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Plan your Summit County weekend: Breckenridge’s NRO and BMF orchestras to collaborate

This Saturday, July 22 at the Riverwalk Center the orchestras of both the Breckenridge Music Festival and the National Repertory Orchestra will collaborate for an evening of magical renditions of works by Verdi, Vaughan Williams and Respighi. For more information, visit BreckCreate.org.
Courtesy National Repertory Orchestra |

Music plays a big part of this weekend’s lineup of fun, but as always there are a variety of activities to make the most of your time in the High Country.

When orchestras collide

When two of Summit County’s best orchestras come together for a joint concert, it’s time to pay attention. Conductor Carl Topilow will be leading the performance, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge.



“These are the two main orchestra festivals in Breckenridge. It will be a fabulous collaboration,” said Carey Skinner, with the National Repertory Orchestra. The National Repertory Orchestra and the Breckenridge Music Festival’s orchestras will be combining their musicians on stage for a very special evening. Kate Hatmaker, an alumni of the NRO and a BMF soloist, will be a feature of the night on violin. The evening will celebrate classical revolutionaries such as Verdi, Vaughan Williams and Respighi with captivating depictions of the ancient Roman empire in the massive symphonic work “Roman Festivals.” Attendees can expect Verdi’s “Fanfare” from Otello, “The Lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams and Symphony No. 1 for bass, percussion and strings. This is sure to be an evening to remember. Tickets are between $25 and $40. Youth tickets are $7 and student tickets with an ID are $10. For more information, visit BreckCreate.org.

Everything that is Colorado



Celebrate Colorado’s High Country this weekend while raising money for families affected by cancer. Friday at 7:30 p.m., a John Denver tribute band will showcase the music of iconic songwriter and singer John Denver with the amazing John Adams Band and the award-winning landscape photography of John Fielder, all at the Riverwalk Center. Sing along to favorites, such as “Rocky Mountain High,” “Annie’s Song” and “Thank God I’m A Country Boy.” Through the artistic collaboration of John Adams and John Fielder, the music of John Denver will come to life on the Riverwalk’s big screen. John Fielder’s Colorado photographs will be choreographed to the music of John Denver, performed by the John Adams Band. This celebration will benefit Domus Pacis Family Respite whose mission is to provide families affected by cancer with a week of peace and respite here in the High Country. Tickets are $35 for general admission, $45 for VIP seating and $10 for children. Tickets can be purchased at BreckCreate.org or at the Riverwalk Center box office. For more information, visit DomusPacis.org, or call 970-455-8965.

Denver’s Funky Super Group

Judo Chop is a funky Denver-based super group consisting of members from The Motet, The Magic Beans, Analog Son and The Workshy: Eric Luba on keys, Cody Wales on drums, Jiho Han on bass and Brant Williams on guitar. Judo Chop is a way to see crucial members of some of Colorado’s best, upcoming jam and funk groups. Get ready for Judo Chop to expose explorations into the funk fusion genre. The super group will take the stage at The Historic Brown Hotel and Fox’s Den in Breckenridge this Friday at 10 p.m. There is no cover for the show. For more information, visit HistoricBrown.com.

Courage to fight cancer

This weekend is Copper Mountain’s annual Courage Classic, a three-day cycling event that takes riders through Colorado’s High Country. The ride benefits Children’s Hospital of Colorado. In 2016, 3,000 riders raised $2.9 million. The tours start at Copper Mountain, and take riders over challenging mountain passes. So far, the Courage Classic has reached 82 percent of its goal of reaching $2,500,000 by August 31. Visit ChildrensColoradoFoundation.org/Courage-Classic/ for more information or call 970-968-2318.

Music on the Mountain

Arapahoe Basin will host their summer concert this Saturday, July 22, at 11 a.m. in the Mountain Goat Plaza. Nashville-based, Cordovas will take the stage until around 2 p.m. Their sound is rooted in harmony, songwriting and musicianship. The Cordovas are: Joe Firstman, Lucca Soria, Jon Loyd and Graham Spillman. Firstman released two albums on Atlantic Records in the early 2000s including the acclaimed War of Women. Twenty-four-year-old songsmith, Des Moines’ Lucca Soria writes, sings and plays lead guitar. He has several compositions on the forthcoming Cordovas album. Keyboardist Jon Loyd, a native of Macon, Georgia, sings high notes and possesses a piano style that makes the band’s sound recognizable and unforgettable. Born in Redondo Beach, California, Graham Spillman is on drums. The 25-year-old Berkeley College of Music drop-out also sings and pens tunes for the group. There is no cover for this concert, and chairlift rides will be available during the show. For more information, visit ArapahoeBasin.com.

The Weekend is the arts and entertainment column for the Summit Daily News, focused on fun weekend happenings in Summit County. Email clewis@summitdaily.com with event information to be featured.


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