RZA, Nathaniel Rateliff, Mary-Mitchell Campbell Returning to Colorado Symphony Next Year

The Colorado Symphony Orchestra will welcome back some familiar faces next year for its star-powered Imagination Artist Series. The program, which was introduced last year, gave three diverse artists full access to the orchestra to create unique works that will debut in the symphony's upcoming season. After being chosen as the initial Imagination Artists, RZA, Nathaniel Rateliff and Mary-Mitchell Campbell will return to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra with new pieces, while also acting as brand ambassadors and supporting the symphony's community education efforts.

Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA has worked with the symphony since 2021, when the Wu-Tang Clan performed sold-out Red Rocks and Mission Ballroom shows with the organization. Last May, he played the symphony's biggest fundraising event of the year at the Mission, the Imagination Gala; in February, he debuted his A Ballet Through Mud with the Colorado Symphony as his first Imagination Artist project.

In 2024, RZA and Wu-Tang founder Raekwon will reimagine the latter's 1995 hip-hop masterpiece Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., which RZA produced. “The album was always intended to give an audience a 'cinematic' experience," RZA explains. "These new orchestrations will give fans a new experience through imagination and creativity that was not possible with our early recordings.”

The concert will take place at Boettcher Concert Hall on Friday, February 16, and Saturday, February 17, at 7:30 p.m. (The symphony is sure to note that the concert "features explicit language and themes and may not be suitable for attendees under eighteen years of age.")

Hometown hero Nathaniel Rateliff will honor seminal singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, playing such hits as "Hallelujah" and "Suzanne" alongside the symphony to create blockbuster performances at Boettcher on Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6. "As one of my favorite vocalists, it was an honor to pay tribute to Harry Nilsson’s A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night with the Colorado Symphony last year," Rateliff says. "I am thrilled to announce that this coming spring I have the opportunity to honor one of my favorite songwriters — Leonard Cohen. I will be performing a selection of songs to showcase his life’s work. I am grateful to bring this show to Colorado."

Broadway mainstay Mary-Mitchell Campbell, who has served as musical director for such productions as For the Girls, Mean Girls, Big Fish, Sweeney Todd and many more, collaborated with vocalist Jessica Vosk for California Dreamin': The Music of Laurel Canyon, which they will present with the symphony on Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16. The concert will transport audiences back to the ’60s, with music selections from Joni Mitchell, the Mamas & the Papas, the Eagles and more.

"This project feels like revisiting a cherished chapter of my musical soul," says Campbell. "These timeless songs from the Mamas & the Papas, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and the Eagles aren't just notes on a page — they're the heartbeat of my earliest musical memories. The beauty of Laurel Canyon's harmonies and trailblazing songwriting inspired me in ways words can't capture. With the phenomenal Jessica Vosk and the Colorado Symphony, we're not just performing; we're immersing ourselves in the very essence of why this music is eternally meaningful. Join us on this journey as we breathe new life into the soulful sounds that have shaped my artistic journey and continue to resonate with hearts across generations."

Tickets to all shows are available at coloradosymphony.org.