PARTNERS IN HARMONY

May 7th at 6:30 PM

Partnered with and performances by:

Koa String
Quartet

Welcome

Thank you for joining us , for our second annual partners concert and our first ever benefit concert, your support for our programming making a huge impact in the lives of many and continues to resonate for years to come.

We are proud of the work that we do as a community to embrace our youth in music education, leadership and excellence.

Tonight is a reflection of not only the hard work, dedication and commitment to our youth and music education but also to creating a viable pipeline for ALL of our diverse community of young musicians. We appreciate your donations and encourage you to be a lifelong patron to ensure the sustainability and viability of this unique program for years to come. Tonight is the night.

The Program

String Quintet in E Minor, H. 7 - Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Mycelium Quintet

Partnership Reflections - Faculty Member Alex Vittal

From the Start - Laufey (b. 1999)
Mycelium Quintet

Selections from Songs for Children - Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
Quartet Nova and Koa String Quartet

Partnership Reflections: Faculty Member Jordan Grantonic

String Quartet in F Major, Mvt. 2 - Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Koa String Quartet

Partnership Reflections: Koa cellist Heewon Lee

Minuet - Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780)
Cadenza

Climber of Clouds, Felipe M. Vasconcelos (b. 1985)
Cadenza

Family Reflections: ESC Parent Manuel Martinez

Lyric for Strings: for young musicians - George Walker (1922-2018), arr. Gregory Walker
Cadenza, Colorado Symphony, and ESC Faculty

Partnership Reflections: CSA Violist Helen McDermott

Brook Green Suite: Mvts. I and III, Gustav Holst
Cadenza, Colorado Symphony, and ESC Faculty

Our Students

Senior students are denoted with a *

Cadenza
(Partnered with the Colorado Symphony Education Department)

Conductor: Jacob Kaminski

Violins

Nayeli Petersen

Jasmine Dozal

Yamil Alpiste

Diego Alpiste

Ruth Sanchez

Angelica Flores-Baltazar

Violas

Jade Vargas Reynoso *

Alan Larsen *

Jimmy Mohl

Cellos

Marieli Martinez Zambrano *

Alyssa Flores Diaz

Victoria Barrios Anzola

Joshua Howard

Penelope Lopez

Mycelium Quintet
(Partnered with Harumi Rhodes)

Coach: Alex Vittal

Jasmine Dozal, violin

Nayeli Petersen, violin

Jade Vargas Reynoso, viola *

Alan Larsen, viola *

Marieli Martinez, cello *

Quartet Nova
(Partnered with the Koa String Quartet)

Angelica Flores-Baltazar, violin

Jordan Grantonic, violin and coach

Jimmy Mohl, viola

Victoria Barrios Anzola, cello

Congratulations to our graduating seniors!

Our Partners

Harumi Rhodes is the second violinist of the internationally renowned Takács Quartet, performing 80 concerts a year worldwide. Acclaimed by the New York Times as a “deeply expressive violinist”, Rhodes has gained recognition as a multi-faceted musician with a distinctive musical voice. She is Associate Professor of Violin, Artist in Residence and Ralph E. and Barbara L. Christoffersen Faculty Fellow at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Rhodes combines her performing career with a passionate commitment to guiding young instrumentalists, composers, and chamber ensembles.

The Koa String Quartet is composed of violinists Kisa Uradomo (Maui, Hawai’i) and Leah Pernick (Metro Detroit, Michigan), violist Devin Cowan (Long Island, New York), and cellist Heewon Lee (O'ahu, Hawai’i). Koa is the Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Colorado Boulder where they were the first prize winners of the 2024 Ekstrand Competition. Koa is invested in fostering musical engagement with students and presenting high quality classical music for community audiences. In addition to performing classical string quartet repertoire together, Koa also performs diverse repertoire such as film scores, pop covers, and folk music. During their time as a quartet, they have prioritized their goals through their educational residency at Bravo!Vail and their work as the Quartet-in-Residence at the Hana Hou Music Program. The name “Koa” comes from the tree in the Hawaiian Islands, and the wood symbolizes strength and courage.

Colorado Symphony Education Department’s El Sistema Colorado Mentorship Program aims to further ESC’s mission of creating access to the world of classical music for historically marginalized communities by integrating regular mentorship touchpoints with Colorado Symphony musicians into our Crescendo Orchestra’s year-long curriculum. The same group of 4 CSA musicians will visit ESC a total of 10-12 times, at least once per month, culminating in a side-by-side performance to showcase the process and outcomes of the partnership. We’ll focus on not only musical mentorship, but introducing and fostering the skills necessary for our students to become successful professionals and to contribute to their communities in positive ways. We’re deeply grateful to symphony musicians Dakota Cotugno, Delcho Tenev, Kate Arndt, Helen McDermott, Kelsey, Adrienne Short, and Owen Lin for their enthusiastic partipationin this wonderful partnership!

