Beethoven in the Rockies: Concert Series Celebrates its First Chamber Music Season

Beethoven in the Rockies: Concert Series Celebrates its First Chamber Music Season in Northern Colorado

The concert series that pays homage to the musical genius Ludwig van Beethoven will celebrate its first chamber music season of concerts in the heart of Greeley.

Beethoven in the Rockies: Concert Series will present a series of six concerts beginning Jan. 28 at the First United Methodist Church in Greeley (917 10th Ave, Greeley). Reggie Winters, graduate music student at the University of Northern Colorado, is the artistic co-director of the series and director of the chamber music season.

The chamber music season of Beethoven in the Rockies “will bring some of the most beautiful masterpieces written for chamber ensembles to our local audiences in the intimate sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church. We will be featuring music of some of the great 18th and 19th century masters and bring repertoire to the stage that has been long overlooked by the classical canon. We are excited to host some of the most prominent members of our community, faculty, alumni and guest artists who represent many diverse communities from across the world. Through this series, we are dedicated to educating our audiences and building an approachable platform for a meaningful connection between audiences and musicians. The chamber music series is an exciting addition to our artistic offerings each fall, and this time of growth will continue to bring together musicians from across the Northern Colorado region,” Winters says.

The season will begin with a performance by the Greeley-based, nationally acclaimed Colorado Piano Trio featuring violinist Jubal Fulks, cellist Gal Faganel and pianist Adam Zukiewicz. The ensemble will perform trios by W. A. Mozart and Bedřich Smetana as well as a violin-cello duo by Zoltán Kodály.

The second concert will focus on vocal music, presenting two distinguished UNC alumni: Mihye Kim (soprano) and Daniel Mullins (piano). Together they will perform enchanting songs by Francis Poulenc, Clara Schuman, Franz Liszt and David Sisco.

The following concert will present an all-female composers’ program of piano trios performed by the Colorado Piano Trio. Hearing works by the remarkable Rebecca Clarke, Lera Auerbach and Kaija Saariaho performed in a single concert will be a rare opportunity not to be missed.

The fourth concert of the series will begin with a world premiere of a new composition, “San Luis Valley,” by our resident composers Jim Klein and Ian Jamison, as well as delightful Beethoven’s “String Trio Op. 9 No. 2,” Frank Bridge’s “Phantasy Piano Quartet” and Klein/Jamison’s “Saxophone Sonata.” This concert will be performed by UNC faculty in collaboration with renowned local musicians.

The fifth concert will be a special piano recital performed by Beethoven team members Hanguang Wang and Adam Zukiewicz. The program will feature Klein/Jamison’s “Piano Sonata Moye” (2022) as well as gems of piano music by F. Chopin, M. Ravel and American composer Tom Lopez.

The final concert of the season will feature the musical stars of the future, the next generation of excellent musicians and music students at UNC. The program will include remarkable gems of chamber music, including Darius Milhaud’s “Suite for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano,” Sergei Prokofiev’s “Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34” and Antonin Dvořák’s “Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81.”

The spring 2024 season will offer many performances of both classic masterworks and world premieres. During this exciting time for growth within the Greeley artistic community, locals are encouraged to come out for a BITR concert to show their support.

All concerts will take place at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Greeley. All events are open to the public, and all are invited to attend. Free parking is available in the church parking lot and on the street surrounding the church.

The Spring 2024 schedule for the season is as follows:

  • Sunday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. – Colorado Piano Trio
  • Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. – “Portraits in Song: An Art Song Recital”
  • Sunday, March 10 at 2 p.m. – Colorado Piano Trio performs works by female composers
  • Sunday, April 7 at 2 p.m. – “Harmony Through Time: Beethoven and Beyond”
  • Sunday, April 21 at 2 p.m. – “Of Old and New” special piano recital
  • Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. – “In Beethoven’s Footsteps: The Next Generation”

Free tickets and pricing are as follows:

  • Tickets for all concerts are $30 for adults and $20 for seniors age 65 years and older.
  • All concerts are free for students with valid IDs, children, veterans, active military personnel and people with a disability (ADA).
  • Tickets are on sale at the door of the venue just prior to the concerts.

For more information about the Beethoven in the Rockies: Concert Series, visit beethovenintherockies.com.