Grusin Music Hall is a performance venue at CU Boulder main campus for use by students in the College of music, the faculty and some visiting guest performers or composers. We were invited to the concert this week by a graduate student we had met recently.
The particular program featured the SoundWorks program which included student groups performing in different genres and mostly self composed music or music from the Composition major students. One of the composers was a faculty member. There was a wide range of specialties, operatic, brass quintet , a hymn, banjo contemplative. Such wide ranging performances were amazing to hear and see. The composer gave a personal description before the musicians performed the pieces.
Students ran every aspect of the evening. They greeted at the doors, they rotated from performer to stage hand to announcers to audience.
There were random friends, family and other students as well as Boulder community members who had seen the postings on the College of Music web page or been invited line we had. . It was completely free for attendees and not even an online sign up required. We had a lot of fun and plan to see the other two upcoming concerts this season. We were able to chat with the students at the end of the evening and were able to get perspective from them and share reactions with them.
One thing to note from my perspective as a former high school orchestra member back in the 60s, it was great to so many of the brass instrumentalists that were women. Not the case 60 years ago. If you want a free and casual musical event at CU, this is it. The building itself was comfortable, modern yet classic and a nice performing space, much more intimate than the big events in Macky. And it was renovated just a few years ago. Check out the website to see if you find something to stop by and hear. We live nearby and walked part of the way but there is a parking garage across the street from the building.
https://www.colorado.edu/music/ensembles/cu-boulder-soundworks read more