The Four Corners Community Band is set to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Colorado’s 150th anniversary and Cortez’s 140th anniversary with a free outdoor concert that will feature the premiere of the “Cortez Overture,” written by a local composer.
That composer is Jadon Cruzan, a 2021 Montezuma-Cortez High School graduate.
The free concert will be held at the Cortez Cultural Center on Aug. 15. The concert will kick off with Native American dances at 6 p.m., which will be followed by the Four Corners Community Band concert at 7:30 p.m. The performances are free and will be held at the cultural center’s amphitheater at 25 N. Market St.
“The concert will feature a patriotic and inspiring musical program honoring the people, places and events that have shaped the nation, the state and the local community,” a news release from the band said.
During this performance, attendees will hear the debut of the “Cortez Overture” composed by Cruzan. After graduating from M-CHS, Cruzan earned a degree in music with a focus in composition from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, in 2026. He will return to Cortez to conduct the overture.
Cruzan said the overture is a love letter to Cortez that revisits the first melody he ever wrote in 2018 for a M-CHS production of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.”
“The ‘Cortez Overture’ is a love letter to the town that gave me my life and a celebration of the 140th year of this beautiful community,” Cruzan said. “By expanding upon this theme, I was able to reflect upon my life growing up in Cortez and all that I’ve learned since moving away. Inside, you will hear patriotic harmonies and orchestration, Wild West rhythms and Native American inspired melodies, all parts of our history and our culture here in Cortez.”
Band Director Karen Steele said she is looking forward to concluding the season with this free concert.
“I am excited to conclude our 2025-26 season with this very special performance in Cortez,” Steel said. “I am excited for this opportunity to bring new music to life, as well as celebrate with other meaningful pieces. I hope to see many people there for this premiere event.”
For more information, visit fourcornerscommunityband.org or email 4cornerscommunityband@gmail.com.
bduran@the-journal.com
