GILPIN COUNTY — Who comes to mind when you think of great American composers? Maybe John Williams, who scored "Star Wars," "Jaws," and "Indiana Jones"? But there are many others whose names might not be so familiar.

Central City Opera brought some of their music to the Dr. Nathaniel Howard Outdoor Classroom at Lincoln Hills on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Bass-baritone Errol-Wesley Shaw performs at the Central City Opera concert.

Photo by Mindy Leary

The concert, Great American Composers: Celebrating the USA 250 & Colorado 150, sold out and even oversold, with a large crowd for the afternoon performance.

For $20, guests were treated to some pretty impressive voices. Soprano Christie Conover, mezzo-soprano Kristin Gornstein, tenor Michael Hoffman, and bass-baritone Errol-Wesley Shaw performed, with Teresa Crane accompanying them on piano.

Daniela Guzmán, Central City Opera's director of education and community engagement, introduces the music and composers.

Photo by Mindy Leary

Daniela Guzmán, Central City Opera's director of education and community engagement, introduced the songs and shared some history about the composers. It was interesting to hear the stories behind the music before each performance.

The program included music by Libby Larsen, Margaret Bonds, and William Bolcom, among others. There was a little bit of everything, from cowboy songs to Broadway tunes.

One of the more interesting selections was Bonds' musical interpretation of poems by Langston Hughes, focusing on racism and the struggle for equality. 

Hughes once visited Lincoln Hills and stayed at the historic Winks Lodge, a gathering place for Black writers, musicians, and artists during segregation.

In "Minstrel Man," the message is that someone can be laughing and entertaining others while suffering inside.

Libby Larsen's "Bucking Bronco" is about a woman whose sweetheart loves riding wild horses but isn't very good at keeping his promises.

The woman falls for his charm, gives him her heart, and then watches him ride away. The song ends with a warning to other women not to fall for a cowboy like him.

What is it about opera that people love so much? Maybe it's simply how it makes them feel. The human voice is a remarkable instrument, and these singers needed little more than a piano to fill the outdoor classroom with music.

Guzmán would like to see more people introduced to opera, particularly children. She told the audience that her dream is for every high school student to have experienced or learned about opera by 2035. The crowd clapped loudly.

She also pointed out that opera doesn't have to be performed in some grand theater. It can go anywhere, including an outdoor classroom tucked into the mountains at Lincoln Hills.

Central City Opera's 2027 season runs from June 26 through August 1 and features "La Bohème," "H.M.S. Pinafore," and "End of the Rainbow."

More information can be found at Home - Central City Opera.