Mission:
Gather community, support the arts and delight the spirit.

At the forefront of this mission are presentations of imaginative musical performances by Augustana Arts’ Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra (MSCO) supported through a framework of artistic excellence along with an annual concert series and a youth arts education program. The Concert Series presents a varied mix of acclaimed international and national touring artists and local performance partners including our own, Colorado Women's Chorale. The City Strings program delights the spirit and strengthens our community by providing underserved youth with significant subsidized music instruction in violin, viola or cello opening a new world of opportunities to the most deserving youngsters.

Past, Present and Future
Augustana Arts has been an artistic treasure in the Denver Metro area since 1997. Five short years later we introduced City Strings, our in-depth music education program for children in low-income neighborhoods who would not otherwise have access to such lessons and opportunities.

Since then, Augustana Arts has blossomed into a superlative organization that not only produces some of the finest musical performances in the area but also presents nationally and internationally acclaimed artists that other organizations sometimes fail to notice, alongside our own local legends.

As Augustana Arts moves forward in our second decade of providing innovative musical performance of the highest quality, superior music education for children in low-income neighborhoods and delighting the spirit of under-served communities by bringing music to those who are unable to attend our concert performances, we hold to our origins of sharing the joy and beauty of chamber orchestra and choral performance with the community while also offering additional musical experiences.

The annual series of 20+ performances supports our mission of gathering community by offering exceptional performances at affordable prices. Augustana Arts presents concerts featuring some of the finest local and world-renowned musical artists. Offerings for our eclectic audience may include a cappella, barbershop, Broadway and brass. Throw in a little jazz and contemporary classical music and the result is a musical trend-setting organization calling for you.

This season, we will delight your spirit with fresh and unique collaborations with other organizations and and knock-out performances from internationally acclaimed artists performing in Denver for the first time.

David Rutherford, Music Director of the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra
	David Rutherford is Music Director of Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra in Denver, as well as Co-Director of Valor Symphonics, a new youth orchestra in Highlands Ranch. David is an award winning broadcaster and educator with degrees in Double Bass Performance and Music Education. He has taught music from the elementary through the college level, was honored as a National Teacher Fellow by the National Symphony Orchestra/Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and has performed extensively with orchestras throughout the West. David founded the Snake River Chamber Orchestra in Idaho as well as an experimental orchestra in Denver called UnStaged, and recently finished his tenure Music Director for the Pikes Peak Philharmonic in Colorado Springs.
He can be heard on KVOD, Colorado Public Radio's Classical Music Service at 88.1FM in the Denver Metro area weekday afternoons and also on Sunday morning for Sacred Classics.

Jennifer Ferguson, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Colorado Women's Chorale
	Jennifer Ferguson became the Artistic Director and conductor of the Colorado Women's Chorale in 2012. Starting as a singer in 2006, Jennifer has a passion for women's choral music and the CWC mission of "Women Serving Women". Her undergraduate degree comes from St. Mary's College at Notre Dame, where she earned her Bachelor of Music in music education, with a vocal and instrumental concentration. Jennifer recently completed her M.M. in Choral Conducting at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Jennifer is also the Artistic Director and conductor of the Cherry Creek Children's Chorus, an auditioned, tuition-free, non-profit children's choir that rehearses and performs in Denver.
Jennifer currently serves as the Associate Director of Music Ministry at St. Luke's UMC in Highlands Ranch, where she works with jazz bands, the orchestra, and other instrumental groups. Jennifer lives in Centennial with her husband Brett and her two small children, Patrick and Samantha.

Caroline McCaskey, Program Director of City Strings
	For over a decade, Caroline McCaskey’s customized teaching has fostered a love of music for both children and adults. She is certified for Suzuki Books 1-10. In addition to program management Caroline teaches City Strings students in Aurora each Saturday. When not busy with City Strings she is in demand for summer music programs, sharing her expertise with students throughout the country. Caroline balances her teaching schedule with an active performing career which began through violin lessons at age nine, and with the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers starting at age twelve. Among other performing, she recently was a guest soloist for the Colorado Symphony, playing the musical saw of which she is a champion player.
Caroline graduated magna cum laude with a B. Mus. in Music Composition from University of the Pacific and holds a Master of Music in viola performance and a Certificate in Suzuki violin pedagogy from University of Denver. Caroline is also a non-fiction and curriculum author – her book Teach Now! 21 Days to a Private Music Lessons Teaching Studio is available for Kindle. She also founded a startup company called Online Music Camp, the mission of which is to connect musicians to each other, and to bring affordable music education to the public.

Board of Directors:

John Richardson, President and Ex-Officio member of all committees. Datalink Corporation

Jerry Sanders, Vice President - non-profit management expertise

Tom Virtue, Secretary, Member of the Artistic Direction Committee - Editor, High Noon Entertainment

Kent Mueller, Director, Chief of Staff at ELCA

Annmary K. "Annie" Roberts, Board Director, Member of the Education Committee - Account Executive, The Ahbe Group Commercial Insurance

Sandra Van Dam, Musician

Cindy Lindeen-Martin, DMA, Board Director, Chair of the Artistic Direction Committee Minister of Music and Organist, Augustana Lutheran Church

Peter Hellyer, Member of the Executive Committee, Staff liaison to all committees - Executive Director, Augustana Arts