by Peter Oundjian | Music Director
Read the Colorado Music Festival’s organizational message of support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
It is no secret to any of us that the story of this country is riddled with the murder and mistreatment of non-white races, which has resulted in gross underrepresentation of the black, Hispanic, indigenous, and LGBTQIA+ populations of America across countless industries. Ours, this world of classical music which we love so much, is an unfortunately pertinent example of one such industry.
In this world of classical music, we love what we do. We want everyone in America to have an equal chance to find that same love, share it with us, and pass it down to the next generation of Americans.
I am committed to doing everything in my power to make this Festival an instrumental platform for musicians who come from marginalized communities.
We stand allied with these communities. We hear their voices. We recognize classical musicians from these communities have overcome so much in their pursuit of this passion we all share. They have worked tirelessly to be a part of this industry, and we are incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to provide them the stage they so deserve.
This summer’s Festival will include only a fraction of what our programming will look like next summer, and the summers that follow. We will be featuring the music of a number of composers, both living and deceased, who come from different marginalized communities all across the country and the world. We will also be celebrating our closing night with the Ivalas Quartet, a phenomenal young chamber group composed entirely of members from both the black and Hispanic communities.
This is just the beginning. We all have a long way to go, and we are ready for this long-overdue chapter in our country’s history. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy everything this summer’s unique virtual Festival has to offer. While it’s presented its own strange set of challenges, it’s also given us a fresh perspective on what a music gathering can be.
Peter Oundjian
Music Director
