The Boulder Phil is honored to be one of only four orchestras selected to participate in the 2017 SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras, providing a national platform to celebrate creativity and build community in our capital’s premier concert venue.
~Michael Butterman, Music Director
ABOUT THE SHIFT FESTIVAL
SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras is a weeklong spotlight on North American orchestras of all sizes that celebrates the vitality, unique identity, and extraordinary artistry of orchestras by creating an immersive festival experience in the nation’s capital. Two premier presenting organizations, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Washington Performing Arts, are collaborating to present the inaugural SHIFT Festival from March 27-April 1, 2017.
In addition to compelling and diverse full-orchestra concert programs performed in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, each of the four orchestras will engage in a mini-residency, interacting with the surrounding community through educational and outreach activities, symposia, and community events in venues throughout Washington, DC. SHIFT provides a national platform for today’s most innovative orchestras to share a sampling of their most creative and provocative work that embodies the individual orchestra’s identity, community, and artistic vision. Main stage concerts are ticketed at $25, alongside a combination of ticketed and free events throughout the city.
The Boulder Philharmonic thanks the following for making this project possible: The Mellon Foundation, Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau, The National Endowment for the Arts, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington Performing Arts, Boulder Office of Arts & Culture, Boulder City Manager’s Office, and an anonymous donor.
FESTIVAL CONCERT
“Nature & Music”
Tuesday, March 28, 8 PM
Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington, D.C.
This program was also presented twice in Boulder on Saturday, March 25 at Macky Auditorium
Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
Michael Butterman, conductor
LIAS All the Songs that Nature Sings
World Premiere with choreographed visuals of Rocky Mountain National Park, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service
MIDKIFF Mandolin Concerto, From the Blue Ridge
Jeff Midkiff, mandolin
HEITZEG Ghosts of the Grasslands
COPLAND Appalachian Spring
with Frequent Flyers® Aerial Dance
Your Boulder Phil encores nature-themed favorites from recent seasons along with a world premiere by “composer-adventurer” Stephen Lias inspired by our own Rocky Mountain National Park and choreographed to nature photography from the park. Midkiff’s mandolin concerto evokes the Appalachians with hues of bluegrass and Americana. Prairie dogs star in the cinematic Ghosts of the Grasslands, and Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring is brought to life in unforgettable fashion by Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance.
Boulder Phil musicians perform during the National Cherry Blossom Festival on March 29, 2017
Music: Live recording of All the Songs that Nature Sings by Stephen Lias, given its East Coast premiere by the Boulder Phil at the Kennedy Center
Videos produced by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Washington Performing Arts
FESTIVAL RESIDENCY ACTIVITIES
Greater Boulder Youth Orchestras
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
Tuesday, March 28, 6 PM
Free and open to the public
The Wind Ensemble and Symphony Strings from the Boulder-based youth orchestra perform on the Millennium Stage, preceding the Boulder Philharmonic’s 8 PM performance in the Concert Hall. Repertoire includes Suite from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach by J.S. Bach, conducted by Dr. Erik Johnson, and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for String Orchestra, conducted by Andres Lopera.
Other residency activities include:
Nature hikes in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park on Monday, March 27 led by naturalist Dave Sutherland from Boulder’s Open Space & Mountain Parks, “stroll-to” outdoor performances by Boulder Phil ensembles on Wednesday, March 29 (10 AM to noon) around the Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and a post-concert talk with Michael Butterman, Jeff Midkiff, Stephen Lias, and Nancy Smith (of Frequent Flyers). We will be hosting a post-concert reception after the March 28 concert.
