Free faculty concert series marries artistic quality and tantalizing variety

A beloved 17-year tradition, Faculty Tuesdays often pack Grusin Hall to capacity.

At CU Boulder, performing arts events are so numerous that they’re practically a daily occurrence. So we’ll excuse you if you hadn’t yet heard about Faculty Tuesdays.

The chamber music series, which every week features Grammy winners, Pulitzer Prize finalists, internationally-published scholars and musicians who have performed with the world’s best orchestras, is the greatest recurring on-campus event you never knew existed.

Between the tantalizing variety of music (flamenco guitar, bassoon chamber works and everything in between), the esteemed names on the program and the more-than-fair price of zero dollars, there’s no reason not to check out this exciting series.

“The atmosphere is terrific, with an enthusiastic audience, great community support and so many students, colleagues and friends of the college who come to these events,” says faculty pianist David Korevaar, a Juilliard graduate and award-winning Ravel scholar who appears three times this fall. “Whether listening or performing, I’m always happy to be there.”

A beloved 17-year tradition, Faculty Tuesdays often pack Grusin Hall to capacity with performances by the many remarkable artists who teach at the College of Music. These weekly concerts provide a unique mix of performance instruction for students, educational opportunities for fellow faculty members and unparalleled entertainment for music-loving local residents.

This fall, the series runs the gamut, from classics by Chopin and Tchaikovsky to an evening of newer works celebrating planet Earth. On Oct. 24, the College of Music marks 100 years of Finnish independence in a concert featuring several faculty members—Jennifer Bird, Paul Erhard, Hsing-ay Hsu, Yoshi Ishikawa, David Korevaar, Margaret McDonald, Harumi Rhodes, Daniel Silver and Michael Thornton—performing works by Jean Sibelius, Silvestre Revueltas and other famous Finns.

“We wanted to celebrate Finland and the new cultural exchange that’s happening between the college and music institutions there,” says Daniel Kellogg, who is helping organize the recital. “The concert concludes with the world premiere of a piece written by graduate student composer and [recently created] Finnish Jubilee Composition Scholarship winner Conor Brown.”