Annie Moses Band opens Southwest Colorado Concerts season

Band blends roots and classical music
The Nashville-based Annie Moses Band will open the Southwest Colorado Concerts season on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Montezuma-Cortez High School Auditorium.

The Nashville-based Annie Moses Band will open the Southwest Colorado Concerts season on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Montezuma-Cortez High School Auditorium.

The Juilliard-trained musicians, who have roots in north Texas, are now a fixture in Nashville.

The idea of the band has its roots in a cotton field in north Texas during the Great Depression. Annie Moses, the family’s great-grandmother, picked cotton for a wealthy landowner, saving to pay for a few piano lessons for her daughter, Jane. Jane did the same for her kids. But in 2002, they realized they were at a crossroads – take the road to classical music or roots music?

The choice resulted in a band with a blend of roots and classical music. Since then, the Annie Moses Band has recorded a dozen albums, produced PBS specials, traveled the world and performed on stages as diverse as Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry.

The band’s nonprofit foundation also nurtures young musicians, supports a conservatory and online music curricula to reach students across the U.S. and oversees a summer music festival in Nashville. Expect to hear roots music, including versions of “I’ve Been Everywhere,” “Ghost Riders,” “The Orange Blossom Special,” classic works from Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris,” and a variety of folk and country favorites.

Season and Individual concert tickets will be available at the door. Ticket prices are $10 for youths, $25 for adults and $60 for season tickets (five concerts).

For more information, visit swcoloradoconcerts.org or call Julie Ayers at 970-882-1284 or Eric Wilson at 970-739-8508.