The Good, The Bad and The Music
Family Concert
Sunday, February 7, 2027 // 3:00 PM
Devin Patrick Hughes, GuestConductor
Dana Vachharajani, Actress
Andrew Mehlhorn Haller, Actor
A bandit hijacks the orchestra in this hilarious Wild West adventure where kids sing, conduct, and help save the concert. Featuring famous classical favorites, movie music, and plenty of audience participation, this lively performance is the perfect introduction to the symphony for the entire family.
Devin Patrick Hughes, Guest Conductor
Devin Patrick Hughes is an award-winning American conductor, educator, and arts entrepreneur who serves as Founder and Artistic Director of Boulder Symphony & Music Academy and Symphony of the Rockies. Recognized for his dynamic interpretations, innovative programming, and commitment to making orchestral music accessible to all, he has led performances throughout North America and Europe with orchestras including the Colorado Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Des Moines Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini (Italy), Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina (Italy), the Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera, and the Târgu Mureș State Philharmonic (Romania).
Internationally, Hughes has been recognized as one of a select group of emerging conductors invited to compete in several prestigious conducting competitions, including the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition (Budapest), the Arturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition (Parma, Italy), the Erich Bergel International Conducting Competition (Romania), and the Antal Doráti International Conducting Competition (Hungary). He was also selected as a Conducting Fellow at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, where he studied with many of today's leading conductors.
Beyond the concert hall, Hughes is widely known for creating innovative orchestral experiences that connect new audiences with classical music. He is the founder of Extra Crispy Creatives, which develops theatrical family concerts now performed by orchestras across the country, and host of the One Symphony podcast. His educational initiatives—including Curiosity Concerts, Discovery Concerts, sensory-friendly performances, and Boulder Symphony Music Academy—have introduced thousands of children and families to live orchestral music.
Equally at home conducting major symphonic works, opera, pops, and educational concerts, Hughes is passionate about building orchestras that are artistically ambitious, financially sustainable, and deeply connected to their communities.
Dana Vachharajani, Actress
Dana Vachharajani’s multifaceted career has taken her from concert halls and classrooms to music schools, symphony stages, national arts organizations, and, most recently, back to the stage—just to prove that yes, after all of that, she does still sing! A graduate of The Juilliard School and Carnegie Mellon University, Vachharajani has appeared as a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall and with ensembles including the Aspen Chamber Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Boulder Bach Festival, Boulder Philharmonic, and Boulder Ballet. She also spent 13 years as a touring artist with The Piatigorsky Foundation, bringing live classical music to communities across the country.
Vachharajani’s performing career has always been closely connected to her passion for music education. She has taught in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Mount Vernon Schools in New York, Naropa University, and Boulder Country Day School. In 2005, she founded Dana V. Music in Louisville, Colorado, a private music school she co-owned and grew for more than 16 years, helping students progress from their first lessons to university programs and professional music careers.
She later spent seven years with Ensemble Performing Arts, serving in leadership roles including Advisor, Head of Teacher Development, and Director of Community Development, supporting teachers, school leaders, and performing arts programs nationwide. Today, Vachharajani teaches voice through Fine Line Voice, LLC, where she works with singers of all styles to develop healthy technique, confidence, artistry, and the courage to share their unique voices.
Vachharajani is also Chorus Master and Education Liaison for Boulder Symphony and a member of the creative team behind Extra Crispy Creatives. Over the past 11 years, she has collaborated with Devin, Andrew, and Liz to create imaginative symphonic productions for young audiences—a partnership requiring deep musical thought, educational purpose, and a willingness to never take themselves too seriously. She is delighted to join the Lima Symphony, returning to one of her favorite places to be: singing with wonderful musicians, telling stories through music, and hoping she remembers all the words.
When she isn't teaching, writing, singing, consulting, or conducting, Vachharajani enjoys spending time with her husband, Manish, their children, Anjali, Kiran, and Devin, and their Australian Shepherd, Kit.
Andrew Mehlhorn Haller, Actor
Andrew Mehlhorn Haller is an actor, comedian, writer, and stay-at-home dad based in Valencia, Spain, where he serves as Executive Director of VLC Playground, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to building community through creativity. Andrew spent nearly a decade as a member of Boulder Symphony's Board of Directors and delighted audiences as the orchestra's beloved, boisterous, Austrian-accented mascot, Mozart. During that time, he co-founded the Curiosity Concert series, helping write, perform, and develop original productions that inspire children through live orchestral music, theater, and storytelling. He continues to collaborate with Boulder Symphony and Extra Crispy Creatives as a writer, performer, and education content creator.
When he's away from the stage, you'll most likely find him with his wife, Jana, and their two sons, Eliyah and Lake—swimming, playing in the garden, or wandering the vibrant streets of Valencia in search of inspiration for the next story.