Utah Symphony | Utah Opera 2024-25 Sept/Oct Playbill

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CONTENTS Welcome 6 About Utah Symphony | Utah Opera 8

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CIRQUE CINEMA

Mills Publishing, Inc. Publisher

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CELEBRACIÓN SINFÓNICA

Ticketing Services 9 The Board of Trustees 10

Cynthia Bell Snow Office Administrator

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Jackie Medina Art Director/ Production Manager SWEENEY TODD

Utah Symphony 12 Feature - Spotlight 13

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AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

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HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

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ORLI SHAHAM PERFORMS MOZART

PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

Feature - ZAP 59 Individual Donors 79

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UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA program is published by Mills Publishing, Inc., 772 East 3300 South, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84106.

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Feature - Rosenblatt Award 50 Feature - Costume Department 54

Paula Bell Dan Miller Advertising Representatives Megs Vincent Editor

Feature - Education 18 Administration 20

Patrick Witmer Publication Designer/ Web Development Ken Magleby Patrick Witmer Graphic Designers

USUO Season Sponsors 14 Join us at USUO 16

Dan Miller President

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BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” SYMPHONY

Legacy Giving 83 Memorials & Tributes 84

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SALUTE TO YOUTH

Institutional Donors 85 Tanner & Crescendo Societies 87 Acknowledgments 90

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MESSIAH SING-IN

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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WELCOME the proposed Sports, Entertainment, Culture, and Convention district, serving as the cultural hub. We believe such an outcome is in the best interest of USUO, the district, and the community we serve.

Steven Brosvik President & CEO

Brian Greeff

Chairman, Board of Trustees

O

n behalf of the board, musicians, and staff of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, it is our pleasure to welcome you to today’s performance.

Following an impactful summer connecting our community through great live music in a variety of locations that celebrate Utah’s natural beauty— at USUO’s official summer home of the Deer Valley® Music Festival and at outdoor venues along the Wasatch front—it is a pleasure to return to our long-standing home venues of Maurice Abravanel Hall and the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, as well as our newer Utah County home at UVU’s Noorda Center for the Performing Arts. There has been a lot of speculation about the future of Abravanel Hall. While decisions are far from finalized regarding exactly how it will look and function, we want the hall to be an active and additive part of

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While we deeply value our home performing venues, they are but beautiful empty shells without the talented musicians and artists who create the live shared experiences that, throughout history, have helped humanity translate life when words alone do not suffice. Orchestral music and Opera hold a moment in time and tell rich and moving stories that resonate with new and long-time afficionados alike. Every live performance is immediately a unique work of art and an irreplaceable social gathering. The art we create and the people of USUO who make it and support it are the true treasure for our community.

The full impact of our work spans the state. Our education and community engagement performances, classes, and programs last season enriched the lives of more than 110,000 students and teachers. The people of our great state have long recognized the power of the arts to inspire the human spirit and to motivate the betterment of mankind. USUO reflects this value through a deep commitment to music education and community engagement, and our programs have been uniquely distinguished among our peers nationwide for their broad and significant impact throughout our entire state. (See articles on pages 18 and 73 for more information on these programs.)

Our professional artists (musicians and the visual artists in our scenic and costume studios) are engaged members of our community. In addition to their work with USUO, these artists contribute to the societal and economic fabric of this region in multiple ways. They teach as faculty members and special guest clinicians at universities and colleges, as well as in private studios. They participate

as soloists and artistic leadership in local chamber music organizations and other community performances. And they deeply care about the quality of life in our region, where they volunteer and are engaged in a variety of civic institutions. We are proud of the diverse contributions our artists make to this community and grateful to be part of a community which so obviously values the arts as a crucial part of Utah’s Life Elevated. (See articles about Associate Concertmaster Kathryn Eberle (p. 13), Assistant Conductor Jessica Rivero Altarriba (p. 13), and the artisans of our Costume Department (p. 54) to learn more about just a few of our artists.)

Our incredible variety of high-quality performances (just one of which you’re enjoying today) truly achieve our mission to connect the community through great live music. The outstanding musicians of our orchestra—one of only 17 year-round orchestras in the United States—perform an impressive range of music with a new program nearly every week! They are joined by some of the world’s most renowned artists and bring a vibrant quality to our opera performances that you will typically only find in the world’s largest cities. Whether you’re joining us for an exceptional concert of symphonic Masterworks, the thrilling live theatrical production of Sweeney Todd performed by classically-trained musicians, a film with the soundtrack played live to picture by our full orchestra, or one of our holiday-themed events, we guarantee you will leave enriched through the shared experience of great live music!

(Check out the incredible variety of our performances on USUO.org.)

Thank you for joining us and we look forward to seeing you and the friends and colleagues you share these performances with throughout the season!

Sincerely,

CLASSES & EVENTS ESPECIALLY FOR AGES 50 & BETTER!

Join a life-enhancing intellectual community, nuture relationships and curiosity, and build a network of friends!

osher.utah.edu

ABOUT UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA

Our Mission More than 80 years ago, a miracle was set into motion. A miracle for its ability to inspire and astound through music, yes; but also a miracle for its capacity to gain momentum through the decades rather than stand still.

“

Our mission is to connect the community through great live music. To perform.

To engage. To inspire.

Education & Community Engagement

111,679

students and teachers served

614

schools served

316

concerts, classes & programs

35

school districts visited

40+

symphony performances

This infographic has been designed using resources from Flaticon.com

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sold out Family Series concerts

TICKETING SERVICES

Tickets for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera events can be purchased online at usuo.org, by calling USUO Patron Services at 801-533-NOTE (6683), and through authorized ArtTix sellers. Discounts may be available for subscribers, students and under-30s, and groups of 10 (or more).

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Patron Services Abravanel Hall Ticket Office 123 W South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101 801-533-NOTE (6683)

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Box Office Hours Monday through Friday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM Saturday WITH a scheduled performance: 2:00 PM – Showtime* Sunday (Opera matinee): 2 hours prior to Showtime*

Box Office Hours • • •

Monday through Friday: 12:00 PM–6:00 PM CLOSED Saturdays and Sundays without a scheduled performance.

USUO Patron Services will remain open 30 minutes after a performance begins for in-person assistance.

For hours of operation during weekends, holidays, and Special events, please visit us online or contact USUO Patron Services for more information.

Accessibility

Group Tickets

Bring a group of ten or more to any Utah Symphony | Utah Opera performance, and save up to 20%! Benefits include: · · · · · ·

Personalized service from a dedicated Group Sales Representative Priority seating – groups have access to the best available seats before they go on sale to the general public Save up to 20%* off single-concert ticket prices with groups of 10 or more Flexible payment options Waived ticket service fees – save up to $3 per ticket Recommendations on local attractions and restaurants

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is committed to making all of our programs accessible to people with disabilities. It is our goal to integrate accessibility in all we do, including:

*There must be a minimum of 10 persons/students per performance. No discounts are available for Signature performances.

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Subscriber Benefits

· · · · •

Website Accessibility Interface Assisted hearing devices, available by request at Guest Services.

ASL-Interpreted performances Closed-captioned or supertitled performances Braille or Large Print Programs available by advance request Wheelchair, limited mobility, and Bariatric seating available Weighted lap pads, earplugs, and other sensory aids available by request at guest services.

We understand that accessibility needs and standards are shifting daily so if you see something you would like us to implement or change, please contact USUO Patron Services.

PROTECT YOUR WALLET Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and ArtTix are the only official ticket outlets.

• • • • • •

Best available seats at the best available price!

Save up to 25% off the standard ticket price (and up to 20% on additional purchases) FREE ticket exchanges Waived service fees Exclusive access to special presales for newly announced performances Affordable payment plan options

STAY IN TOUCH Share your symphony or opera experience—tag us in your photos and memories! @utahsymphony #utahsymphony @ utahopera #utahopera USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

ELECTED BOARD Brian Greeff* Chair Annette W. Jarvis* Vice Chair & Secretary Judy Moreton* Vice Chair Joanne F. Shiebler* Vice Chair

Thomas Wright* Vice Chair Steven Brosvik* President & CEO Dr. Stewart E. Barlow Judith M. Billings

Larry Brownstein Paul E. Burdiss George Cardon-Bystry Gary L. Crocker John D’Arcy* David L. Dee Barry L. Eden* Jason Englund* Senator Luz Escamilla Jonathan Freedman Brandon Fugal Dr. Julie Aiken Hansen Daniel Hemmert* Dennis H. Hranitzky Stephen Tanner Irish* Thomas N. Jacobson Abigail E. Lowder Dr. Dinesh C. Patel Frank R. Pignanelli Gary B. Porter

Shari H. Quinney Miguel R. Rovira Stan Sorensen Clint Stone Dr. Shane D. Stowell Thomas Thatcher W. James Tozer David Utrilla Sharlene Wells Don Willie Kim R. Wilson Henry C. Wurts* MUSICIAN REPRESENTATIVES Barbara Scowcroft* TBA, as elected by the musicians EX-OFFICIO REPRESENTATIVE Jean Vaniman Onstage Ogden

LIFETIME BOARD William C. Bailey Kem C. Gardner* Jon Huntsman, Jr. G. Frank Joklik

Clark D. Jones Thomas M. Love* David T. Mortensen Scott S. Parker

David A. Petersen Patricia A. Richards* Harris Simmons David B. Winder

Kristen Fletcher Richard G. Horne Ronald W. Jibson

E. Jeffery Smith

Lisa Eccles Spencer F. Eccles Dr. Anthony W. Middleton, Jr. Edward Moreton Marilyn H. Neilson

Stanley B. Parrish Marcia Price Jeffrey W. Shields, Esq. Diana Ellis Smith

TRUSTEES EMERITI Carolyn Abravanel Dr. J. Richard Baringer Howard S. Clark

HONORARY BOARD Jesselie B. Anderson Kathryn Carter R. Don Cash Raymond J. Dardano Geralyn Dreyfous * Executive Committee Member

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USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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UTAH SYMPHONY

David Robertson Creative Partner

VIOLA* Brant Bayless Principal The Sue & Walker Wallace Chair

Jessica Rivero Altarriba Assistant Conductor

Yuan Qi Associate Principal

Austin McWilliams Chorus Director & Opera Assistant Conductor

Julie Edwards Joel Gibbs Carl Johansen Scott Lewis John Posadas Leslie Richards~ Whittney Sjogren

James Hall Associate Principal

CELLO* Matthew Johnson Acting Principal The J. Ryan Selberg Memorial Chair

CLARINET Tad Calcara Principal The Norman C. & Barbara Lindquist Tanner Chair, in memory of Jean Lindquist Pell

Thierry Fischer Music Director Emeritus

VIOLIN* Madeline Adkins Concertmaster The Jon M. & Karen Huntsman Chair, in honor of Wendell J. & Belva B. Ashton Kathryn Eberle Associate Concertmaster The Richard K. & Shirley S. Hemingway Chair Laura Ha 2nd Associate Concertmaster

Evgenia Zharzhavskaya Acting Associate Principal Second

John Eckstein Walter Haman Ian Jones~ Anne Lee Louis-Philippe Robillard Kevin Shumway Hannah Thomas-Hollands~ Pegsoon Whang#

Karen Wyatt Acting Assistant Principal Second

BASS* David Yavornitzky Principal

Sara Bauman~ Erin David Joseph Evans Lun Jiang Rebekah Johnson Tina Johnson~ Alison Kim Amanda Kofoed~ Jennifer Kozbial Posadas~ Veronica Kulig David Langr Hannah Linz Yuki MacQueen Alexander Martin Rebecca Moench Hugh Palmer David Porter Lynn Maxine Rosen Barbara Ann Scowcroft Ju Hyung Shin Bonnie Terry Julie Wunderle Wen Yuan Gu

Corbin Johnston# Associate Principal

Claude Halter Principal Second

* String Seating Rotates ** On Leave # Sabbatical ~ Substitute Member

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Andrew Larson Acting Associate Principal

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

Andrew Keller Edward Merritt Masaru Podgorny~ James Stroup Jens Tenbroek Thomas Zera HARP Louise Vickerman Principal FLUTE Mercedes Smith Principal The Val A. Browning Chair Lisa Byrnes Associate Principal Caitlyn Valovick Moore

PICCOLO Caitlyn Valovick Moore OBOE Zachary Hammond Principal The Gerald B. & Barbara F. Stringfellow Chair

ENGLISH HORN Lissa Stolz

BASS TROMBONE Graeme Mutchler TUBA Alexander Purdy Principal

Lee Livengood

TIMPANI Micah Harrow Acting Principal Eric Hopkins Associate Principal

BASS CLARINET Lee Livengood E-FLAT CLARINET Erin Svoboda-Scott BASSOON Lori Wike Principal The Edward & Barbara Moreton Chair

PERCUSSION Keith Carrick Principal Eric Hopkins Michael Pape KEYBOARD Jason Hardink Principal LIBRARIANS Clovis Lark Principal

Leon Chodos Associate Principal Jennifer Rhodes CONTRABASSOON Leon Chodos

Jonathan Chiou Julia Pilant~ Stephen Proser

Seretta Hart~ Paul Torrisi

Sam Elliot Associate Principal/Second Trombone

Erin Svoboda-Scott Associate Principal

Edmund Rollett Associate Principal

Jeff Luke Associate Principal

TROMBONE Mark Davidson Principal

Lissa Stolz

HORN Jessica Danz Principal

TRUMPET Travis Peterson Principal

Claudia Restrepo** Anna Thompson Acting Librarian ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL Walt Zeschin Director of Orchestra Personnel Hannah Thomas-Hollands Orchestra Personnel Manager

The Utah Symphony Chorus is an audition-only group composed of volunteer and professional singers from the Salt Lake City area. The Chorus typically performs a concert each season with the Utah Symphony, along with offering vocal development opportunities such as Alexander Technique classes, vocal masterclasses exploring technique and repertoire, and live Q & A sessions with local and international vocal stars.

FEATURE - SPOTLIGHT

ORCHESTRATING CHANGE: Two Women Helping Chart a Bright Future for Utah Symphony

By Melissa Fields, for SLC Downtown Alliance

W

hile Utah is frequently celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes and abundant outdoor recreation, it is also known for its less-than-stellar workplace equality record.

Yet Utah Symphony, with its nearly balanced roster of 46 men and 40 women musicians, stands out as a bright exception. Here we profile two women—one a seasoned veteran and the other a fresh face—helping to shape Utah Symphony’s dynamic and inclusive future.

“As associate concertmaster, or violin second chair, I wear two different hats,” explains Kathryn Eberle, Utah Symphony associate concertmaster since 2011. “I support Madeline [Adkins, the symphony’s first violin chair/ concertmaster] through a variety of tasks, from turning the pages of the music in time to helping facilitate what she is trying to convey to the rest of the section. And then when Madeline is away, I step into her role as liaison between the conductor and the rest of the orchestra.”

her job. “Between the Utah Symphony and the Utah Opera, we perform live for every school district in Utah every four years—an outreach effort that’s pretty rare. In fact, this past season alone USUO served more than 100,000 students and teachers,” she says.

