Colorado Music Festival returns with a sparkling, sentimental series of concerts

Jun. 26—The Colorado Music Festival, the annual extravaganza showcasing the beauty of classical music set against the equally beautiful backdrop of Chautauqua Park, returns to Boulder this month with a flurry of concerts and events.

Now in its 47th year, the Colorado Music Festival has established itself as one of the premier classical music events in the region. From June 29 to Aug. 6, Boulder will come alive with resounding melodies and powerful symphonies from world-renowned composers and celebrated musicians.

Led by Music Director Peter Oundijan, the 2023 Colorado Music Festival promises 26 days of summertime musical magic, including live classical concerts, behind-the-scenes peeks at open rehearsals, preconcert discussions and more.

The festival opens June 29 with a performance of "Mussorgsky's Pictures" — a compilation of pieces from composers Carlos Simon, Max Bruch and Modest Mussorgsky — brought to life by legendary violinist Joshua Bell and led by CMF's charismatic maestro, Peter Oundjian.

Bell, the child prodigy who made his Carnegie Hall debut at age 17 and known for playing a 300-year-old Stradivarius violin called the "Gibson ex Huberman," is one of this year's CMF artists in residence. Audiences can look forward to seeing Bell perform at four different concerts throughout the festival.

Another must-see event at the festival is "John Corigliano: Living Legend," a retrospective program examining three stages of composer-in-residence Corigliano's towering career and honoring the renowned Grammy-, Oscar- and Pulitzer Prize-winning conductor.

"Even for a composer of his stature, it is rare to have an entire program dedicated exclusively to their music the way we are doing this year," Oundijan says of the retrospective.

But for Oundijan, it's hard to go wrong with this summer's powerhouse lineup of concerts.

"Honestly, every program feels like a highlight," says Oundijan.

Other guest artists include violinist Grace Park, pianist Nicolai Lugansky, and saxophonist Timothy McAllister. The season includes several world premieres, including Adolphus Hailstork's new symphony, "JFK: The Last Speech," on July 16.

The festival also includes a family-friendly concert, "Peter and the Wolf + Goodnight Moon," conducted by Kalena Bovell and featuring soprano Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson and narrator Janae Burris.

Also premiering music on July 16 are composers Jordan Holloway and Carter Pann, who both wrote pieces commissioned by CMF.

Holloway and Pann have more in common than sharing a musical debut on the same program. As it turns out, Halloway studied musical theory under Pann when he was a student at the University of Colorado Boulder.

"From day one, he was one of my favorite students," says Pann of Halloway. "It's so charming that this is happening to the both of us."

Halloway, who graduated from the University in 2021 with degrees in composition and viola performance, has since moved on to study at Carnegie Mellon. However, Pann says the two still have a standing appointment to meet and walk around Lake Mcintosh twice a year.

"It's really really cool that we do this. We have some of the richest conversations. He's in his 20s, and I'm in my early 50s, but yet there's no disconnect. He's sort of been adopted as a musical son," says Pann. "I'm sort of hoping he returns to Colorado for a third degree," he jokes.

Pann's piece for the program, titled "Dreams I Must Not Speak," was written to understand and analyze three different recurring dreams that Pann has.

"I don't dream a lot, but when I do, it's one of these three," Pann says.

The piece is broken into three parts — "A Collage of Strange Faces," "The Moors" and "Realization Point, Flagstaff Road, Boulder Colorado" — with each part representing one of Pann's three dreams.

"These are not nightmares, nor are they pleasant images, but rather odd and somewhat psychedelic scenes that have remained distinct in my awakened conscience over the years," Pann says.

While the performance won't feature any screens or visual images, Pann says the music is meant to be experienced like a film score, with a large orchestra.

"Because it's the CMF orchestra, which is an extremely talented and top-tier orchestra, I was kind of compelled to write a more complex piece," Pann says. "I revel in the opportunity to write for such an orchestral force. This is the closest I've come to such a decadent opportunity, in a long time."

Halloway's piece, which will precede Pann's on the program, is a sort of ode to the foothills of Boulder.

For three out of four of Halloway's years at CU, he lived just a 10-minute walk from Chautauqua and frequented the park for hikes, listening to Debussy and Boulanger in his earbuds. His piece, "Flatiron Escapades" — which also celebrates the Chautauqua Association's 125th anniversary — was inspired by these forays into the foothills.

"I would go up to Chautauqua when I needed to clear my head, so there was always a lot of music in that place for me, even when I wasn't thinking about it," Halloway says. "The piece is basically a synthesis of all these different experiences I've had in and around Chautauqua. It's really just inspired by the beautiful things there are to look at in that place," Halloway adds.

According to Halloway, the opportunity to appear in the same program as his former teacher and mentor feels almost too good to be true.

"It is absolutely surreal. I don't think I've fully processed it. And also, with Adolphus Hailstork — I played a piece of his, and so I'm familiar with his music as well. I have a little bit of imposter syndrome going on right now; it's an unbelievable honor. And really, really special for me to share a program with Carter," Halloway says.

Individual tickets for the Colorado Music Festival range from $18 to $65 for adults, but the festival is offering $10 tickets for ages 18 and under and students with current school identification. To see the full schedule of events visit coloradomusicfestival.org/.