From opera houses dating back to the Old West to contemporary new buildings with amazing acoustics, or even a rustic event tent, Colorado has an array of choices when music is the topic. During all seasons, sounds of orchestras and festivals can be heard, and are carried down the Rockies. The Colorado Music Alliance fills the calendar with musicians whose goal is to enhance the lives of others with the beauteous harmonies made by both vocal talents and instruments alike.
Classical and International Music Festivals
The Aspenglow Festival has brought music to the town of Crested Butte for years. At the outdoor stage of Crested Butte Center for the Arts, the concerts begin with a backdrop of the mountains. If visiting the festival on a Monday night, from June through August, be sure to bring a blanket, picnic, and wine, and prepare to be whisked away by the beautiful music, great company, and free entrance!
Aspen is where young musicians go to study. The Aspen Music Festival is held for nine weeks in the summer months. This internationally acclaimed classical music festival holds concerts in many different venues. The Benedict Music Tent, the Wheeler Opera House, the Harris Concert Hall, and even churches around town host musicians from around the world. Lawn seating outside the Benedict Music Tent is free and some other concerts are free as well.
The Colorado Music Festival (CMF) brings classical music to the Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder. CMF mixes world music and modern composers with its classical cache. Most days of the week there is a concert, be it the CMF Chamber Orchestra, ensembles, or guest musicians from around the world, an array of events is offered in a historic district.
The Chautauqua movement brought arts and education to the United States in the late 18th to early 19th century. Boulder's Chautauqua is one of three in the country, the only remaining one in the west, and the only Chautauqua in the country to offer year-round performances. It is also the only Chautauqua that is free and open to the public.
Music in the Mountains, in Durango, runs for three weeks in the summer, and has almost everything classical music lovers could desire. Chamber, conservatory, orchestral, and Pops concerts are all offered. There are even free concerts scheduled for families with small children. Using almost every site in Durango, this festival has a mission to provide quality classical music to people of every age.
Other festivals in the state include: Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Crested Butte Music Festival, Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Breckenridge Music Festival Steamboat Strings in the Mountains Music Festival, and Telluride Chamber Music Festival.
Opera
From the late 18th century through the early 19th century most community events in Colorado were held in so-called opera houses. These venues held sporting events, community meetings, and touring groups, who may or may not have performed "operas." The name opera was interchangeable with theater, though real opera houses seemed to cater to the more elite. Between the years of 1860 and 1920, 150 opera houses were built in Colorado. The 17 that remain had some association with opera, and only nine of those are mostly in their original state and are still called opera houses. Four opera houses of those nine have opera performances today.
The Wheeler Opera house in Aspen, Tabor Opera house in Leadville, and Butte Opera house in Cripple Creek all offer opera performances. These opera houses are also used for theater and dance performances, and, like in Old Colorado, for community meetings and events.
The theater is what sets Central City's Opera house apart from others. This jewel-like, intimate theater houses 550 seats and was built in 1878. Fully furnished with plush seating, the theater has a new production line each summer.
Not on the list of old opera houses, Emerald City Opera is in Steamboat Springs. The community there has partnered with world-class performers to deliver quality operas for every age group, and runs performances year-round. Another community-backing organization is the Colorado University Opera. These performances are held in summer only with the students as actors and live orchestra accompaniment.
Orchestras and Ensembles
The National Repertory Orchestra (NRO) calls Breckenridge its home. This eight-week internship is for students to ease their transition into professional orchestral positions. The season runs during the summer with a multitude of events, ranging from family-friendly and free to upscale black tie galas.
In 1984 the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra was created to provide an orchestral environment to school-age children. These musicians are taught appreciation and compassion for orchestral music at their ability level. The calendar for CYSO runs during the school year.
The St. Martin's Chamber Choir, based out of Denver, is not affiliated with any religion, but takes its names from St. Martin's Chapel at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral. This site was where the choir had its first concerts. The choir performs an array of music that spans centuries, and has been deemed the region's leading chamber choir.
Contemporary Concerts
Located in Denver, Nobody In Particular Presents, or NIPP, provides live concerts all over the state. These concerts are contemporary music of all genres, from country music, jazz, and rock, to rap. In addition to the array of musical concerts, NIPP also uses many different venues, many of which are in Denver. The Ogden Theater, which was Denver's foremost vaudeville in 1918, has been restored to keep much of its original beauty, but to now serve as a primary concert hall for NIPP. Not far away, in Edgewood, is the Gothic Theater, built around the time of the Ogden, but used for picture shows. The Gothic has another rich history and was saved from being demolished by two friends who love music, and now use the theater again to entertain. Some other venues NIPP uses for concerts in and around Denver are: The Denver Botanic Gardens, Fillmore Auditorium, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and the Chautauqua Auditorium.
Not only does Colorado offer magical music, the state also has breathtaking scenery. More than one thousand concerts are performed each summer, and there are festivals that run year-round. From chamber music to symphonic, or recitals to opera, Colorado is the place to be heard.
Colorado has an active Arts and Entertainment scene.
