About the DRO

Formed in the fall of 2021 and officially founded as a Denver-based nonprofit in January of 2022, the Denver Rock Orchestra may be the new kids on the block, but we’re here to rock! After two years of shuttered venues, cancelled gigs, and wary audiences, the DRO arose from the intense desire to reconnect musicians with their craft, make fun music together, and cultivate a new, positive musical community. We are female-founded, committed to accessibility/accountability in our community, and dedicated to fostering good-vibes.

Enhancing Denver’s vibrant arts and culture scene, the DRO is here to celebrate popular music,
combining the high art of the orchestral sonic experience and the toe-tapping, body-shaking, guitar-smashing catharsis that can only come from turning the dial up to eleven. We are here for the playlist makers, the top-40 savants, the genre-curious, and those who grew up on a steady diet of music videos.

The DRO’s leadership and roster of instrumentalists (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and more!), vocalists, and support crew all come to the ensemble as volunteers with regular day jobs, home lives, and side hustles.

Their uniting force? The intense desire to ROCK!

Want to know more? Check out this interview Madeline did with VoyageDenver!

Mission

We disrupt orchestral norms through rock and pop music so that any musician or music lover can find community to be themselves and rock out together.

Vision

To establish a bold way to perform and experience music that revolutionizes how communities can thrive in Colorado’s arts scene.

Values

Safe, welcoming community: Everyone has a home here to be their authentic selves and (re)connect with music and each other
Approachable: We make music that humans of all ages and backgrounds can relate to and enjoy
Irreverent fun: We break the fourth wall and encourage everyone to express themselves in their own way, on- and offstage