Orchestral Works of Frank Zappa and More

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Deanna Tham, conductor

Designed as a special Thursday night event at Boettcher Concert Hall, the Outside the Box Series pushes beyond the traditional repertoire to spotlight music that is daring, immersive, and deeply connected to pivotal moments in art history. Featuring Colorado Symphony musicians as soloists and embracing programs that reward curiosity, this experience offers a deeper, more electrifying way to hear the orchestra.

We kick off the series with Deanna Tham leading the orchestra in a program that features Frank Zappa — an artist who refused to be defined, celebrating fearless experimentation and resisting any attempt to be placed in a box. The evening will explore Zappa’s orchestral works alongside music by bold, emerging composers deeply influenced by his legacy. In addition to Zappa’s The Perfect Stranger, the program includes Alex Temple’s "The Man Who Hated Everything" — a tribute to Zappa’s early work with the Mothers of Invention — and "Abandoned Time", Dai Fujikura’s striking composition for electric guitar and orchestra.