DENVER -- After more than 16 months of no live audience inside of the Boettcher Concert Hall, the Colorado Symphony is welcoming watchers and listeners back inside.
The Colorado Symphony will play its first show back with a live audience on Sunday.
Despite having to perform without the claps and cheers for more than a year, the orchestra has had the opportunity to play in outdoor venues, masked up and socially distanced.
"We have operated in the building some. Performing onstage with no audience with social distancing for the orchestra is tough. It's not kind of an intuitive way to operate," said Anthony Pierce, the chief artistic officer with the Colorado Symphony.
Pierce told Denver7 the Colorado Symphony paid attention to how sporting events welcomed guests back after the pandemic, finally deciding it was time the symphony do the same.
"It's that prioritizing health and safety is really what's it allowed us to get here," Pierce said.
Christopher Dragon, the resident conductor for the Colorado Symphony, told Denver7 not having that live audience has also been tough on the orchestra.
"I think it's been a challenging time for everyone, but especially for artists and musicians, because we're here to make music for people," he said. "It is a little bit odd performing to an empty hall."
If you do visit the Colorado Symphony, you'll still see hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes on counters. Ticket will be scanned digitally and those who aren't vaccinated are encouraged to wear a mask.