy. “ 2015 Fellow “This festival is inspiring; it’s exceeded my expectations in every way. Being around such talented musicians is unbelievably motivational, and this experience came at a time in my life that I really needed it .” 2015 Fellow
Molly Murphy Sarah Boxmeyer Todd-Michael Leighton Kaitlyn Resler Cort Roberts Anthony DiMauro Tim McCarthy Jeff Smith Darian Freeman Jon Gauer Giyong Ahn Amalia Rinehart Kevin Keith Bryce Leafman Andrew Ferdig
From Virginia Barron, Associate Director The festival provides a wonderful opportunity for students to learn not only the musical and technical tools needed to perform well in Packard Hall or Cornerstone Arts Center, but also communication skills necessary to go into the community and connect effectively with audiences that might not be able to come to the college for a performance. Prior to the concerts, students attended a class led by our own David and Philip Ying, two superb performers and educators, who in the Ying Quartet, have engaged and delighted audiences of all kinds for many years. Students learned how to speak effectively, use their music to tell a story, and convey, above all, their enthusiasm and love for the music. I witnessed the results of this session as our fellows played for two groups of children, at Fort Carson and at Hillside Community Center. The children hung on every word, every note and the question and answer periods were both inspiring and hilarious. The session ended with two students being asked to conduct the group, the kids then crowded around, eager for the opportunity to talk with the performers and maybe a chance to blow into a trombone or bang on a drum. Both our fellows and the kids had to be dragged away from the event. Great fun was had by all. Village at Skyline is one of my favorite concerts of the summer. When we started going to Skyline, there were perhaps 40 people in the audience. This past year, more than 125 people came to hear our students perform Schubert, Brahms and Dvorak! The performers talked a little about the music, where they go to school and what they hope to do in the future with their talents. The audience is warm and receptive. Many of our fellows are quite moved by the experience. Many symphony orchestras are increasing the outreach portion of their musical mission, I believe this is a very good thing. Too many children do not have the opportunity to hear live classical music, some seniors are not able to easily leave their homes. The more we can help these future professional musicians develop and champion this work, the better it is for us all and the music that we love.
“The chamber music, the rehearsals with the orchestra, and the lessons, everything is starting to make me understand how to achieve a high artistic level and how to make my dreams come true! Colorado and the College are very inspiring and stimulating places, and I feel very privileged to come here and to be part of this festival.“ - 2015 Festival Fellow
Festival Financials The college’s fiscal year runs from July 1-June 30. Numbers listed below reflect totals for the 2015 festival season, not the fiscal year, since many festival expenses and some of its revenue are only reconciled in the month of July. Students 41 donor households provided half and full scholarships to 52 students, chosen from a pool of 321 applicants. Accepted festival fellows hailed mostly from the United States, but also from Colombia, Canada and South Korea. Some of the schools represented were Oberlin Conservatory, The Juilliard School, Sheperd School of Music at Rice University and Eastman School of Music.
Annual giving 165 households donated a total of $203,962. In 2014, 175 households donated a total of $183,784. So while the number of donors showed a slight decrease, donations were still up. Ticket sales 138 donor households purchased season tickets (full season or individual tickets) in 2015, up from 132 in 2014 and 126 in 2013. Most festival artist concerts were sold-out, and the ticketed free children’s orchestra concerts required extra folding chairs to accommodate all patrons. Endowment campaign The festival started a soft launch of the endowment campaign this summer, and we received our first gift for an endowed faculty position, the Sanny Faculty Artist. Next season will see an official endowment campaign rollout. Sustainability To ensure sustainability, the festival has two investment funds, which are managed by Colorado College. The investment funds were valued at $279,487 and $50,221 on July 1, 2015, with annual expected pay-outs of around $11,000 and $2,000 respectively. The festival draws from these funds to cover expenses in the rare years that expenditure is higher than revenue, as it was in 2015. The festival is committed to fiscal sustainability and long-term financial planning.