Our Sponsors & Donors

Donors & Financial Partners

Aegon Transamerica Foundation

Colorado Creative Industries

Virginia W. Hill Foundation

Colorado Health Foundation

Bowen Family Performing Arts Fund

Margulf Foundation

Anschutz Foundation

Office of Children's Affairs

Denver Arts & Venues: Arts and Culture Fund

Classics for Kids

Bonfils-Stanton: Arts & Culture Quarterly
Community Grant

D'Adarrio Foundation

RiNo Art District 2024 Social Impact Grant

Genesis Inspiration Foundation

Special thanks to

Luther Strings

Luther Strings is here to serve the Orchestral Bowed String Instrumentalist community. The small business was established in 2018 by Denver native and Professor of Strings, Dr. Christopher Luther. Dr. Luther’s passion for instruments developed naturally through his strong desire to help his students find the highest quality instruments at prices they could afford. He believes outstanding instruments exist at every price range, and Luther Strings is committed to serving Colorado's bowed string community with these ideas in mind.

We offer Instrument Sales, Rentals, Repairs, Education, Concerts and More. Walk-Ins are always welcome!

Special thanks to

Mister Oso &
The Culinary Creative

Thank you to Sebastian Hoentzsch, Mister Oso, and The Culinary Creative for sponsoring our event and supporting our mission by providing the food for our reception. ¡Qué rico!

Special thanks to

Reunion Bakery

From master baker Ismael De Sousa comes Reunion Bread: a specialist bakery serving up oven-fresh artisanal breads, pastries, snacks, and specialty coffees. Inspired by traditional Portuguese cooking methods, Reunion Bread blends time-worn European baking techniques with the flavors of South America (think guava-filled, coconut-dusted Danishes). We’re so grateful for Reunion’s support, and we hope that it’s as much of a treat for you as it is for us!

Founding Supporters

The Piton Foundation

Jim Bye Memorial Fund

Major Supporters

Anschutz Foundation

Aegon Transamerica Foundation

BBSI

Denver Foundation: Gateway Fund II - Beacon Fund

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

Bowen Family Performing Arts Fund

Butler Family Fund

Colorado Creative Industries

Colorado Gives Foundation

Colorado Health Foundation

Denver Broncos

Denver Foundation

Denver Economic Development & Opportunity

D’Addario Foundation

Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province May Bonfils Stanton Memorial Fund

Huntington National Bank

Learfield Communications LLC

Office of Children’s Affairs

Rose Community Foundation

Sheila Fortune Foundation

Virginia W. Hill Foundation

Wend Foundation

Organizational Partners & Community Members

Ana Luna Uribe-Leteinturier

Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado

Bravo! Vail

Catholic Charities of Denver

Colorado Symphony Association

Colorado Thought Leaders Forum

Colorado Young Leaders

Complete Business Solutions

CSU Spur

Deloitte

Denver Art Museum

Denver Center for the Performing Arts

Denver Performing Arts Center

Denver Philharmonic Orchestra

Denver Public Schools

Denver Housing Authority

DSST Cole

Early Excellence Program

Edward Hardy

El Sistema USA

Family Star Montessori

Friends of Chamber Music

History of Colorado Museum

Impact Denver

Inner-City School

Kids4Real

KPG Ken's Prints & Graphics

Latin Cultural Arts Center of Colorado

Lamont School of Music at The University of Denver

Lutheran Summer Music Festival

Luther Strings

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Mile High United Way

Newman Center for the Performing Arts

Open Door Learning Center

Peaks to Plains Suzuki Institute

Sistema Ravinia

Rivers & Roads Coffee

The Savoy

Scott Edgar

Sphere Ensemble

Sphinx Virtuosi 

Takacs Quartet

Tasty Foods

Verena Fuentes 

Donate Today!

Every child deserves access to the arts and each dollar you give helps us remove the barriers to music education.

  • $25 = 1 day of programming for 1 student

  • $50 = 1 hour private lesson

  • $150 = 1 week of programming for 1 student

  • $250 = 1 month of programming for 1 student

  • $500 = Purchases a new violin or viola

  • $2,500 = Sponsors 1 child for 1 semester

“Music education is important for every kid and El Sistema Colorado provides the resources for kids that wouldn’t have access otherwise. The community of caring musicians and families is life changing and deserves your dollar!”

– Alan
Graduating Senior

“People should donate to El Sistema Colorado because they provide opportunities for those that want to pick up an instrument but don’t have the resources. ESC is a welcoming community with amazing and lovable teachers that truly cherish their students, experiences, and musical journeys.”

– Jade
Graduating Senior

We are excited to announce the launch of our Senior Scholarship Fund, CODA!

CODA stands for “College, Opportunity, Development, Advancement.” This new initiative will provide financial support to all our graduating senior students as they take their next steps beyond high school. This is the first year of the scholarship, and we hope to grow it into a lasting tradition of support for our seniors.