Over the course of her fruitful career, Eberle says she’s never felt held back by her gender, but also points out with pride that Utah Symphony’s first three violin chairs—Adkins, herself, and Second Associate Concertmaster, Laura Ha— are all women. “I feel incredibly privileged to sit in the middle of that,” Eberle says. “The quote ‘You miss all the shots you don’t take’ really resonates with me. I feel like all three of us took the shot and we’re all here because of that.”

“My family is very musical,” recalls Utah Symphony’s new Assistant Conductor Jessica Rivero Altarriba, as she chats about her childhood in Cuba. “My father is a percussionist, and I have great memories of playing the maracas with him in his band.” Altarriba’s formal musical education began at age 7 with the piano and progressed to the flute. Later, after she entered conservatory, Altarriba found herself drawn from performing to conducting. “Conducting is the best way for me to express myself,” she says.

In 2018, after earning her undergrad from Arts University in Havana, Altarriba moved to Barcelona, Spain to hone her classical music proficiency. While there, curious about how the brain is impacted by music, she completed a master’s degree in music therapy as well. “I want to create a connection with people that transcends music,” she says.

Duties in this critical leadership role include translating how the conductor wants the music to both sound and feel, leading the orchestra in tunings before rehearsals and performances, and playing violin solos when there is no guest soloist. Concertmasters also make sure all the violins’ bows move in the same direction, at the same time, creating a more visually and auditorily unified performance.

Though moving to the U.S. was “never in my plan,” in 2023, Altarriba was invited to be New Jersey Symphony’s first-ever Colton Conducting Fellow. Other opportunities followed, including being chosen to study at Maryland’s Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University under Maestra Marin Alsop, one of the world’s preeminent conductors and a tireless champion of raising women to the conductor podium. “Equity doesn’t exist in the field of conducting,” Altarriba explains. “Marin has really helped motivate me to, despite being a woman and black, reach for my goals anyway. I now feel a lot of responsibility to show the next generation that they can be whomever they want to be and that there’s no reason your gender or the way you look needs to determine your future.”

Eberle’s unwavering path to becoming a violinist began at age 3 with Suzuki Method lessons. At age 11, after performing a solo with an orchestra, “I knew I wanted to be a violinist,” she says. Other milestones include meeting Robert Lipsett, the teacher she studied under for nine years; earning a master’s degree from Juilliard; and, of course, landing her current job with Utah Symphony, where playing for and interacting with students is a favorite part of

Inspired by Maestra Alsop, as well as her recent appointment with Utah Symphony, Altarriba is “on a mission to transform the halls,” she says. “When I conduct, I always see the same people in the audience…older adults. It makes me wonder what audiences will be like when I am old. I hope to bring a different energy to audiences, one that’s more relevant to a younger generation.”

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA SEASON SPONSORS UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA SEASON SPONSOR

MASTERWORKS SERIES SPONSOR

POPS SERIES SPONSOR

FAMILY SERIES SPONSOR

NOORDA CENTER SERIES SPONSOR

UTAH OPERA ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SPONSOR

OPERA ENHANCEMENT FUND

EMMA ECCLES JONES FOUNDATION

SCOTT & JENNIFER HUNTSMAN

OFFICIAL VOCAL CARE

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2024-25 UTAH SYMPHONY SEASON SPONSOR

Enriching excellence in the arts in Utah for more than half a century

JOIN US AT USUO

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Students experience the majesty of Utah Symphony’s live performance during an in-school performance held in Granite School District.

A mother shares the tradition of music with her daughter as she points out the various instruments (and their role) on stage.

Principal Flute Mercedes Smith shines through her performance, deftly hitting every high note.

Musical learning begins young as a father helps his daughter bring notes to life on a violin fit just for her as part of our instrument petting zoo presented in partnership with Summerhays Music!

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Grandmother and granddaughter share a score as they join their voices with all those in the audience to sing the “Hallelujah” chorus of Handel’s Messiah.

With his bright smile and thumbs up, patron Johnny perfectly captures how we feel about each and every performance.

Librarian Claudia Restrepo shows the inner workings of selecting scores for our musicians, as well as a few hidden nooks in her library.

Associate Concert Master Kathryn Eberle adds a flourish to her performance!

Not to toot our own horns, but our musicians bring world-class artistry to our stage with every performance!

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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FEATURE — EDUCATION

EMPOWERING STUDENTS THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS

By Megs Vincent

An Epic Tradition

USUO’s longest-standing educational program is the Fifth Grade Concerts, a tradition started by Maurice Abravanel, the legendary past music director of the Utah Symphony.

Each year, nearly 20,000 students fill Abravanel Hall to attend these concerts, many experiencing live symphonic music for the first time. The impact of these performances is profound, as students learn about composers and their music in an immersive and inspiring environment.

Orchestra in the Classroom

Additionally, USUO’s in-school symphony concerts bring the symphony experience directly to students. Led by 2024–25 Assistant Conductor Jessica Rivero Altarriba, these concerts showcase the instruments of the orchestra and various musical styles. Through these programs, students gain valuable skills such as listening, concentration, and visualization. “I love the teaching about music and its power,” says Altarriba. “It has such an amazing ability to tell stories, connect everyone together, and build our communities.”

Training Opera Artists

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or the past four decades, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera (USUO) has been at the forefront of music education and community engagement, providing over 300 performances and interactive opportunities annually. These programs are designed not only for students but also for adult learners, all presented by professional symphony musicians and opera artists, fostering a deep connection to the arts.

Mindful Music Moments

One of the most recent additions to USUO’s educational initiatives was the Mindful Music Moments program, introduced at the beginning of the 2023 school year.

Developed in collaboration with mindfulness partner The Well, this program integrates guided listening exercises into the classroom. Spanning 40 weeks, the curriculum is available in both Spanish and English and includes daily mindfulness prompts followed by three to four minutes of orchestral music, including recordings of the Utah Symphony. These prompts help students develop awareness, listening skills, and an emotional connection to music, enhancing their overall learning experience. During the last year, the Mindful Music Moments program quickly gained popularity.

Initially, USUO aimed to enroll ten schools, but due to overwhelming demand, they expanded to include 22 schools, 14 of which were “Title 1” schools.

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Another cornerstone of USUO’s education programs is the Utah Opera Resident Artist (RA) Program. This initiative offers international early-career artists the opportunity to hone their craft with in-house and guest mentors, while also performing in mainstage productions and engaging with the community. These RAs travel across the state, visiting more than 150 schools each year, and present programs like “Who Wants to Be an Opera Star?” which introduce opera to young audiences in an engaging and interactive format.

Overall Impact

In addition to these programs, USUO offers more than two dozen other educational opportunities, ranging from school performances to behind-the-scenes tours and classes for adult learners. These programs enhance the educational landscape and contribute to the community’s cultural richness.

Vice President of Education & Community Engagement Ben Kipp reflected on the work of USUO’s education team, emphasizing the joy and fulfillment that comes from bringing music to the community by stating: “USUO has an incredible legacy of providing live performances of exceptional quality to generations of Utahns. Our team gets to carry on that legacy, creating and designing experiences that are meaningful to communities throughout the state. My colleagues and I have a lot of fun, and we get to bring that fun with us into each program we offer—I think people see and feel that.”

For more information about USUO’s Education & Community Engagement programs, please visit usuo.org/education.

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ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATION Steven Brosvik President & CEO David Green Senior Vice President & COO Micah Luce Director of Human Resources & Organizational Culture Julie McBeth Executive Assistant to the CEO Natty Taylor Human Resources Coordinator Madison Wilde Thunhorst Executive Assistant to the Senior VP & COO SYMPHONY ARTISTIC Anthony Tolokan Artistic Consultant Cassandra Dozet Artistic Consultant Walt Zeschin Director of Orchestra Personnel Hannah Thomas-Hollands Orchestra Personnel Manager Morgan Moulton Artistic Planning Manager Isabella Zini Artistic Planning Coordinator & Assistant to the Music Director Jessica Rivero Altarriba Assistant Conductor OPERA ARTISTIC Christopher McBeth Opera Artistic Director Austin McWilliams Chorus Director & Opera Assistant Conductor Carol Anderson Principal Coach Michelle Peterson Director of Production Ashley Tingey Production Coordinator Stephanie Chee, Soprano Sarah Scofield, Mezzo-Soprano Aaron McKone, Tenor Rodney Sharp II, Baritone Jie Fang Goh, Pianist Resident Artists SYMPHONY OPERATIONS Jen Shark Director of Orchestra Operations Melissa Robison Front of House Director Chip Dance Director of Production Marcus Lee Operations Manager Sarah Madany Stage Manager

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OPERA TECHNICAL Sam Miller Technical Director Kelly Nickle Properties Master Dusty Terrell Scenic Charge Artist JR Orr Head Carpenter/Shop Foreman

Megs Vincent Communications Manager Nina Starling Website Content Coordinator Emma Price Marketing & Communications Coordinator David Silvano Interim Marketing & Communications Coordinator

COSTUMES Carol Wood Costume Director Marcos Ambriz Costume Rentals & Collections Manager Madi Halverstadt Costume Rentals & Collections Assistant Manager Milivoj Poletan Master Tailor Aries Limon Assistant Tailor Dawnette Dryer Cutter/Draper Molly Hartvigsen First Hand Julie Porter Crafts Artisan/Milliner Mallory Goodman Kathryn Wieland Stitchers

PATRON SERVICES Faith Myers Director of Patron Engagement Jaron Hatch Patron Services Manager Toby Simmons Patron Services Assistant Manager Caitlin Marshall Sales & Engagement Manager Genevieve Gannon Group Sales Associate Lorraine Fry Michael Gibson Ian Painter Ananda Spike Val Tholen Salem Rogers Chloe Toyn Leah Medley True Moore Patron Services Associates

DEVELOPMENT Leslie Peterson Vice President of Development Garrett Murphy Director of Development David Hodges Director of Development, Institutional Giving Calli Forsyth Assistant Director of Institutional Sponsorships and Engagement Katie Swainston Individual Giving Manager Lisa Poppleton Grants Manager Dallin Mills Development Database Manager Maren Holmes Manager of Special Events Ellesse Hargreaves Corporate Engagement Manager MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Meredith Kimball Laing Vice President of Marketing & Communications Adia Thornton Director of Marketing Robert Bedont Marketing Manager

ACCOUNTING & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Steve Hogan Vice President of Finance & CFO Mike Lund Director of Information Technologies Melanie Giles Controller Jared Mollenkopf Patron Information Systems Manager Bobby Alger Accounts Payable Specialist Karine Mnatsakanyan Payroll Specialist EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Ben Kipp Vice President of Education & Community Engagement Jessica Wiley Symphony Education Manager Kevin Nakatani Opera Education Manager Beth Foley Education Coordinator We would also like to recognize our interns and temporary and contracted staff for their work and dedication to the success of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera.

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POPS

CIRQUE CINEMA Featuring Troupe Vertigo

SEPTEMBER 20 & 21, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL STUART CHAFETZ, conductor

JOHN WILLIAMS “The Devil’s Dance” from The Witches of Eastwick JOHN WILLIAMS “Rey’s Theme” from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Suite for Orchestra JOHN WILLIAMS “Cantina Band” from The Star Wars Saga LEONARD BERNSTEIN (ARR. M. PERESS)

Overture to West Side Story

CARLOS GARDEL “Tango (Por Una Cabeza)” from Scent of a Woman JOHN WILLIAMS “Love Theme” from Superman JOHN WILLIAMS “Shark Theme” from Jaws (Suite for Orchestra) LEONARD BERNSTEIN “Times Square: 1944” from On the Town INTERMISSION

JOHN KANDER (ARR. T. RICKETTS)

Chicago Medley

KLAUS BADELT (ARR. T. RICKETTS)

Suite from Pirates of the Caribbean

HENRY MANCINI “The Pink Panther Theme” JOHN WILLIAMS “Raiders March” from Raiders of the Lost Ark ENNIO MORRICONE LALO SCHIFRIN (ARR. CUSTER) JOHN WILLIAMS

Cinema Paradiso for Solo Violin and Orchestra Theme from Mission Impossible E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial: “Flying Theme”

JOHN WILLIAMS “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone LEONARD BERNSTEIN (ARR. M. PERESS) “Mambo” from Overture to West Side Story USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES — CIRQUE CINEMA

Stuart Chafetz Conductor

S

tuart Chafetz is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Columbus Symphony and Principal Pops Conductor of the Chautauqua and Marin Symphonies. Chafetz, a conductor celebrated for his dynamic and engaging podium presence, is increasingly in demand with orchestras across the continent and this season Chafetz will be on the podium in Baltimore, Detroit, Naples, Buffalo, Vancouver, Calgary, North Carolina and Seattle. He enjoys a special relationship with The Phoenix Symphony where he leads multiple programs annually.

He’s had the privilege to work with renowned artists including Violent Femmes, Ne-Yo, Ben Folds, Natalie Merchant, Leslie Odom, Jr., En Vogue, Kenny G, David Foster w/Catherine McPhee, The O’Jays, Chris Botti, 2 Cellos, Hanson, Rick Springfield, Michael Bolton, Kool & The Gang, Jefferson Starship, America, Little River Band, Brian McKnight, Roberta Flack, George Benson, Richard Chamberlain, The Chieftains, Jennifer Holliday, John Denver, Marvin Hamlisch, Thomas Hampson, Wynonna Judd, Jim Nabors, Randy Newman, Jon Kimura Parker, and Bernadette Peters.

Troupe Vertigo

F

using together elements of cirque acrobatics, classical dance and contemporary theater, Troupe Vertigo brings audiences on a spellbinding journey through the world of artistic movement. Consisting of world-class aerial artists, contortionists, and ballet dancers, the Los Angeles based company was founded in 2009 by Artistic Director Aloysia Gavre, formerly of the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil, and Technical Director Rex Camphuis, whose background is with the fabled Pickle Family Circus. Troupe Vertigo, whose “dizzying acts defy gravity and leave its lucky audiences in awe” (Los Angeles Times) has performed with major orchestras across North America.

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USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

Troupe Vertigo’s 2023–2024 season includes performances at Grant Park Music Festival, the Florida Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, and Colorado Springs Philharmonic in the US and Winnipeg Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Calgary Philharmonic in Canada. Notable conductors that Troupe Vertigo has performed with include Jack Everly, Jeff Tyzik, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, Stuart Chafetz, Michelle Merrill, Sarah Hicks, Daniel Meyer, Nicholas Hersh, and Norman Huynh.

