Zhu Wang started playing piano at age five when his grandfather recognized his early talent. Since then Zhu has gone on to study with some of the world's best piano teachers, perform award-winning concerts around the U.S., and make his Carnegie Hall debut, all before the age of 27.

In this episode of the Open Notes Podcast, Zhu shares the most impactful lessons he learned from his teachers, why you should listen to recordings and attend live music, and the amazing story of his first time performing Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto.

Zhu Wang joins the FCS for a live and live-streamed performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time. Learn more and find tickets at FCSymphony.org.

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Dvořák's violin concerto is one of the hardest and greatest pieces for solo violin and orchestra. So why doesn't it get played more? Yumi Hwang-Williams doesn't know, but she has a few theories.

Since many audiences don't know Dvořák's violin concerto, we wanted to sit down with Yumi to learn more about her and the music and history of the piece.

In this interview, Yumi shares how she started playing the violin, moved to Colorado to become the Colorado Symphony's Concertmaster over 20 years ago, and why she loves the underserved violin concerto by Antonín Dvořák.

Yumi will perform the Dvořák violin concerto with the Fort Collins Symphony on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024. Tickets and more information can be found at https://fcsymphony.org/events/dvorak-discovery/

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Guitarist Jason Vieaux joins us on the Fort Collins Symphony's Open Notes Podcast to talk about his early fascination with jazz and the Beatles, the piece he's played more than any other, and the poignant beauty of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra.

Jason will perform with the Fort Collins Symphony on Saturday, November 4th, 2023, in-person and via live-stream. Tickets and more information are available at https://fcsymphony.org/events/rodrigo-reverie/.

Watch this interview on Youtube at https://youtu.be/JbEadCqwLEE.
See Jason's Tiny Desk Concert from NPR: https://youtu.be/Kf_Lolpumi4?si=2QClTDC_M40buKx-

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In this episode, composer Morgan Denney chats with Jeremy about her process and the challenges behind writing her new musical accompaniment to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" for the Fort Collins Symphony.

"The Raven" will be premiered at our Spellbound Halloween concert on Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins.

Learn more about Morgan Denney at MorganDenney.com.

Tickets and more info are available at https://fcsymphony.org/events/spellbound-halloween/

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No one has to walk the dementia journey alone.

Members of Dementia Together and the Fort Collins Symphony discuss the B Sharp Arts Engagement Program and its research, which found powerful benefits for people living with dementia and their care partners from attending live symphony concerts.

Read the study results and contribute to the program at https://fcsymphony.org/bsharp

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Pianist Avery Gagliano joins the Open Notes Podcast to discuss Mozart's 24th piano concerto, her love of pop music, the hardest part of being a pianist, and more!

Join us for the live or live-streamed concert on February 4, 2023. Tickets and more information are available at https://fcsymphony.org/delight

Learn more about Avery Gagliano at https://www.averygagliano.com

02:47 What's unique about Mozart's 24th Piano Concerto
06:03 Dialogue in Mozart 24
08:36 Avery's goal as a pianist
09:44 Avery's favorite variation in Mozart 24
12:36 How pop music is different from classical music
16:04 The challenges and rewards of being a pianist
17:27 on chamber music
19:43 Avery's unique hobbies

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"Woman Suffrage is coming - you know it." Carrie Chapman Catt

The FCS performs Battle for the Ballot on November 5th, 2022 at the Lincoln Center. Tickets and more information are available at https://fcsymphony.org/events/escape-to-new-realms-signature-concert-2/

Stacy Garrop's The Battle for the Ballot features the voices of seven Suffragists: Carrie W. Clifford, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Adella Hunt Logan, Mary Church Terrell, Jane Addams, Susan B. Anthony, and Carrie Chapman Catt.

The 70-year fight for Women's Suffrage ended in 1920 with the passage of the 19th amendment. In 2020, the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music commissioned Stacy Garrop to compose a piece celebrating the 100th anniversary.

The Battle for the Ballot took the shape of a dramatic narration, focused on a single speech by Susan B. Anthony. But it became clear to Garrop and the Cabrillo Festival's Music Director Cristian Măcelaru that Anthony's support of anti-black politics meant that a new avenue would have to be explored.

With only a week to work, Stacy Garrop found the texts of six additional Suffragists (four of whom were black, two white) and changed the focus of the piece, replacing the texts within the same music and timings. Because it was to be premiered virtually, the orchestra had already recorded their parts for the video preparation.

What resulted is a work of depth and inspiration, commemorating the bravery and endurance of generations of women fighting for their rights.

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In this episode, Fort Collins Composer James David sits down with FCS Assistant Conductor Jeremy D. Cuebas to discuss his new piece, Ostinato Fantastico, and the role that rhythm and dance have in his music.

Ostinato Fantastico was commissioned by the FCS in 2019, but its first performance was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic cancellations.

The world premiere will be on October 1st in Fort Collins, Colorado, at our opening concert of the season.

Learn more on our website at FCSymphony.org.

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