“Music is an auditory experience, but those reflections on the creek are visual. Listen how the composer translates the visual into the auditory - so you can “hear” the reflections as music! That’s total genius.”

— Dave Sutherland

These hikes were developed in partnership with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra as pre-concert activities to explore how natural themes inspired composers of our favorite musical works. Dave plays short musical excerpts from selected works on small speakers and then ties them back to Boulder’s scenery and ecosystems.

  • Wings and Songs: Birdwatching and Music

    For centuries, composers have been fascinated by birds! Join a bird watching walk to search for local birds while we explore ways that birds have been captured in classical music. Beautiful musical selections and nature’s colors guaranteed.

  • Enchanted Lakes: Music and Ponds

    “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”  – Loren Eiseley

    The magic of water inspires scientists and musicians alike. Explore the vibrant and enchanted community that makes its home in and around the water – fish, turtles, dragon flies and Canada geese – and listen to classical music selections inspired by our love of water.

  • The Music of Landscapes

    Rich with meaning and memories, our favorite landscapes speak to us in many ways: joy, beauty, nostalgia, awe, even dissonance. How do composers capture the essence of the land in music? Hike with Dave to sample music that evokes our sense of place. How would you express memories of your favorite landscapes through music?

  • Ribbons of Life

    
From the Blue Danube to the Moldau, rivers and creeks have inspired composers to create heart-stopping melodies. Enjoy an easy walk along one of our local creeks to hear its gentle sounds and learn how this meandering green ribbon shapes the lives of creatures great and small along its banks. We’ll share musical excerpts along the way.

  • Stars, Spirals & Orbiting Spheres

    Go on a reality-bending journey into the universe as we sample a wide variety of classical music inspired by the stars and the night sky. Using a large telescope, we’ll loop back in time to watch stars dying and being born, spin with spiral galaxies at mind-numbing distances, and dance with the stardust that makes our lives possible.

  • “The Boulder Philharmonic also offered musical nature hikes in Rock Creek Park. Dave Sutherland, a music-loving employee of the Boulder Parks Department, has been leading such walks in recent years, illustrating elements of the orchestra’s programs. (On the occasion of a Boulder performance of Einojuhani Rautavaara’s “Cantus Arcticus,” which features recordings of birdsong, he hosted a bird-watching expedition at a local marsh.) Birds were not yet out in force in Rock Creek Park, but Sutherland’s ebullient lecture, assisted by an MP3 player and portable speakers, gave a sense of how the Boulder orchestra has adapted itself to its home city, which lives much of its life outdoors.“

    - Alex Ross, A Gathering of Orchestras in D.C.,
    The New Yorker     Magazine, 4/17/17

“Dave brought his immense knowledge of the natural world – birds, animals, plants, geology, astronomy, and Boulder history – to all of his “Natural Selections” programs and related this information in accessible and imaginative ways to reach children as well as adults. What was so special about his ‘nature and music’ outings (most of which I was fortunate to attend) was his love of classical music that informed his development of each program – he carefully selected samples of music relevant to the program for participants to hear.  The effort, creativity, and imagination in putting these programs together made them unique, informative, and delightful.” 

- Patricia Butler, emeritus member, Boulder Philharmonic Board of Trustees

 

Dave tells the story of how the Boulder Philharmonic “Nature in Music” series came about. (Thanks to Fran Rew & her Quick-draw iPhone!)

Video clip of Dave leading a Birds in Music hike at Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C.