The takes classical music to a new level of accessibility this weekend, bringing the opening concert of its adventurous “American Festival” to listeners on three separate platforms.
The CSO musicians will originate the program at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at . Music director will conduct two pieces by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer , plus Leonard Bernstein’s rarely heard Symphony No. 2.
Simultaneously, the concert will be broadcast live on Colorado Public Radio, as the CSO resumes its relationship with the local station. The regular broadcasts, which reach as many as 7,000 listeners, as the two nonprofit organizations sorted out the details of their working agreement.
And in a historic first, the CSO will also stream the concert live itself via the Internet. With a simple click, listeners can take in the entire performance. The CSO promises a high-fidelity, glitch-free experience for people who want to give it a try.
The CSO’s explained this week that the strategy is intended to open up the music to as many listeners as possible on whatever platform will reach them
The Boettcher concerts are the gold standard. Hearing skilled musicians do their thing in a solid venue is the stuff of classical music magic. Plus, the experience comes with visuals: The violinists bowing in unison, the conductor bouncing up and down on the podium, guest soloist front and center on piano.
The radio broadcast extends the sound throughout Colorado, reaching folks near and far, and the shows are accompanied by the context offered by station hosts.
The web version opens up the music to the entire world. Listeners across continents can tune in for Puts’ “Clarinet Concerto,” featuring the CSO’s own principal player Bil Jackson, or “Two Mountain Scenes,” a piece Puts wrote exclusively for the CSO, which premiered to considerable acclaim in 2007.
The webcasts are an experiment for the CSO and something of a risk as well. While live concerts bring in the revenue needed to keep the music playing, and the radio broadcasts may work as regional marketing tools for future ticket sales, the return from the Internet is uncertain.
In the short term, the orchestra hopes it will build its reputation broadly. Eventually, it sees a revenue stream, especially if it can get sponsorship for the events or charge a fee to listen. The commercial appeal is likely to fluctuate depending on the program.
But consider: An April concert features , who tours nationally. Would her star power lure paying customers if the CSO were able to charge? The stakes go way up next seasons with guest soloists such as , the virtuoso ukulele player with a massive following across Europe and Asia.
The business details would have to be worked out, but the potential payoff could be sizable. Other orchestras are experimenting with online subscriptions, exclusive paid content and other specials that exploit the Web’s financial possibilities.
It all starts with getting the technology in place and evaluating audience habits to see where the demands is strong. If all goes well, the new ways of distributing the music might help to keep the old ways sound.
Ray Mark Rinaldi: 303-954-1540, rrinaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/rayrinaldi
Here’s how to hear the music
At Boettcher Concert Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1000 14th St. Tickets $25-$89. 303-623-7876 or coloradosymphony.org.
On the radio at 88.1 FM in Denver; 99.9 FM in Boulder; 94.7 in Colorado Springs. Free.
Online by clicking . Free.
All three outlets will deliver the concert live at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The CSO repeats the program at 1 p.m. Sunday at Boettcher Concert Hall. That concert will be streamed online as well.