Troupe Vertigo’s recent seasons have brought them to the

ARTISTS’ PROFILES - CIRQUE CINEMA

Detroit Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Utah Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and Vancouver Symphony and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada. The company is known for their collaborative custom thematic programs with symphony orchestras from Cirque Espana, Cirque Noir, Cirque Goes to Broadway, Cirque Goes to Hollywood, Cirque Dances featuring The Firebird to complete cirque-ballet presentations of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella.

Their unique perspective on the circus arts has led to a variety of speaking engagements including with The Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Directors Lab West, TEDx Talk, and The Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, Contemporary Circus Festival, as well as in the publications Dance Teacher magazine (August 2016 cover story) and the book Ordinary Acrobat.

The ensemble premiered its first offering, Big Top for a New Generation, in 2010 at the Ford Amphitheater and

has gone on to present Nighthawks: A Film Noir Circus, inspired by American jazz, Edward Hopper paintings, and crime novels. In 2016, they brought Tableaux, featuring five women grappling with the constrictions of society, to life at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Husband and wife team Aloysia and Rex frequently bring their gifts and knowledge to the film and television industry, most notably with Rebel Wilson’s aerial performance in Pitch Perfect 2 and with Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz in the film Water for Elephants.

Troupe Vertigo’s facility is also home to Cirque School Los Angeles, which inspires an appreciation for the circus arts for “Anybody with Any Body.” Cirque School uses training, performance, and community outreach to foster passion for the circus arts in a supportive, noncompetitive environment. Encompassing over 50 weekly classes to the public, student performances, team building workshops, pre-professional intensives, and television and film projects, Cirque School thrives as the premiere cirque training program in Los Angeles.

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MASTERWORKS

CELEBRACIÓN SINFÓNICA with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024 / 7:30 PM / THE NOORDA AT UVU SEPTEMBER 27 & 28, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL ENRICO LOPEZ-YAÑEZ, conductor JOSÉ SIBAJA, trumpet

MONCAYO

Huapango (9’)

A. ROMERO

Toccata Bachiana y Gran Pajarillo Aldemaroso (8’)

ARTURO MÁRQUEZ

Trumpet Concerto: Concierto de Otoño (20’) JOSÉ SIBAJA, trumpet

INTERMISSION

GABRIELA ORTIZ PIAZZOLLA (ARR. SIBAJA) PIAZZOLLA (ARR. SIBAJA) RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

Kauyumari (7’) Oblivion (4’)

JOSÉ SIBAJA, trumpet

Libertango (5’)

JOSÉ SIBAJA, trumpet

Capriccio espagnol (15’)

I. II. III. IV. V.

Alborada Variazioni Alborada Scena e canto gitano Fandango asturiano

CONCERT SPONSOR AT THE NOORDA

CONCERT SPONSOR

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES — CELEBRACIÓN SINFÓNICA

Enrico Lopez-Yañez Conductor

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nrico Lopez-Yañez is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Detroit, Nashville, and Pacific Symphonies as well as the Principal Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Presents. Lopez-Yañez has quickly established himself as one of the Nation’s leading conductors of popular music and become known for his unique style of audience engagement. Also an active composer/arranger, he has been commissioned by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Houston Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Omaha Symphony, and has had his works performed by orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, National Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Utah Symphony among others.

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

As Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Symphonica Productions, LLC, LopezYañez curates and leads programs designed to cultivate new audiences.

Symphonica manages a wide breadth of Pops and Family/Education producations that “breath new, exuberant life into classical programming for kids and families” (Nashville Parent Magazine).

José Sibaja Trumpet

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osé Sibaja is one of the most highly acclaimed Costa Rican trumpet players of his generation with worldwide audiences and broadcast media in the Classical, Latin, Jazz, and Pop musical genres. His career ranges from international appearances as an orchestral soloist with Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, to worldwide tours with Ricky Martin for the Vuelve and Livin’ la Vida Loca tours. Currently, José plays lead trumpet with the world-renowned Boston Brass.

Receiving his musical training at the New World School of the Arts and the University of Miami, José’s vast musical repertoire and his masterful artistry make him a prominent figure in a new generation of musicians. He has held positions as principal trumpet with the Miami Symphony, the Sinfonieta de Caracas and Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, as well as a position with the Dallas Brass.

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC Jose Pablo Moncayo Garcia (1912–1958)

Huapango

guest appearances with the London Symphony and other prestigious institutions. But the highlight of his podium life was a position with the Caracas Philharmonic Orchestra in 1979. Some twenty years later, he wrote the orchestral tour de force Toccata Bachiana y Gran Pajarillo Aldemaroso.

Imagine a Caracas nightclub scene in a stylish spy thriller and you just begin to get a sense for this exuberant, colorful score. The work was premiered in Caracas and later recorded in Valencia, the respective cities of Romero’s death and birth.

Duration: 9 minutes.

Moncayo got his start as a percussionist with the Mexico Symphony Orchestra in 1931, a group he would also conduct from 1949–1954. Though mostly known today for his dance treatment Huapango, Moncayo had a small but highly original catalogue of works that included an opera based on a magical Mexican legend. Moncayo’s untimely death in 1958 was considered a loss of great significance throughout Mexico and many felt he took part of the Nationalist movement to the grave with him. Huapango was composed in 1941 and based on folk songs Moncayo gathered on a collecting trip to the villages in and around Veracruz. The huapango dances he saw there made an immediate impact on him and he quickly began to imagine them in a symphonic setting. The name itself is based on the Nahuatl word huapanco, which loosely translates to “on the wooden [dance] floor.” Moncayo remarked that the task of translating the melodies he heard was highly challenging due to the fact the huapangueros (musicians) “never sang the same melody twice in the same way.” He was eventually able to capture this playful quality in his representation thanks to some guidance he received from a colleague. This friend essentially told him to first present the material exactly as he heard it and then feel free to make it his own. It was excellent advice. Moncayo did just that and considered the result “almost satisfactory.”

Arturo Márquez (b. 1950)

Concierto de Otoño Duration: 20 minutes in three movements.

Aldemaro Romero (1928–2007)

Márquez was born in Sonora, Mexico and, though he also studied in America and Europe, his home country has never been far from his mind. In addition to numerous awards and academic recognitions for his work as a composer, Márquez has enjoyed a fair measure of celebrity in the classical music world, thanks to Gustavo Dudamel and the television show that was designed to freely mimic the conductor’s rise. Maestro Dudamel (the real one) helped put Marquez on the world map by performing and recording his Danzon No. 2 in 2008, a piece that would later feature prominently in an episode of the American comedy-drama “Mozart in the Jungle.” Like Maestro Dudamel, it was another of Venezuela’s celebrated El Sistema graduates for who Arturo Márquez wrote a concerto in 2018. That was Pacho Flores, the multi-award-winning trumpet virtuoso and master of both popular and classical styles. For Márquez, he was the perfect muse. About his Concierto de Otoño for trumpet and orchestra, the composer writes: “The trumpet is queen in the soul of Mexico; we find it in practically all popular musical expressions, it is the Mexican cry of joy and sadness. It is also fundamental in Latin American concert music and my Concierto de Otoño is a compilation of all these feelings, colors and sorrows.” The concerto was premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico under the baton of Carlos Miguel Prieto.

Toccata Bachiana y Gran Pajarillo Aldemaroso Duration: 8 minutes.

Venezuelan composer Aldemaro Romero was born in 1928, and he quickly rose to international prominence in many musical fields. At 22, he was working for RCA in New York as an arranger and releasing albums of his own music to wide critical acclaim. As his reputation grew, Romero was invited to work with the likes of Dean Martin, Stan Kenton, Jerry Lewis and Tito Puente. In Italy, he composed film scores and, just in case the totality of his achievements was not enough, Romero also invented a new genre of Venezuelan popular music called Onda Nueva. This “new wave” combined the Venezuelan joropo (a dance style reminiscent of the fandango), Brazilian bossa nova and American jazz. Romero’s work as a conductor led to

Gabriela Ortiz (b. 1964)

Kauyumari Duration: 7 minutes. ­­­­

Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz was immersed in the twin disciplines of folk and classical music from the earliest age.

Her parents were founding members of a Latin American

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC folk music ensemble and Gabriela performed on guitar with them, while also studying piano and composition.

This is why, according to her bio, Ortiz’s greatest skill is the “ingenious merging of distinct sonic worlds. Here is what Ortiz writes about her 2021 work Kauyumari: “Among the Huichol people of Mexico, Kauyumari means ‘blue deer.’ The blue deer represents a spiritual guide, one that is transformed through an extended pilgrimage into a hallucinogenic cactus called peyote. It allows the Huichol to communicate with their ancestors, do their bidding, and take on their role as guardians of the planet. Each year, these Native Mexicans embark on a symbolic journey to ‘hunt’ the blue deer, making offerings in gratitude for having been granted access to the invisible world, through which they also are able to heal the wounds of the soul.” She concluded her hopeful note by saying, “While composing this piece, I noted once again how music has the power to grant us access to the intangible, healing our wounds and binding us to what can only be expressed through sound. Although life is filled with interruptions, Kauyumari is a comprehension and celebration of the fact that each of these rifts is also a new beginning.”

Astor Piazzola (1875-1937)

Oblivion and Libertango Duration: 4 minutes and 5 minutes.

Piazzolla spent the early 1970s in an experimental chamber music ensemble called “Conjunto Electronico.” He objected to the eventual classification of his Argentinian/ European collective as a jazz-rock band. He described the music of Conjunto Electronico as “…my music, it had more to do with tango than with rock.” Most things did. Piazzolla revolutionized the Tango form during his interesting and varied career and became one of the foremost proponents of the Tango Nuevo movement of the late 1950s. Before this could happen, however, Piazzolla would need to be convinced that he was meant for it. His love of Bach, Bartok and Stravinsky and his period of study with Nadia Boulanger in Paris spoke to his desire for distance from his beginnings as a bandoneon virtuoso. He was in search of a new path as a purely classical composer but Boulanger, after hearing him play one of his tangos, steered him back to his real calling when she told him: “Astor, your classical pieces are well written, but the true Piazzolla is here, never

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leave it behind.” Oblivion, from 1982, remains one of Piazolla’s most popular tangos. Part of this fame is owed to Oblivion’s inclusion into the soundtrack of the 1984 film Henry IV, the Mad King. It evokes a sense of melancholy that writer Tim Sestrick once called a “whispered sorrow”.

The earlier Libertango (loosely “Liberty Tango”) of 1974 embodies the break from the old traditions and the creation of the new tango school (mentioned above) that defined the rest of Piazzolla’s composing life. Libertango has been recorded hundreds of times in various instrumental guises and has been incorporated into numerous advertisements and, like Oblivion, even a few movie soundtracks.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34 Duration: 15 minutes in five movements.

The French obsession with the sights and sounds of exotic Spain is a well-documented subject of music history, one mirrored and even pre-dated by a similar Russian fascination. What began with Glinka was taken up with considerable interest by Rimsky-Korsakov in his 1887 orchestral showpiece Capriccio espagnol. An instant international hit, this suite highlighted the composer’s famed mastery of instrumental color. Rimsky-Korsakov clearly knew just how “vividly brilliant” his ingredients were when he stated, “The Spanish themes of dance character furnished me with rich material for putting to use multiform orchestral effects.” Important among these effects was the choice to focus on individual virtuosity as many passages highlighted specific players in the ensemble. RimskyKorsakov also asked for certain “extended” techniques from his string section when, in the 4th movement, he instructed them to strum as if they were gypsy guitarists.

Another magnificent effect, to be sure. Unlike some of the other, purely fictive musical travelogues of the day, Rimsky-Korsakov sourced his folk material from the real-life traditions of Spain. The personal copy of the song collection he drew from still exists and confirms the authenticity of his melodies. But no book exists that can take credit for the orchestration, which is tirelessly inventive but apparently not the point, according to the man himself.

As far as he was concerned, the Capriccio was not a “magnificently orchestrated piece” but instead a “brilliant composition for the orchestra.” Conservative and humble!

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Untitled-1 1

8/8/2024 7:58:41 PM

UTAH OPERA

Sondheim & Wheeler’s

SWEENEY TODD

The Demon of Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller OCTOBER 12 (7:30 PM), OCTOBER 14 (7 PM), OCTOBER 16 (7 PM), OCTOBER 18 (7:30 PM), OCTOBER 20 (2 PM) JANET QUINNEY LAWSON CAPITOL THEATRE

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Hugh Wheeler From an adaptation by Christopher Bond Originally Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick Originally produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards in Association with Dean and Judy Manos Premiere – March 1, 1979, New York, Uris Theatre Utah Opera Premiere Performed in English with English Supertitles (Captions)

CAST

ARTISTIC TEAM

(in order of vocal appearance) Anthony Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Riesen Sweeney Todd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Mayes Beggar Woman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Megan Marino Mrs. Lovett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audrey Babcock Judge Turpin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Soar Beadle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bille Bruley Johanna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Owens** Tobias Ragg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christian Sanders** Bird Keeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dyson Ford Pirelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Glenn Jonas Fogg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Nakatani

Conductor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Tweten Stage Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doug Scholz-Carlson Movement Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heidi Spesard-Noble Chorus Director & Assistant Conductor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin McWilliams Scenic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. Keith Brumley Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonathan Knipscher Lighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Sale Sound Designer/Board Operator . . . . . . . . . Aaron Hubbard Wig & Makeup Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kate Casalino Principal Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Anderson Guest Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lindsay Woodward** Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emilio Casillas Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa R. Hays Assistant Stage Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mickey Acton Lucy Guillemette Supertitle Musician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooke Hundley

Set and costumes rented from Des Moines Metro Opera.

