January 1, 2005

Perhaps you were at the Colorado Symphony's New Year's Eve concert Friday in Boettcher Hall, when the talents of 16-year-old Denver pianist and composer Francesco Lecce-Chong were displayed in a Beethoven concerto movement.

Or maybe you've visited Boettcher for a Sunday matinee or two this season, and been struck by the unusual number of kids in attendance.

Then again, you might have attended a couple of CSO concerts in 2004 featuring heroic, last-minute appearances by young substitute pianists: Natasha Paremski, 17, and Helen Huang, 21.

The theme here, obviously, is youth. Onstage and in the audience, Boettcher has become a gathering place and a showplace for the energy and talent of young people.

This is good news.

Even better news: The orchestra's youth movement is no fluke. In conversations with several CSO officials, it's clear that the increased presence of younger performers and listeners is the result of aggressive efforts to make concerts attractive to the next generation of music lovers.

All those kids at Sunday matinees, for example, can be largely explained by an incentive for subscribers to the Family Series. Each four-event package comes with a free child's admission to any Sunday afternoon classical program.

Gene Sobczak, CSO vice president of marketing, recalled a concert featuring fiery violin superstar Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.

"During intermission, I saw this boy - he looked to be around 9 - who was so excited about what he'd just heard. 'I want to play like that!', he said. And that's what we're hoping for. That sort of connection."

It's easy to understand the popularity of the orchestra's Family Series, which includes A Colorado Christmas, Peter and the Wolf and the annual Halloween show, and offers plenty of hands-on preconcert activities in the Boettcher lobby. The next event takes place Jan. 16, when Adam Flatt leads a humor-in-music program titled A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Podium (Information: 303-623-7876).

The response this season to the series has surprised even the most optimistic CSO officials.

"We sold 1,011 (four-event) packages," Sobczak said, noting that the number represents a nearly threefold increase from the previous season. "And, to see the turnout (of kids and parents) for Sunday afternoons is really something. The Nadja show looked just like a (Family Series) concert - there were so many kids there."

In a hall filled with members of the over-50 crowd, it's hard to miss all those kids of high school age and younger. An early October concert led by Peter Oundjian had an unusual number of teens in attendance. During intermission, I heard one comment on a difficult work by contemporary composer Krystof Maratka. "That last part was awesome," the young man observed.

Kids in the hall - what a concept for Boettcher. And consider that, as recently as 2003, concertgoers under 8 were not permitted at CSO concerts. Those days are gone.

"There's been an increase (of young audience members) each season," observed house manager Park Showalter. "We have a lot of groups of four to six kids. It's mostly been high-school age, but in the last couple seasons, the average age seems to be getting younger."

This accent on youth will soon spread to the stage, said Cyndi Mancinelli, vice president of artistic operations. "Last year, Natasha (Paremski) made such an impression. I just knew it was a direction we wanted to explore."

Thus, next season's offerings will include three or so concerts pairing young soloists and conductors. No decision has been made on creating a stand-alone, Rising-Star series, but the trio of programs will spotlight the emphasis on youth, Mancinelli promised.

She noted that a key figure in setting this new course is Jeffrey Kahane, who takes over as music director next season.

"Jeff has come up with a lot of suggestions (on guest artists). He was the one who recommended Natasha" - a reference to the 17-year-old Paremski, who stepped in following a last-minute cancellation by pianist Louis Lortie and who has been re-engaged for next season.

"There are so many brilliant young musicians out there," Mancinelli said, "but finding the right ones and in the right balance (with more salable marquee names) is a difficult challenge.

"Our main goal here is to get a chance to showcase young talent."

And, no doubt, attract a youthful audience in the process.

Marc Shulgold is the music and dance writer. Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5296

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