Porgy and Bess is one of George Gershwin's best-known works (along with Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris). It is an English-language folk opera featuring a cast of…
Chances are you've never heard the name Kalinnikov. Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov...of course. But Kalinnikov's name should be among these other Russian giants. It is estimated that had he lived…
Tired of the usual Christmas carols on the radio? Have you heard Sleigh Ride or Winter Wonderland one too many times this season? Then check out our list of uncommon…
2017-2018 marks the 24th season for what we now know as the Parker Symphony Orchestra. However, for the first 17 years of its existence, the orchestra was known as the…
Handel's "Messiah" is one of the most widely played pieces during the Christmas season and certainly the most popular oratorio (a musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists). It's also,…
If you're like me, when you heard the name Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, you thought, "Isn't that the guy who wrote Rime of the Ancient Mariner? The English poet?" Nope, that's Samuel…
If you're familiar with the famous waltzes of Johann Strauss II (think "The Blue Danube"), you might be asking yourself, why on earth are we performing the overture from Die…
Updated 10/11/2017 Denver area city and town calendars are absolutely filled with Halloween events throughout October and especially the weekend before the holiday and Parker's is no exception. From costumes…
Classical music detractors might have you believe that the genre is made up of slow and boring tunes that will put you to sleep. While, sure, there are a fair…
In 1909 and 1910, Claude Debussy wrote a series of 12 preludes for solo piano. Among them is the mysteriously titled, "La Cathédrale engloutie" which translates to The Submerged (or…