30 Years of the Center for Musical Arts
On September 9, 1996, the organization now known as the Center for Musical Arts opened its doors as the Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts with just 13 students. Founded by Kathy Kucsan and Peggy Bruns, the school quickly began to grow. By the end of its first...
Celebrating Kathy Kucsan’s Legacy
Kathy Kucsan will be retiring as Director of Education of the Colorado Music Festival & Center for Musical Arts at the end of August, after nearly three decades of extraordinary leadership. Thirty years ago, Kathy co-founded the Rocky Mountain Center for Musical...
Now Hiring – Director of Education & Community Engagement
With the appointment of our next Executive Director Aren Der Hacopian and the planned retirement of founding Education Director Kathy Kuscan after nearly three decades of extraordinary leadership, Colorado Music Festival & Center for Musical Arts is pleased to...
Welcoming New Executive Director, Aren Der Hacopian
Colorado Music Festival & Center for Musical Arts Welcomes New Executive Director, Aren Der Hacopian Der Hacopian joins the organization on September 1, 2026, offering a vision of engagement, collaboration and growth After a nationwide search, the Colorado Music...
From Center for Musical Arts Student to Festival Stage: Nicolee Kuester’s Musical Journey
When horn player Nicolee Kuester took the stage at Chautauqua last summer with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, it was more than just a performance. It was a homecoming. As a child in Boulder, Nicolee spent summers in the audience, listening to the...
Finding Confidence, Connection, and Community Through Music
When one family moved to Lafayette, CO more than a decade ago, they were eager to find community and opportunities for their two children. After settling into their new home, they discovered the Center for Musical Arts and a doorway to music that has shaped their...
From Shy Notes to a Confident Voice
At the Center for Musical Arts, our teachers often say that music is just the vehicle. What really matters are the lessons in confidence, connection, and growth that happen along the way. One faculty member, Becca Kronyak, who works with children as young as one year...
A Place of Purpose: What “Community” Means at the Center for Musical Arts
Here at the Center for Musical Arts, (an official “community music school” that belongs to the National Guild for Community Arts Education), the term “community” is just a given and is part of everything that we do. Everyone who walks through the door instantly...