September 10, 2024 • 11 mins
THERE'S A NEW SYMPHONY IN TOWN And I'm excited to have Devin Patrick Hughes, Artistic Director and Conductor, and Bess Scully, Executive Director on to talk about the transformation of the Arapahoe Philharmonic into the Symphony of the Rockies. Find out more about their kickoff fundraiser here and support the arts if you're so inclined! They pop on at 2:30 for a minute to chat about it.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is what used to be the Irapa Hose Philharmonic,
but has now become something even better, bigger, better, stronger, newer.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
And joining me.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Now to talk about the new ish symphony is Devin
Patrick Hughes, the artistic director and conductor, and Best Scully,
the executive director of what has been the Arapa Ho Symphony,
which is now Symphony of the Rockies.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Both of you welcome the show. First of all, thank
you so much, Mandy, love your show. Well, thank you well.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Devin, I want to start with you because you are
no stickwaiver. I learned that that was slightly an insult
from conductor to conductor if you got called a stickwaiver, it.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Was not flattering. You're no stickwaiver, Devin.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You have been with the symphony since twenty thirteen as
not only the artistic director but also a conductor. So
why make the change. Let's talk about the history of
the Arapahose Symphony first, and then why make the change
to Symphony of the Rockies.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
So the orchestra started in nineteen fifty three, over seventy
years ago, by Gordon Parks, a conductor, and it's gone
through various transformations and ever since I've joined. We've been
highly focused on, of course playing the great masters Beethoven, Mahler, Brahms,
but premiering also new music by living composers, by underrepresentative composers.
(01:36):
We have a piece by Britney Green alongside of Broms
and a Beethoven piece coming up in October twenty six,
for instance.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
And we've also been highly focused on education.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
We know that the symphony orchestra, or at least I
believe that the symphony orchestra is one of the most
magical organisms on earth because it's where everybody comes together,
maybe seventy people with different opinions and different ideas of
how things should sound and how composers should should sound,
and we unite that, and I do that, and our
musicians do that, and it's this thing that I think
(02:09):
that everybody should experience and deserves to experience, which is
why I basically half of our mission is focused on
educating the next generation, So bringing these discovery concerts to kids,
partnering with schools to help the teachers and to kind
of show students what the music of a symphony orchestra
can do to them, whether it's classical, popular music, rock,
(02:33):
and roll, rap music or movie music, and we play
all of that.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Well.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I was looking at your schedule of events, and you
guys are very creative with the kind of events that
you have and your discovery concerts for kids and things
of that nature. And best I want to ask you this,
how much time do you guys spend just like sort
of brainstorming what you're going to do next? I mean,
how is that process where you go, you know what,
we should have a concert just for kids to introduce
(02:59):
them to these.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Big, big sort of musical movements.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
I think that's actually the reason why I did this
job is because it really caters to my creative side,
which I wasn't expecting when I first got this job.
But and Devin is so incredibly creative, and we get
to sit around and come up with and including our
board members, we all get to sit around and come
(03:24):
up with these fabulous ideas. And we all know a
lot of people in this industry through composers and musicians,
and we sit around and you know, through all of
these connections and people that we know, come up with
fabulous ideas and things that really make a difference in
our community, which is is what our mission is. Is
(03:45):
to engage in, enrich and nurture a very diverse community.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
And somehow we put together these.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
These concerts and events that really do just that. And
that's part of why we're transitioning from the Appa Hoo Philharmonic.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
Into the Symphony of the Rockies is.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Because we want to broaden that reach and you know,
do more of what we're doing on a bigger scale.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
So we're really excited about this.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Period that we're in, Devin, after seventy one years rather
hot Philharmonic, which is hilarious.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Well, I want to ask you, Devin, because as the
guy who is actually a conductor as well, it seems
that symphonies around the country have sort of been grappling
with how to do exactly what you guys are doing,
which is bringing a new generation into the symphony. And
how much time do you spend focused on that portion
(04:40):
versus how much you spend just focused on incredibly good
music or they just go in hand to hand.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I think they're hand in hand. That's an amazing question.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
In America, our orchestras are really owned by our community.
