LITTLETON —Edgar Girtain said there are three elements of a musical community: the audience, the performers and the composers.
“And the huge problem with classical music is all the composers are dead, so where does the music come from?” Girtain said.
That’s the issue the non-profit Arapahoe Philharmonic is trying to address with its first composition competition, of which Girtain was the winner out of 41 applicants. He will serve as the orchestra’s composer-in-residence for the next two years. Girtain — who is 26 and in a master’s program at Rutgers University — will compose one or two new pieces every year.
Girtain will come to Mission Hills Church in Littleton, where the 80-member orchestra rehearses and performs, for the week of the performance. It’s part of an effort to bring youthfulness and new music into the organization, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last season.
“One of the things that the orchestra has not done as much of in the past is new music and world premieres,” said Devin Patrick Hughes, the organization’s third music director and conductor.
“As orchestras are trying to attract new audiences … one of the things that makes music so exciting to new concert-goers is new pieces,” added Hughes, who took over when Vincent C. LaGuardia after serving as conductor for 30 years.
On Nov. 7, the philharmonic played Girtain’s winning piece, “Isolation: Day 253.” Girtain said the piece is about a woman losing her sanity in solitary confinement.
“I didn’t know ahead of time if I’d really want to do this composer’s competition,” said viola player Gail Sindelar, “because sometimes you get really dry stuff, but his music is exciting.”
She said she was surprised how receptive she was to the new music.
Erin Acheson, executive director of the Arapahoe Philharmonic, said the competition and guest conductor are both in honor of LaGuardia, who was a big music educator and liked to foster young talent.
“Schools are putting students out there with not so many opportunities to get their work performed, so we thought this would be a nice way to get their work out there,” Acheson said.
Next year, she said, the organization is starting up its youth orchestra again.
Girtain said he embraces the Arapahoe Philharmonic’s attempts to get more youth involved in classical music because it’s harder than ever, but also more important than ever.
But if classical music is dying, it certainly hasn’t been reflected in the philharmonic’s ticket sales: The organization has more than 200 regular season ticket holders.
“I think people have been saying classical music is dying for the past 100 years, but it’s not like that at all,” Hughes said. “It’s an incredibly vibrant art form. We go into schools and give free tickets for any kid who’s a music student to come into the concert.”
Sindelar said a number of members of the previous youth orchestra, now in their 20s and 30s, have become part of the main orchestra.
“I think there’s at least another 60 years easily,” Sindelar said. “I just can’t see the south metro area without the Arapahoe Philharmonic.”
Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2953, cwoullard@denverpost.com or twitter.com/yhClayton
Let it snow!
What: Arapahoe Philharmonic holiday concert
When: 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Dec. 12
Where: Mission Hills Church, 620 SouthPark Drive, Littleton
Info:
