Orchestras
Welcome to orchestras at the 麻豆影院听College of Music!
The CU 麻豆影院 Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra perform a wide variety of symphonic repertoire. The past three years have included standard works by Berlioz, R. Strauss, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Copland, Beethoven, Ravel, Bernstein, Barber, Brahms, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Debussy, Prokofiev, Mozart and Haydn as well as world premieres by Carter Pann, Christopher Theofanidis and a commissioned work by Quinn Mason. The Chamber Orchestra is formed from both full orchestras, along with an opera orchestra, during the middle third of each semester.
The CU 麻豆影院 Orchestras are committed to the regular and sustained performance of works by historically marginalized composers including women and people of color. Recent performances include works by Annika Socolofsky, Anna Clyne, Amy Beach, Jessie Montgomery, George Walker, Derrick Spiva, Jr., Joseph Bologne, Augusta Holm茅s, RoshanneEtezady, Louise Ferrenc, Fanny Mendelssohn and Lily Boulenger. Works by BIPOC composers including Clarice Assad, Reena Esmail, Kevin Day, Florence Price, William Grant Still, Joseph Bologne, Ethyl Smyth, Gabriela Lena Frank, Carlos Simon, Emilie Meyer, Philip Herbert, Irene Britton Smith and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor have been featuredregularly.听
The Symphony Orchestra has appeared with such artists as cellist Johannes Moser, pianist Jeremy Denk, violinist Glenn Dicterow, jazz pianist and Academy Award winning composer Dave Grusin. In addition, the orchestra has also appeared with pop artist Natalie Merchant and their听 with the听Indigo Girls was released to great acclaim in 2018. The 2023-24 season featured special collaborations with indigenous musicians from Pueblo, CO and with 10-time Grammy award-winning band, Asleep at the Wheel. The orchestra also enjoys its biennial residency on the CU 麻豆影院 campus with the principal musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra. Solo appearances with the orchestra are awarded to the winners of the graduate and undergraduate divisions of the annual Honors Competition.听
Questions? Contact Jacob Kaminski, jacob.kaminski@colorado.edu.
The听Campus Orchestra听is an ensemble comprised primarily of non-music majors which delivers one concert performance each semester. The ensemble performs a wide-ranging repertoire from Baroque through Contemporary periods in both string and full-orchestra settings and rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m.鈥9:00 p.m. in rooms E-160 and S-134 in Imig Music Building.听听
There is no formal audition required for admission into this ensemble.听 Musicians of any major interested in participating should attend the first meeting of the ensemble,听Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m. in room E160 in the College of Music.听
More information will be presented at the first meeting. Any questions should be directed to Jacob Kaminski at听jacob.kaminski@colorado.edu
String auditions: Aug. 20-21, 2026
Planned repertoire听
The CU 麻豆影院 Symphony Orchestra鈥檚 first program of the fall is scheduled to include:
Sept. 24, 2026
Falla鈥鈥淪uite No. 2 from 鈥楾he Three-Cornered Hat鈥欌
Socolofsky鈥鈥淐ountry Songs鈥
Prokofiev鈥鈥淪ymphony No. 5鈥
Other tentative programs include:
Nov. 19, 2026
Harris鈥鈥淔rom the Wind, That Which Augurs鈥
Kabalevsky鈥鈥淐ello Concerto No. 2鈥
Mussorgsky/Ravel鈥鈥淧ictures at an Exhibition鈥
Thursday, Feb. 4, 2027
Otaka鈥鈥淐oncerto for Flute and Orchestra鈥
Brahms鈥鈥淪ymphony No. 2鈥
Tuesday, April 20, 2027 (Boettcher Hall)
Berlioz鈥鈥淪ymphonie fantastique鈥
Works with CU Choirs
2026-27 performance dates
CU 麻豆影院 Philharmonia Orchestra
Sunday, Sept. 20鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7-9:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
Monday, Sept. 21鈥揚erformance; 7:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
CU 麻豆影院 Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday, Sept. 23鈥揇ress rehearsals; 12:20-2:10 p.m. + 7-9:30 p.m., Macky Auditorium
Thursday, Sept. 24鈥揚erformance; 7:30p, Macky Auditorium
CU 麻豆影院 Chamber Orchestra
Wednesday, Oct. 21鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7-9:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
Thursday, Oct. 22鈥揚erformance; 7:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
CU 麻豆影院 Opera Orchestra
Oct. 18-25; Rehearsals in the evenings on Oct. 18, 20, 21
Performances on Oct. 23 (7:30 p.m.), 24 (7:30 p.m.), 25 (2 p.m.)