So we have musicians on the board, professional musicians on
the board, volunteers on the board and have volunteer members
of our community who may be in civic government, who
may be leaders of a corporation, who may just be
ardent advocates of music making in the arts, and they
(05:13):
really guide.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
So we're really.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Responsive to what our community needs, whether it be our
patrons or our schools or for example, the city government
of Centennial where we just did a big movie, a concert,
a free concert out in Centennial Park. And so so
that kind of interaction when you join the board, when
you when you become a volunteer with our organization, when
(05:36):
you when you join our organization, you get to take
part in that kind of musical process where we're not
only programming the music, but we're deciding what can go where,
we're deciding where our performances can be. We just added
a concert at the Pace Center that the Best was
advocating for, and so we said, okay, what kind.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Of music could we put on that?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
And to kind of keep the diversity and showcase the
incredible diversity of the symphony orchestra, so we said Maler's
Symphony Number one, because Gustav Mahler said a symphony could
should contain everything in the world, and that's what you
hear when you come. You hear all the emotions, all
the planets, you know, anything that you've dreamed possible in
this universe. Maler puts it into a symphony and then
(06:18):
Mozart Symphony number thirty five, which which.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Mozarts he was able to elevate.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
You know, there were hundreds of composers writing at the
time of Mozart and he wasn't getting played as much
as the other composers. But for some reason his music
is still played today because he marries language and drama
and music in a way that nobody had done or
has been able to do since then. And then we
have a new piece by a composer, my Lanatsui, which
(06:45):
is basically a national commission we're taking part in with
all these other orchestras called the Floridian Symphony, which is
focusing on different aspects of landscape in in in in America.
So I think it's it's a really great You know,
when many people see a symphony, they say, oh, well,
i'm you know that I didn't take music appreciation class,
I didn't study an instrument. But in our orchestra and
(07:07):
many other great orchestras around the country anybody can become
a part of it, and anybody can become a part
of that music making process.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Well, you're having a big kickoff the VIP launch event
and ribbon cutting for the official transition to the Symphony
of the Rockies. And I put a link on the
blog today at mandy'sblog dot com to the website specifically
to this event. Tell me about that event and what
the what the fundraising.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Is going to do. So the event is on September nineteenth,
and it's one of our partner's business boundary and we
are really excited about this because we are unveiling all
of our new branding, so we are switching from a
Rapah Philharmonic to Symphony of the Rockies, which you know,
(07:56):
in addition to having all new emails and our new
website which we would love for everyone to visit, which.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
Is Symphony Rockies dot org.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
That's where you can find all of our concerts by
tickets to all of these fabulous concerts that Devin maestre
Views is speaking on. We are also unveiling our new
logo which no one has seen yet and we're really
excited about that. But we're also going to have lots
of silent auction items and all of the money that
we raised from the ticket sales and from the auction items,
(08:26):
and from just a fabulous night of delicious food and
drinks and all of our community members and our fans
and everybody being there.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
We're going to have performances by our musicians.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Things like that go to all of the programs that
we do at the schools, our conducting labs, our honors
coaching that we do for the schools. We do a
lot of stuff in our community and it's very important
to us and these beautiful concerts, so we would love
(08:58):
to see everybody out there, but mostly we would love
to see you at our concerts. You can see from
maister Hughes when he speaks about our concerts. One of
his great, many great talents is making music accessible and
relevant to everyone.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
And I have the pleasure of.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Standing backstage when he talks about pieces and watching audiences
faces light up, and you will see five year.
Speaker 5 (09:22):
Olds and one hundred and five year olds all of.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
A sudden understand what's happening in a piece.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
And then when that moment comes in the music, you will.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Hear an audible gas from everyone because we all get it.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
We are all experts in that moment.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
And it's really inspiring and wonderful to see, and I
would love for everyone listening to have that moment with us.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Well.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
The Symphony of the Rockies not only is having this
upcoming fundraiser to kick off their first their inaugural season
as the Symphony of the Rockies, you can also go
to their website, which I just put a link to
that website directly on the blog so people can go
there from mandy'sblog dot com.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
And I'm already scoping.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Out a couple of shows that I'm definitely going to
come to fourth of July.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You've got me.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I love a Pops on fourth of July, so I'm
super excited about that. But one of the things that
I really think is special about Symphony at the Rockies
is you do not have a single location, so people
can look at the calendar and maybe find something that
is closer to their neighborhood. Maybe they don't want to
drive downtown, maybe they don't want to drive to Parker.
They can find something that is going to be close
(10:24):
to their neighborhood and check it out. Devin Patrick Hughes,
Artistic Director and conductor and Best Gully, executive director of
the Symphony of the Rockies formerly of the Arapahose Symphony.
I really appreciate you guys making time and working so
hard to bring what you love to the masses, because
I can tell for both of you it's definitely a
labor of love and it shows so continued success and
(10:48):
we'll see again in the future. Oh wait, on a
personal note, can I ask for one favor? Would you
guys do a show that's just bugs Bunny, because that's
really where I learned everything about everything I know about
classical music is from Bugs Money.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
We've been talking about doing like a Fantasia or and
of course yeah all that you know, the Lone Ranger
we're playing actually that on here. Let me just make
sure I get the date right on Rose Sonora, we
are playing The Lone Ranger is actually written by an
Italian composer, Jack and jul Rossini. Uh and and it's
(11:24):
William Tell the ride of William Tell that that you're
you're going to hear on that concert if you if
you'd like to come to Newman Center for the.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Performing Arts, all right, yeah, and I'll be looking for
the Bugs Money show as soon as possible.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
All right, thank you so much for your time today.