Audience Survey This year the festival conducted its first audience survey since 2007. We are thankful to the 183 audience members who completed the survey this season. Below are some key findings:
When asked if they would recommend Summer Music Festival concerts to others, 93.2% of respondents said they would do so enthusiastically.
When asked how they learned about the SMF event they attended, the majority (57.5%) responded that they learned about the event through the CC Events Calendar. Another 31.0% learned of the event through direct mailing. 27.0% learned of the SMF event through 88.7 FM KCME Classic Music Radio Colorado Springs. The findings from this survey question will be especially helpful when determining where to direct outreach efforts in the future.
56.7% of respondents found the ticket prices to be “just right.” Another 28.9% said that they only attend the free events, demonstrating how important offering free SMF events to the community is in promoting access to these events.
40.2% of respondents were season ticket holders. Of those who are season ticket holders, an overwhelming 88.4% have been season ticket holders for more than 2 years.
43% were donors to the festival. Reasons for not donating were listed as lack of discretionary income or donating to other causes. A handful of respondents indicated they were not aware the festival relies on donations from individuals and foundations to support its programs, indicating that the festival can improve on getting this message across to its patrons.
60.9% of respondents stated that they find the blend of classical and contemporary programming to be exciting. Another 33.5% said that they find it enjoyable, with only 5.6% staying that it should be modified.
A majority of respondents were age 65+, at 61.0%. Another 22.0% of respondents were between the ages of 55 and 64.
We also received some constructive criticism that we will take into consideration when planning future Summer Music Festival events. The final question of the survey was open-ended and we asked respondents if there was anything else they wished to share. Some respondents suggested that we offer military and senior discounts, improve accessibility for attendees in wheelchairs, and provide artists with more opportunities to talk to the audience while on stage. One person also suggested that we offer more midday concerts. Other than these comments, all of other open-ended responses were overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as: wonderful event; best musical festival of the year; it is a great gift to the community; keep doing this forever; this festival is a great value to our city; we plan around the festival; this is the highlight of activities in Colorado Springs; Michael Grace’s notes are superb; highlight of the summer; it is a jewel in Colorado Springs; this has been a fabulous experience for my daughter; festival has broadened my musical taste; and more.
Audience Survey When asked what they enjoy most about the concert, responses included the very high quality of music and musicians; variety of music; camaraderie; intimacy; chance to see and talk with performers; students and their enthusiasm; relaxed atmosphere; Michael Grace’s lectures; music at midday performances; opportunity to learn new music; and more. We are considering all feedback and suggestions into our planning for next season and will continue to conduct annual surveys going forward.
"Time stopped - a rare occurrence possible only when great art lives and breathes. For me, this instantly became one of a handful of artistic moments that will walk with me forever." -David Sckolnik, The Gazette
Mission The mission of the Colorado College Summer Music Festival is to bring the best in classical and contemporary music to our community; keep ticket prices low or free; reach out to people of different age groups and economic backgrounds in the community; provide free concerts for children; bring our music to community and senior centers, libraries, Fort Carson and art galleries, and via live stream at no charge; be a vital part of the academic life at Colorado College and educate our students to become leaders in their field.
Music Festival Staff Susan Grace, Music Director Virginia Barron, Associate Director Karin Henriksen, Assistant Director of College and Community Events Neil Hesse, Assistant to the Director; Stage Manager Yan Gao, Assistant to the Director; Stage Manager Kaylyn Kinney, Intern Beril Mese, Intern
Advisory Board Gary Bradley Laurent Carrier Timothy Fuller Michael Grace Jeffrey Haney Karin Henriksen Jon Medved Libby Rittenberg Ron Rubin Judith Wray
Special Thanks To Jane Turnis, Vice President for Communications Bryan Oller, College Photographer Felix Sanchez, Creative Director Leslie Weddell, College News Director
Each year the festival commissions artist Bernard Vercruyce, who provides us with our delightful cats. The front cover art is a work titled “Les Amis.� More on Bernard Vercruyce can be found at www.vercruyce.com and http://blog.artactif.com/vercruyce-bernard