Fort Collins Symphony
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Mission Statement
The mission of the Fort Collins Symphony is to perform spectacular live orchestral music and host educational events as a means of inspiring, bringing joy and providing an environment that is enjoyable, nurturing, and inclusive for all residents and visitors to Northern Colorado.
About This Cause
Now in its 71st Season, the Fort Collins Symphony (FCS) offers Northern Coloradans unique musical experiences by presenting engaging Masterworks, Pops, community, and educational concerts. As Fort Collins’ oldest arts organization, the Symphony continues to build upon the organization’s long-standing legacy to provide innovative programming; helping head up new initiatives such as the B Sharp program providing dementia patients and their caregivers with the opportunity to attend concerts; hosting high energy programs for youth; and playing a significant role in the economic viability of the community by offering exceptional artistic programs that add to the region’s cultural health. Over 30,000 individuals attend symphony events, infusing more than $1M back into the local economy! The Fort Collins Symphony’s reputation for excellence is well-deserved. Under the dynamic leadership of award-winning Maestro Wes Kenney, 70 professionally-trained musicians give amazing performances. These incredibly talented artists, through their hard work and dedication, present concerts long cherished by the community. Few American orchestras provide the range or diversity of offerings to their communities as does the Fort Collins Symphony. The FCS annually hosts the Youth Education Series concerts where over 4,300 students have the opportunity to attend a live orchestral performance specifically programmed for 4th and 5th graders. In partnership with the Friends of the Symphony, the FCS welcomes hundreds of families during Musical Zoo where youth orchestras perform, children are invited to play a variety of instruments, and the FCS gives a lively performance. Throughout the Season, the FCS offers free open rehearsals where the public is able to watch the orchestra prepare for concerts; arranges for guest artists to visit area schools; helps sponsor engaging composer talks by Colorado State University professor Dr. Dawn Grapes; and holds pre-concert talks given by Maestro Wes Kenney. In addition to spreading the joy of music, the FCS has also recently partnered with other organizations and businesses with the goal of alleviating stress in the lives of underserved audiences. During the summer of 2015, the FCS in conjunction with Banner Health, Kaiser Permanente, the Alzheimer’s Association, Larimer County Office on Aging, Colorado State University, and area certified dementia practitioners founded an arts engagement program designed specifically for people with dementia and their caregivers. The B Sharp program provided 30 people with dementia and their primary caregiver with the opportunity to attend all of the Symphony’s Season concerts. There couples were able to enjoy the music in their same seats, engage with the other community members, and participate in a study aimed at measuring the impact these concerts have on their quality of life. The results of the study were published in November 2016. This unique offering in the community is already acting as a catalyst for other dementia-focused programs in Northern Colorado. The B Sharp Program is also serving as a model for the Fort Collins Symphony to greatly expand its community outreach by securing partners to make it possible for at-risk youth and single parents to attend concerts at no cost. The Symphony is keenly aware of the important role it plays in providing a safe, stress-free, entertaining, and enriching environment for ALL residents of the Northern Colorado community to enjoy. By increasing the Symphony’s visibility with cutting edge and innovative programs, the Symphony further highlights and enhances the flourishing arts, culture, and music scene in Fort Collins. Each Season, Maestro Wes Kenney develops five Masterworks concerts designed to engage and intrigue a broad audience of music lovers. • Composer Talks by CSU Music Professor Dr. Dawn Grapes, Ph.D., providing an in-depth interactive lecture on the Wednesday prior to the concert performance about the lives and careers of the upcoming concert’s composers; free of charge; 30 to 40 attendees. • Open Rehearsal gives the audience the opportunity to watch the Symphony interact and rehearse for the upcoming concert; free of charge and open to the public; 200 attendees. • Guest Artist School Performances for area middle and high school students; nationally and world-known guest artists visit Poudre School District schools to perform and discuss their unique careers and relationships with music. • Maestro Musings presentation by Music Director Wes Kenney directly before the concert about the history of the pieces the orchestra will be performing that evening. • Concert Performance by Fort Collins’ professional orchestra; 1,000 attendees. The Fort Collins Symphony also goes Outside the Box (meaning outside of the Lincoln Center) to reach diverse audiences by presenting classical music in memorable, entertaining, and engaging venues and formats. These popular events are attended by over 24,000 people annually. 4th of July Concert at City Park: The Symphony performs patriotic favorites as well as popular pieces just prior to the City of Fort Collins’ breathtaking fireworks display. The Youth Education Series (YES) Concerts: Targets over 4,300 Northern Colorado 4th and 5th grade students and their families. This season, the Fort Collins Symphony will feature "Finding Harmony" which will explore how music is a perfect example of the organic relationship between dissonance (harmonic tension) and consonance (harmonic resolution). POPS Concert: Held annually in the spring, the POPS concert is an established community favorite and one of the Symphony’s most anticipated performances of each season. The April 20, 2018 concert will feature Broadway music.