A Cortez grad wrote an overture for his hometown
Jadon Cruzan came back to conduct the Four Corners Community Band in the premiere of a piece built from the first melody he ever wrote.
The first tune Jadon Cruzan ever composed, written as a student messing about with composition software, turned into something considerably larger: an orchestral work with the town’s name on it.
Cruzan, who graduated from Montezuma-Cortez High School in 2021, returned home this summer to conduct the world premiere of his Cortez Overture with the Four Corners Community Band, directed by Karen Steele. The performance was part of a concert marking the city’s 140th anniversary at the Cortez Cultural Center.
He expanded that early melody into a full orchestral piece while studying at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs. The finished overture pulls together a Native American-inspired flute melody, Wild West rhythms and patriotic harmonies.
The premiere was reported by KSUT, which has the full story and an interview with Cruzan.