The National Repertory Orchestra 2024 Season Finale
The National Repertory Orchestra performs German composer Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony for their Season Finale
by Shauna Farnell
Let’s go for a hike, an epic hike! We are talking about a trek like no other – a truly once-in-a-lifetime journey during which every step – from the headlamp-lit embarkation in the pre-dawn darkness, to sunrise, through a forest, past a brook, waterfall, meadow, to the summit and descending in dangerous weather – is experienced entirely through your ears and imagination.
Oh, your boots are unavailable, you don’t have the important items needed to get out? Well, don’t worry about that. You can take that epic Hike with The National Repertory Orchestra (NRO). The NRO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, that is honored to reside in Breckenridge, Colorado, and proud to celebrate over 60 years of educating the next generation of classical musicians with its prestigious, tuition-free program.
Each year, at the acclaimed Summer Music Festival, 80 talented musicians are selected to perform more repertoire than any other festival of its kind. Led by Music Director Michael Stern and joined by world-renowned guest conductors, the NRO performs as many as 18 concerts and over 85 free events in Summit County and throughout Colorado.
For its grand finale of the 2024 festival season, the National Repertory Orchestra performs German composer Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony.
“It’s the perfect piece for Breckenridge, relatable to every single person here, local or visitor,” says National Repertory Orchestra CEO Dave DePeters. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve run up a 14,000-foot peak, you’ve never done a 14er, or you just like seeing these mountains every time you look outside. Every person in Summit County is a part of this alpine experience.”
Completed in 1915, Alpine Symphony was written as an homage to the Bavarian Alps, where Strauss built a house and underwent many adventures, including a trek in his childhood in which he and his group were caught in a storm on the way down. That experience inspired this auditory masterwork. The symphony is comprised of 22 sections, named for each phase of the mountain trek – “Night,” “Sunrise, “Wandering by The Brook,” “Calm Before the Storm,” etc.
“When you go to climb a peak like Quandary or Democrat, you start before daylight. Then you see the sunrise on your ascent. What does that sound like? When you hear it, you’ll know. It begins with a glow, then a blossoming of light. That becomes an intense sun,” DePeters explains. “It’s more than just the physical aspects of the journey. It’s about why we’re out there on that mountain. We’re doing it to find ourselves, to push ourselves, to experience something bigger than ourselves. You hear all of this in the music.”
Much like reaching the actual high point of a mountain, the symphony climaxes as the journey reaches its summit.
“It’s the grandest, most beautiful music you’ll ever hear,” DePeters says. “It just explodes. It’s like, boom! You know you’ve reached the summit. Then Strauss goes one step further with the ‘Vision’ movement after we’ve reached the summit. Because on any hike, when you reach the top, you’re not going to just turn around. You’re going to pause and look out. You think, I’m going to take in everything I possibly can while I’m here. I’m going to be proud of myself. I’m going to get emotional about the beauty of the world below. I’m going to feel like I’m just a tiny part of this massive, beautiful world … but I’m still a part of it. The music captures all of that.”
Conquer a mountain at the NRO’s Season Finale: Strauss Alpine Symphony. Beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, 2024 at The Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge, the program includes a showcase of the orchestra’s concerto competition winners. Reid Harman performs Thom Ritter George’s Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra, Juliyan Martinez performs Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, and horn players Elizabeth Crafton, Lily Kern, Catherine Dowd, James Picarello and Alex Daiker perform Robert Schumann’s Concertpiece for Four Horns and Orchestra. The entire orchestra joins forces for the final journey, enhanced by photographs of each landscape encountered along the way, An Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss. Tickets start at $20 for adults and $5 for children.
The NRO provides life-changing experiences to aspiring professional musicians, preparing them to shape the future of classical music. Our alumni can be found in major orchestras around the world and have taken on influential roles throughout the classical music industry.
What a journey these musicians are taking in their lives. Join them and book your tickets now. To learn more head to their website: www.nro.org
Photos Courtesy: National Repertory Orchestra
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