The National Repertory Orchestra is wrapping up its 66th festival season this week, a summer rife with discovery, in which the majority of orchestra performances have presented an emotional theme – joy, tranquility, passion, dreams, rejuvenation and for its grand finale this Saturday, Aug. 9, awe.
While the pieces performed in these concerts unquestionably evoke the suggested emotion, musicians point out that live orchestral music is a personal journey in which each individual, both on and off the stage, experiences a one-of-a-kind array of emotions and connections to the music.
“Music truly is the universal language. Performing these great orchestral works allow musicians and audience members to communicate in a manner that would be impossible through any other medium,” says NRO trumpet player Chris Petrella, who, along with bassoonist Aaron Nealy, won this summer’s Concerto Competition and will perform solos this Saturday.
“If you experience one of these pieces, whether as a performer or an audience member, and truly listen, you will walk away having learned something new about yourself, and will have heard something no one else did,” Petrella says. “I love going to concerts with friends and always enjoy the discussions we have afterwards. I believe that we can all take what we need from these great works. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, comfort, joy, or even intensity, you can discover all of these in every concert.”
The NRO’s final performance this Saturday will include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 3, an upbeat masterpiece with high-speed string sections that intermittently soften before climbing again to mighty, full-orchestra force, and Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, its thunderous crescendos exactly what you’d imagine for the brain’s soundtrack during moments of awe. Petrella will step forward during André Jolivet’s riveting Concertino for Trumpet, String Orchestra, and Piano and Nealy will solo during Giochino Rossini’s heart-soaring Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra.
Both young musicians joined the NRO last season and came back for more this summer. Petrella is pursuing his Bachelor of Music at Curtis Institute of Music, expected to graduate in 2027 while Nealy just completed his Bachelor of Music at the University of South Carolina this spring and will start his Masters studies at Yale University’s School of Music this fall.
The bassoonist equates the emotionally evocative power of each piece to a profound conversation in which every instrument lends its voice and participants all feel connected but walk away with unique interpretations.
“Orchestral music can be powerful and meaningful because of the huge variety of colors, sounds, and dynamic range made possible by the instruments of the orchestra,” Nealy says. “These compositions are given a new dimension of influence and effectiveness when brought to life by inspiring performances. When one combines great music with dedicated and talented musicians, something truly special can be expressed. These performances are the most relatable because they simply involve musicians expressing emotions to fellow humans in the audience.”
NRO Chief Executive Officer Dave DePeters, a former percussionist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, agrees that the emotional themes of this summer’s performances are relatable to all audiences, especially those unversed in classical music.
“You don’t have to understand the music in order to feel it,” DePeters says. “When you hear live music, you immediately connect. That’s what our whole season has been about. Each person will connect differently, but if you don’t come, you don’t get the connection. I know locals who say, ‘I don’t get classical music.’ It’s like someone in New York City who has never been to Summit County looking at a picture and saying ‘I don’t get living in the mountains.’ Until you come, you won’t.”
Don’t miss the NRO’s last concert of the season, Discover … Awe from 6 to 8 p.m. this Saturday at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge. Tickets are available here.
PHOTO: Discover … Joy, by Curtis DeVore