CU 麻豆影院 Philharmonia Orchestra
Sunday, Nov. 15鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7-9:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
Monday, Nov. 16鈥揚erformance; 7:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
CU 麻豆影院 Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday, Nov. 18鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7-9:30 p.m., Macky Auditorium
Thursday, Nov. 19鈥揚erformance; 7:30 p.m., Macky Auditorium
CU 麻豆影院 Holiday Festival
Thursday, Dec. 3鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7 p.m., Macky Auditorium
Friday, Dec. 4鈥揚erformance #1 (7:30 p.m., Macky Auditorium)
Saturday, Dec. 5鈥揚erformance #2 (1 p.m., Macky Auditorium)
Saturday, Dec. 5鈥揚erformance #3 (4 p.m., Macky Auditorium)
Sunday, Dec. 6鈥揚erformance #4 (4 p.m., Macky Auditorium)
CU 麻豆影院 Philharmonia Orchestra
Sunday, Jan. 31鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7-9:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
Monday, Feb. 1鈥揚erformance; 7:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
CU 麻豆影院 Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday, Feb. 3鈥揇ress rehearsals; 12:20-2:10 p.m. + 7-9:30 p.m., Macky Auditorium
Thursday, Feb. 4鈥揚erformance; 7:30 p.m., Macky Auditorium
CU 麻豆影院 Chamber Orchestra
Wednesday, March 3鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7-9:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
Thursday, March 4鈥揚erformance; 7:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
CU 麻豆影院 Opera Orchestra
Feb. 28-March 7; Rehearsals in the evenings on Feb. 28 and March 2, 3
Performances on March 5 (7:30 p.m.), March 7 (2 p.m.)
CU 麻豆影院 Philharmonia Orchestra
Wednesday, April 14鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7-9:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall
Thursday, April 15鈥揚erformance; 7:30p, Grusin Music Hall
CU 麻豆影院 Symphony Orchestra and CU Choirs
Monday, April 19鈥揇ress rehearsal; 7-10 p.m.*, Boettcher Hall
Tuesday, April 20鈥揚erformance; 7:30 p.m., Boettcher Hall
*this dress rehearsal time is tentative pending schedule from Boettcher Hall
Auditions for the fall 2026 semester are open to all students at CU 麻豆影院.
String auditions will be held on the first two days of classes, Thursday, Aug. 20 and Friday, Aug. 21.听String audition excerpts are posted below听and available for download.听
All string majors, regardless of degree program, are expected to audition through this process.听
Fall 2026 string audition schedule:
- 痴颈辞濒补鈥Aug. 20, 2026, 10 a.m.-noon
- 颁别濒濒辞鈥Aug. 20, 2026, 1-3:30 p.m.
- 叠补蝉蝉鈥Aug. 20, 2026, 6-8 p.m.
- 痴颈辞濒颈苍鈥Aug. 21, 2026, 10-11:50 a.m.; 12:20-3 p.m.
Please note the following information regarding string audition materials:
All string musicians should be responsible for both of the following:
- The excerpts below
- A short solo work or etude you feel best demonstrates your ability.听
Recordings of the Prokofiev and Brahms are readily available online to assist in your preparation. Audition excerpts, as well as full scores, are available for downloadat the links below (along with the list of excerpts from each work). While it is ideal for these excerpts to be performed at performance tempi, an accurate performance at a slower tempo may be the best option.听
Please contact Director of Orchestral Studies听Gary Lewis at gary.lewis@colorado.edu with any questions about the audition materials or orchestra program. For any issues with the audition registration website, please contact Ensembles Program Coordinator Rachelle Crowell at听cuensembles@colorado.edu.
Contacts
Upcoming orchestra events
Song of Pueblo
On Oct. 26, 2023, the CU 麻豆影院 College of Music鈥檚 American Music Research Center, the CU 麻豆影院 Chamber Orchestra and El Pueblo Ensemble collaborated to present a livestreamed multimedia performance of 鈥淪ong of Pueblo,鈥 a sweeping oratorio that portrays the history of southern Colorado.听