Anyone who’s ever attended a classical concert can agree that they are nothing short of thrilling. Whether experiencing the triumphant exuberance of a symphony, the tender intimacy of a piano solo, or the haunting melancholy of an opera aria, there’s nothing quite like a classical concert to get the adrenaline pumping or the heartstrings tugging.
But for those who haven’t had the pleasure of sitting in a concert hall and watching eighty professional musicians perform in perfect unison the songs of a German guy who was dead before America was even a country, breaking into the genre can be a bit of a challenge. And with so many other forms of entertainment available at our fingertips, like Netflix or badminton or Big Buck Hunter, classical music can come off as a bit, erm, stuffy.
For this very reason, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is offering a spectacular concert this weekend for the musically curious in combination with Cirque de la Symphonie, a traveling troupe of circus performers from around the world. On Saturday, “Cirque Returns” will bring to the stage at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Macky Auditorium a visually stunning, audibly exquisite performance that is half acrobat show, half orchestral music showcase, and a whole lot of fun.
Cirque de la Symphonie was founded in 2005 by director Alex Streltsov, a Moscow-born gymnast and performance artist. The group — made up of acrobats, contortionists, world-record holders, dancers, Olympians, and jugglers — has performed alongside symphony orchestras all over the globe, from Australia to Wichita, Kan.
Since 2010, Cirque de la Symphonie’s performers have joined the Boulder Philharmonic onstage four times, each iteration proving to be a successful introduction for new concertgoers. According to Stretslov, attracting younger audiences to come out and classical music has been one of the happy byproducts of the collaboration.
“You know nowadays, younger people aren’t as interested in classical music, and I can’t blame them — there’s so much competition out there,” Stretslov said. “So it’s very difficult to bring young audiences out to see just any old classical concert. By adding the cirque, it’s opening the door to audiences that may not be interested in the symphony concert themselves. Maybe they come to see our show, and they enjoy it so much that they come back to see another classical concert.”
This year, audiences can look forward to a program featuring some of classical music’s “biggest hits” — from Brahms to Tchaikovsky, even classical neophytes will recognize some of the songs being performed by the symphony. And if that won’t catch the attention of newcomers, the twisting, twirling, and dancing of aerialists suspended several feet above the orchestra certainly will.
For the show’s conductor, Renee Gilliland, leading the orchestra and the performers in “Cirque Returns” is certainly a challenge, but a welcome one.
“The Cirque artists, among other things, manifest and embody the emotions and beauty of the music through their incredible talent,” Gilliland said. “Through conducting, one of my jobs is to make sure that the tempos, pacing, and phrasing enhance the virtuosity of the Cirque performers. This program features a repertoire that is both magnificent and demanding.”
She added, “I had the opportunity to take some family members to a Cirque de la Symphonie concert many years ago. We all loved it! I never dreamed that I would be conducting this one day. I feel that this performance allows audience members to truly feel a sense of awe. I hope to give that same memory to many people this weekend.”
Audiences can hear – and watch – the magic unfold with two performances on Saturday, one at 2 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. And who knows? You might just become a classical convert. To purchase tickets, $25 – $115, visit https://bcop-internet.choicecrm.net/templates/BCOP/?event_ids=152,153#/events.
