Sonic Sovereignty: Who Owns the Music?
Madama Butterfly and Japanese Folk Songs Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly is one of the most famous works in the operatic repertoire, known for its tragic love story and evocative […]
A Note on Madama Butterfly
by Louis Lohraseb, conductor Opera has been an inseparable part of my life for as long as I can remember; a chance viewing of the 1994 Three Tenors concert, when […]
The Puccini Paradox
By Mark Arnest With apologies to Dan Brown, this is not going to be a breathless thriller featuring a plucky composer, a secret Vatican plot, a buggy chase, and an […]
Building Foundations: Walter Eisenberg and the Spirit of a Growing City
Every orchestra’s story includes architects—leaders who lay the groundwork so future generations can build, expand, and soar. Walter Eisenberg, Music Director of the Colorado Springs Symphony from 1954 to 1968, […]
A City in Concert: Frederick Boothroyd and the Joy of Building
Some leaders arrive not just to guide, but to shape, inspire, and build. Frederick Boothroyd, who served as music director from 1928 to 1954, was exactly that kind of leader. […]
Bridging the Sound: Harold Farberman and the Transformation of an Orchestra
In the evolution of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, few periods were as critical as the mid-1960s. Harold Farberman, who served as Music Director from 1965 to 1968, was the pivotal […]
The First Spark: Edwin Dietrich and the Birth of an Idea
Before there was tradition, before there were concert halls, seasons, or symphonic legacies—there was an idea. And that idea had a name: Edwin Dietrich. In 1927, Dietrich took a bold […]
Moments Before the Downbeat
The Search is Nearly Complete After more than two years of patient, purposeful work—filled with careful listening, thoughtful conversation, and a shared hope for the future—the Colorado Springs Philharmonic stands […]
A Force of Nature: The Leadership of Josep Caballé-Domenech
Sometimes, great leadership is not just about direction—it’s about revival. It’s about breathing new life into something that has been tested and reshaping it into something even stronger. When Josep […]
The Right Maestro, Every Time: The Legacy of Charles Ansbacher
A symphony is more than the sum of its notes. It is a living reflection of its time—a delicate balance of vision, leadership, and connection. And just as the music […]
Music is about Belief: Shaping Sound With Lawrence Leighton Smith
A symphony is not only the sound of instruments; it is a reflection of a community’s spirit, shaped by the vision of those who lead it. Over the years, the […]
Vision in Motion: Christopher Wilkins and the Power of Bold Ideas
In every era of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, there have been leaders who dared to imagine something more—who saw not only what the orchestra was, but what it could become. […]
