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DPO History

With its 2010 - 11 Season, the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO) celebrates 63 years of providing high quality symphonic concerts and outreach.

This community orchestra was founded in 1948 as the Denver Businessmen’s Orchestra by Dr. Antonia Brico, an internationally acclaimed musician, conductor and teacher. The two major issues driving establishment of the orchestra were a need for affordable classical music concerts in the Denver area and the need for an organization that would nurture, develop and showcase the talents of classically trained musicians, many of whom had relocated to Denver following World War II. The orchestra quickly became known for its ambitious collaborations and performances. It was also recognized as an excellent orchestra for area amateur and professional musicians to hone and display their musicianship. In 1968, to honor its founder, the name of the orchestra was changed to the Brico Symphony, and the tradition of musical excellence and community service continued.

Following Dr. Brico’s retirement in 1986, the orchestra selected Julius Glaihengauz, a talented Russian immigrant recently graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, as its second Music Director. Under the new leadership, the name of the orchestra was changed to the Centennial Philharmonic and performed for eleven seasons, followed by a season under interim director Kirk Smith.

In 1999 Dr. Horst Buchholz, Professor of Music at the University of Denver and an acclaimed musician and conductor, was selected as the orchestra's new Music Director. This began a period of growth and success that continues to this day. To more accurately reflect its Denver roots, the orchestra was renamed the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra in 2004. Dr. Buchholz remained the DPO’s Music Director/Conductor through the 2008-09 Season, after which he was appointed the orchestra’s first Conductor Laureate.

Adam Flatt was appointed the orchestra’s fourth Music Director/Conductor in June, 2010. Mr. Flatt first led the DPO as guest conductor in May, 2009.

About Our Conductor

Adam Flatt was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra in June 2010. Maestro Flatt also serves as Music Director of the Colorado Ballet, and is principal conductor of Emerald City Opera, a summer festival in Steamboat Springs. Adam is also Music Director of the Newport Symphony, the only year-round professional orchestra on the Oregon coast. He appears as a guest with ensembles all over the United States.

When Marin Alsop invited Mr. Flatt to join the Colorado Symphony as Associate
Conductor in 2001 he began a five-year tenure during which he conducted over 250 performances with the orchestra. His warm presence on the podium connected with the entire range of audiences, from those for classical subscription and pops, to family, outreach, and special gala events such as the annual New Year’s Eve celebration. He created and hosted family and educational concerts that reached tens of thousands of children and families in the region. Adam was the first conductor for television broadcast of “Spirit of the Season,” an Emmy-winning holiday concert of the Colorado Symphony and choruses broadcast on Colorado’s CBS-4.

In 2001 he also began his seven-year tenure as Music Director of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, during which the DYAO organization celebrated its 25th and 30th anniversaries. He led the DYAO in acclaimed concerts at home in Denver and on tours to central Europe and South America. Under his leadership, the DYAO was widely recognized as one of the most exciting and best-trained youth orchestras in the United States.

Mr. Flatt made his professional debut with the Oregon Symphony, where he served as apprentice conductor for two years. He has guest conducted the orchestras of Alabama, Cheyenne, Dallas, Delaware, Houston, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Missoula, Monterey, Oregon, Sacramento, Saint Louis, San Juan, Santa Rosa, South Carolina, and many others. Festival appearances include the Bravo! Vail Valley, Strings in the Mountains, Cascade, Colorado, Marrowstone, and Green Music Festivals. Adam’s performances have been broadcast on NPR’s “Performance Today,” and on Colorado Public Radio’s “Colorado Spotlight.” He has led performances with the major ballet companies of Portland and Salt Lake City as well as that of Denver.

Also devoted to the operatic repertoire, Mr. Flatt returns each summer to conduct a production for Emerald City Opera, a festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In addition, he has led productions for Colorado Light Opera, Eugene Opera, and Colorado Symphony collaborations with Central City Opera and Opera Colorado, including the popular “Opera on the Rocks” at Red Rocks.

Adam Flatt has his bachelor’s degree with honors in music from the University of California at Berkeley, and his master’s degree in conducting from the Indiana University School of Music. He studied music for two years in Austria and Germany, and studied at the Aspen Music Festival.

Visit: www.adamflatt.com

About Our Conductor Laureate

Dr. Horst Buchholz was appointed Conductor Laureate of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra in August 2009 following his distinguished, decade-long tenure as the orchestra’s conductor and music director. In the 61-year history of the orchestra, he is the first conductor awarded this prestigious title.

Highlights of his tenure with the DPO include a dramatic improvement in the artistic quality of the orchestra, original and rarely heard programming, and increased visibility of the orchestra throughout the community. Dr. Buchholz’s strong communication skills endeared him to audiences and helped to spread his passion for and commitment to the value of outstanding community orchestras.

Previously, Buchholz served as Music Director at Denver’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and professor at St. John Vianney Seminary, as well as Associate Conductor with Opera Colorado and as Music Director of Denver's Young Artists Orchestra. He has won international acclaim as conductor, concert organist, scholar, and educator.

Horst Buchholz received his early musical training in a boys choir in his native Germany and started conducting at age 16. When he was 21 years old, he had his Berlin Philharmonic debut as organ soloist, and shortly thereafter he founded the Berlin Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Buchholz holds two terminal degrees, one in Church Music from the University of Arts in Berlin, and one in Orchestral Conducting from Indiana University in Bloomington. His organ teachers were Heinz Lohmann, Peter Wackwitz, and Rudolf Heinemann. As an assistant with the Berlin Philharmonic Chorus he had the opportunity to work with and learn from such eminent maestros as Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, and Herbert von Karajan.

Horst Buchholz has been active as a conductor, organist, and lecturer in the United States, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and throughout Europe. He has performed on some of the most famous organs in the world. He was a guest conductor with the Boulder Philharmonic, the Colorado Symphony, the Sinfonia of Colorado, Central City Opera, the Akron Symphony, and other orchestras. He performed in some of the world's most prestigious concert halls, as well as for the United Nations in Vienna. He appeared on German National Television, the Korean TV, National Public Radio, the American AFN, and the British BBC. In the summer of 2000 Dr. Buchholz had his conducting debut in Salzburg during the International Summer Festival and has returned to Salzburg annually as conductor and organist.

From 2003 to 2008, Dr. Buchholz joined the Lamont School of Music of the University of Denver as organ faculty and curator of the William K. Coors organ. Currently, he is Canon for Music at Cleveland’s historic Trinity Cathedral and Conductor of the Trinity Chamber Orchestra.