MUSICAL HIKES
Celebrating 13 Years of Musical Hikes with David Sutherland
In 2013, the Boulder Philharmonic’s concert season featured the theme “Nature in Music.” Kevin Shuck, the Executive Director at the tinme, reached out to Dave to create a series of “Nature in Music” hikes on Boulder Open Space lands as pre-concert experiences to draw connections between works on the concert program and Boulder’s natural environment. The very first program highlighted Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Cantus Articus, a concerto for birds and orchestra that used recordings of birds from marshes near the Arctic Circle in place of a solo instrument. Armed with portable speakers and an iPod, Dave took groups of nature enthusiasts and concert-goers on a birdwatching walk at a local marsh, playing selections of Rautavaara’s music and comparing it to the sounds of birds in a Colorado wetland.
Other hikes followed. The performance of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony (#6) and Smetana’s Moldau were featured in a hike along Boulder Creek to explore how rivers influenced composers. The premiere of Jeffrey Nytch’s symphony Formations was celebrated with a geology hike along the NCAR trail, co-presented by Dave and the composure, to sample the music while delving into the geology of the Front Range.
Over the last decade, Dave’s musical nature hikes have explored insects. birds, stars, rocks, rivers and lakes, and landscapes as sources for musical inspiration and helped bring the Boulder Philharmonic’s performances to a wider audience.
Upcoming Musical Hikes
Sonata for Moon, Stars & Fireflies
Monday June 29, 8:30 – 10 pm
For thousands of years, the night and the moon have inspired poets, romantics, musicians and scientists alike. How do you musically capture something as ethereal as moonlight and starlight? Naturalist Dave Sutherland will guide a gentle journey from sunset into the light of the rising full moon with a varied selection of classical music inspired by our silvery celestial neighbor, interspersed with modern-day science. And with a little luck, there will be a flickering surprise! Goosebumps encouraged. Meet at Sawhill Ponds. This free program is a collaboration between Boulder County Audubon Society and the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra.
Reservations open Monday June 15 at 6 pm
Email dsutherland4747@gmail.com to sign up. Limit 20.
Insects and Classical Music
Saturday July 18. 8 – 9:30 am
Saturday August 15. 8 – 9:30 am
Why have composers been fascinated by bugs and spiders, and how have they tried to capture them in their music? Join Dave Sutherland, teamed up with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and the Butterfly Pavilion, for a stroll through the Wings of the Tropics rainforest exhibit at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, while listening to recorded music selections inspired by the world of invertebrates. Butterflies, crickets, bees and wasps, spiders and even praying mantises have been captured in music! The adventure continues in the Butterfly Pavilion’s Discovery Gardens, where we’ll gently capture some live invertebrates among the flowers and listen to more music. Don’t miss this unique journey into the mysterious and musical world of bugs! Admission to the Butterfly Pavilion is required.
Bonus: Hike participants will receive a discount code to purchase Boulder Phil concert tickets!
Musical Hikes with David Sutherland
The Boulder Phil and the Boulder County Audubon Society partner to connect community members with the natural world through music, as Interpretive Naturalist Dave Sutherland leads music-themed hikes in Boulder’s beautiful outdoor spaces. The Audubon Society is one of the world’s oldest non-profit environmental organizations dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitat. These hikes are free and open to the public.
Per the CDC and State of Colorado and Boulder County Public Health, public health orders are now lifted. Face coverings are no longer required, but for the safety of all participants, Covid vaccinations are strongly encouraged.