ALTERNATIVE 2025/26 AN EVENING WITH HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER WITH YOUR COLORADO SYMPHONY CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 7:30pm Boettcher Concert Hall
SELECTIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM STAGE
CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS INCLUDING A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION.
FIRST TIME TO THE SYMPHONY? SEE PAGE 12 OF THIS PROGRAM FOR FAQ’S TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE GREAT!
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
SOUNDINGS 2 0 2 5/ 2 6
PROGRAM I
BIOGRAPHIES
MC TAYLOR, singer/songwriter/guitarist Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C. Taylor is thrilled to bring the first ever symphonic performance of the band’s catalog to Denver for a very special evening with the Colorado Symphony. This unforgettable performance will feature arrangements by Jay Clifford (Jump, Little Children) with Resident Conductor Christopher Dragon, who has conducted performances featuring Nathaniel Rateliff and Gregory Alan Isakov, on the podium.
CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor Australian conductor Christopher Dragon is the Music Director of Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, newly appointed Music Director of the Philly Pops, former Music Director of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra and is the Resident Conductor of the Colorado Symphony. He joined the Colorado Symphony in the 2015/2016 Season as Associate Conductor – a position he held for four years. For three years prior, Dragon held the inaugural position of Assistant Conductor with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, which gave him the opportunity to work closely with Principal Conductor Asher Fisch. Dragon has a versatile portfolio ranging from live-to-picture performances including Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, a wide variety of collaborations with artists such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Cynthia Erivo and Joshua Bell, to standard and contemporary orchestral repertoire such as Danny Elfman’s Percussion Concerto; all areas of which he has become highly sought after. Christopher has become known for his charisma, high energy and affinity for a good costume, consistently delivering unforgettable performances that has made him an audience favourite. Recent highlights include his sold-out symphony tour with Gregory Alan Isakov, which included debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Nashville Symphony, a new orchestral collaboration with Nathaniel Rateliff and his successful German debut with the WDR Funkhausorchester. Christopher is highly sought after as a guest conductor and has worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Utah Symphony, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. In Australia, he has guest conducted the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. His 2015 debut performance at the Sydney Opera House with John Pyke and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was released on album by ABC Music and won an ARIA the following year. He has also conducted at numerous festivals including the Breckenridge and Bangalow Music Festivals, with both resulting in immediate re-invitations. At the beginning of 2016 Dragon conducted Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony as part of the Perth International Art Festival alongside Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Christopher began his conducting studies in 2011 and was a member of the prestigious Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program in Australia under the guidance of course director Christopher Seaman. He has also studied with numerous distinguished conductors including Leonid Grin, Paavo and Neeme Jarvi at the Jarvi Summer Festival, Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival and conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula. PROGRAM II
C O LO R A D O S Y M P H O N Y.O R G
FAMILY 2025/26 HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR! JOLIE GONZÁLEZ MASMELA, conductor
Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 2:30pm Boettcher Concert Hall
SELECTIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM STAGE
CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND 5 MINUTES WITHOUT AN INTERMISSION.
FIRST TIME TO THE SYMPHONY? SEE PAGE 12 OF THIS PROGRAM FOR FAQ’S TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE GREAT! PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
SOUNDINGS 2 0 2 5/ 2 6
PROGRAM III
BIOGRAPHIES
JOLIE GONZÁLEZ MASMELA, conductor My goal,” she says, “is to bridge the gap between classical music and audiences. All music belongs to people and tells the story of a culture that we need to embrace and continue sharing through the arts.” Recognized for her versatility, musicality, and passion, Jolie GonzalezMasmela is a dynamic orchestra and opera conductor, a committed advocate for community engagement, and a passionate supporter of the arts. Originally from Ibagué, Colombia, she has built a vibrant artistic career with performances and projects across Colombia, Mexico, Chile, China, and the United States. Jolie was recently selected as a 2024–25 TAKI Alsop Conducting Fellowship Mentee, working under thementorship of the renowned conductor Marin Alsop. In 2023, she was invited to participate in the inaugural Conducting Competition with the National Symphony of Colombia and was also chosen as part of the HUB of Women Conductors in Chile. In 2022, she received the Carlos Miguel Prieto Fellowship and was named Conductor in Residence with the Sinfónica Azteca in Mexico, in recognition of her outstanding artistic development. Previous roles include Music Director of the Ibagué University Symphony Orchestra (2020–21) and Conductor in Residence at the Global Music School in China (2019). Deeply committed to the role of the arts in creating social impact, Jolie has led numerous educational and community-based initiatives to support vulnerable and underrepresented communities. Her versatility extends beyond conducting to include music direction, production, arts management, jazz performance, acting, writing poetry for musical projects, and creating innovative interdisciplinary collaborations that reflect her creativity and wide-ranging artistic vision.
PROGRAM IV
C O LO R A D O S Y M P H O N Y.O R G