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

Sweeney Todd scenery designed by R. Keith Brumley with costumes designed by Jonathan Knipscher Scenery and Costumes originally designed for Des Moines Metro Opera Supertitles courtesy of Madison Opera SWEENEY TODD Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

The performance run time is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, including one intermission **Former Resident Artist USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES — SWEENEY TODD

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Audrey Babcock (California) Mrs. Lovett Most Recently at Utah Opera, Man of La Mancha Recently: La traviata, Opera Omaha Aida, Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre Upcoming: Cavalleria rusticana, Opera Orlando Carmen (director), Opera Memphis

Bille Bruley (New York) Beadle Most Recently at Utah Opera, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs Recently: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, San Francisco Opera Jenůfa, Lyric Opera of Chicago Upcoming: Salome, The Metropolitan Opera

R. Keith Brumley Scenic Designer Most Recently at Utah Opera, Flight Recently: Tosca, Pittsburgh Opera Carmen, Austin Opera Upcoming: Don Giovanni, Opera Omaha

Kate Casalino (New York) Wig & Makeup Designer Most Recently at Utah Opera, Thaïs Recently: The Queen of Versailles, Emerson Colonial Theatre The Little Prince, Utah Opera Upcoming: Faust, Academy of Vocal Arts Hansel & Gretel, Utah Opera

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

ARTISTS’ PROFILES — SWEENEY TODD

Thomas Glenn (Utah) Pirelli Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Marriage of Figaro Recently: Manon, Opera Idaho Falstaff, Palm Beach Opera Upcoming: Opera Gala, Macao Symphony

Aaron Hubbard (Utah) Sound Designer Utah Opera Debut Recently: Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Pioneer Theatre Company Bonnie and Clyde, Pioneer Theatre Company Upcoming: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, GEVA Waitress, Pioneer Theatre Company

Jonathan Knipscher (New York) Costume Designer Most Recently at Utah Opera, Flight Recently: Sweeney Todd, Austin Opera Flight, The Dallas Opera

Megan Marino (South Carolina) Beggar Woman Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Long Walk Recently: Der Rosenkavalier, The Santa Fe Opera The Sound of Music, Houston Grand Opera A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Atlanta Opera Upcoming: La traviata, Seiji Ozawa Music Academy USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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Mr. Mayes sponsored by The Scott & Jennifer Huntsman Utah Opera Enhancement Fund

ARTISTS’ PROFILES — SWEENEY TODD

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Michael Mayes (South Carolina) Sweeney Todd Utah Opera Debut Recently: The Righteous, The Santa Fe Opera Das Rheingold, Staatsoper Stuttgart Upcoming: Casanova, Staatsoper Stuttgart Macbeth, The Atlanta Opera

Austin McWilliams (Missouri) Chorus Director & Assistant Conductor Utah Opera Debut Recently: Associate Conductor & Chorus Master, Opera Grand Rapids Director of Choral Activities, Aquinas College Upcoming: Utah Symphony | Utah Opera 2024–25 Season

Amy Owens (New Mexico) Johanna Most Recently at Utah Opera, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs Recently: Sondheim Tonight, San Diego Symphony Candide, Wichita Grand Opera Upcoming: The Cook Off, Nashville Opera

John Riesen (New York) Anthony Hope Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Pirates of Penzance Recently: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Pacific Symphony Orchestra La bohème, Opera Montana Upcoming: Carmen, Sioux City Symphony Carmina Burana, Oratorio Society of NY

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

ARTISTS’ PROFILES — SWEENEY TODD

Christian Sanders (Georgia) Tobias Ragg Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Little Prince Recently: Street Scene, Central City Opera La bohème, Minnesota Opera Upcoming: The Little Prince, Pacific Opera Victoria Loving v. Virginia (world premiere), Virginia Opera

Mr. Scholz-Carlson sponsored by:

James Sale (Colorado) Lighting Designer Most Recently at Utah Opera, La bohème Recently: Falstaff, Palm Beach Opera Sweeney Todd, Austin Opera Upcoming: Turandot, Lyric Opera of Kansas City

Doug Scholz-Carlson (Minnesota) Stage Director Most Recently at Utah Opera, Silent Night Recently: Grounded, The Metropolitan Opera Hamlet, Great River Shakespeare Festival Roméo et Juliette, Lyric Opera of Kansas City Fire Shut Up in my Bones, The Metropolitan Opera Upcoming: Moby-Dick, The Metropolitan Opera The Comedy of Errors, Great River Shakespeare Festival

David Soar (California) Judge Turpin Utah Opera Debut Recently: Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Festival Napa Valley Sweeney Todd, Opernhaus Zürich Upcoming: Alexander’s Feast, Salzburg Mozartwoche Festival Messiah, Saint Thomas Church, New York City USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES — SWEENEY TODD

Heidi Spesard-Noble Movement Director Most Recently at Utah Opera, Thaïs Recently: The Elixir of Love, Minnesota Opera Edward Tulane (world premiere), Minnesota Opera The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Cedar SummerStock Upcoming: Scrooge in Rouge, Open Eye Theater

Robert Tweten (New Mexico) Conductor Most Recently at Utah Opera, La bohème Recently: Die Fledermaus, New England Conservatory Falstaff, The Santa Fe Opera Upcoming: Rigoletto, Pacific Opera Victoria Susannah, New England Conservatory

Chorus

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Soprano Anadine Burrell Kahli Dalbow Kiersten Honaker Jennifer Riley Katie Sullivan Carolyn Talboys-Klassen

Tenor Dyson Ford Elijah Hancock Edward Lopez Layton Loucks Lucas Henry Proctor Carson Smith

Alto Jen Hancock Melissa James Deborah Johnson Shelly Swenson Dawn Veree Lindsay Whitney

Bass Buddy Eyre Charles Hamilton Thomas Klassen Erick Mosteller Kevin Nakatani Mark Sorensen

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS: THE TALE OF SWEENEY TODD

Johanna, Sweeney’s daughter, has become the ward of the judge who brutalized her mother, Lucy, driving Lucy to her presumed suicide. Now Sweeney swears revenge, while Anthony, with the help of a mysterious beggar woman, has noticed Johanna and is smitten. Sweeney offers his shop as a safe house for the young couple. His snowballing revenge plot begins with a shaving contest between himself and a phony Italian barber and shyster, Adolfo Pirelli, who—under the name Daniel O’Higgins—was once his assistant. The wrathful Sweeney wins the contest, then slits O’Higgins’s throat…and there’s no turning back. Though Mrs. Lovett is initially appalled and frightened, she quickly adapts to the new reality of a revenge-fueled business, first swiping Pirelli-O’Higgins’s coin purse, then developing a new idea for baking meat pies with a secret ingredient.

Act II

Several weeks later, Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop is a thriving business specially adapted for her and Sweeney’s needs—with reciprocating barber chairs and a trap door for dispatched customers. As they ply their deadly trade, Anthony makes his way to a lunatic asylum typical of the era where the judge has imprisoned Johanna. In making their escape, Johanna shoots a guard and they are forced to flee with Johanna disguised as a sailor.

Act I

The young sailor Anthony Hope is on a dock in London with Sweeney Todd, whom he rescued at sea and befriended. Todd sketchily describes his past as a barber named Benjamin Barker, when a corrupt judge’s lust for Sweeney’s wife resulted in her madness, his exile, and his return under his current alias. Meanwhile, in the course of bemoaning the troubles with her business selling meat pies, the slatternly Mrs. Lovett learns that Sweeney Todd is the former Benjamin Barker. She vows to keep his secret, and a partnership is formed.

At length, Sweeney gets the judge where he wants him— in his barber chair—but after slitting his throat, a chaotic death struggle ensues in which the mysterious beggar woman who first brought Johanna to Anthony’s attention is recognized as Sweeney’s wife, whose suicide attempt all those years ago was unsuccessful but left her insane.

Believing that Mrs. Lovett concealed this truth from him, Sweeney dispatches Mrs. Lovett into her own oven before losing his reason, like his now-dead wife.

Epilogue

In a final ensemble comparable to those in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and in Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny, the characters of Sweeney Todd rise from the dead and address the audience. They warn us against seeking revenge, though, as they readily admit, “everybody does it.”

The audience stands in for all of humanity as Sweeney, with a final sneer, expresses his contempt for us and for life itself.

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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SWEENEY TODD

SONDHEIM AND SWEENEY IN THE OPERA HOUSE

By Michael Clive

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ith its astonishing book by Hugh Wheeler— gripping, lurid, yet mordantly funny— Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant Sweeney Todd has triumphed in opera houses and concert halls, on television screens, and in movie theaters around the world. It requires a cast of versatile actors who happen to have operatic voices, particularly in its two leading roles: the tormented, obsessed Sweeney and his demented partner, Mrs. Lovett. Is it, in fact, an opera? Well, we’ll get to that debate a couple of paragraphs from now. First, we must acknowledge Sondheim’s standing as one of the towering geniuses of the American musical theater.

Usually it takes critics and scholars decades to pronounce such a judgment. Yet the anointed experts were hailing Sondheim as a composer and lyricist who was changing the history of the American musical theater even while he was still a young man and his shows were failing to sell out on Broadway. He was only 34 when his first Broadway musical, Anyone Can Whistle, opened on the Great White Way and closed nine days later. But by then he was already revered for work he had done in his twenties as lyricist for shows including West Side Story and Gypsy.

Sondheim was deeply influenced by the mentorship of Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers, but his style was uniquely his own and uniquely modern from the outset.

It is characterized by witty, intricately nesting rhymes masking intense moments of human drama. And, at least at first, critics and theatergoers were not ready for it. Three of the shows he created in the 1970s, when he was in his forties—Company, Follies and Pacific Overtures—gained legendary status only when, after disappointing ticket sales and premature closings, they were belatedly recognized

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as masterpieces ahead of their time. Finally, a day late and a dollar short, the public pounced on the substance and psychological insight in Sondheim’s words and music. This kind of musical creativity, deeply observed and rendered with consummate skill, was new to Broadway musicals.

Continuing to go his own way, at age forty-nine Sondheim created the music and lyrics for a musical drama on an unlikely subject: a London barber obsessed with the memory of his wife’s rape and brutalization by a corrupt judge, and his quest to avenge her. Here, as always with Sondheim, the combination of words and music finds the universal within the particular. Few of us have experienced the kinds of murderous injustices that obsess Sweeney, but we all have memories that haunt us…memories that we relive in our darkest moments. For director Hal Prince, Sondheim’s frequent collaborator who worked with him to mount the show’s first production, Sweeney was also caught in the dehumanizing vortex of England’s great age of industrialization—an overlooked victim of its “dark satanic mills.” So there is a bit of Sweeney in anyone who has been victimized by a corrupt bureaucracy or felt like a small cog in the machinery of big business—in other words, all of us.

But is it an opera? Though Sweeney Todd has often been called Sondheim’s most operatic work, he consistently denied this claim. But writing in the December 23, 2005 edition of London’s The Guardian newspaper, writer Michael Billington quoted some very expert opinions to support it. “I remember being blown away by the work when I first saw it at New York’s cavernous, 1,700-seat Uris Theatre in 1979,” Billington noted. “…Here was a show that, in the heartland of capitalism, attacked greed, rapacity and exploitation. Its hero was no sympathetic smoothie, but a vengeful barber turned serial killer. And, musically, it seemed a sophisticated amalgam of Bernard Herrmann, Benjamin Britten and the Dies Irae. Indeed, on the first night Harold Clurman, the doyen of American theatre critics, rushed up to [Schuyler Chapin], former general manager of The Metropolitan Opera, demanding to know why he had not put it on at the Met. To which Chapin replied: ‘I would have put it on like a shot if I’d had the opportunity. There would have been screams and yells but I wouldn’t have given a damn. Because it is an opera. A modern American opera.’”

Eleven years later, Sondheim’s charming, wistful A Little Night Music was successfully mounted by New York City Opera— The Metropolitan Opera’s neighbor at Lincoln Center.

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD AND THE PENNY DREADFUL TRADITION

By Michael Clive

“The String of Pearls” that was serialized in a weekly magazine during the winter of 1846–47. Set in 1785 and reportedly based on an actual murder (as recorded in The Annual Register of London), the story incorporated plot elements that made it an ideal subject for a penny dreadful—mainly mayhem—and was adapted as a play even before the ending was revealed to readers. With the impetus of a fleshed-out (gored-out?) version published in 1850, Sweeney migrated to America in 1852, and an expanded stage version was produced in 1865. By the 1870s, Sweeney Todd’s name and notoriety had spread throughout England and much of America.

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And there things might have remained, had it not been for the creative imagination of Christopher Bond, a British actor, playwright, and director who reframed Sweeney’s story as a play that was something more than just a horrorshow. Bond’s Sweeney Todd added depth and sophistication to the tale, providing the backstory that provides Sweeney’s motivation and incorporating elements of Jacobean drama, in which horrifying violence is anchored by moral conflict.

Sweeney’s first stage appearance probably came in a London penny dreadful based on a story called

Author Larry Davis Brown writes persuasively about the impact of Bond’s play upon Sondheim and quotes Sondheim as saying, “What I did to Chris’ play is more than enhance it. I had a feeling it would be a new animal. The effect it had at Stratford East in London and the effect [my version] had at the Uris Theater in New York are two entirely different effects, even though it’s the same play. It was essentially charming over there because they don’t take Sweeney Todd seriously.

Our production was larger in scope.” Most notably, Sondheim, Wheeler, and Prince added weight to the drama, defining the moral and social questions facing Sweeney Todd—and all of us.

weeney Todd’s long road to Broadway began with the “penny dreadful,” a popular genre of escapist entertainments that were highly melodramatic and often gruesome. Penny dreadfuls were popular in America and England in the 19th Century; in the U.S. they could be viewed in “opera houses” of a hundred or so seats that were common even in small towns. Despite scenarios that were often violent, most penny dreadfuls were intended as family entertainments and could be pointedly moralistic. But people didn’t frequent the penny dreadfuls to learn ethics; they went to have the living daylights scared out of them by witnessing acts of violence that surpassed their worst nightmares, and by the suffering of characters whose lives were even more dire than their own—the same reasons why Parisians attended the bloodsoaked Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol, and why, in our own time, slasher films remain popular.

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SWEENEY TODD

Stephen Sondheim Music & Lyrics

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TEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930–2021) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday In The Park With George (1984), Into the Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994), Road Show (2008), and Here We Are (2023), as well as the lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me a Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99), Moving On (2001), Sondheim On Sondheim (2010), and Old Friends (2023) are anthologies of his work as composer and lyricist. For films, he composed the scores of Stavisky (1974), co-composed the score for Reds (1981), and wrote songs for Dick Tracy (1990). He wrote songs for the television production Evening Primrose (1966), co-authored the film The Last of Sheila (1973) and the play Getting Away With Murder (1996) and provided incidental music for the plays The Girls of Summer (1956), Invitation To A March (1961), Twigs (1971), and The Enclave (1973).

He won the Tony Award for Best Score for Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Passion, all of which won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, as did Pacific Overtures and Sunday In The Park With George, the latter also receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1985).

Stephen Sondheim was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Williams College, winning the Hutchinson Prize for Music Composition, after which he studied theory and composition with Milton Babbitt. He served on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, the national association of playwrights, composers and lyricists, and served as its president from 1973 to 1981. In 1983 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1990 was appointed the first Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University. He was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 1993, the National Medal of Arts in 1996, the MacDowell Medal in 2013, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: Finishing the Hat (2010) and Look, I Made a Hat (2011).

