The is known for a lot of things — art exhibits, , movies — but its classical-music offerings are rare. The pickings have been high-minded over the years though definitely slim.
That changes in a quiet, though promising, way this month when the arts center kicks off Soundscape, a new series that runs through spring.
Like a lot of things at , it doesn’t follow convention. The series starts with five concerts at the unusual hour of 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons. The programming is uniquely broad with, among other things, a string duo, a percussion trio, a couple of string quartets and even a tango quintet.
“We have a venue that actually works quite well for classical and chamber music,” said the Dairy’s executive director, Bill Obermeier. “We’ve just never focused on it before.
The expansion comes out of the Dairy’s desire to use its Walnut Street building full time, and also its mission to figure out where gaps exist in the region’s cultural scene and fill them. Afternoon concerts serve both purposes.
Obermeier hopes to draw an audience that has a hard time with the night-time commute — customers who make the curvy drive down from Nederland and other foothills towns — and older people. A concert-goer could head up from Denver, have lunch, hear some music and be back on U.S. 36 before the rush hour starts.
There’s also that contingent of Boulderites who aren’t necessarily busy during the day: students, trust-funders, the occasional tech-industry millionaire who retired early.
The music is being programmed by , who produces classical- music series at Dazzle nightclub and Lannie’s cabaret in Denver. It has his eclectic touch.
The first event is a tribute to “Women in Classical Music,” with music by composers Hildegard van Bingen, Ann Southam and others. The Boulder-based Lark Duo, a violin-viola combo, will premiere a new piece.
From there it goes to “Jazz in Classical” and “Music for 4,” featuring the Altius String Quartet and the . There are appearance along the way from the and Lumos Percussion.
The series finishes with a special appearance by the . That concert, which features composer and pianist , is the only event with a separate time, at 4 p.m. on June 21.
That might throw audiences off a bit, or draw a larger crowd. The whole series is an experiment of sorts, Obermeier said, and a real test of where and when classical fans want to hear their music.
“It’s gong to be really interesting to do a demographic analysis of who is here,” said Obermeier.
Ray Mark Rinaldi: 303-954-1540, rrinaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/rayrinaldi
THE FORGOTTEN: WOMEN IN CLASSICAL MUSIC. The Dairy Center for the Arts kicks off its new Wednesday afternoon Soundscape series with a concert of music by female composers. Performers include pianist Adriana Teodoro Dier, the Lark Duo and harpist Rebecca Moritzky. 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $12 in advance; $15 at the door. 303-440-7826 or thedairy.org.
