Colby Bond

he/him
clarinet

Photos by Matt Dine

Awards/Competitions

First Prize, 2019 Honors Competition, University of Colorado Boulder; 2nd Prize, 2017 Aurora Symphony Young Artists Competition

Appearances

Bowdoin International Music Festival, 2019; Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra 2018–19; Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra 2018–20; Aspen Music Festival, 2017–18; Fort Collins Symphony, 2018–20; Eastern Music Festival, 2016

When did you realize you wanted to pursue music as a career?

When I was studying finance alongside music in college and discovered that most things other than music were not as exciting to me.

What do you think orchestra concerts should look like in the 21st Century?

They should take place in more venues than just the concert hall and cater to more audiences than they currently do. It’s much more fun to involve more people and play in different places. Including food, beverage, and socializing is another aspect that I think is very important to making orchestra concerts more enjoyable for the 21st Century audience.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Too many people have inspired me to pick one!

Which composer or genre of music do you feel you connect with the most?

Indie music

What is your favorite piece of music, and why do you love it?

It’s cliche, but the Brahms Clarinet Quintet. It’s some of the most emotionally invigorating music written for the clarinet and is always an absolute pleasure to play or listen to. 

What has been your favorite experience as a musician?

Playing concertos with orchestra is always my favorite because it’s extremely terrifying while simultaneously being the most alive I’ve ever felt!

Favorite non-classical musician or band

Another impossible question to answer! Probably includes Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Mac Demarco, and Mac Miller to get started. 

If you could play another instrument, what would it be?

French Horn

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?

I would probably be bored out of my mind working in finance.

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us

I had no interest in being a professional musician until halfway through college!

Piece of advice for a young classical musician

Focus on yourself!