Visit the SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras website
- Capital Shift (Symphony Magazine, Spring 2017)
- The Gathering of Orchestras in D.C.: The debut of an ambitious new festival (The New Yorker, 4/10/17)
- The Shift Festival: A Reincarnation, with Cherry Blossoms (The New York Times, 3/31/17)
- Boulder Philharmonic opens Shift Festival at Kennedy Center (Daily Camera, 3/30/17)
- SHIFT Festival Guided Musical Hikes (Brightest Young Things, 3/29/17)
- Review: “Nature and Music”: one of Boulder Phil’s best performances (SharpsandFlatirons, 3/26/17)
- Boulder Philharmonic, Frequent Flyers to perform at Kennedy Center (Daily Camera, 3/25/17)
- The democracy of American music (Washington Post, 3/24/17)
- The gold standard: Boulder Phil previews its Kennedy Center performance (Boulder Weekly, 3/23/17)
- This composer makes music inspired by national parks (PBS Newshour, 3/23/17)
- Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra Selected To Perform In D.C. Next Week (CBS Denver, 3/20/17)
- Naturalist Dave Sutherland interview on WETA Radio in Washington, D.C.
- Michael Butterman interview on WETA Radio in Washington, D.C.: Part 1 | Part 2
- Composer Stephen Lias, Boulder Philharmonic Debut Rocky Mountain National Park Music (Colorado Public Radio, 3/20/17)
- CPR Classical In Concert: A World Premiere By The Boulder Philharmonic (Colorado Public Radio, 3/19/17)
- Spotlight: Orchestra Maneuvers (MetroWeekly, 3/16/17)
- Rocky Mountain National Park – Special Program – All The Songs That Nature Sings (Estes Park Trail-Gazette, 3/9/17)
- Interdisciplinary Inspiration: SHIFT Festival’s Guided Musical Hikes Explore Music and Nature (On Tap Magazine, March 2017)
- Boulder Phil Kennedy Center Kick-Off (Boulder Lifestyle, March 2017)
- March 2017 Around Town: Boulder Phil to Perform in Washington, D.C., as part of inaugural SHIFT Festival (Boulder Lifestyle, March 2017)
- SHIFT: Festival of Innovation, part of the Kennedy Center’s Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy
- WPA and Kennedy Center hope new Shift Festival will enliven orchestral scene (The Washington Post, 2/3/17)
- Plays Well with Others: The Boulder Philharmonic is making big footprints in Boulder and beyond (Boulder Magazine, Winter 2016-Spring 2017)
- Boulder Phil Chosen to Participate in Inaugural SHIFT Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., 9/7/16 (press release, updated)
New Music Festival Beginning in 2017 Showcases Four Orchestras and Provides National Platform to Celebrate Creativity and Build Community - The Boulder Phil Plans On Bringing Their Hometown To D.C. (KUNC, 5/30/15)
- Four orchestras in five acts: SHIFT announces 2017 line-up (The Washington Post, 5/28/15)
- Boulder Philharmonic announces performance at Kennedy Center festival in Washington (Colorado Public Radio, 5/28/15)
- Boulder Philharmonic selected for a brand new festival at the Kennedy Center (Sharps & Flatirons, 5/28/15)
- Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra picked to play new, elite festival (Daily Camera, 5/28/15)
- Kennedy Center Sets Lineup for New American Orchestras Festival (The New York Times, 5/28/15)
RELATED VIDEOS
- Boulder Chamber of Commerce Innovation Story – Frequent Flyers and Boulder Philharmonic
- Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance performs with the Boulder Philharmonic – Nov. 2, 2013
- Musical Hikes with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
- Stroll-to Chamber Performances along Boulder Creek
ABOUT THE BOULDER PHIL
The Boulder Phil is creating a new model for American orchestras through dynamic performances that reflect our community’s own values, creativity, and sense of place. As one of Colorado’s premier professional ensembles, we are bucking national trends with growing, enthusiastic audiences under the vision and leadership of Music Director Michael Butterman. As evidence of the orchestra’s growing artistic reputation, we are honored by our recent selection as one of four ensembles set to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington at the inaugural SHIFT festival in 2017. The artistic quality, innovative programming and collaborative depth that are the hallmarks of a Boulder Phil season position us as a real cultural gem in Colorado’s crown!