In 2010 the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed in his honor, and in 2019 he became the first living artist to have a theatre named in his honor on Shaftesbury Avenue when the refurbished Queen’s Theatre in London’s West End was renamed the Sondheim Theatre to commemorate his 90th birthday, by Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

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SWEENEY TODD

Hugh Wheeler Book

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ugh Wheeler was a novelist, playwright, and screen writer. He wrote more than thirty mystery novels under the pseudonyms Q. Patrick and Patrick Quentin, and four of his novels were transformed into films: Black Widow, Man in the Net, The Green-Eyed Monster and The Man with Two Wives. For films he wrote the screenplays for Travels with My Aunt, Something for Everyone, A Little Night Music, and Nijinsky. His plays include Big Fish, Little Fish (1961), Look: We’ve Come Through (1961) and We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1966, adapted from the Shirley Jackson novel), he coauthored with Joseph Stein the book for a new production of the 1919 musical Irene (1973), wrote the books for A Little Night Music (1973), a new production of Candide (1973), Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979, based on a version of the play by Christopher Bond), and Meet Me in St. Louis (adapted from the 1949 M-G-M musical), contributed additional material for the musical Pacific Overtures (1976), and wrote a new adaptation of the Kurt Weill opera Silverlake, which was directed by Harold Prince at the New York City Opera. He received Tony and Drama Desk Awards for A Little Night Music, Candide, and Sweeney Todd. Prior to his death in 1987 Mr. Wheeler was working on two new musicals, Bodo and Fu Manchu, and a new adaptation of The Merry Widow.

Music Theatre International Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.

MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists, and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide.

MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences.

MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.

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explore the possibilities At Residence Inn by Marriott® Salt LAke City, Downtown, we provide spaces and experiences that allow you to travel like you live. Enjoy a variety of amenities including outdoor spaces with fire pits and grills; and our seasonal Outdoor Pool.

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MASTERWORKS

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS & West Side Story

OCTOBER 25, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL OCTOBER 26, 2024 / 5:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL STEPHANIE CHILDRESS, conductor RANDALL GOOSBY, violin

BARBER

Second Essay for Orchestra (10’)

FLORENCE PRICE

Adoration (5’)

FLORENCE PRICE

Violin Concerto No. 2 (15’)

RANDALL GOOSBY, violin

RANDALL GOOSBY, violin INTERMISSION

GERSHWIN

An American in Paris (16’)

BERNSTEIN

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (24’)

I. Prologue II. “Somewhere” III. Scherzo IV. Mambo V. Cha Cha VI. Meeting Scene VII. “Cool” Fugue VIII. Rumble IX. Finale

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES — AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

Stephanie Childress Conductor

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trong ideas, lucid communication and intensely focused energy are among the qualities that define Stephanie Childress among today’s most compelling young musicians. Recently appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, her musicianship and command of a broad scope of repertoire have already led her to establish herself on both sides of the Atlantic.

On the orchestral podium, Childress continues to be reinvited internationally and returns to the Barcelona and North Carolina Symphonies. In North America she will have debuts with the Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony and National Arts Centre Ottawa. In Europe Childress will also make her first appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic and her Japanese debut with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra.

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

Randall Goosby Violin

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igned exclusively to Decca Classics in 2020 at the age of 24, American violinist Randall Goosby is acclaimed for thesensitivity and intensity of his musicianship alongside his determination to make music more inclusive and accessible, as well as bringing the music of underrepresented composers to light.

Highlights of Randall Goosby’s 2024/25 season include debut performances with the Chicago Symphony/Sir Mark Elder, the Minnesota Orchestra/Thomas Søndergård, National Arts Centre Orchestra/Alexander Shelley, Montreal Symphony Orchestra/Dalia Stasevska and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic/ Michele Mariotti. He joins the London Philharmonic Orchestra on their U.S. tour led by Edward Gardner.

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

THE EVELYN ROSENBLATT YOUNG ARTIST AWARD

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Goosby returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Detroit Symphony and Utah Symphony. He appears in recital across North America and Europe as soloist as well as with the Renaissance Quartet.

Goosby plays the Antonio Stradivarius, Cremona, “ex-Strauss,” 1708 on generous loan from Samsung Foundation of Culture.

HISTORY OF THE MUSIC

Second Essay for Orchestra Duration: 10 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981) – For so many artists around the globe in the early 1940s, the War was either coincident with or fully responsible for a change of voice. Samuel Barber, in the year just prior to the outbreak, had been established as America’s most lyrical composer thanks to the massive success of his Adagio for Strings. Toscanini conducted the work on a 1938 broadcast with his newly minted NBC Symphony and Barber’s Romanticism resonated at home and abroad among music’s more conservative traditionalists. But the War, and the attack on Pearl Harbor in particular, shifted his perspective. The cooler, reserved style Barber began to explore after the Adagio was, in many ways, his reaction to a world ablaze. He still looked to Europe for inspiration, but he was less dependent upon it.

THE HISTORY – Also included in that fateful 1938 broadcast was the first of Barber’s three Essays for Orchestra. The great tradition of America’s literary nonfiction giants was on his mind, for sure, but so was the even older convention of rhetorical speech-making.

Written essays and verbal orations share a structural rigor that requires their ideas to be presented clearly, argued deftly and, ultimately, defended passionately. The same holds true for Barber’s musical prose. When Bruno Walter commissioned a new work from him for the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in 1942, Barber felt established enough (thanks to the Adagio for Strings) to follow his own instincts about what to offer in response.

In the end, he decided to continue the literary experiment he began four years earlier and presented Walter with a Second Essay for Orchestra. This was just before enlisting in the Army Air Corps. The timing of the two events is important, it seems in hindsight. Though it would be nice to have a piece of actual writing to guide our way through the Second Essay, it exists in its own purely musical space. Only Barber’s imminent departure for war seems to provide an external anchor for the listener, as the sounds of conflict lurk beneath the surface of the work’s evolving succession of thematic thoughts. Walter’s performance of the Second Essay for Orchestra was followed quickly by a second reading in Philadelphia under Eugene Ormandy.

Musicologist and author Walter Simmons wrote that Barber was often present at the transition points of musical fashion, if perhaps too often a little late to the party. It’s a keen observation. The Second Essay is not, and was not, proof of Barber’s embrace of modern techniques. It was part of his attempt to answer the questions of the heart with the head, and to do so in his own sweet time.

The Second Essay remains one of his most performed orchestral scores.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1942, Bing Crosby recorded “White Christmas”, French author Albert Camus published “The Stranger”, Ghandi launched the “Quit India” movement to unite his people against British Rule, all while the War raged on.

THE CONNECTION – Utah Symphony last performed Barber’s Second Essay during the 2015–16 season.

Christian Macelaru was on the podium.

Adoration Violin Concerto No. 2 Duration: 5 minutes and 15 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – FLORENCE PRICE (1887-1953) – The classical music industry is attempting today to make amends for its many sins of omission and exclusion, and a revival of interest in Florence Price has been an important part of that effort for many institutions. In her time, Price knew what she was up against and how unlikely history was to make room for her name in the future. In an oftquoted program note reference (this annotator included), Price wrote to the eminent conductor Serge Koussevitzky in 1943. She understood that composers needed champions on the podium and hoped he would take up her cause, despite the cards stacked against her. “I have two handicaps,” she told him, “those of sex and race”.

Later in the letter she added, “I would like to be judged on merit alone”.

THE HISTORY – To be considered objectively was not an outrageous wish. But it was un-grantable in Florence Price’s time and is only just beginning to come true in ours. Price was essentially rediscovered in 2009 when a trove of her manuscripts and letters were discovered at her abandoned summer home in Illinois. The story they tell is one of an obscure but prolific compositional life, with over 300 works to fill the catalogue. The list includes four symphonies, four concertos and a wealth of choral and chamber ensemble music. Two of her concertos were for violin, with No. 2 completed in 1952, just months before her death. It is only a brief 14 minutes long, but it contains all the hallmarks of her late style. The music has some chromaticism and dissonance, yes. But more important than any modest modernist convention is the clear sense of confidence that comes from USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC vast experience. Price may not have had renown, but she did have that – experience. Her previous Violin Concerto was written in 1939 and was quite conventional by comparison.

Violin Concerto No. 2 is cast in a single movement, with four overlapping sections that contrast and converse with each other in fascinating ways. It was Price’s last orchestral score. Adoration was also written just before Price’s passing.

Composed in 1951, it was originally scored for solo organ but has since been arranged to feature other solo instruments, including that one always closest to her heart, the violin.

Any work for the organ suggests an aspect of devotion, and Adoration fits this expectation perfectly. Over its short but beguiling duration, the music follows a three-part design of hymn, response, hymn and concludes with a quiet Amen.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1951, Libya gained its independence from Italy and the Rosenbergs were sentenced to death for treason in the U.S. In 1952, King George VI of England died, the first thermonuclear bomb was exploded in the Marshall Islands and King Farouk was ousted in Egypt.

THE CONNECTION – These concerts represent the Utah Symphony debut of Florence Price’s Adoration and Violin Concerto No. 2.

An American in Paris Duration: 16 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937) – With the sensational popularity of Rhapsody in Blue firmly lodged in the international consciousness, Gershwin found himself quite the celebrity when he travelled abroad in in the mid-1920’s. While in Europe with his family he met some fellow “serious” composers, including Prokofiev, Ravel, Walton and even Schoenberg and Berg. In fact, the diaries of George’s brother Ira said that George spent every spare minute in the company of the artistic elite, establishing relationships and looking for feedback on his ideas. Though he continued to compose for the theatre, Gershwin had spent the years immediately following the Rhapsody in greater contemplation of his concert music persona. Time among the leading lights was just what he needed.

THE HISTORY – Among the many rewards for a success as potent as Rhapsody in Blue was an increase in commission opportunities. Walter Damrosch and his New York Symphony Society had already struck piano gold again with Gershwin on the Concerto in F in 1925 and the conductor wasted little

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time providing funding and a Carnegie Hall date for another project. Gershwin’s rise to fame away from Broadway was so quick that it outpaced the opinions of many that still viewed his “serious” efforts with a patronizing skepticism.

By 1928 however, this circumstance was beginning to correct itself, but even today Gershwin’s symphonic scores are viewed as “crossover” art. Two entertaining stories from the Europe trip tells of Stravinsky’s and Ravel’s rejections of Gershwin’s requests for composition lessons (famed composer-whisperer Nadia Boulanger turned him down too).

Stravinsky, upon hearing of Gershwin’s six-figure income, supposedly said “then I should take lessons from you.”

Ravel is said to have answered Gershwin’s question with a question of his own, “Why should you be a second-rate Ravel when you can be a first-rate Gershwin?” Stravinsky, at least, later characterized the exchange as “regrettably untrue” but the historical affection shown these twin legends is due in part to our desire to see shifting attitudes of some among Gershwin’s new peer group. The composer fulfilled the second Damrosch commission with a light-hearted tone portrait of his time in Paris. He was determined to write something that stood on its own two orchestral feet and didn’t rely on a solo piano for its credibility. Paris, with her busy streets and cultural tumult, was the perfect muse and Gershwin used the authentic French taxi horns he brought back with him to depict the many charms that eventually win over the titular “homesick American” in the piece.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1928, the Summer Olympics opened in Amsterdam, the Catholic institution Opus Dei was founded, the animated short film Steamboat Willie (featuring Mickey Mouse) was premiered and Leon Trotsky was sent into exile.

THE CONNECTION – An American in Paris is performed on nearly every Utah Symphony’s concert series. The most recent Masterworks concert occurred in September 2018 under Thierry Fischer.

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story Duration: 24 minutes in nine sections.

THE COMPOSER – LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) – It was 1957 when Bernstein completed the work he could have retired on, had it been possible for such a thing to cross his mind. West Side Story permanently reconfigured the musical cosmos when it premiered on Broadway. Bernstein, for his part, was already famous on the podium at that time. He had made his name as a conductor in 1943 thanks to the sudden illness of Bruno Walter. Bernstein was asked to fill in for Walter

HISTORY OF THE MUSIC with the New York Philharmonic on incredibly short notice and became a superstar overnight. But even that heroic legend would be eclipsed a decade and half later by his theatrical masterpiece. West Side Story. Say the name Bernstein even today, and those are the three words that usually follow.

THE HISTORY – Three years and many hundreds of repeat performances later, Bernstein extracted a suite of Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. It wasn’t a cash grab. Bernstein’s use of dance in the show was as critical to the Shakespearean plot as the songs. From its romantic escapes to its all-out gang fights, choreographed movement gave West Side Story the stylish visual language that works perfectly even when the cast is not present. The old chestnut about music so vibrant you can see it with your ears has proof in the Symphonic Dances. The distilled version of the synopsis we “watch” unfold is best described

by Jack Gottlieb, Bernstein’s longtime collaborator and an undisputed expert on the composer’s work. In 1993, Gottlieb laid out the nine section of the Symphonic Dances as follows: “Prologue – The growing rivalry between two teenage gangs the Jets and the Sharks; Somewhere – In a dream ballet, the two gangs are united in friendship; Scherzo – In the same dream, the gangs break away from the city walls, suddenly finding themselves in a playful world

of space, air and sun; Mambo – In the real world again, the competitive dance at the gym between the gangs; Cha-Cha – The star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria see each other for the first time and dance together; Meeting Scene – Music accompanies their first words spoken to one another; Cool Fugue – An elaborate dance sequence in which Riff leads the Jets in harnessing their impulsive hostility, figuratively ‘cooling their jets’; Rumble – Climactic gang battle, the two leaders, Riff and Bernardo, are killed; Finale – Maria’s ‘I Have a Love’ develops into a procession, which recalls the vision of ‘Somewhere’”. Leonard Bernstein’s work is too often contextualized as an intersection of America’s low and high brows. But scores like the Symphonic Dances argue that, even in the divisive place where popular and “classical” music meet, true genius can be found.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1960, tennis legend Rod Laver won his first Australian Open title, Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” had its premiere in Italy and the iconic “Guerrillero Heroica” photo of Che Guevara was taken in Havana.

THE CONNECTION – Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story was last featured on the Masterworks Series in December 2019. Thierry Fischer conducted.

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FEATURE — THE EVELYN ROSENBLATT YOUNG ARTIST AWARD

EXCEPTIONAL PROMISE The Evelyn Rosenblatt Young Artist Award

By Jeff Counts

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hen you sign the guestbook at a bed and breakfast or some special historical place, it’s hard not to glance at the names that came before you. You are not simply acknowledging your existence in a semi-public census, you are contributing your consciousness to a collection of meaningful experiences.

It is only natural to seek kindred spirits in the register. So, imagine yourself lucky enough to have attended a dinner party at the Salt Lake City home of Evelyn and Joseph Rosenblatt in the 1950s, 60s, or 70s. Your eyes would have lit up when you grabbed the pen, because their guestbook was a gold mine.

Joseph’s parents Nathan and Tillie had immigrated to Salt Lake City in the 1880s. Nathan built up a successful machinery business and he and Tillie raised their three boys to respect education and culture. They were the first stones in the strong edifice of service their family continues to build. Joseph married Evelyn Benowitz in 1930, and the two University of Utah graduates quickly became important civic leaders in their own right. Evelyn had grown up in Ogden but knew Salt Lake well from her weekly trips there for piano lessons. Her deep love of music extended generously to Utah Symphony, where she was active as a donor and member of the Guild. In 2000, when Evelyn turned 90, the Rosenblatt family created a Young Artist Endowment in her name for Utah Symphony that will enjoy its 25th Anniversary in the 2024–2025 Season.

