Thomas Wilson

Conductor, composer and trumpeter Thomas Wilson is one of the most active and diversified musicians today.

Thomas has an extensive catalog of compositions and arrangements that have been performed around the world, unlocking new performance opportunities for orchestras and artists and making him an in-demand orchestrator and arranger. As Associate Conductor of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Thomas conducts nearly half the season in Pops, Classical and educational concerts, playing in the trumpet section when he is not conducting.

As Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Thomas has made it one of the most vibrant chamber orchestras in the country, with an expansive season of diverse programming that has won accolades from leading foundations, including the NEA. Under his leadership, the Chamber Orchestra weathered the pandemic extremely well.

Thomas is a strong advocate for music education. He conducted for the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony program and founded the Young Concert Artists orchestra, and is an active guest conductor and clinician for school and honor orchestras. He teaches at Colorado College and Colorado Springs Conservatory.

Thomas has led countless projects in dance, opera, theater, film, and virtually every genre of music. His recent performances of the opera Blind Injustice with Opera Theatre of the Rockies illustrate his dedication to making the arts relevant to our time.

Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado, where he graduated summa cum laude and received the School of Music’s highest honor—the Departmental Scholar Award. He has a master’s degree in Conducting from Colorado State University, and has supplemented his education by studying with leading conducting mentors like Lawrence Leighton Smith, Gustav Meier and Michael Tilson Thomas, who called him “someone to watch.” In his free time, Thomas finds happiness in friends, fitness, and learning. He is a voracious reader, a chess player, and is always happiest on Colorado trails with his adorable dog, Maynard.

Michael Hanson

Michael Hanson became concertmaster of the Colorado Springs Symphony in 1992. He has become well known to Colorado Springs audiences for his orchestral leadership, as well as many solo performances, from the music of Bach and Vivaldi to that of living composers. He has performed more than 25 concertos with orchestras throughout the west, and recently appeared as a soloist with the Hunan Symphony in Changsha, China.

Hanson was a member of the Oregon Symphony in Portland, the Grant Park Symphony in Chicago, and Concertmaster of the West Coast Chamber Orchestra. High points of orchestral playing outside of Colorado Springs include making music under the batons of Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Slatkin, and James dePriest. Chamber music highlights include many years with the Colorado College Piano Trio, and with principal players of the Montreal Symphony at the Orford Arts Centre in Québec. Summer festivals include Tanglewood, Sunriver, Peter Britt, and Cuchara. Hanson’s principal teachers include Raphael Spiro, Joseph Silverstein, and James Maurer, with additional studies with concertmasters of some of the world’s finest orchestras.

Hanson is committed to passing music on to the next generation through educational activities. He and his wife, Catherine, co-founded the Hanson Music Academy, which brought together Suzuki string teachers and students for group instruction. Hanson later founded the Bristol Suzuki Strings program in Colorado Springs School District 11. He currently teaches orchestra at Thomas MacLaren School. Hanson’s private students have gone on to study at the finest U.S. music schools and conservatories.

Adam Torres

Adam Torres, a Denver-based artist, is quickly emerging as a significant musical voice in the United States and beyond. 2022 marked the beginning of Torres’ tenure as Artistic Director of the Colorado Springs Chorale, and he is excited to bring his energy and passion to the Chorale’s 66th season through standalone concerts and collaborations with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and other organizations. Additionally, Maestro Torres holds appointments as Music Director for Stratus Chamber Orchestra and as Senior Instructor for the Colorado State University School of Music Theatre and Dance, where he also serves as the Program Director for the Summer Residency Master of Music Program (Conducting Emphasis) for Music Educators.

Recent highlights of Torres’ work include his main stage conducting debut with the Cheyenne Symphony, as well as engagements with Colorado Symphony (Cover Conductor), St. Louis Symphony (Cover Conductor), and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (Assistant Conductor) in Santa Cruz, CA.

Through the years, Torres has been a significant contributor to the arts scene along the Front Range. In addition to his work with the Cheyenne Symphony. He served as Principal Conductor for Loveland Opera Theatre and held Assistant Conductor positions with Fort Collins Symphony and Denver Young Artists Orchestra. Guest conducting and cover conducting engagements include Opera Fort Collins, Opera Steamboat, Colorado Pops Orchestra, ChamberOrchestra of the Springs, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Springs Conservatory, and Hyperprism Music. Outside the US, Torres served as a rehearsal pianist and assistant conductor for Opera Orvieto (Italy) and traveled to Paris and Cologne in 2022 to apprentice with Cristian Măcelaru and the Orchestre National de France and WDR Sinfonieorchester of Cologne.

Deeply committed to inspiring young minds through music, Torres has assisted with community programs such as El Sistema Colorado and has served as a clinician in public schools in Colorado and Texas. Recent guest conducting with Honor Orchestras include the Continental League (2022) and Cherry Creek Honor Orchestra (2023). Other community and student engagement projects include work with ensembles such as the Alpharetta Symphony, Fort Collins’ Health and Wellness Orchestra, Bas Bleu Theatre, San Angelo Symphony Chorus, Colorado State University Orchestra and CSU Opera, Angelo State University Wind Ensemble, and Angelo Civic Theater.

For more information on Adam Torres’ work and upcoming engagements, please visit adamtorresmusic.com.

The Colorado Springs Chorale

Founded in 1956, the Colorado Springs Chorale serves the Pikes Peak Region as premier symphonic chorus. Under the baton of artistic director and conductor, Adam Torres, the Chorale presents performances each season, spanning everything from great classical Masterworks to musicals and pops concerts. The Chorale has proudly performed as chorus for the Colorado Springs Philharmonic for 67 seasons. In June of 2022, the Chorale traveled to France and became the first ever choir to perform for veterans and heads of state at the international ceremony commemorating D-Day at Normandy American Cemetery.

The Chorale offers scholarships for high school students, discounted concert tickets for senior, military, and families, and music education classes. Learn more about the Chorale and its programs and events at www.cschorale.org