Devin Hughes
Classical Music for the Masses

“Breaking down barriers between the orchestra and its audience through children’s programs and school engagements,” Hughes hopes to “foster this generation’s love for classical music, sharing the transformative power of music’s emotional resonance.”

Whether he is conducting his version of the Three B’s, Beethoven, Brahms, & Brittany, Hughes substitutes contemporary American composer Brittany Green for Bach, or Epic Love: From Shakespeare to Superheroes, which includes Verdi’s La Traviata alongside Rogers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, Hughes is ever innovating to bring his beloved symphonic music to the masses.

Classical Music for the Masses
Devin Hughes
Music for the Greater Communal Purpose

Watching a flower bloom on Sesame Street to the strains of Vivaldi is how Devin Patrick Hughes recalls his first musical epiphany, at age three. His affinity for the symphonic model blossomed in college where he organized his first orchestra while studying music and pre-med. He would go on to co-found the Boulder Symphony—one among a cadre of young conductors carrying their craft forward in new, innovative ways. He spoke with us about the resonance of music, and its power to uplift a community and transform lives.

Music for the Greater Communal Purpose
Devin Hughes
9News features Boulder Symphony on Colorado ...

Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes and musicians from the Boulder Symphony perform Conni Ellisor’s Tres Danzas de Video on 9News’s Colorado & Company. Hughes discusses the upcoming Fidget Concert for a neurodiverse audience including those with developmental and intellectual disabilities, along with the upcoming West Side Story performance, Boulder Symphony Music Academy, and the upcoming July 4 Spectacular.

9News features Boulder Symphony on Colorado & Company

The Mandy Connell Podcast - There's a New Symphony in Town

The Mandy Connell Podcast - There's a New Symphony in Town

THERE'S A NEW SYMPHONY IN TOWN And I'm excited to have Devin Patrick Hughes, Artistic Director and Conductor, and Bess Scully, Executive Director on to talk about the transformation of the Arapahoe Philharmonic into the Symphony of the Rockies.

I believe that the symphony orchestra is one of the most magical organisms on earth because it's where everybody comes together… maybe seventy people with different opinions and different ideas of how things should sound and we unite that, and I think that everybody should experience and deserves to experience, which is why half of our mission is focused on educating the next generation.

Devin Patrick Hughes

Srdjan Vukašinović ne ’Le quattro stagioni’ per fisarmonica

Il virtuoso della fisarmonica Srdjan Vukasinovic si esibirà con l'Orchestra Toscana Classica a Firenze, insieme alla giovane Marina Margheri al violoncello. Il concerto include opere di Vivaldi e Haydn, sotto la direzione di Devin Patrick.

https://www.lanazione.it/firenze/cronaca/srdjan-vukasinovic-ne-le-quattro-stagioni-per-fisarmonica-3b4c236d?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0WwLefdHq8lz88tac6lUzEywOMIyvo4pVyOKceSFMwA3MMK0-EYmMBRXQ_aem_AV6fdVzEQQQ983iYTWV-IkQGTxtoVS-UFTr_Vy-fYIIih-t6Q4wyZIAoXFHcR8NSA0bv9_euBFsDQa9FaVtDIMRE&live

Devin to host South Metro Denver Chamber's THE TANK 2024

Devin to host South Metro Denver Chamber's THE TANK 2024

South Metro Denver Chamber will present THE TANK 2024, presented by Colorado Gives Foundation, on
Tuesday, May 14 at Lone Tree Arts Center with Special Guest and Emcee, Devin Patrick Hughes, Conductor and Artistic Director of the Arapahoe Philharmonic.

This is a heartwarming and insightful opportunity to spotlight nonprofit Chamber members. Inspired by the popular TV show, THE TANK brings the business and nonprofit sectors of the community together by showcasing select nonprofits as they pitch to a panel of Sharks. A portion of proceeds will benefit all participating nonprofits.

Devin Patrick Hughes invited to the Erich Bergel International Conducting Competition

Devin Patrick Hughes invited to the Erich Bergel International Conducting Competition

We are thrilled to announce that Devin Patrick Hughes was one of three Americans invited to participate in the Erich Bergel Competition in Romania! Selected along with 40 other conductors around the world, Maestro Hughes will compete in Tîrgu Mureș as he conducts the Tîrgu Mureș State Philharmonic in partnership with Associazione Artes, and Kult Mind Association.