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The Rosenblatt’s post-concert gatherings must have been legendary, if the guestbook mentioned above is any indication. Some of the signed names include pianist Arthur Rubenstein, violinist Nathan Milstein, conductor Leonard Bernstein, pianist Byron Janus, actor Betty Furness, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky and, of course, Utah Symphony Maestro Maurice Abravanel. They had other notable guests too, like violinists Jascha Heifetz and Isaac Stern, pianist Glenn Gould, and soprano Beverly Sills. You’ve already imagined yourself with an invite, so think now about what the conversations could have been like. Bernstein in 1960 talking about the upcoming first film adaptation of his West Side Story. Rubenstein in 1965 reminiscing about the allUSUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

Chopin program he performed in Moscow the year before.

Piatigorsky in 1974 looking back on his long life in music just two years before he died.

Joseph Rosenblatt passed away in 1999, Evelyn in 2004, so their dinner events did not extend into the years of the Young Artist Award. But since we are still enjoying our imaginations here, let’s pretend they did. The twenty-three recipients of the prize, to date, comprise four conductors, three cellists, eight violinists, and eight pianists. Each was an artist in the first stage of their career so, unlike the legends from before, it was their exceptional promise that earned them the recognition of the Rosenblatt family and Utah Symphony. We had conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson in 2000, the very first honoree.

At our speculative table she is talking about her time in the flute studio at Juilliard. She now serves as founder and Music Director of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra. Our next stop could be 2004 with pianist Olga Kern. She had already won the Rachmaninoff Competition and the Van Cliburn by then, so the discussion around the room is about what mountains are left to climb. She has a piano competition of her own now.

Fast-forward to 2013 and there is cellist Matt Zalkind. Both of his parents were in the Utah Symphony back then, so the conversation is, appropriately, about family. He’s currently cello professor at the Lamont School of the University of Denver.

We could easily repeat this exercise with the other twenty winners, and never run out of interesting things to chat about, but it is time to arrive at today. The latest winner of the Evelyn Rosenblatt Young Artist Award is violinist Randall Goosby.

Like so many former awardees, Randall went to Juilliard, but not before making his concert debut with the Jacksonville Symphony at the age of nine and appearing on a New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concert just four years later.

He studied with Perlman. He has a record deal. He plays a Strad. He champions the music of black composers. Randall Goosby has exceptional promise to spare and has already given so much of himself to various social engagement projects. He regularly performs community programs in schools, hospitals, and assisted living facilities. “Music is a way to inspire others,” he says in his bio, and that is exactly the kind of generosity the Rosenblatt Award stands for.

Evelyn and Randall will have a lot to discuss at dinner after he adds his name to the list. She’s going to love him.

When Joseph and Evelyn Rosenblatt’s children created this award in their mother’s name, they helped her make an exceptional promise of her own. It was a promise to use her legacy to foster future Bernsteins and Goulds and Abravanels, and to keep culture at the forefront of all our civic values. Utah Symphony has been proud to partner with the Rosenblatt family for 25 years and will celebrate the collaboration, and its important impact on the Salt Lake community, throughout the 2024-2025 season.

Thank you, Evelyn.

SPECIAL EVENT

HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR OCTOBER 29, 2024 / 7 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL JESSICA RIVERO ALTARRIBA, conductor Story and Script by ELLESSE HARGREAVES

GRIEG “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt (3’) JOHN WILLIAMS “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (5’) DUKAS

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (10’)

HUMPERDINCK “Hexenritt” from Hänsel und Gretel (4’) MUSSORGSKY “Baba Yaga” from Pictures at an Exhibition (4’) JOHN WILLIAMS “The Devil’s Dance” from The Witches of Eastwick (5’)

INTERMISSION

[Costume Contest] SAINT-SAENS GOUNOD

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Danse macabre (7’) Funeral March of a Marionette (5’)

JOHN WILLIAMS

Jaws Main Theme (2.5’)

DANNY ELFMAN

Beetlejuice Main Theme (2’)

MUSSORGSKY

Night on Bald Mountain (12’)

ARTIST’S PROFILE — HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

Jessica Rivero Altarriba Conductor

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uban conductor JESSICA ALTARRIBA is known for her charismatic stage presence, dynamic energy, and communicative skills. Recently announced as Utah Symphony Assistant Conductor 2024–2025 Season and Taki Alsop Fellowship Award Recipient 2024–2026.

Altarriba was named the New Jersey Symphony’s first-ever Colton Conducting Fellow for the 2023–24 season, she is also a Freeman Conducting Fellow with Chicago Sinfonietta. Altarriba is concurrently pursuing her Masters in Conducting at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

Upcoming engagements this season include performances with Utah Symphony, the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, New Jersey Symphony, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, NOI Institute and National Seminario Orchestra-Ravinia. During the 2022–2023 season she worked with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Symphony Orchestra and Lüneburg Symphoniker, Germany as a guest conductor.

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

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FEATURE — COSTUME DEPARTMENT

A SEAMLESS TRANSITION: Utah Opera’s Costume Department Evolution

As such, extending a garment’s lifespan allows it to live through several operas and multiple artist performances. In fact, during a Costume Department tour earlier this year, a young mother found the exact costume she had worn as a child in a previous production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. The costume itself was still in excellent condition and ready to be used in the next performance.

Honoring Tradition

By Megs Vincent

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ver the years, the USUO’s Costume Department has supported the company’s dynamic productions through their unparalleled technical skills, creativity, and innovation. This past summer, the Department turned all that inward, in a significant transition that speaks to the adaptability and forward-thinking embroidered into the fabric of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera.

In addition, the Utah Opera Costume Department maintains an extensive archive of production books, often referred to as “The Books.” These books (some of which are now digital) contain detailed records of nearly every costume, including fabric swatches, construction methods, and alterations. As a result, this meticulous documentation ensures that costumes can be recreated or adapted for future productions, preserving the legacy of past performances.

“We’ve been pulling out everything!” Said Carol Wood, Costume Director. “We’ve been taking things off hangers, pulling things out of boxes, and examining all the pieces and various collections we have. We want to identify what’s going to serve us long term while also consolidating our costumes, so we can build out new shows!”

“Having records of what we’ve created in the past is critical to ensuring the integrity of each production,” said Wood. “It allows us to reference materials, styles, and draw inspiration from past designs as we move forward with creating new shows.”

Utah Opera’s history is deeply rooted in a tradition of excellence—and the Costume Department is no different.

The team of technicians and artisans have always been dedicated to creating visually stunning and period-accurate costumes that enhance the storytelling of each opera. From intricate military uniforms for Daughter of the Regiment to the hand-painted kimonos for Madame Butterfly, Utah Opera’s Costume Department artisans have consistently demonstrated their exceptional skill and attention to detail.

Embracing Modernization

Though the transition of the Utah Opera’s Costume Department marks a new chapter in its storied history, the shift itself is not just about updating physical space. This process also enables the integration of modern techniques and technology into the costume-making process. One aspect includes extending the life of each costume by increasing its resilience.

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While embracing new modern visions, the Utah Opera Costume Department remains deeply respectful of its rich traditions. Many costumes in our collection are valuable historical pieces that have been meticulously preserved.

These costumes not only represent the history of the opera, but also serve as inspiration for new creations.

“There are a lot of things we can do with the inside of the garment—like flat linings—to make them more durable,” says Costume Director Carol Wood. “These aren’t like normal couture fashion pieces because they go through a lot of wear and tear being worn by multiple artists across many performances.”

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Utah Opera’s Costume Department is a testament to dedication and vision. By balancing tradition with innovation, these incredible artists continue to elevate the operatic experience for audiences. As they look to the future, the Costume Department remains a vital and vibrant part of Utah Opera’s artistic journey, ensuring that each production is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears.

MASTERWORKS

ORLI SHAHAM PERFORMS MOZART NOVEMBER 1, 2024 / 10:00 AM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL (FINISHING TOUCHES) NOVEMBER 1 & 2, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL DAVID ROBERTSON, conductor ORLI SHAHAM, piano

SCHOENBERG (CLOVIS LARK, ED.)

MOZART

Chamber Symphony No. 2, Op. 38 (20’) I. II.

Adagio Con fuoco

Concerto No. 17 in G major for Piano and Orchestra (31’) I. Allegro II. Andante III. Allegretto ORLI SHAHAM, piano INTERMISSION

BRAHMS

CONCERT SPONSOR

Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 (45’)

I. II. III. IV. V. VI.

Allegro molto Scherzo Adagio non troppo Menuetto I - Menuetto II Scherzo Rondo

FINISHING TOUCHES SPONSOR

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES — ORLI SHAHAM PERFORMS MOZART

David Robertson Conductor

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avid Robertson – conductor, composer, artist, thinker, and American musical visionary – occupies some of the most prominent platforms on the international music scene. A highly sought-after podium figure in the worlds of opera, orchestral music, and new music, Robertson is celebrated worldwide as a champion of contemporary composers, an ingenious and adventurous programmer, and a masterful communicator whose passionate advocacy for the art form is widely recognized. A consummate and deeply collaborative musician, Robertson is hailed for his intensely committed music making.

In the 2023–24 season to continue a deep and longstanding relationship, David Robertson returned to his home orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, to conduct works by Ligeti, including the US premiere of Mifiso la sodo, Brahms, and the New York premiere of Elena Firsova’s Piano Concerto with his longtime collaborator Yefim Bronfman. In the Fall, Robertson returned to The Philadelphia Orchestra to conduct works by Reena Esmail, Haydn, and Beethoven, and begins his second season of three as Creative Partner with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera.

Orli Shaham Piano

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consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety and brilliance, Orli Shaham has established an impressive international reputation as one of today’s most gifted pianists, in demand for her prodigious skills and admired for her interpretations of both standard and modern repertoire. She has performed with most of the major orchestras in the United States and with many ensembles across five continents, given recitals on stages from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House and appeared at music festivals around the world.

Shaham is Artistic Director of the interactive children’s concert series Bach Yard, which she founded in 2010, and she is chair of the Board of Trustees of Kaufman Music Center. In addition to her musical education at The Juilliard School, she holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Columbia University and pursued a master’s degree in musicology from Columbia. She is winner of the Gilmore Young Artist Award and the Avery Fisher Career Grant.

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC

Chamber Symphony No. 2 Duration: 20 minutes in five sections.

THE COMPOSER – ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (18741951) – Even though Schoenberg was initially disdainful of Mahler’s music, he was made a true believer by the older master’s Symphony No. 3. They soon after connected in mentorship, and Schoenberg knew he would not find a better public champion in the first decade of the 20th century. It was a period in Schoenberg’s life when his highly stylized late-Romanticism (something Mahler recognized quite well) was agitating toward transformation into a more rigidly structured, atonal Expressionism (perhaps less so).

Premieres of new Schoenberg works during that time were often followed by strongly negative opinions, but Mahler never wavered in his outspoken support of the younger man’s career. No even when Schoenberg’s contemporary musical innovations moved beyond his understanding.

THE HISTORY – Schoenberg may have learned how to love Mahler’s galactic utterances, but that did not keep him from sparking a revolution against them. Whatever message the mighty 3rd Symphony had for him, or his own large-scale Romantic explorations for that matter, Schoenberg was determined to abandon excess in favor of expressive distillation. The Chamber Symphony No. 1, written while on a 1906 holiday in Bavaria, might seem like a landing place, but it was only a steppingstone, a part of the transition Schoenberg was navigating. That the pure abstraction of 12-tone music would come next is nearly impossible to perceive when listening to it. The same could be said for the Chamber Symphony No. 2, which Schoenberg also began in 1906, but the fact that he didn’t finish it until 1939 makes this observation complicated. The years between those two distant dates comprised an epoch of technical adventurism for Schoenberg, during which melody and harmony were bound to formulas rather than traditions. All the rules of tonality were abandoned in favor of the unique math he had discovered. Which is why the relatively consonant nature of the Chamber Symphony No. 2, as eventually completed in 1939, stands out. Why didn’t he make another 12-tone piece out of the material? He was known to return to traditional tonality now and then.

“There is still much good music to be written in C Major,” he once said. Chamber Symphony No. 2 cannot be described so simply, but its harmonies diverge enough from Schoenberg’s work through the 20s and 30s that it requires an explanation. “The Supreme Commander had ordered me on a harder road,” he wrote in an essay much later in 1948, “But a longing to return to the older style

was always vigorous in me, and from time to time I had to yield to the urge.”

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1939, Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz had their premieres, Finnegans Wake was published, Siam changed its name to Thailand and, of course, war broke out in Europe.

THE CONNECTION – These concerts represent the first Utah Symphony performance of the Chamber Symphony No. 2 since May 2021. Thierry Fischer was on the podium. Our own principal librarian, Clovis Lark, was the editor for this edition.

Concerto No. 17 in G Major for Piano and Orchestra, K. 453 Duration: 31 minutes in three movements.

THE COMPOSER – WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791) – There is no doubt that Mozart and Haydn were friends, but it not an easy matter to pinpoint their first meeting. At various moments in the 1770s and early 1780s, they might well have been introduced in Vienna, when and if they happened to be there at the same time. But we can’t say for sure. One especially promising possibility was in 1783 at a concert featuring works by both men. Again, however, no certainty exists on that. The two masters definitely knew of each other by then and, in any case, they were clearly pals by 1784. Mozart’s six “Haydn” Quartets, published in 1785, make that much obvious, and the high esteem in which they held one another is celebrated by biographers to this day.

THE HISTORY – It wasn’t only string quartets that occupied Mozart’s attention in 1784. He was also in the middle of a piano concerto binge, writing six of them before year’s end. Two were written for his highly talented student Barbara (“Babette”) Ployer, the niece of a Viennese court functionary. She apparently premiered it on a program in the summer of 1784 that also included a two-piano sonata (K. 448) which the composer performed with her.

Mozart obviously thought highly of Babette’s talents and was delighted to promote her among his Viennese fans.

We don’t remember her, or many of the female virtuosi of the 18th century, because music history has taught us not to. A pity, that, and a crime, since Mozart was proud enough of her accomplishments as a pianist and composer that he introduced her to the Italian opera giant Giovanni Paisiello and drew of sketch of her in one of his scores.

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC An interesting figure we do happily recall in connection to Concerto No. 17 is not a person at all, but rather a pet starling. It was not the only avian friend Mozart kept, before or after. He loved birds and some say one of his canaries was with him when he died. Presumably, he saw the Starling in a store in May of 1784 and quickly taught it to sing a theme from the just completed K. 453 concerto.

