Office of the Chancellor > Speeches, Columns and Letters > Artist Series Opening Night Comments

Artist Series Opening Night Comments
September 21, 2006

Macky Auditorium

Good evening. As chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder, I am delighted to welcome you to the opening of the 2006 rendition of the Artist’s Series in this , its 70th season .

The fine arts and performing arts have a long and successful history of achievement here at CU-Boulder, and the College of Music has garnered national recognition for the accomplishments of its faculty and students, most recently exemplified by the Takács Quartet’s Grammy award and by the 13 Downbeat awards given in the past five years to students in the college’s jazz studies program.

In addition to bringing some of the finest performers in the world here to Boulder, there are many other benefits.

This remarkable series helps us to link the city of Boulder and surrounding community with the university, building a common bond between people from within and outside the university community.

The Artist Series encourages and celebrates diversity. Diversity of thought and ideas as exemplified by the activities of the African ensemble, Mariachi ensemble, Japanese ensemble and many other performing groups are made possible by this series. This diversity challenges the way we look at and think about all types of art including that with which we may be familiar and that which is new to us.

We proclaim that as the flagship university, we have a responsibility to be comprehensive in nature, and just as we celebrate the comprehensive nature of the accomplishments of our researchers and scholars, we also celebrate the broad range of artistic endeavors in which our faculty are engaged. And we are particularly proud of the important role the arts have played in creating an environment of inspiration, innovation, and excellence.

The arts at CU are magnificently represented by the College of Music and its 350+ concerts each year, and by the CU Artist Series, which stands as a beacon for an open, welcoming gateway from the campus to the community.

Community support is the lifeblood of the creative and performing arts here at CU-Boulder, and we are deeply grateful to you, our loyal patrons, for your continued support and encouragement.

CU has always prided itself in sharing the extensive assets of its faculty, students and guests with the community. Tonight’s activities serve as a terrific example of this—from the pre-concert music provided by the College of Music's graduate string quartet to the exciting performance by the talented artists we are all about to enjoy.

Please join me in welcoming Sergio and Odair Assad and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.