Open Notes Podcast - Fort Collins Symphony – Details, episodes & analysis

Zhu Wang started playing piano at age five when his grandfather recognized his early talent. Since then Zhu has gone on to study with some of the world's best piano teachers, perform award-winning concerts around the U.S., and make his Carnegie Hall debut, all before the age of 27.

In this episode of the Open Notes Podcast, Zhu shares the most impactful lessons he learned from his teachers, why you should listen to recordings and attend live music, and the amazing story of his first time performing Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto.

Zhu Wang joins the FCS for a live and live-streamed performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time. Learn more and find tickets at FCSymphony.org.

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Dvořák's violin concerto is one of the hardest and greatest pieces for solo violin and orchestra. So why doesn't it get played more? Yumi Hwang-Williams doesn't know, but she has a few theories.

Since many audiences don't know Dvořák's violin concerto, we wanted to sit down with Yumi to learn more about her and the music and history of the piece.

In this interview, Yumi shares how she started playing the violin, moved to Colorado to become the Colorado Symphony's Concertmaster over 20 years ago, and why she loves the underserved violin concerto by Antonín Dvořák.

Yumi will perform the Dvořák violin concerto with the Fort Collins Symphony on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024. Tickets and more information can be found at https://fcsymphony.org/events/dvorak-discovery/

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When you go to an orchestra concert or start learning about classical music, you’re likely to encounter many new words. The most common word you will see (except perhaps “symphony”) is “concerto.” So, what is a concerto?

In this episode, Jeremy and Kate discuss what a concerto is, what to expect from a concerto, and some of their favorite concertos.

What is your favorite instrument or concerto? Send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email us at note@fcsymphony.org.

Find the full blog post for this episode at https://fcsymphony.org/blog/what-is-a-concerto/

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From favorites like Beethoven's 5th to symphonies that you've never heard before, this blog post and podcast episode gives a brief overview of the history of the symphony and what to expect when you head into the concert hall. 

What is a symphony?

A symphony is a specific form that many composers used when writing music. These pieces are usually large in scale, were written for a large orchestra, and are made up of four individual movements. A movement is a single piece of music, like a song on a rock album. An album may have ten short songs, while a symphony would have four larger "songs," or movements.

The four movements of a symphony

The first movement of a symphony is usually in a form called Sonata form and is often the most significant of the four movements. The second movement is usually slow and lyrical. The third movement is usually a dance, or sometimes a "Scherzo," which is a light, quick piece. And the final movement (the finale) is almost always fast and exciting.

History of the symphony 

The symphony grew out of earlier forms and was formalized by the composer Joseph Haydn in the 1700s. Later composers like Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler expanded what they could be.

Symphony comes from the Greek word symphonia, or "agreement of sound." Today it refers to a specific group of musicians, such as a "symphony orchestra," or the musical form, such as Beethoven's 5th symphony.

What to expect

Since most orchestra concerts will have a symphony as their headline piece, you should know what to expect when going to see one. They are usually the longest piece on a concert, but they can vary wildly in size, length, and complexity. This is because of how much the form has developed over time.

For example: "Classical" symphonies, written before 1800, tend to be shorter and lighter. These are usually pieces by Haydn or Mozart, and the orchestra will be relatively small. Symphonies written between 1800 and 1900 are "Romantic", and they grow larger and larger throughout the century. This time period is where most symphonies come from, and notable composers include Schubert, Mendelssohn, R. Schumann, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. 

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 The FCS podcast is dedicated to teaching about orchestras and the music they play in an approachable way. We would love your feedback as we continue to improve our content to help make classical music accessible. You can reach out to us on Facebook and Instagram, or by visiting the FCS contact page here. 

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Dr. Erin Macdonald is a tattooed one-woman STEM career panel with recognition as a researcher, speaker, engineer, and consultant before her current career. She now lives in Los Angeles working as a writer and producer and is the science consultant for the entire Star Trek franchise.

In this interview, she shares why she started giving science talks at conventions, her work as a science consultant and writer, and some of her favorite movies, TV shows, and video games.

Learn more about this concert and the events surrounding it at https://fcsymphony.org/events/pops-concert-get-lost-in-space/

Follow Dr. Erin on Twitter at @DrErinMac

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Composer Gregory Smith sits down to discuss his compositional process, his piece "The Animated Orchestra," and how he writes excellent educational works to engage young listeners.

Join us for The Animated Orchestra, live at Timberline Church in Fort Collins on Sunday, March 13, 2022. Tickets and more information available at https://fcsymphony.org/events/animated-orchestra/

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In this episode of the Open Notes Podcast, Jeremy talks with French Hornist Oto Carrillo about Mozart's 3rd Horn Concerto, why he started playing the horn, and how he escaped from an elevator shaft just before his first performance at Carnegie Hall.

Join us in-person or live-streamed on March 5th, 2022, for Signature Concert #4: Anxious, Tender & Jaunty, featuring guest horn soloist Oto Carrillo. Tickets and more information at https://fcsymphony.org/events/anxious-tender-and-jaunty/

Recordings by Abel Pereira and the  Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra.

Learn how you can help support the Fort Collins Symphony at https://fcsymphony.org/support

To stay up to date with the FCS, be sure to subscribe to the Open Notes Podcast in your favorite podcast player, join the FCS email list, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Thank you for joining us for this interview with guest Cellist Anthony Elliott.

Today, Jeremy D. Cuebas sits down with Mr. Elliott to talk about his early experiences as a musician, his mission for educational outreach, and the importance of the Memorial to Martin Luther King by Oskar Morawetz.

Anthony Elliott joins the FCS for our Solemn, Joyful & Ecstatic, our Signature Concert no. 3, live and live-streamed on February 5, 2022. Click here for tickets and more information.

Visit the Fort Collins Symphony at FCSymphony.org. Be sure to subscribe to the Open Notes Podcast in your favorite podcast player, join the FCS email list, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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What does a Conductor Do?

In this episode, you will learn how to conduct an orchestra in 3 easy steps...well, actually it's more complicated than that, but you will learn some of the things that a conductor does on and off the podium.

Hosted by FCS Assistant Conductor Jeremy Cuebas, this podcast explores how a conductor works with an orchestra to prepare for a concert and perform spectacular music.

If you enjoyed this episode...

Please join the other classical music lovers around the world and support the Fort Collins Symphony by making a donation through ColoradoGives.org. Your support helps us to continue performing great music and preparing the best guides and podcasts for helping you get the most of your classical music experiences.

You can stay up to date with FCS by joining our mailing list or by following us on Facebook and Instagram. We also offer many of our live concerts virtually, both through live-streaming and webcast replays, so you can join us for a concert no matter where you live. Please see our events page for upcoming live and virtual concerts.

Finally, let us know what you thought of this blog post! Send us a message on our contact page.

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Welcome to the Open Notes Podcast by the Fort Collins Symphony. My name is Jeremy Cuebas and I’m your host for this exciting dive into the rich world of Classical Music.

This podcast is for anybody interested in learning more about Classical Music, from total newbies to seasoned veterans. If you want to learn more, then this is the place to be.

This episode introduces the podcast and what you can expect by subscribing.

Visit the Fort Collins Symphony and view our upcoming concerts at FCSymphony.org

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @FortCollinsSymphony

Click here to sign up for the symphony’s email list

You can learn more about your host Jeremy at JDCuebas.com, and explore his podcast Podium Time at PodiumTimePod.com.

Thank you for joining us.

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