The CA Concert is back, and we have planned a night you will not want to miss. Individual tickets are now on sale with early bird pricing, and Benefactor packages are available for those who want additional benefits.
On Saturday, April 23, 2022, the beloved biennial CA Concert will return—in person, with two amazing acts, both chosen to create an unforgettable night of live music for an important cause.
Grammy Award-winning duo Rodrigo y Gabriela will bring an energetic acoustic guitar performance to CA’s Field House. The always-popular Isaac Slade of The Fray will open the show with his double-platinum style of singing and songwriting.
“We are excited to bring these two fantastic acts to Colorado Academy! I love that we have two different genres—Isaac’s incredible songwriting and Rod and Gab’s singular intensity, beauty, and spirit of rocking instrumental music. The acts intersect on their level of craftsmanship,” says Chris Tetzeli, CA parent and founder of 7S Management, a boutique artist-management company. “Isaac’s solo set will be a stunning intimate start to the concert, and Rodrigo y Gabriela will bring soul-stirring, fun, and frenetic energy. This year’s CA Concert will be a special night for a tremendous cause.” Tetzeli has helped the school pioneer and sustain the CA Concert series, which supports financial aid.
Isaac Slade
The CA Concert will begin in a beautiful seated setting with Isaac Slade, The Fray’s front man, lead vocalist, and songwriter opening the evening with an intimate set on piano and guitar. He co-founded the highly successful Denver-based quartet, The Fray, with schoolmate Joe King (guitar, vocals). The Fray garnered national and international fame with their debut album, featuring the singles “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How to Save a Life” (which has more than 831 million downloads on Spotify). The group’s self-titled second album, featuring “You Found Me,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.
Rodrigo y Gabriela
As with past CA Concerts, a brief intermission between the two acts will allow time for the Field House to be transformed to a club-style venue, as chairs are cleared and the stage is set for Rodrigo y Gabriela. The Mexican guitar duo’s career took off after creating a huge buzz, busking in the streets of Dublin, Ireland. Since then, they have released five studio albums and three live albums, toured internationally, and performed at the White House for President Barack Obama. They have sold out Red Rocks many times and are known for putting on high-energy performances. Their fifth studio album, Mettavolution, won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020.
Support for deserving students
All net proceeds from the event support Colorado Academy’s commitment to providing $4.3 million in financial aid to 19 percent of CA’s students. The school’s financial aid budget is also funded by The CA Fund, endowment returns, and a percentage of tuition.
“Supporting families and helping the school to maintain and increase socioeconomic diversity is a vital piece of our mission and is critical to the kind of community we endeavor to build at CA,” says Head of School Dr. Mike Davis. “Socioeconomic diversity means that all admitted students have the opportunity to attend CA, regardless of their family’s economic situation.”
How to support the CA Concert
Concert Benefactor packages include a variety of benefits and are available for purchase. Individual concert tickets are available at two levels—Individual tickets ($200 early bird/$300 starting on March 30) and Meet-the-Band tickets ($900 early bird/$1,000 starting on March 30). If you would like information on the upper-level event sponsorships available for companies and individuals, please visit the Sponsors page.
In addition to the musical performances, a pre-event party, and a Benefactor event that includes a meet-and-greet with band members, concert-goers will have a chance to bid on a short list of music-themed and rare live auction items prior to Isaac Slade’s performance.
An online silent auction during the week prior to the CA Concert will be open to everyone (not just those attending the concert). It will feature items at a variety of price points, including teacher experiences, sports and outdoor packages, cuisine and wine, and unique opportunities for groups.
Concert committee involves all divisions and alumni
The CA Concert committee has members representing all the school divisions and alumni. It is chaired by Reena and Suchit Majmudar, along with 44 additional members, including: Sky Armstrong and Jeff Fierberg ’08, Caity and Alex Barton ’97, Meghan and Chris Brown, Annie and Rob Campbell, Lyndsey and Matt Farncombe, Kelly and Andrew Haley, Kate and Ming Linsley, Eileen and Tate McCoy, Cat and DC McEachern, Emily and Amit Mrig, Liz Buckingham Oertel ’93 and Chris Oertel, Healy and Ted Parks, Alli Stamper Perkins ’95 and Nelson Perkins, Emily Philpott and Chris Tetzeli, Ann Benson Reidy ’88 and Kevin Reidy, Courtney and Jonathan Ringham, Andrew and Melinda Robinson, Elana and Ken Schwartzreich, Maggie and David Shapiro, Cecilia and Marcio Stewart, Sirine and Ryan Swed, Tom and Wendy Thorpe.
Series surpasses a decade of support
The CA Concert series, launched in 2010 with the inaugural event featuring Lyle Lovett, has helped to raise more than half a million dollars in financial aid. Other performers have included Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin in 2012, Bruce Hornsby in 2014, Big Head Todd & the Monsters and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats in 2016, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue in 2018. In alternating years, CA hosts its biennial auction event.
“It is only through the generosity of our community that we are able to create this kind of event and to generate such remarkable support,” says Davis. “We are deeply appreciative and also very excited about April’s CA Concert.”
For more information, please contact Gravely Wilson at gravely.wilson@coloradoacademy.org or 303-914-2543.