Colleen Perry Shaffer began playing the horn at age 10. Today, she is a busy freelancer, performing throughout Colorado and Wyoming.
Colleen performs frequently with The Denver Brass, Boulder Philharmonic, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Cheyenne Symphony, Wyoming Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, Steamboat Springs Symphony, Fort Collins Symphony, Opera Colorado, and other groups along the Front Range. She has also performed at the Breckenridge and Rocky Ridge music festivals in Colorado. She was the principal horn of the Longmont Symphony, before moving for a brief stay in Virginia.
Colleen had a two-year hiatus in Virginia (2016-18), where she played regularly with the Williamsburg Symphony, Charlottesville Symphony, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Rappahannock Pops, and Maryland Lyric Opera. She was also a substitute for the Richmond Symphony.
Before moving to Colorado in 2013, Colleen performed regularly with the Charleston Symphony. She also appeared with Opera Charleston, Chamber Music Charleston, the Savannah Philharmonic, North Charleston Pops!, the Beaufort Symphony, and Broadway shows at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.
Before moving to Charleston in 2011, Colleen was a member of the Wallingford (Conn.) and Berkshire (Mass.) Symphonies. She also played Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway in NYC. She has performed with the New Haven Symphony and as an associate member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra. Colleen was interim 4th horn at the Virginia Symphony in 2008.
Colleen’s principal teachers include Dale Clevenger, Alice Render, Bill Barnewitz, James DeCorsey, Jonathan Menkis, and Nannette Foley. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisc.) and a Master of Music from Roosevelt University – Chicago College of Performing Arts (Chicago, Ill.).
Colleen is married to Kris, a web intelligence data analyst. They chase their three boys around the mountains and entice them to be kind. They are hoping to stay in Colorado for good, and never, ever move again!