For nearly four decades, the Oratorio Society of Estes Park has brought together local musicians to perform ambitious classical works that many communities the size of Estes Park simply do not attempt. This weekend, the organization will present one of the most revered works in the choral canon with performances of Mozart’s “Requiem,” paired with John Williams’ score from “Schindler’s List.”
“Both pieces speak to who we are as people,” said conductor Denise Stookesberry. “The music is just very real and represents our humanity.”
The concerts will take place Friday, May 8, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m. at the Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies, 1700 Brodie Ave. Admission is free, though donations are encouraged. The show features over 50 performers, including a roughly 30-member chorus, a 25-piece orchestra, and featured soloists Tiffany Blake (soprano), Kristi Fjare (alto), Scott Anderson (tenor), Christopher Wood (bass), and Rich Woessner (cello).
“Mozart wrote his ‘Requiem’ as he was dying,” Stookesberry said. “This particular piece, ‘Requiem,’ is one of Mozart’s most famous piece, even though he didn’t completely finish it, he had a student finish it after he died. It’s still one of his most loved pieces.”
Mozart began composing “Requiem” in 1791 but died before completing it at age 35. His student Franz Xaver Süssmayr later finished the work using Mozart’s detailed instructions. The composition has since become one of the composer’s most enduring works.
Stookesberry said pairing the piece with music from “Schindler’s List” felt natural because both works wrestle with grief, mortality, and humanity. “Both pieces explore similar themes,” she said. “Also, a lot of people know that piece from the movie, and it’s very well known.”
The Oratorio Society of Estes Park concert will also feature Estes Park cellist Richard Woessner performing the solo from “Schindler’s List,” the Academy Award-winning score Williams composed for Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film. While famed violinist Itzhak Perlman performed the solos on the original soundtrack, this performance will spotlight the cello.
“We have a cellist in town, Rich Woessner,” Stookesberry said. “In his career before he retired, he was a cancer research specialist. He is a great cellist and will be doing the solo for that. It will be a really powerful concert with these two pieces together.”
This year’s performance also carries added emotional weight for the organization. The concert is dedicated to Laura and Merritt Martin, who helped found the Oratorio Society of Estes Park in 1987 alongside Connie and Gary Elting. Merritt died in December 2025.
“It’s funny because after the concert was chosen, I got a phone call from the daughter of Merritt Martin,” Stookesberry said. “His daughter emailed me and said her father’s last wish was for the Oratorio to do ‘Requiem.’ Well, it just so happened that we were already doing it. She was requesting it, but we had already planned to do it. It’s lovely how it all worked out.”
The Oratorio Society of Estes Park first gathered in public for a sing-along performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in December 1987, before presenting the work formally in 1988 at Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies. Since then, the nonprofit has maintained its mission of enabling local amateur and professional musicians to perform large-scale classical repertoire.
The organization’s history stretches across multiple conductors, including Gary Elting, Marjorie Monroe-Fischer, Claudia Irwin, Kathryn Bowers, and Robert Howard before Stookesberry stepped into the role last year.
“This is the first year that I’ve been the conductor for the organization, but I’ve sung with the Oratorio for at least 10 years,” Stookesberry said.
She conducted her first concert with the group in December and said the transition has been smoother than she expected.
“The orchestra and chorus are very welcoming,” she said. “Sometimes, when you change leadership, it can be a bit rough the first year, but it’s been great.”
Rehearsals for the May concert began in January, with members balancing months of preparation around work, family, and mountain weather. A recent spring snowstorm even forced the cancellation of the Wednesday rehearsal, just before opening night.
“We were supposed to have one more rehearsal,” Stookesberry said. “That’s been canceled for obvious reasons, but that’s okay because we are ready to go.”
Participation in the organization is open to singers and instrumentalists willing to commit to rehearsals and classical repertoire. Stookesberry said that level of dedication is part of what makes the group special.
“It’s a dedicated group,” she said. “They want to make fine music and the singers also are really committed to doing quality music, which is unusual in a small town.”
The organization also supports the Peak to Peak Concert Series, an offshoot program that presents chamber music and smaller recitals at Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church throughout the year. The next Peak to Peak event will take place on May 23, featuring soprano Jillian Krickl and classical guitarist Craig Winston.
For Stookesberry, one of the most meaningful aspects of the organization is that it remains rooted in the local community rather than outside performers. “We don’t have tourists that are part of it,” she said. “It’s all Estes Park residents that do this. I think that’s really special.”
One non-Estes Park resident, CSU professor Tiffany Blake, will perform in this concert during the soprano solo in “Requiem,” which Stookesberry notes the Oratorio Society does as needed for certain parts. Stookesberry notes that audiences recognize the rarity of being able to see live performances of major classical works close to home.
“It’s pretty much all Estes Park residents that do this,” Stookesberry said. “That’s really special and really unusual. I believe the town appreciates the fact that they can hear really good music in Estes Park without having to travel to Boulder or Denver.”
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