The Denver Nexus Project, a performance-based extension of the Nexus String Quartet, was formed by husband and wife cellists Evan Shelton and Kayla Hayes. As musicians with a passion for both classical and modern music, they realized that there was a deeply engrained – and wholly unnecessary – chasm between the genres. Kayla and Evan developed the Project to break down musical stereotypes, encourage audiences (and themselves) to listen outside of their comfort zones, and prove that music can transcend time, fads, and culture.

 

The core of the Denver Nexus Project is a string quintet made of classically-trained musicians who also have varying talents for pop, rock, jazz, fiddle, and other genres. Together with singers and instrumentalists from around Colorado, they host concerts that showcase how Baroque, Classical, and Romantic composers influenced the music that we listen to today: How did Romantic composer Sergei Rachmaninoff inspire the rock band Muse? What is impressionism and how is it reflected in Radiohead's music? Why were Dmitri Shostakovich and Kurt Cobain considered revolutionaries?  

​

The string ensemble also partners with local bands to continue bridging the cultural gap between classical and contemporary genres. The Project's goal is to combine forces for a unique fusion of sound while expanding the flexibility and breadth of string instruments in modern music.