Thanks Mandy,
This is what used to be the Irapa Hose Philharmonic,
but has now become something even better, bigger, better, stronger, newer.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
And joining me.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Now to talk about the new ish symphony is Devin
Patrick Hughes, the artistic director and conductor, and Best Scully,
the executive director of what has been the Arapa Ho Symphony,
which is now Symphony of the Rockies.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Both of you welcome the show. First of all, thank
you so much, Mandy, love your show. Well, thank you well.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Devin, I want to start with you because you are
no stickwaiver. I learned that that was slightly an insult
from conductor to conductor if you got called a stickwaiver, it.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Was not flattering. You're no stickwaiver, Devin.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You have been with the symphony since twenty thirteen as
not only the artistic director but also a conductor. So
why make the change. Let's talk about the history of
the Arapahose Symphony first, and then why make the change
to Symphony of the Rockies.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
So the orchestra started in nineteen fifty three, over seventy
years ago, by Gordon Parks, a conductor, and it's gone
through various transformations and ever since I've joined. We've been
highly focused on, of course playing the great masters Beethoven, Mahler, Brahms,
but premiering also new music by living composers, by underrepresentative composers.
(01:36):
We have a piece by Britney Green alongside of Broms
and a Beethoven piece coming up in October twenty six,
for instance.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
And we've also been highly focused on education.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
We know that the symphony orchestra, or at least I
believe that the symphony orchestra is one of the most
magical organisms on earth because it's where everybody comes together,
maybe seventy people with different opinions and different ideas of
how things should sound and how composers should should sound,
and we unite that, and I do that, and our
musicians do that, and it's this thing that I think
(02:09):
that everybody should experience and deserves to experience, which is
why I basically half of our mission is focused on
educating the next generation, So bringing these discovery concerts to kids,
partnering with schools to help the teachers and to kind
of show students what the music of a symphony orchestra
can do to them, whether it's classical, popular music, rock,
(02:33):
and roll, rap music or movie music, and we play
all of that.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Well.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I was looking at your schedule of events, and you
guys are very creative with the kind of events that
you have and your discovery concerts for kids and things
of that nature. And best I want to ask you this,
how much time do you guys spend just like sort
of brainstorming what you're going to do next? I mean,
how is that process where you go, you know what,
we should have a concert just for kids to introduce
(02:59):
them to these.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Big, big sort of musical movements.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
I think that's actually the reason why I did this
job is because it really caters to my creative side,
which I wasn't expecting when I first got this job.
But and Devin is so incredibly creative, and we get
to sit around and come up with and including our
board members, we all get to sit around and come
(03:24):
up with these fabulous ideas. And we all know a
lot of people in this industry through composers and musicians,
and we sit around and you know, through all of
these connections and people that we know, come up with
fabulous ideas and things that really make a difference in
our community, which is is what our mission is. Is
(03:45):
to engage in, enrich and nurture a very diverse community.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
And somehow we put together these.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
These concerts and events that really do just that. And
that's part of why we're transitioning from the Appa Hoo Philharmonic.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
Into the Symphony of the Rockies is.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Because we want to broaden that reach and you know,
do more of what we're doing on a bigger scale.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
So we're really excited about this.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Period that we're in, Devin, after seventy one years rather
hot Philharmonic, which is hilarious.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Well, I want to ask you, Devin, because as the
guy who is actually a conductor as well, it seems
that symphonies around the country have sort of been grappling
with how to do exactly what you guys are doing,
which is bringing a new generation into the symphony. And
how much time do you spend focused on that portion
(04:40):
versus how much you spend just focused on incredibly good
music or they just go in hand to hand.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I think they're hand in hand. That's an amazing question.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
In America, our orchestras are really owned by our community.
So we have musicians on the board, professional musicians on
the board, volunteers on the board and have volunteer members
of our community who may be in civic government, who
may be leaders of a corporation, who may just be
ardent advocates of music making in the arts, and they
(05:13):
really guide.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
So we're really.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Responsive to what our community needs, whether it be our
patrons or our schools or for example, the city government
of Centennial where we just did a big movie, a concert,
a free concert out in Centennial Park. And so so
that kind of interaction when you join the board, when
you when you become a volunteer with our organization, when
(05:36):
you when you join our organization, you get to take
part in that kind of musical process where we're not
only programming the music, but we're deciding what can go where,
we're deciding where our performances can be. We just added
a concert at the Pace Center that the Best was
advocating for, and so we said, okay, what kind.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Of music could we put on that?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
And to kind of keep the diversity and showcase the
incredible diversity of the symphony orchestra, so we said Maler's
Symphony Number one, because Gustav Mahler said a symphony could
should contain everything in the world, and that's what you
hear when you come. You hear all the emotions, all
the planets, you know, anything that you've dreamed possible in
this universe. Maler puts it into a symphony and then
(06:18):
Mozart Symphony number thirty five, which which.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Mozarts he was able to elevate.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
You know, there were hundreds of composers writing at the
time of Mozart and he wasn't getting played as much
as the other composers. But for some reason his music
is still played today because he marries language and drama
and music in a way that nobody had done or
has been able to do since then. And then we
have a new piece by a composer, my Lanatsui, which
(06:45):
is basically a national commission we're taking part in with
all these other orchestras called the Floridian Symphony, which is
focusing on different aspects of landscape in in in in America.