If you would like to help us continue this meaningful gift, please consider making a donation and dedicating your contribution to “SCHOLARSHIP.” Your support will have a direct impact, celebrating our seniors and empowering them on their future journeys.

Thank You, Teaching Artists!

Katie Burns
String Pedagogy Specialist

Elise Cole

Jacob Kaminski

Jamie Wolf
ECE/Grants Manager

Elshaddai Mulugeta

Jordan Grantonic

Nixon Garcia

Amy Lindquist

Emilie Tupper

Arlibeth Rodriguez

Allyson Stibbards

Taylor Sapanara

Alex Vittal

Thank you also to our volunteers!

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendar to stay involved with some of these upcoming events.

Group Class Recital and Orchestras Concert

Thursday, May 8th @ 4:00 PM
Saturday, May 10th @ 1:00 PM

El Sistema Colorado
2980 Curtis Street, Denver, CO

Student Evaluations

Monday, May 12th @ 4:00 PM
Friday, May 16th @ 6:35 PM

El Sistema Colorado
2980 Curtis Street, Denver, CO

Professional Development
(No Classes)

Monday, May 19, 2025 — 4:20 PM
Friday, May 23, 2025 — 6:35 PM

Summer Break

From Monday, May 26th @ 12:00 AM through Friday, June 20th @ 11:55 PM

Summer Strings Camp

Monday, June 23rd @ 8:00 AM
Friday, June 27th @ 5:00 PM

El Sistema Colorado
2980 Curtis Street, Denver, CO

Music Without Borders:
A Transformative Collaboration with CEMUT

El Sistema Colorado is proud to launch “Music Without Borders,” a groundbreaking partnership with CEMUT, a like-minded music program in Juarez, MX. United by our shared mission to provide free, high-quality music education to underserved youth, this project is designed to break down barriers and build bridges-using music as our common language.

About the Project

Music Without Borders is a three-part, in-person exchange that will bring together students and educators from both sides of the border for deep cultural learning, musical growth, and lasting friendships:

  • March 2025: El Sistema Colorado teaching artist and admin team travelled to Juarez for immersive training, teaching, and cultural exchange with CEMUT’s students and faculty. 

  • July 2025: CEMUT’s students and teachers will join us in Denver for our Summer Music Festival, making music and memories alongside our own students.

  • September 2025: The collaboration culminates in a side-by-side performance at Boettcher Hall, with CEMUT and El Sistema Colorado musicians performing together with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.

Why It Matters

This partnership is about more than music. It’s about giving young people the chance to learn from each other, to see beyond borders, and to discover their own potential through the music. By connecting communities in Denver and Juarez, we foster understanding, excellence, and opportunity for students who might otherwise never meet.

Thank you for helping us create opportunities for our youth to make music without barriers. Together, we can inspire the next generation and build a more harmonious world.

How You Can Help

We need your support to make Music Without Borders a reality. Our goal is to raise $25,000 to cover travel, meals, housing, and all musical activities for our students and our guests from CEMUT. Your gift will directly fund life-changing experiences for young musicians-helping them grow as artists, leaders, and global citizens.

If you would like to support this special project, please let us know. Every contribution brings us closer to a world where music truly knows no boundaries.

About CEMUT

Led by Artistic Director Lizandro Garal, CEMUT offers a 100% free, high-quality music program to youth in Juarez, grounded in community, connection, and high standards-values we proudly share. Below is their Mission and Vision.

Mission

To provide musical education to children in Ciudad Juárez from an early age, enabling them to incorporate music as a core aspect of their lives while enhancing their humanity as thoughtful, sensitive, and capable individuals.

Vision

To become the most significant musical education project in the state of Chihuahua, recognized for its academic excellence and cultural impact.

Our Board

A special thank you to our board members who are deeply passionate about our mission and our community. Thank you for walking alongside El Sistema Colorado. If you are interested in joining our board to help provide long-term sustainability pleaser reach out to any of the members of the board, or apply online.

  • Lindsey Damron

    BOARD TREASURER

    Director of Accounting, Gates Corporation

  • BOARD CHAIR

    Maria Irivarren

    BOARD CHAIR

    Broker Associate

  • Angelica Rueda

    BOARD SECRETARY

    Dean of Enrollment Administration and Student Success

  • Joanna Leonard

    BOARD MEMBER

    Director of Pharmacy

  • Alexandra Manion

    BOARD MEMBER

    Licensed Psychologist

  • Bridget McNeil

    BOARD MEMBER

    Assistant Section Chief, Wildlife & Marine Resources Section, Environment & Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice

  • Edwina Lucero

    BOARD MEMBER

  • José Antonio Sánchez Cetina.

    BOARD MEMBER

    Assistant Professor at CU Denver School of Public Affairs.

  • Amanda Laborete

    BOARD MEMBER