performance connecting Colorado and national communities, while providing music to a separated, frustrated, and grieving community. A handful of small socially distanced ensembles gathered to record performances in recognizable areas around Denver including Civic Center Park, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Colorado State Capital Building Rotunda, Denver Performing Arts Complex Galleria, and Boettcher Concert Hall, creating an event that was uniquely Colorado. The performances featured Colorado Symphony ensembles alongside collaborative cultural partners including Colorado Ballet, Opera Colorado, and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, with special guest speakers Governor Jared Polis and Mayor Michael Hancock. The Colorado Symphony was also joined by renowned vocalists Rajdulari, Kira Dills-Desurra, and Michelle DeYoung for performances of Lift Every Voice and Sing, the Star-Spangled Banner, and God Bless America respectively. Anchors Anne Trujillo and Shannon Ogden emceed the event which aired live on KMGH Denver7 on July 3 and was replayed on the Colorado Symphony’s YouTube channel on July 3 and 4. The virtual event was designed specifically to help those most impacted by the pandemic. All proceeds from the virtual event went to support the Center for African American Health, The Center on Colfax, Civic Center Conservancy, Food Bank of the Rockies, Food For Thought Denver, and Rose Andom Center through event partner Community First Foundation. In all, $19,715 was raised and donated to these organizations. In July 2020, COVID-19 restrictions from the City of Denver loosened to the point where limited capacity outdoor events could take place, which led to a pair of July collaborations with the Botanic Gardens for their Evenings al Fresco series. At the end of July, the Colorado Symphony became the first ensemble to perform in Red Rocks Amphitheatre since the start of the pandemic with the debut of “Acoustic on the Rocks” — a series of 18 performances featuring ensembles of 20 Colorado Symphony musicians conducted by Resident Conductor Christopher Dragon in front of limited and socially distanced crowds. Each of the performances could accommodate 175 patrons spread throughout the seating bowl and each sold out within a matter of hours. These once-in-a-lifetime, live acoustic performances at Colorado’s most iconic outdoor venue brought live music back to Red Rocks, providing a small sense of normalcy to an otherwise turbulent summer. By the end of C O L O R A D O SY M P H O N Y.O R G
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