World of Symphonic Music

World of Symphonic Music with Wes Kenney

What’s happening in the world of symphonic music in Colorado? What about orchestral music for the season? Summer festivals? We cover it all. Insights into local programs with interviews and commentary. Wes Kenney, your host is Music Director of the Fort Collins Symphony, Director of Orchestras at Colorado State University, and Music Director of Opera Fort Collins. You’ll always know what is happening in the world of symphonic music!

The 2007 Grand Prize Winner of the Varna (Bulgaria) International Conducting Competition and now a winner of the Ernst Bacon Memorial Prize for excellence in performance of American Music, Wes Kenney is celebrating his 17th season as Music Director of the Fort Collins (Colorado) Symphony and Director of Orchestras at Colorado State University. Named in 2004 to an additional post as Music Director of Opera Fort Collins, he currently conducts three operatic productions as well as numerous orchestra concerts and dance performances each season throughout Northern Colorado. Wes Kenney is also in his 7th season with Denver Young Artist Orchestra—the premier youth orchestra in the state of Colorado—an orchestra recognized by the city of Denver for its outreach programs and by two American Prizes in performance.

Mr. Kenney’s recent guest conducting activities include the Lviv Philharmonic in the Ukraine, Vietnam National Symphony in Hanoi, Changwon Symphony in South Korea, New Hampshire All-State, Acadiana Symphony (LA), New Mexico All-State, Lafayette (IN) Symphony, Alabama All-State Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Alabama Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, and Richmond Symphony. Other international guest conducting includes performances with the Vidin State Philharmonic and Stara Zagora Opera Company in Bulgaria as well as the Edinburgh (Scotland) Music Festival. He has also appeared with the Savannah Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, and Dubuque Symphony.

Named Educator of the Year by the Colorado Chapter of the American String Teachers Association in 2008, Mr. Kenney enjoys working with talented young people. Awarded the prestigious Carmen Dragon Conducting Prize in 1992, Wes Kenney is a founder of the CSU Summer Master of Music Education with an emphasis in conducting program, now in its 13th year.