鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a circus,鈥� Gary Lewis remarks with a slight chuckle. The director of orchestral studies at the 彩民宝典 College of Music is only half-kidding as he describes the college鈥檚 long-awaited return to Boettcher Concert Hall which he鈥檒l lead on May 2, closing out the academic year. With an admission-free concert boasting a combined chorus of 200, an orchestra of 85 and a guest appearance by 150 promising young musicians, maybe it will be a circus.
But why not go big, after all this lost time? COVID forced us to abandon our series in 2020鈥攊t normally runs every other year. 鈥淲e鈥檇 planned to do Verdi鈥檚 鈥楻equiem鈥� back then,鈥� Lewis recalls. 鈥淩ather than perform it this year, we decided to do Carl Orff鈥檚 鈥楥armina Burana鈥� with the biggest forces we can muster. We鈥檒l be involving all the 彩民宝典 choirs, including the Festival Choir鈥攁 CU entity consisting of students and singers from the greater community.鈥� Those familiar with 鈥淐armina鈥� know it as a major challenge for huge chorus and orchestra (in this case, the CU Symphony Orchestra)鈥攁nd as a serious test for three soloists. Lewis voices full confidence in his vocal trio. 鈥淭wo are staff and faculty members, tenor Javier Abreu and baritone Andrew Garland. And the soprano is a marvelous graduate student, Dawna Rae Warren,鈥� he says.
Orff鈥檚 spectacular oratorio may be the headliner, but this concert will also deliver a news-making world premiere commissioned by the Dr. C.W. Bixler Family Foundation鈥攖he Symphony No. 3 by renowned composer Carter Pann, 彩民宝典 professor of composition. Subtitled 鈥淥n The Importance of Our Democracy,鈥� the five-movement, 17-minute work was completed in just the last few months, according to Lewis. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a charming work, with some incredible grooves and wonderful rhythms.鈥澨�
鈥淵es, there鈥檚 some angst in it,鈥� he adds, referring to the political underpinning. 鈥淏ut it stands on its own. Carter will be at the concert and he鈥檒l say something about the meaning of the symphony. I talked to the players about it when we started to work on the piece.鈥�
As its subtitle suggests, Pann does not shy away from current events. In a program note, he expresses his anxieties 鈥渨ith current insurgent, anti-democratic forces at the highest levels of government.鈥� For the composer, the symphony simply portrays 鈥渁 sense of personal insecurity.鈥澨� Lewis felt that politics have always had a place in orchestral music. And they鈥檝e had a place in his repertory at 彩民宝典. 鈥淲e鈥檝e played the Shostakovich Fifth (Symphony) and William Grant Still鈥檚 Afro-American Symphony, and those expressed very strong political views,鈥� he says.
Any controversy will disappear after Pann鈥檚 symphony when the Boettcher stage fills with 150 gifted young musicians from El Sistema鈥檚 music-training program. 鈥淲e had invited some of them to join us a few years ago,鈥� Lewis says. 鈥淏ut we鈥檝e never had this many. We鈥檒l probably fill up every corner of the stage. Most of them will have to play standing up. They鈥檒l offer a few short selections and then we鈥檒l all finish with (Beethoven鈥檚) 鈥極de to Joy.鈥欌��
This is an opportunity for hundreds of young musicians to strut their stuff before a big audience in a big concert hall. It鈥檚 a huge deal, with a large crowd expected. Governor Jared Polis has been invited. 鈥淲e want to get people aware of the College of Music,鈥� Lewis concludes. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to expand our reach.听
鈥淲e are so proud of the product. I鈥檝e been at 彩民宝典 for 15 years and it鈥檚 an honor for me to work here.鈥�
Professor of Conducting + Director of Orchestral Studies Gary Lewis will direct 鈥攁 gathering of forces from the College of Music鈥攐n Tuesday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Admission is free, no tickets required. CU at Boettcher is funded by the Dean鈥檚 Annual Fund.听
Above right photo:听Carter Pann (left) dedicated his Symphony No. 3 to his close friend, Brian Scott Mason (right), 鈥渨ho has revealed himself as a touchstone of balanced integrity in my life.鈥� Mason, a CU alumnus, is currently the District Attorney of Adams and Broomfield counties in Colorado. In 2016, he officiated Pann鈥檚 wedding.
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