STORIES OF NOTE
A 21 Century Symphony st
By Nick Dobreff When you think of symphonic music, what do you see? What do you hear? Does your mind wander to faded images of legendary composers seen in school textbooks and classrooms? Do you hear a favorite symphony or concerto, perhaps something you associate with a powerful memory or emotion? Or are you instantly transported into the concert hall, immersed in the sights and sounds of the concert going experience? From the 18th century through the early part of the 20th, symphonic music was the predominant musical art form for much of the world, and the concert hall was the world’s conduit. Lacking the modern technology we enjoy today, someone from this period would be lucky to hear a piece more than once in their life. Imagine hearing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the first time and never having the opportunity to hear it again? This scarcity generated a voracious appetite for symphonic music, propelling patrons to the concert hall in droves for generations. After the turn of the 20th century, new forms of music began to gain in popularity, including jazz and rock and roll, and later country, hip hop, and electronica. Simultaneously, music also became more accessible to people in their homes, vehicles, and later, in their pockets. This increased volume and accessibility has created more competition than ever for the eyes and ears of music lovers everywhere. So what is the significance of symphonic music in the 21st century, what role will it play moving forward, and how can classical symphonic music stay relevant with the challenges presented by modern society? This is the question every orchestra around the world grapples with, and it’s one that the Colorado Symphony is at the forefront of addressing: It begins with reaching larger and more diverse audiences than ever before. One way to accomplish this is by collaborating with musicians outside of the normal classical music sphere. The first notable instance of such a collaboration including the Colorado Symphony occurred in 1992 with a performance alongside The Moody Blues at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre. However, such partnerships did not manifest into a targeted campaign until nearly two decades later when, in 2012, the Colorado 16
C O L O R A D O SY M P H O N Y.O R G
