Colorado Symphony Performs For Denver Zoo Animals

DENVER, CO — Animals at the Denver Zoo seemed to enjoy some recent impromptu performances by the Colorado Symphony. A string quartet played Mozart's "Divertimento No. 3" in front of the giraffe habitat. Dobby, the zoo’s popular 2-year-old giraffe, perked up his ears and craned his neck in curiosity, then ventured over to investigate the sounds and musicians.

“We didn’t know what to expect. So we weren’t sure if they would be nervous, excited or bouncy, which is a sign of excitement,” said Denver Zoo giraffe keeper Amanda Faliano. “Dobby showed a lot of cool behaviors. Sometimes he would kick, and sometimes he was just watching on high alert, both of which are signs of excitement and interest.”

Larisa Fesmire, a violinist with the Colorado Symphony, said she never imagined she would play for zoo animals.

"I’m glad they seemed to like the music more than my dogs do at home when I’m practicing!”

Musicians also played impromptu concerts for other zoo animals, including Tensing, a pregnant greater one-horned rhino, and the zoo’s Sumatran orangutan family. All of the animals seemed to express "amazement and enjoyment" at the concerts, zoo officials said.

"We're so fortunate to have a robust group of local arts, nonprofit and cultural organizations that combine to make Denver a vibrant and enriching city," Parker Owens, chief marketing officer for the Colorado Symphony, said in a statement. "We believe it's imperative to foster collaboration between these organizations and relish the opportunity to put our musicians in environments and situations that are outside the norm of performances in the concert hall."

"The opportunity to play music for these animals was a memory maker for our musicians; and we hope our fans, too, won't soon forget."

The Denver Zoo and Colorado Symphony will join forces again March 15, 2020, for Carnival of the Animals at Boettcher Concert Hall.