The overall theme for this year’s Longmont Symphony Orchestra season is “Shoot for the Stars,” which means shooting for artistic excellence. Elliot Moore, Music Director & Conductor of the Longmont Symphony Orchestra says, “We continue to elevate the artistic possibilities of music in Longmont. To that end, we have some amazing performances coming up.”
Opening Night, October 7th features “The Planets” by Gustav Holst, a seven-movement orchestral suite.
The night begins with John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine”, followed by Michael Daugherty’s new Harp Concerto, “Harp of Ages”, which shows us the diversity of one of the oldest instruments, while bringing in elements of 20th century pop culture.
Part 1 of the Mahler at the Museum concert is composed by Mark Crawford for the Netflix movie, “The Social Dilemma”. It will be performed by Longmont Symphony Orchestra while a shortened version of the movie is shown on a screen behind. Moore says, “We anticipate quite a turnout in our reimagined museum series. The orchestra moves to Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 4” all in the more intimate setting of Stewart Auditorium at the Longmont Museum.
November features “Shostakovich No. 5” which opens with Beethoven’s
“Overture to Coriolan”, followed by Bloch’s “Schelomo”. Tchailovsky’s “The Nutcracker” takes center stage in December featuring the LSO, along with the Boulder Ballet. Moore says, “We also have a very special performance called our “Gentle” Nutcracker, a sensory-friendly performance for a neurodiverse audience. It’s amazing to see families who may be reluctant to come out, enjoying the holiday performance.”
Engaging young audiences
In the New Year, a Family Concert will feature the music of best-selling author Dan Brown with poetry from his children’s book “Wild Symphony.” Moore says, “We have a wonderful youth component to our music every season and it’s something that we’re very proud of and we feel fortunate that we have donors that support this work.”
In February, the LSO will perform Tchaikovsky: A Portrait” concert which was brought back because of high demand. This program will include Tchaikoivsky’s deeply felt Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overturn and his First Piano concerto featuring star pianist Marika Bournaki.
In March, “Mahler at the Museum” highlights one of Mahler’s greatest works, “The Song of the Earth” featuring vocal soloist Abigail Nims. The season culminates on April 20, 2024, with a performance of Beethoven Cycle: Symphony No. 9 Choral, said to be the greatest of all symphonies because it is the final resume of all of Beethoven’s achievements. The performance will feature a large choir and four vocal soloists. Moore says, “This is the culminating concert of the LSO’s complete Beethoven Symphony Cycle. It was meant to be performed over four years but due to the pandemic, we had to extend it over seven years.”
The Longmont Symphony Orchestra’s season wraps up with a “Pops Concert: Tribute to John Williams” on May 4, 2024.
LSO’s audience and artistic growth
Each year, the orchestra performs more than 10 concerts, which are enjoyed by more than 15,000 people and interest in the LSO is growing. Last season they saw over 1,000 new visitors who had never been to a performance before. Moore says, “We’ve also seen incredible artistic growth, which has been the hallmark of the LSO for the past six years.”
Elliot Moore attributes the growth to the high-spirited board member, support from the community, and the vision of LSO’s new Executive-Director, Laurie Brook. “The people of Longmont and our surrounding communities have shown that culture is highly valued. It’s a wonderful time to be part of Longmont.”
For those who haven’t yet been to a concert, Elliot Moore says, “Their experience will be fun, engaging, and a moving experience that they did not know existed in Longmont previously. I look forward to exploring and sharing some of the greatest music ever written with you in the coming months.”
Enjoy the Longmont Symphony Orchestra all year-round and take advantage of the discounted rates for the 2023-24 season. Upcoming season ticket packages are now available online.