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

Wings and Songs: Birdwatching and Music
Saturday November 1, 9:30 – 11:30 am
 

At its upcoming concert (Sunday November 2 at 4:00 pm) the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the spellbinding Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss. Captivated by the transcendent beauty of the skylark’s song, Strauss scored a pair of flutes as a duet of larks to symbolize two spirits bonded together and ascendant. Take a pre-concert nature walk with community naturalist Dave Sutherland to preview this music, and explore ways that other composers of classical music have captured the essence of birds. Beautiful bird-themed musical selections and amazing bird viewing guaranteed. This program is jointly sponsored by the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and Environment for the Americas and is free of charge. Limit 20. Meet at the Walden Ponds picnic pavilion. This program is free of charge.

Invertebrates and Music Walk – Halloween Edition
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 – 5:30 – 7 pm
Join us for a special Halloween edition of “Invertebrates and Music Walks” as we explore the walk-in rainforest exhibit after dark. Guided by naturalist Dave Sutherland and accompanied by eerie music, we’ll use flashlights to discover sleeping butterflies and hanging orb weaver spiders up close and personal, and other night time creatures. The adventure concludes in the Butterfly Pavilion’s exhibit hall with the lights off, where we’ll search for nighttime invertebrates amidst the Halloween atmosphere. Don’t miss this unique journey into the mysterious world of invertebrates at night! Participants will receive a discount code for Boulder Philharmonic concert tickets. Admission to the Butterfly Pavilion is required: $12 non-members, $10 members.

SORRY, THIS EVENT IF FULL.

Bonus: Hike participants will receive a discount code to purchase Boulder Phil concert tickets!