Livermore musician, orchestra debut 'Shambhala Suite'

When Livermore resident Ron Holleman was awarded a 2007 Arts Alive Fort Collins Fellowship "to recognize artistic innovation, integrity and quality among top Fort Collins artists," he used the money as an impetus to complete an orchestral suite dancing in his head.

The result, "Shambhala Suite," which consists of five Buddhist-themed movements, will debut at 2 p.m., May 18, at Griffin Concert Hall at the Colorado State University Center for the Arts.

Holleman, who has a doctorate in musical conducting, leads the Ethos West Chamber Orchestra, an innovative orchestra dedicated to performing chamber music of all styles and periods, from renaissance and baroque to jazz, third-stream and world music.

"Shambhala Suite" is built on a classical tradition and consists of movements entitled "Dharma Bums," "The Road to Enlightenment," "Waltz for Sue," "Sky Dance" and "Sakyong Samba."

When asked what inspired his newest creation, "Shambhala Suite," Holleman credits his wife, artist and art teacher Sue Shapiro-Holleman, who is a Buddhist and is active in the local Fort Collins Shambhala Meditation Center. They expect a considerable interest in the May concert from the large Buddhist community in northern Colorado, from the Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes to the centers in Boulder and Denver.

Holleman retired from teaching at Oak Park-River Forest High School in Illinois and moved to Livermore in 1999, but he didn't retire from conducting or performing. Having founded the Ethos Chamber Orchestra, an acclaimed professional ensemble in the Chicago area, it didn't take him long to create the Ethos West Chamber Orchestra in Fort Collins.

Like its predecessor, Ethos West plays a range of music designed to appeal to fans of classical music, jazz aficionados and people who are looking for new musical experiences.

Ethos West, a nonprofit ensemble, is billed as "the chamber orchestra with a broader view" and is known for its broad-ranging, eclectic programming. According to Holleman, this requires employing both classically trained and jazz musicians.

"We all have to stretch ourselves," he said. "It makes us all better musicians."

But the effort doesn't come without the need to search for financial support such as Holleman's grant and other sources. One such cheerleader is Fort Fund, which is funded by an allocation of the lodging tax revenues and was created to encourage cultural activities such as the Ethos West May concert. Holleman is grateful for its support not only this year but also for earlier concerts.

So is "Shambhala Suite" classical, jazz or some hybrid? Holleman calls it "third-stream," a phrase coined in 1957 to describe a synthesis of classical and jazz, and, according to Holleman, "Ethos West is the perfect group to play it since they are musically bilingual."

As a music educator for many years and with a number of music educators in the orchestra, both Holleman and the musicians consider it imperative that their work also serves an educational purpose and encourage young people to attend the concerts. Anyone 18 years old and younger can attend free, and college students and seniors get a special rate.

A long-standing tradition of the former educator is Holleman's informal, often amusing, "verbal program notes" between the pieces, which help put the music in context and makes it more accessible to the audience.

In addition to the premiere of "Shambhala Suite," the May 18 concert will feature a Vivaldi concerto, a suite by English Romantic composer Frank Bridge, and a jazz piece by Chuck Mangione. Tickets may be purchased online at www.fcgov.com/lctix, by calling the Lincoln Center at 221-6730, or at the door. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and college students, free for age 18 and under.

Additional information about the performers is available at www.ethoswest.org