Denver Symphony Orchestra
| Company type | Professional orchestra |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, Performing arts |
| Predecessor | Civic Symphony Orchestra (community ensemble, 1922) |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Successor | Colorado Symphony |
| Headquarters | Denver , United States |
Key people | Helen Marie Black (business manager), Saul Caston (Music Director), Brian Priestman (Music Director), Gaetano Delogu (Music Director), Philippe Entremont (Music Director) |
| Products | Orchestral concerts, tours, educational programs |
The Denver Symphony Orchestra, an American professional ensemble based in Denver, Colorado, was established in 1934 and remained active until its disbandment in 1989. Prior to settling into the Boettcher Concert Hall in 1978, the orchestra performed across a variety of locations, including theaters and auditoriums. It served as a predecessor to the Colorado Symphony, although the two entities were legally separate.
Founding and early period
In 1922, a community ensemble known as the Civic Symphony Orchestra was formed in Denver. The group encountered financial difficulties during the Great Depression. In response, Helen Marie Black, who volunteered as the symphony's publicist,[1] together with Jeanne Cramner and Lucille Wilkin founded the Denver Symphony Orchestra in 1934. Their goal was to unify musicians throughout the city and guarantee union-standard wages. The following year, they launched the Denver Symphony Guild to aid in fundraising efforts.[2] Black held the position of business manager for more than three decades, including twelve years as an unpaid volunteer, becoming recognized as the first female symphony manager in the United States.[2][3]
The orchestra's debut performance took place on November 30, 1934, at Denver’s Broadway Theatre. Subsequently, most concerts were hosted at the Municipal Auditorium. Until the 1946–47 season, both community and professional orchestras coexisted under the baton of conductor Horace Tureman, who retired in 1944 due to health issues.[4]
In 1945, Saul Caston was appointed Conductor and Music Director. Previously an associate conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra under maestros Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy, Caston was married to soprano Selma Amansky. He broadened the orchestra’s reach by organizing tours, educational programs for schools, affordable family ticket options, and outdoor performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver. A 1951 Time feature underscored his leadership and highlighted the orchestra’s significant role in presenting American compositions.[4][5]
In 1938, composer Sergei Prokofiev conducted his First Symphony with this orchestra and performed his First Piano Concerto under Horace Tureman’s direction. Despite difficulties related to score quality and rehearsal conditions, this event remains a notable highlight. During Caston’s tenure in the 1950s, distinguished soloists such as Jascha Heifetz, Rudolf Serkin, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Leon Fleischer appeared as guest artists.[6]
By the early 1960s, Caston’s support among musicians and patrons had diminished. His successor in 1964 was Vladimir Golschmann, formerly conductor of the St. Louis Symphony. In 1970, leadership passed to Brian Priestman, who had previously served as Music Director for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and Baltimore Symphony.[4]
The Priestman and Delogu Periods
During Brian Priestman's leadership, the orchestra flourished both artistically and financially, enjoying robust support from the local community. They embarked on tours featuring guest conductors such as Carmen Dragon and Henry Mancini. Denver's commercial classical radio stations, alongside the May D&F department store, organized an annual fundraising weekend that included live broadcasts and performances presented in the store’s downtown display windows.
In 1972, Denver voters approved bond measures to finance a dedicated concert hall for the symphony, culminating in the 1978 inauguration of Boettcher Concert Hall, notable as the first symphony venue in the United States designed with a circular seating arrangement.
In 1978, Sixten Ehrling was appointed Principal Guest Conductor, succeeded by Gaetano Delogu as Music Director in 1979. Later, pianist and former New Orleans Symphony Music Director Philippe Entremont joined as Principal Conductor in 1986 and advanced to Music Director by 1988.
Financial Challenges and Labor Issues
The late 1970s marked the beginning of labor conflicts that led to significant disruptions, including a nine-week work stoppage in 1977 and a twelve-week strike in 1980. These disputes exacerbated mounting financial difficulties, further intensified by losses incurred during an unusually rainy summer season in 1984. In response, musicians agreed to a salary reduction of 20% in 1986.
By 1988, financial hardships compelled the cancellation of the initial three weeks of the season. This crisis resulted in the resignations of crucial figures such as the Board Chair, Executive Director, and Music Director Entremont. Following the 1989 Marathon fundraising event, the Symphony Association terminated the remainder of that season and filed for bankruptcy on October 4. In May 1990, a merger with the Colorado Symphony Association created a smaller ensemble known as the Colorado Symphony, which incorporated many former Denver Symphony players.
The Denver Symphony Orchestra held its final performance on March 25, 1989.
Conductors and Directors
| Horace Tureman | Conductor | 1934–44 |
| Saul Caston | Music Director | 1945–64 |
| Vladimir Golschmann | Music Director | 1964–69 |
| Brian Priestman | Music Director | 1970–79 |
| Sixten Ehrling | Principal Guest Conductor | 1978–79 |
| Gaetano Delogu | Music Director | 1979–80 |
| Philippe Entremont | Principal Conductor | 1986–88 |
| Music Director | 1988–89 |
- ↑ "Denver Symphony Orchestra and Association, WH941, Western History Collection". Denver Public Library. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Varnell, Jeanne (1999). Women of Consequence: The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. Big Earth Publishing. pp. 116–117. ISBN 1555662145.
- ↑ "Helen Marie Black". Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedDPL - ↑ "Music: Denver's Happy Orchestra". Time. Vol. LVIII. October 29, 1951.
- ↑ Morrison, Simon Alexander (November 25, 2008). The people's artist: Prokofiev's Soviet years. New York: Oxford University Press US. pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-0199720514.