So I think it's it's a really great You know,
when many people see a symphony, they say, oh, well,
i'm you know that I didn't take music appreciation class,
I didn't study an instrument. But in our orchestra and
(07:07):
many other great orchestras around the country anybody can become
a part of it, and anybody can become a part
of that music making process.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Well, you're having a big kickoff the VIP launch event
and ribbon cutting for the official transition to the Symphony
of the Rockies. And I put a link on the
blog today at mandy'sblog dot com to the website specifically
to this event. Tell me about that event and what
the what the fundraising.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Is going to do. So the event is on September nineteenth,
and it's one of our partner's business boundary and we
are really excited about this because we are unveiling all
of our new branding, so we are switching from a
Rapah Philharmonic to Symphony of the Rockies, which you know,
(07:56):
in addition to having all new emails and our new
website which we would love for everyone to visit, which.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
Is Symphony Rockies dot org.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
That's where you can find all of our concerts by
tickets to all of these fabulous concerts that Devin maestre
Views is speaking on. We are also unveiling our new
logo which no one has seen yet and we're really
excited about that. But we're also going to have lots
of silent auction items and all of the money that
we raised from the ticket sales and from the auction items,
(08:26):
and from just a fabulous night of delicious food and
drinks and all of our community members and our fans
and everybody being there.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
We're going to have performances by our musicians.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Things like that go to all of the programs that
we do at the schools, our conducting labs, our honors
coaching that we do for the schools. We do a
lot of stuff in our community and it's very important
to us and these beautiful concerts, so we would love
(08:58):
to see everybody out there, but mostly we would love
to see you at our concerts. You can see from
maister Hughes when he speaks about our concerts. One of
his great, many great talents is making music accessible and
relevant to everyone.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
And I have the pleasure of.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Standing backstage when he talks about pieces and watching audiences
faces light up, and you will see five year.
Speaker 5 (09:22):
Olds and one hundred and five year olds all of.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
A sudden understand what's happening in a piece.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
And then when that moment comes in the music, you will.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Hear an audible gas from everyone because we all get it.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
We are all experts in that moment.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
And it's really inspiring and wonderful to see, and I
would love for everyone listening to have that moment with us.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Well.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
The Symphony of the Rockies not only is having this
upcoming fundraiser to kick off their first their inaugural season
as the Symphony of the Rockies, you can also go
to their website, which I just put a link to
that website directly on the blog so people can go
there from mandy'sblog dot com.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
And I'm already scoping.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Out a couple of shows that I'm definitely going to
come to fourth of July.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You've got me.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I love a Pops on fourth of July, so I'm
super excited about that. But one of the things that
I really think is special about Symphony at the Rockies
is you do not have a single location, so people
can look at the calendar and maybe find something that
is closer to their neighborhood. Maybe they don't want to
drive downtown, maybe they don't want to drive to Parker.
They can find something that is going to be close
(10:24):
to their neighborhood and check it out. Devin Patrick Hughes,
Artistic Director and conductor and Best Gully, executive director of
the Symphony of the Rockies formerly of the Arapahose Symphony.
I really appreciate you guys making time and working so
hard to bring what you love to the masses, because
I can tell for both of you it's definitely a
labor of love and it shows so continued success and
(10:48):
we'll see again in the future. Oh wait, on a
personal note, can I ask for one favor? Would you
guys do a show that's just bugs Bunny, because that's
really where I learned everything about everything I know about
classical music is from Bugs Money.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
We've been talking about doing like a Fantasia or and
of course yeah all that you know, the Lone Ranger
we're playing actually that on here. Let me just make
sure I get the date right on Rose Sonora, we
are playing The Lone Ranger is actually written by an
Italian composer, Jack and jul Rossini. Uh and and it's
(11:24):
William Tell the ride of William Tell that that you're
you're going to hear on that concert if you if
you'd like to come to Newman Center for the.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Performing Arts, all right, yeah, and I'll be looking for
the Bugs Money show as soon as possible.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
All right, thank you so much for your time today.
Thanks Mandy,
The Mandy Connell Podcast News
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