Or did the bird somehow already know it as some have mysteriously written? In either case, the bird did a passable job of mimicking the music, which delighted Mozart into buying him. The composer kept the little singer for three years, calling him Star (German for Starling). When the bird died in 1787, Mozart buried him in the garden and held an elaborate funeral service for him. There was singing and the recitation of a poem that waved a fond farewell to a companion who “was still in his prime, when he ran out of time”. Think of dear Star when you hear the opening bars of the finale! Think of Babette during the rest.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1784, the “Empress of China”, America’s first trading vessel with China, set sail, the Marquis de Sade was sent to the Bastille in Paris and, in hopes of holding off a rebellion, Holland forbid the wearing of orange clothes.

THE CONNECTION – Concerto No. 17 has not been performed on a Utah Symphony Masterworks program since May 2010. Carlo Rizzi conducted and Jean-Louis Steuerman was soloist.

Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11 Duration: 45 minutes in six movements.

THE COMPOSER – JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) – It is well known that Brahms spent the greater part of the 1850s building his first orchestral masterpiece, and that it was not a symphony. The D Minor Piano Concerto, made largely out of material meant for other works, was his hedge against facing up to the ghost of Beethoven. The symphony genre, that fully conquered field of Beethoven’s legacy, was something Brahms did not attempt to address until 1876 at the age of 43. In addition to the professional caution he was observing in the 1850s, it was a period of intense personal experiences for Brahms, most of which revolved around his special (and complicated) relationship

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with Robert and Clara Schumann. Robert, an early champion of Brahms, died in 1856. Clara remained a close to Brahms until their deaths at the end of the century.

THE HISTORY – As the friendship between Brahms and the Schumanns developed in their complex ways (he as mentor, she as mentor too but also something more), Brahms was battling the demons of his D Minor Concerto.

But it was his not only attempt to wrestle a full orchestra score into being. Behind the scenes of the concerto project, Brahms wrote two other proto-symphonies that he called Serenades. Both were written in the years just after Robert Schumann died, and the dearly departed master’s fingerprints are on them. Not the music itself so much, but certainly the air of expectation that quietly surrounded them. We cannot forget that Schumann, in his oft-quoted 1853 article entitled “New Paths,” spoke of Brahms in almost messianic terms. Brahms was, for Schumann, the fulfillment of a prophecy in which a new artistic voice would appear suddenly and fully formed as if from the mind of a god to “express the ideal form and spirit of his time.” This pronouncement must have felt like an immense pressure on a young man as nervous and retiring as Brahms, and Robert’s passing must have doubled its weight and its urgency. Even without Robert’s words, the world would have come to expect a symphony from Brahms by the late 1850s. He simple wasn’t ready.

Instead, he poured his attention into the Piano Concerto and the Serenades. Even though the composer himself considered calling them Symphonies at first, it’s true the Serenades are quite different from the eventual actual Symphony No. 1. Serenade No. 1 was completed first in 1858 as a nonet a la Mozart and did not until 1859 become the charming full orchestra work we know today. Brahms’ great friend and collaborator Joseph Joachim (for whom he would later write his violin concerto) conducted the premieres of both versions.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1859, excavation of the Suez Canal began, Charles Darwin published his shocking scientific work On the Origin of Species and Alfred Lord Tennyson released the first portion of his Arthurian epic The Idylls of the King.

THE CONNECTION – Brahms’ 1st Serenade appeared on the Utah Symphony Masterworks series most recently in November 2005 under the baton of Keith Lockhart.

FEATURE - LET’S KEEP A GOOD THING GOING

Vote YES for Proposition #8 on November 5!

By Leslie Peterson, VP of Development

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t’s amazing what a penny on every $10 can do for a community! Thirty years ago, community leaders came together with a vision to create a fund to make Salt Lake County an even greater place to live. Today that fund is affectionately known as ZAP, the Zoo, Arts & Parks Program. If you’ve attended a free day at a museum or a zoological organization, experienced a live performance or cultural festival, or enjoyed a day at a recreational facility, an outing at a park, or a walk on a trail, you’ve seen your ZAP program at work.

In Utah, we like to say that we punch above our weight, and the achievements of the ZAP program certainly live up to that statement. The $357 Million invested since its launch in 1997 have resulted each year in four million free admissions and 8,000 jobs; supported 232 arts, cultural, and zoological non-profits; attracted 26,000 volunteers; and built hundreds of miles of trails, 70 parks, and 22 recreational centers. Whew! That’s a fantastic return on investment and great value for the average of $8-12 spent by every Salt Lake County household in a year. THANK YOU voters of Salt Lake County!

Engagement staff received the following email from one of the 81 people who attended: “Thank you so much for putting on this event! I am fairly new to non-seeing side of things. Reaching legal blindness in the last couple of years. My world had gotten much smaller. The list of things I can do on my own, much shorter. It has been a difficult adjustment. One that continues each day. Last night I felt so welcomed, accepted and included. This event showed me that there is more awareness out there of my experience than I knew. Of the way I perceive things as a non-seeing person in a seeing person’s world. My world has been made a bit bigger and brighter again. So much love to you all!”

USUO offers Access to Music, a free annual performance of short, lively orchestral pieces and scenes from opera and operetta by Utah Symphony members and Utah Opera Resident Artists for children with special needs and their families. Audience members are invited to relax and enjoy the concert without the usual expectations of remaining seated and quiet: “We LOVE this event. I literally cannot express in words how much it means to my family and how much fun it is to come knowing that I don’t have to worry about my son making a noise.”

“Songs of Hope presented by Utah Opera’s Resident Artists on the Patient Patio at Huntsman Cancer Institute included a small, socially-distanced audience of patients, staff, and family. Our contact at HCI has shared more than once during the planning process how deeply they have missed live music performances in their lobby during the pandemic.

She was thrilled that Utah Opera was their first guest performance group and reported that a special unplanned encore for an opera-loving patient was proclaimed his “best medicine of the day”!

Each year Utah Symphony | Utah Opera submits a detailed and thorough application and report to Salt Lake County, which are carefully reviewed and vetted by an Advisory Board. The process keeps us accountable to the public and ourselves, and gives us an opportunity to highlight particular events that demonstrate the value of ZAP to our community. The ZAP program has a sunset provision every ten years when voters have a chance to express their approval of its renewal. 2024 is such a year.

Community leaders, mayors, and council members are able to utilize ZAP funds to make their own communities better by supporting local cultural groups and keeping parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities well-maintained and accessible. As the VP of Development for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, I am particularly grateful for the incredible public support my organization receives from the ZAP program. I’ve had the privilege over the many years of my career in the arts to champion the ZAP program since its inception. I hope you share my pride in being a part of a unique model that brings so much joy, creativity, and learning opportunities to residents of all ages.

Memorable stories we’ve highlighted in our applications include the following:

Pennies can add up to big accomplishments. Simple actions can have a profound effect.

Utah Opera offers an annual Blind and Visually-Impaired Night at the Opera. This year, our Education & Community

Exercise your voting privileges and make sure to cast your ballot with a YES vote for Proposition #8 on November 5.

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BRING LAUREL BRASSERIE HOME TO YOUR HOLIDAY TABLE This year, enjoy a gourmet Thanksgiving meal without the stress and mess of cooking. Laurel Brasserie & Bar is dishing out Thanksgiving To-Go with all the fixings.

Order ahead for pick-up on 11/27 or 11/28.* *WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.

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MASTERWORKS

PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION NOVEMBER 15 & 16, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL HANS GRAF, conductor

RAVEL (CLOVIS LARK, ED.)

Une barque sur l’océan (8’)

RAVEL (PIERRE BOULEZ & CLOVIS LARK, ED.)

Alborada del gracioso (7’)

RAVEL

Mother Goose (Ma mère l’Oye) (8’)

I. Prelude II. Dance of the Spinning Wheel III. Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty IV. Conversations of Beauty and the Beast V. Tom Thumb VI. Interlude VII. Empress of the Pagodas VIII. The Fairy Garden INTERMISSION

MUSSORGSKY (ARR. RAVEL)

Pictures at an Exhibition (35’)

Promenade I. Gnomus II. The Old Castle III. Tuileries IV. Bydlo V. Ballet of the Chicks in Their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle VII. Limoges VIII. Catacombs- Cum mortuis in lingua mortua IX. The Hut on Fowl’s Legs (Baba Yaga) X. The Great Gate of Kiev

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ARTIST’S PROFILE — PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

Hans Graf Conductor

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nown for his wide range of repertoire and creative programming, the distinguished Austrian conductor Hans Graf is one of today’s most highly respected and experienced musicians. With Hans Graf, “a brave new world of music-making under inspired direction” (The Straits Times) began at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, where he was unanimously appointed Chief Conductor from the 2020–21 season, and then Music Director from the 2022–23 season.

Maestro Graf also currently holds the title of Principal Guest Conductor of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra of Denmark and formerly served as Music Director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, L’Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, The Basque National Orchestra Euskadi and the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg.

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC

Une barque sur l’ocean (8 minutes)

Alborada del gracioso (7 minutes)

Mother Goose (Ma mère l’Oye) (8 minutes)

THE COMPOSER – MAURICE RAVEL (1875–1937) – For years, Ravel and Debussy were set up as rivals in Paris and, though they did not choose or nurture this “conflict”, the eventual factionalization of their artist community led to a cooling between them. It’s a shame, since the compositional similarities necessary to occasion such a competition were largely invented. Neither man liked being called an Impressionist (which they were then and still are today) and likely resented how the superficiality of the designation masked their individuality as artists. That said, it is difficult to fault their contemporaries for declaring them kindred. In addition to their comparable harmonic and formal innovations, both composers wrote prodigiously and colorfully for the piano. And both liked to convert those works into orchestral masterpieces.

THE HISTORY – Ravel wrote his piano collection Miroirs (Reflections) during 1904 and 1905. In his description of the music, he bristled (lightly) by admitting he knew the title would invite the expected tag of Impressionism. It was “a rather fleeting analogy”, he said, “since Impressionism does not seem to have any precise meaning outside the domain of painting.” Each of the five movements of Miroirs was dedicated to a member of a rebellious fraternity of young artists and performers known as les Apaches (“the houligans”), to which Ravel belonged. No. 3 of the set was Une barque sur l’ocean (A Boat on the Ocean) and it was no doubt measured against Debussy’s La mer when it was orchestrated in 1906. No. 4 of the set was Alborada del gracioso, usually translated as “morning song of the jester”. When the suite was completed in 1905, Ravel applied a personal dedication to each movement. Une barque surl’océan was dedicated to his friend Paul Sordes, the painter, and Alborada del gracioso honors his friend and supporter M.D. Calvocoressi, a music critic and early supporter of his work.

Maurice Ravel’s Ma mère l’Oye, which he wrote for the young piano students Mimi and Jean Godebski in 1908, is neither simple to play nor sounds that way. It is full

of subtlety and syncopation, with scales that were still experimental at the turn of the 20th century and harmonies tinged with the exotic. What’s more, as originally written for piano four hands, two performers must coordinate their playing with the very adult degree of precision that the famously demanding Ravel expected. It did not take long for this enchanting suite to win grownup admirers and command orchestral and solo arrangements. As originally scored, it was premiered in concert at the Société Musicale Indépendante in April 1910 by Jeanne Leleu and Geneviève Durony. That same year, Ravel arranged it for a single pianist, published the original version and created his orchestral version. The fairy tales of Ravel’s musical narratives are drawn from the traditional French Ma mère l’Oye as edited by Charles Perrault in 1697. Though these became associated with the English phrase “Mother Goose,” the literal “Mother Egg” seems more closely related to the image of the Russian nesting Matryushka dolls and the folk tales of Baba Yaga that eventually made their way throughout Europe and across the Atlantic.

THE CONNECTION – Une barque sur l’ocean appeared on the Utah Symphony Masterworks series most recently in February of 2022 with Thierry Fischer conducting.

Alborada del gracioso was last performed by the Utah Symphony in March 2016 led by Matthias Pintscher.

Mother Goose was presented in November 2017 under the baton of Matthias Pintscher.

Pictures at an Exhibition Duration: 35 minutes in ten sections (played without pause).

THE COMPOSER – MODEST MUSSORGSKY (18391881) – When his opera Boris Godunov premiered with great public success in 1874, Mussorgsky seemed at the pinnacle of his career. He was not, however, at his best personally. Mussorgsky was highly sensitive to the critical reactions to Boris, which ran counter to those of the audience and included some particularly harsh words from his colleague Cesar Cui and the venerable Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Terms like “immature” and “hasty” were used, alongside phrases to describe the music’s “sheer awkwardness”, “lack of polish” and “a disarray…of ideas”.

Perhaps not surprisingly, signs of ill health and a return to drinking also marked the period for Mussorgsky, as the pattern of self-abuse that hastened his grim decline had well and truly begun.

Continued on the next page…

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC

THE HISTORY – Russian architect and artist Victor Hartmann, a dear friend of Mussorgsky, had passed away in 1873 and the composer took the loss very badly.

Hartmann had been only 39 when an aneurism took him and left such a void in the community that orbited around the Balakirev Circle of Russian composers.

The group included Balakirev, Cui, Borodin, RimskyKorsakov and Mussorgsky and it was with the latter that Hartmann formed the deepest connection. Mussorgsky was present in 1974 when the Academy of Arts opened a commemorative exhibition of Hartmann’s work. The sober experience of moving among his friend’s images inspired what has become Mussorgsky’s most famous music. Pictures at an Exhibition began as a cycle of character pieces for piano, each movement based on various Hartmann works and occasionally separated by “Promenades” that depict Mussorgsky’s progress through the gallery. The composer’s letter to mutual friend and exhibition organizer Vladimir Stassov show the depth of feeling that informed the music. “[O]ne cannot and must not be comforted,” he wrote, “there can be and must be no consolation – it is a rotten mortality!” So, if not comfort, Mussorgsky certainly found much to fire his creative

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imagination. He told Stassov that he was “ingesting” the sounds that “hung in the air” around their friend’s work and that he could “scarcely manage to scribble them down on paper” quickly enough. Sadly, Mussorgsky would not live to see his tribute presented in its now traditional orchestral robes. Though the 1891 premiere featured the arrangement of Mikhail Tushmalov, it is Maurice Ravel’s utterly brilliant orchestration that we know best today. Serge Koussevitsky, arguably the 20th Century’s most influential commissioner, hired Ravel to do it in 1922 and performed his version that October with the Boston Symphony.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1874, Denmark granted Iceland a constitution and limited home rule, Far From the Madding Crowd was published by English novelist Thomas Hardy and cartoonist Thomas Nast first symbolized the American Republican Party with the image of an elephant.

THE CONNECTION – Pictures at an Exhibition has been performed many times by Utah Symphony, most recently in April 2017 under the direction of Andrew Litton.

