To continually redefine the way our community experiences and engages with classical music.
Founded in 1948 by Dr. Antonia Brico (the first woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic), the Denver PhilharmonicOrchestra (DPO) is one of the city’s most enduring and forward-thinking musical institutions. Now in its 78th season, DPO continues to redefine how the greater Denvercommunities experience classical music through innovative programming, inclusive initiatives like More Than Music and Take a Stand, and deep community partnerships. From Baroque to contemporary, DPO shares the power of music with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
EVENTS (2026-27 SEASON)
Undivided
A Celebration 250 Years in the Making
Our 2026–27 season opens with a program that feels like America at its most alive: bold, diverse, and unmistakably united. Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait anchors the evening with the words of Abraham Lincoln, spoken live over a full orchestra, in a setting as stirring today as it was when Copland wrote it. Music by some of the most vital compositional voices of our time, woven together by a shared belief in what we can build when we build together.
This is also a historic Colorado evening: the world premiere of John Heins’ Garden of the Gods marks both the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood: a reminder that our shared story is still being written.
John Heins
Garden of the Gods — WORLD PREMIERE!
Aaron Copland
Lincoln Portrait
Valerie Coleman
Umoja
Joan Tower
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman
Leonard Bernstein
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
- FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church
1660 Sherman St, Denver, CO 80203
Concert at 7:30pm
Doors open at 6:15pm - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2026
Mapleton Arts Center
7480 Broadway, Denver, CO 80221
Concert at 3:00pm
Doors open at 1:45pm
Approximate Concert Duration: 120 minutes, including intermission
Holiday Cheer!
Joy to the Concert Hall
The holidays are here! And the DPO is bringing the warmth, the wonder, and yes, all your favorites. Scott O’Neil leads an evening of music that feels like the best parts of the season distilled into a single night: the glow of familiar melodies, the thrill of a live orchestra, and the particular magic that only happens when a room full of people is sharing the same joyful moment together.
It’s the concert that feels like coming home, and somehow, it gets better every year.
arr. Scott O’Neil Live Narrated
“‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”
…and MORE of your holiday favorites!
- FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2026
Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church
1660 Sherman St, Denver, CO 80203
Concert at 7:30pm
Doors open at 6:15pm - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026
Mapleton Arts Center
7480 Broadway, Denver, CO 80221
Concert at 3:00pm
Doors open at 1:45pm
Approximate Concert Duration
120 minutes, including intermission
Unconditionally Yours
Hearts Full, Tails Wagging
Some kinds of love don’t need a reason. They just show up, tail wagging, completely devoted. This Valentine’s weekend concert is a celebration of love in its most unconditional form, with a special nod to our four-legged companions and the service dogs and organizations that make our community whole. Music Director Laureate Lawrence Golan returns to the podium for an evening that pairs romantic music with genuine heart.
The evening also features something you won’t find anywhere else: the DPO’s International Conducting Workshop & Competition, where emerging conductors from around the world spend a week in intensive study before taking the stage in a live competitive performance. At the heart of it all, violinist Linda Wang brings her world-renowned artistry to the program: a performer whose playing has been described as equal parts technical brilliance and pure feeling. High stakes, deep artistry, and a whole lot of love…all in one night.
Ludwig van Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 1
Max Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor
Louise Farrenc Symphony No. 3
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2027
String Ensemble Concert
Begins at 5:30pm | Doors open at 5:00pm
Symphonic Concert
Begins at 7:30pm | Doors open at 6:15pm
Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church
1660 Sherman St, Denver, CO 80203
Garden of Your Mind
Digging into Beethoven’s Eroica
Two hundred years ago, the world lost Beethoven. This spring, the DPO invites you to celebrate everything he left behind. Garden of Your Mind centers on the Eroica: a symphony so bold, so ahead of its time, that even Beethoven himself said it gave him the greatest pleasure of anything he ever wrote. If you’ve never heard it live, now is the moment. If you have, you already know why we built a concert around it.
Scott O’Neil brings a personal lens to this program, drawing unexpected connections between Beethoven’s creative process and the slow, patient art of gardening: seeds planted, ideas tended, and something extraordinary finally breaking through the surface.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”
Additional Repertoire TBA
- FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2027
Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church
1660 Sherman St, Denver, CO 80203
Concert at 7:30pm Doors open at 6:15pm - SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2027
Mapleton Arts Center
7480 Broadway, Denver, CO 80221
Concert at 3:00pm Doors open at 1:45pm
Approximate Concert Duration: 120 minutes, including intermission
Once Upon a Tune
The Phoenix Rises
Every hero’s journey begins somewhere. This season finale takes its cues not from fairy tales, but from something older and more elemental. The mythic cycles that Joseph Campbell spent a lifetime mapping: the call, the transformation, the return. The music on this program isn’t just beautiful; it’s foundational, representing some of the moments when the orchestral world as we know it cracked open and became something new.
The evening also features a unique collaboration with the Colorado State Music Teachers Association: concerto competition winners join the DPO onstage to perform!
Claude Debussy
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Igor Stravinsky
The Firebird Suite
Selections from CSMTA Concerto Competition Winners
- FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2027
Concert at 7:30pm
Doors open at 6:15pm - SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2027
Concert at 3:00pm
Doors open at 1:45pm
Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church
1660 Sherman St, Denver, CO 80203