The oldest orchestra in the Rocky Mountains, the Greeley Philharmonic, is celebrating its 100th birthday. The Greeley Phil started with just 15 musicians, small enough to rehearse at the home of its conductor. Over the last 100 years, it’s grown into a respected institution. The orchestra’s 68 professional musicians are selected after competitive auditions. The philharmonic’s budget is now about a half million dollars. And about 1-thousand people regularly attend its performances. It caps its centennial season May 7 with a performance that includes 85musicians as well as 200 singers from the University of NorthernColorado.Bill Pfund is one of the Greeley Philharmonic’s longest-playing musicians. He’s played trumpet in the orchestra for 40 years. Like many of the orchestra’s musicians, he has ties to the School of Music at the University of Northern Colorado, where he was a professor for many years. He told Pat Mack what makes the orchestra special.
More Information on GPO's Centennial Season Finale
[Photo: Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra]
