Press Release

DSA's "Strings Away" Benefit Concert February 11

February 7, 2001

Scottish/Irish fiddler, singer and entertainer Loretta Thompson will join the Denver School of the Art's award-winning student orchestra for an afternoon of high-spirited entertainment on Sunday, Feb. 11.

The second annual Strings Away Concert and Silent Auction will be at the historic Oriental Theater, 4335 West 44th Avenue. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Proceeds from concert ticket sales and the silent auction will help fund the orchestra's April trip to Montreal, Canada. During the trip students will perform, attend master classes at the McGill University music school, and visit the Montreal Symphony, directed by acclaimed conductor Charles Dutoit. Strings Away Concert tickets are $20 in advance by calling (303) 433-3786, or $25 at the door.

Loretta Thompson, who performs the music of her Celtic roots, has been featured at numerous musical events including the Colorado Scottish Festival, Colorado Irish Festival and Vail International Festival.
Comprised of 42 6th-12th grade musicians, the Denver School of the Arts (DSA) orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for Strings" and Mozart's 35th Symphony.

Considered the Denver Public School's premiere student orchestra, the DSA orchestra last year was one of only four performing groups to be awarded a gold medal at the Midwest Festival of Music in Chicago. On January 26, the orchestra will be among a select few groups to perform at the Colorado Music Educators Association's Annual Conference in Colorado Springs. The orchestra recently released its second compact disc, "Introspection," which is available for $20 each, plus $3.00 for shipping and handling, by contacting Mary Olson at (303) 733-1543.

The Denver School of the Arts Orchestra was created in 1992 to provide talented young musicians from throughout metro Denver with the opportunity for artistic growth in a challenging orchestra environment. Founded in 1991, the Denver School of the Arts is a Denver Public School magnet school.