Arapahoe Philharmonic Presents a New Discovery Concert This Holiday Season

Arapahoe Philharmonic Presents a New Discovery Concert This Holiday Season

Santa’s on the way to bring the enchantment of the holiday season to life as the Arapahoe Philharmonic, the Symphony of the Rockies proudly announces its much-anticipated Holly Jolly Singalong Concert. This festive event promises an extraordinary celebration for families and friends alike, offering an enchanting mash-up of holiday favorites and creating joy, warmth, and timeless musical memories.

The concerts will occur at Newman Center for the Performing Arts on December 16, 2023, at 2 pm and 4 pm. Admission is free and open to the public, inviting music enthusiasts of all ages to join the merriment and experience the season's magic.

The concert is part of the Arapahoe Philharmonic’s Discovery Concert Series, created by Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes. It is designed to bring a new generation of young concertgoers and their families to experience the orchestra.

Boulder Symphony reaches higher notes with academy

Boulder Symphony reaches higher notes with academy

BOULDER — Love of music and passion for performance are usually sufficient to sustain a small community orchestra or concert band.

Musicians who have day jobs or academic pursuits are often willing to accept their volunteer status and enjoy the non-material rewards of putting together music programs for a local stage.

When the Boulder Symphony’s board of directors and chief administrator decided their needs were greater than that, they looked to their musicians, seeking commitment from them in a new pursuit — a revenue generator — that would help stabilize the orchestra’s footing.

Thus, with a name change, funding approval from the orchestra’s board and an enthusiastic “yes” from musicians, the innovative Boulder Symphony & Music Academy was born.

GRACE NOTES: ORCHESTRAS IN BOULDER AND LONGMONT, SPHERE ENSEMBLE AT BPL

GRACE NOTES: ORCHESTRAS IN BOULDER AND LONGMONT, SPHERE ENSEMBLE AT BPL

Erin Patterson, principal cellist of the Boulder Symphony will step forward as soloist with the orchestra Friday evening for a concert under director Devin Patrick Hughes.

Patterson will play Dance for cello and orchestra by English composer Anna Clyne. Other works on the program will be Sibelius’s Finlandia and the Symphony No. 2 in E minor by Rachmaninoff.

The Arapaho Covered Wagon Redux

The Arapaho Covered Wagon Redux

Join Artistic Director Devin Hughes (in the photo) the Boulder Symphony & Music Academy, and the Northern Arapaho Eagle Society as they record a new and inspiring reimagined soundtrack for "The Covered Wagon” (87 min), an epic 1923 silent film about settlers traveling in wagon trains from Missouri to Oregon. The pioneers encounter conflicts with Arapaho along the way.

The music retells the story from a tribal perspective and reverses negative Native American stereotypes perpetuated by popular media spanning three centuries. The Arapaho Redux provides a safe space for diverse and collaborative voices to support the Arapaho people as they pass on the tribal language and ceremonies to their children.

Music for the Greater Communal Purpose

Music for the Greater Communal Purpose

Watching a flower bloom on Sesame Street to the strains of Vivaldi is how Devin Patrick Hughes recalls his first musical epiphany, at age three. His affinity for the symphonic model blossomed in college where he organized his first orchestra while studying music and pre-med. He would go on to co-found the Boulder Symphony—one among a cadre of young conductors carrying their craft forward in new, innovative ways. He spoke with us about the resonance of music, and its power to uplift a community and transform lives.

Community Focused Boulder Symphony opens Season Friday

Community Focused Boulder Symphony opens Season Friday

The Boulder Symphony, a self-described “community focused orchestra” that began as a community orchestra and has grown into a larger organization that includes a Music Academy for young students, opens its 2023–24 concert season Friday with a concert featuring guitarist Trace Bundy.

The program, under the direction of Devin Patrick Hughes, includes works from Bundy, the Beatles, Leonard Cohen and U2, among others, arranged for the orchestra by John Clay Allen. A member of the faculty at Metropolitan State University in Denver, Allen is also the composer-in-residence with the Boulder Symphony. The world premiere of his Eroica Forgotten is also part of the program for Friday’s concert.

Roaring 20s Fundraiser with the Boulder Symphony

Roaring 20s Fundraiser with the Boulder Symphony

Boulder Symphony & Music Academy announces a night of timeless elegance and rhythm, set against the backdrop of the Roaring 20s. Mark your calendars for September 8 at 6:00 pm, as we transport you to an era of opulence, music, and style at the dazzling Rembrandt Yard in downtown Boulder.

BS&MA’s upcoming annual fundraiser is 1920s themed, and costumes are encouraged! There will be a live jazz quartet, entertainment, and swing dancing classes. Black Belly is providing food, and there will be a mixologist serving era-appropriate cocktails sponsored by Boulder Spirits and Suerte Tequila, along with beer donated by Avery Brewing. The Ritz, a local costume shop, is providing a mannequin dressed in a Roaring 20s apparel as decor. Boulder Swing Dance has generously donated swing dance lessons. Most importantly, Rembrandt Yard has donated its stunning event space, making this fundraiser possible!

Dead and Company at Folsom Field and other Boulder events

Dead and Company at Folsom Field and other Boulder events

Boulder Symphony concert: Join Boulder Symphony & conductor Devin Patrick Hughes to celebrate July Fourth with symphonic classics, from Copland to Bernstein to Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” at the historic Boulder Bandshell. Also featured is John Williams’ music from “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones,” as well as other fun cinematic classics. There will be drinks and wood-fired pizza available for purchase; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Boulder Bandshell, 1212 Canyon Blvd., Boulder; $5-$15; bouldersymphony.org.

Boulder Symphony and Music Academy raising money for lesson scholarships

Boulder Symphony and Music Academy raising money for lesson scholarships

The Boulder Symphony and Music Academy, in partnership with the Jared Music Foundation, is providing 22 scholarships to Boulder County students for a year of private music lessons.

Students awarded a scholarship are taught how to sing or play an instrument by musicians in the Boulder Symphony through the Boulder Symphony Music Academy.

With another 18 students on the wait list, the foundation also is raising money to cover additional scholarships. Or, donors can sponsor students individually for $1,500. To donate, go to jaredmusic.org/support-bsma.

Boulder Symphony Executive Director Andrew Krimm said the goal is to make the symphony more accessible, especially to people of color.

GRACE NOTES: Company at CU Sold Out Boulder Symphony “Curiosity Concert”

GRACE NOTES: Company at CU Sold Out Boulder Symphony “Curiosity Concert”

It’s not Clint Eastwood, but it is the local Sheriff of Musical Harmony.

The “Curiosity Concert,” programmed for children and families, will feature classical, pop and movie music associated with the West, including Rossini’s Overture to William Tell,, the “Hoe-Down” from Aaron Copland’s ballet Rodeo, and Johnny  Cash’s “Get Rhythm.” The concert’s plot features the loser of the orchestra’s recent “Best Conductor in the West” contest derailing the concert and taking the orchestra hostage. It will be up to the Sherriff of Musical Harmony to re-establish order in the concert hall.

Idaho Falls Symphony invites you to spend your ‘Holidays at the Movies’

Idaho Falls Symphony invites you to spend your ‘Holidays at the Movies’

The symphony will perform its Christmas concert, “Holidays at the Movies” this Saturday at the Idaho Falls Civic Center for the Performing Arts at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The show will consist of music taken from classic holiday films, including “Home Alone,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “Frozen.” (Click here for tickets.)

Devin Hughes, the show’s conductor, said that this concert will remind the audience how much of a role symphonic film music plays in all our lives, even at Christmastime. 

“So the concept behind this performance was that we kind of tried to put together all the classic (Christmas) film scores people think about all the time,” said Hughes. “‘Home Alone’ is a masterpiece and (its composer) John Williams, who in 1977 did ‘Star Wars’ then ‘Indiana Jones’ and then ‘Harry Potter’ – he’s in our ears all the time. More people would probably recognize the ‘Harry Potter’ theme than ‘Beethoven’s 5th’.”

The Boulder Symphony hosts Shangru Du, on Colorado Public Radio

The Boulder Symphony hosts Shangru Du, on Colorado Public Radio

The Boulder Symphony is tackling Tchaikovsky's dramatic Symphony No. 4and Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini — performed by a very special guest.

Shangru Du is from Wuhan, China, he is the 2022 International Keyboard Odyssiad & Festival Competition winner, who just graduated from Julliard.

Devin Patrick Hughes, the music director and conductor of the Boulder Symphony, says he selected Tchaikovsky’s Fourth for the program as a great example of the composer's work.

"Tchaikovsky's Four is a great masterwork with so many kind of layers emotionally, historically and just from a performance standpoint,” Hughes said. “I think Tchaikovsky knows how to take the listener on an emotional rollercoaster because that's the life that Tchaikovsky lived.”

Holidays at the Movies at the Idaho Falls Symphony

Holidays at the Movies at the Idaho Falls Symphony

On Saturday, December 10th, the holidays arrive at the Idaho Falls Symphony, and we have fun plans for the whole family! Enjoy Holidays at the Movies as a matinee Family Concert or as an evening performance, with programs catered to the different audiences. Music is part of what sets the scene and drives our nostalgia for classic movies, and Guest Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes infuses every score with tangible energy.