November 2, 2024 beginning at 11:00am Libby Gardner Concert Hall University of Utah The Utah District round of the competition is open to the public and admission is free. Visit UtahMONCAuditions.org after October 25 to view a schedule of singers and updated competition times.

The Utah District round of the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominque Laffont Competition is supported in part by the residents of Salt Lake County through the Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) Program and by the University of Utah School of Music.

SEASON

2024–25 Sept. 11

BEN FOLDS PAPER AIRPLANE REQUEST TOUR

Sept. 21

JESSICA VOSK IN MY LIVING ROOM: JESSICA VOSK CELEBRATES BROADWAY, FILM, AND THE LADIES OF THE LAUREL CANYON

Oct. 12

Jan. 27

HONOLULU THEATRE FOR YOUTH PRESENTS: THE PA’AKAI WE BRING

Jan. 31

THE PEKING ACROBATS®

Feb. 13

NEW ORLEANS SONGBOOK A JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER PRESENTS PRODUCTION

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MASTERWORKS

BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” SYMPHONY NOVEMBER 21, 2024 / 7:30 PM / THE NOORDA AT UVU NOVEMBER 22 & 23, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL MARKUS POSCHNER, conductor BENJAMIN GROSVENOR, piano

BRITTEN

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 13 (33’) I. Toccata: Allegro molto e con brio II. Waltz: Allegretto III. Impromptu: Andante lento IV. March: Allegro moderato, sempre alla marcia BENJAMIN GROSVENOR, piano INTERMISSION

BEETHOVEN

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Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica” (47’) I. II. III. IV.

Allegro con brio Marcia funebre: Adagio assai Scherzo: Allegro vivace Finale: Allegro molto

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HARRIS AND AMANDA SIMMONS

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES — BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” SYMPHONY

Markus Poschner Conductor

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ince taking over as principal conductor of the Bruckner Orchestra Linz in 2017, Markus Poschner and the top Austrian ensemble have been delighting audiences and the international press alike. His vision is to find new Bruckner interpretations. 2020 Bruckner Orchestra Linz was named “Orchestra of the Year” and himself “Conductor of the Year” in Austria.

Since winning the German Conductors Award, Markus Poschner has made guest appearances at many internationally renowned orchestras and opera houses, including Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberger Symphoniker, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, The Konzerthausorchester Berlin, RSB Berlin, Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, The Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Netherlands Philharmonic, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, NHK Tokio, Utah Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra as well as being present at Opera houses in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Zurich.

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JOANNE SHIEBLER GUEST ARTIST FUND

Benjamin Grosvenor Piano

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ritish pianist Benjamin Grosvenor is internationally recognized for his sonorous lyricism and understated brilliance at the keyboard.

His virtuosic interpretations are underpinned by a unique balance of technical mastery and intense musicality. Grosvenor is regarded as one of the most important pianists to emerge in several decades, with Gramophone recently acknowledging him as one of the top 50 pianists ever on record.

Concerto highlights of the 2024–2025 season include debuts with Bamberg and NHK Symphony Orchestras alongside a UK tour with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Karina Canellakis and returns to Montreal, Utah, Seattle, Bern, Dallas, BBC, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, and the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Grosvenor is also a featured artist at the Theatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, appearing for both concerto and solo recital performances during the same week in February 2025.

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LAWRENCE T. AND JANET T. DEE FOUNDATION

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC

Piano Concerto, Op. 13 Duration: 33 minutes in four movements.

THE COMPOSER – BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913-1976) – Britten lost someone and gained someone in 1937. His mother passed away that year, a hard moment for him, but he also met the person who would become the most important in his life. This was the tenor Peter Pears, and their intense connection would grow quickly from professional to personal. Both men were pacifists. So, when it became difficult in 1939 to speak out against war in Britain, they left for North America. Not much of the concert music Britten wrote during the years just before his self-imposed exile has had any lasting popularity, or even the momentary kind. The one exception to this disappointing rule is the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge for string orchestra.

THE HISTORY – Work as a movie scorer and radio show composer with the GPO Film Unit (strangely, a division of the UK Postal Service) kept Britten busy from 1935 to 1937.

He wrote some 40 works for the group and was introduced there to W. H. Auden, who became a trusted friend and collaborator. In early 1938, perhaps finally ready to move on from all the film music, Britten began work on a Piano Concerto that he himself would premiere at the Proms that summer. It was his first major piece for the piano and, though he was only 24 at the time, there wouldn’t be many others. Pianist Steven Osborne, in an excellent video essay on the Britten Pears Arts website, posits that Britten was an outstanding pianist in his own right, but not a showman, and that maybe he shied away from soloistic piano writing throughout his life because of his introverted nature. It is also possible that Britten never wrote another concerto for his instrument because the first one didn’t stick. The original version (which he did hopefully call “No. 1”) had four movements. Osborne describes them as “character pieces”, completely without pretentions of grandness. In order, they are Toccata, Waltz, Recitative and Aria, March.

Britten reworked a good amount of the score in 1945 and changed out the third movement entirely in favor of an Impromptu, but the iteration he performed at Queen’s Hall in 1938 was very much a pre-war, as opposed to post-, experience for the audience. The invasion of Poland was still a year away at that time, but Hitler’s annexation of Austria was current news. With the Waltz and the March in particular, Britten’s music seemed to acknowledge the wistful lost innocence and creeping dread of the moment.

It is a pity the Concerto has not been a staple of virtuosic pianists since its premiere. It has everything they might need—technical bravura, fascinating historical subtext and emotional complexity to spare.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1938, Turkish President Kemal Ataturk died, as did American Civil Rights Lawyer Clarence Darrow, Ireland elected Douglas Hyde as its first president and nuclear fission was discovered in Germany by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann.

THE CONNECTION – Britten’s rare Piano Concerto has not been heard on a Utah Symphony concert since 1948.

Jacques Abram was soloist and Maurice Abraanel conducted.

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 “Eroica” Duration: 47 minutes in four movements.

THE COMPOSER – LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (17701827) – The Heiligenstadt Testament, Beethoven’s great literary cry of despair, was penned in 1802. Though remembered today like a papal bull, it was simply a letter to his brothers Karl and Johann, in which he explained his recent retreat from the world because of his worsening deafness. “Ah,” he wrote, “how can I admit to an infirmity in the one sense which ought to be more perfect in me than in others”. It is a heartbreaking statement grief, the Testament, but Beethoven was little more than a year removed from writing it when he began his world-changing 3rd Symphony. Such a work seems at odds with the agony he felt but Beethoven was a man capable of the firmest resolve when necessary. And he knew a “new path” needed finding.

THE HISTORY – The 3rd Symphony of Beethoven could have stood as a pivotal moment in the history of the symphony genre based solely on its musical merits.

It represents, after all, the beginning of the innovative “Middle” period of his compositional canon. But it was also blessed from the start with a legendary dedication story, a story so impossible not to mention, it has become impervious to scrutiny. We know without doubt that Beethoven originally entitled the symphony “Bonaparte” after Napoleon, who was then merely the impressive First Consul of France. When Napoleon declared himself Emperor in 1804, Beethoven apparently flew into a rage at the impertinence of such a tyrannical act and un-dedicated his new symphony by ripping the score’s title sheet in half and tossing it down in disgust. Another version of the tale only has him scratching out Napoleon’s name with a knife or perhaps an eraser. This latter option at least is

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC borne out by some physical proof (search for the image on the web and you’ll see it), but the page-tearing scenario persists thanks to certain trusted biographies. He might well have done both! The one sure truth is that, by the time of its publication in 1806, Beethoven had no more love for Napolean. The symphony that briefly shared his name became known as “Eroica” and was dedicated to Beethoven’s patron Prince Lobkowitz. Symphony No. 3 represented a shocking upheaval in the world of music. It was longer, more forcefully complex and less emotionally comfortable than anything the 1805 Vienna audience (or any audience anywhere for that matter) would have heard before. Harsh complaints and upturned noses were plenty, but the air of artistic uprising must have been intoxicating for even the most traditional listeners. Beethoven found his

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“new path” in “Eroica”, and he was never again simply a composer. From then on, he was a creator of monuments.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1804, Haiti became the first black republic to declare independence, Lewis and Clark began their expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase and Spain declared war on England (again).

THE CONNECTION – “Eroica” is performed quite often by the Utah Symphony on the Masterworks Series. The most recent concerts occurred in December 2020 under the direction of Thierry Fischer.

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SPECIAL EVENT

SALUTE TO YOUTH NOVEMBER 27, 2024 / 5:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL JESSICA RIVERO ALTARRIBA, conductor

For Ms. Altarriba’s bio, please see p. 53

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

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FEATURE - SALUTE TO YOUTH

CELEBRATING YOUNG TALENT: Utah Symphony’s Salute to Youth Program

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or decades, the Utah Symphony’s Salute to Youth program has been a beacon for young musicians, providing a prestigious platform for them to showcase their talent and work ethic. This annual event, which began in 1960, celebrates the future of classical music as the audience witnesses the exceptional abilities of the next generation of musicians.

The Audition Process

Each year, vocalists and instrumentalists between the ages of 12 and 23 from across Utah audition for the chance to perform with the Utah Symphony. But, the path to performing at Salute to Youth is rigorous as it begins with an intensely competitive blind audition process. During auditions, each participant performs a concerto movement or a comparable solo piece. A panel of distinguished judges evaluates each performance based on technical proficiency, musicality, and overall presentation. The identity of each musician is concealed from the judges to prevent bias. The level of hard work and talent displayed by these young musicians is consistently impressive, making the selection process challenging for the judges.

Once selected, the soloists embark on a journey of preparation, working closely with Utah Symphony

conductors and musicians to perfect their performances.

This preparation involves not only mastering their solo parts but also understanding how to interact with the orchestra and respond to the conductor—all of which are essential skills for any soloist.

A Night to Remember

The culmination of months of hard work and preparation is the Salute to Youth concert—a night dedicated to celebrating the achievements of these exceptional young musicians. Held at Abravanel Hall, this performance is a longtime local favorite, drawing the perfomers family, friends, and an audience eager to witness performances by those representing the future of classical music.

For many of the soloists, performing with the Utah Symphony is a dream come true. The opportunity to stand on stage, backed by a full professional orchestra, is a moment that few young musicians get to experience. This performance is often a milestone in their musical careers, providing them with the confidence and inspiration to pursue their dreams further.

Impact Beyond The Stage

While the Salute to Youth concert is the program’s most visible component, the impact of the program extends far beyond the stage. For many participants, the experience of Salute to Youth is transformative, inspiring them to continue their musical education and pursue careers in music.

Just one example of this can be seen from the most recent 2023–24 season. For the opening performance of the season, which featured Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony, Utah Symphony welcomed Aubree Oliverson (a previous Salute to Youth winner from 2013 at age 15) to the stage to perform Barber’s Violin Concerto. Her return, and ensuing performance, were marked by a standing ovation and whole-hearted audience enthusiasm.

Salute to Youth highlights the Utah Symphony’s commitment to community engagement and education.

By providing young musicians with this platform, USUO is fostering the next generation of musicians and enriching the cultural life of Utah.

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SPECIAL EVENT

MESSIAH SING-IN NOVEMBER 30, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL DECEMBER 1, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL JESSICA RIVERO ALTARRIBA, conductor STEPHANIE CHEE, AARON MCKONE, SARAH SCOFIELD, RODNEY SHARP II, Utah Opera Resident Artists Utah Symphony Chorus AUSTIN MCWILLIAMS, chorus director

CONCERT SPONSOR

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CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

ORCHESTRA SPONSOR

MESSIAH SING-IN

G. Schirmer Baerenreiter Sinfonia Comfort ye, comfort ye my people 7 4 Ev’ry valley shall be exalted 10 7 And the Glory of the Lord** 16 12 Thus saith the Lord 24 22 But who may abide the day 27 25 And he shall purify** 36 35 Behold, a virgin shall conceive 47 45 O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion** 47 46 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth 60 58 The people that walked in darkness 62 60 For unto us a Child is Born** 66 64 There were shepherds abiding in the field 79 83 And the angel said unto them 80 84 And suddenly, there was with the angel 81 85 Glory to God in the Highest** 82 86 Rejoice Greatly, O daughter of Zion 87 101 His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light 98 105 INTERMISSION Part II Behold the Lamb of God** He was despised and rejected of Men Surely He hath borne our griefs** And with His stripes we are healed** All we like sheep have gone astray** All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn He trusted in God** He was cut off But Thou didst not leave His soul in Hell Why do the nations so furiously rage He that dwelleth in Heaven Though shalt break them with a rod of iron Hallelujah** Part III I know that my Redeemer liveth Since by man came death Behold, I tell you a mystery The trumpet shall sound Worthy is the Lamb** Amen**

104 108 113 117 122 131 132 141 141 174 189 189 193

113 118 123 128 135 148 150 162 163 215 233 234 238

204 210 214 214 237

251 257 260 261 287

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES

For Ms. Altarriba’s bio, please see p. 53

Stephanie Chee

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riginally from Sunnyvale, CA, soprano Stephanie Chee received her Master of Music degree from Rice University and her Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University. Recent roles include Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia and Valletto in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Stephanie was awarded an Encouragement Award in the San Francisco District of the 2023 Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, an Emerging Talent Award in the 2023 Lotte Lenya Competition, first place in the 2022 Fox Valley Collegiate Voice Competition, second place in the 2022 Upper College Treble Voices Division of the National Student Auditions, and the Farwell Trust Award in the 2022 Musicians Club of Women Voice Competition. This summer, she joined the Manetti-Shrem Opera Program as a Vocal Fellow, covering Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and performing in scenes with the Festival Napa Valley Orchestra.

Aaron McKone

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aron McKone has been deemed a “rising star” and praised for his “ardent tenor”. He is very excited to join Utah Opera for their 20242025 season. In past seasons, Aaron was a Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, a resident artist with Opera Naples in Florida, and a vocal fellow at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina. He has also performed with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with Paris’ Opéra Comique and was a featured soloist with the National Orchestral Institute and Festival, the Lima Symphony in Ohio, and the York County Choral Society.

Some notable roles Aaron has sung are Faust (Faust), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Laërte (Hamlet), Galileo (Galileo Galilei), and Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus). Aaron received his bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Winthrop University and his master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Artist Diploma from The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Tom Baresel and Stuart Skelton. In his free time, Aaron enjoys spoiling his cat, Momo, reading fantasy novels, and playing board games with friends.

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ARTISTS’ PROFILES

Sarah Scofield

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rench American mezzo-soprano Sarah Scofield is a second-year Resident Artist with Utah Opera. She received her Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in the spring of 2023 and was a winner of the Utah District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition this past year. Sarah most recently appeared with Utah Opera as Myrtale (Thaïs) and as The Fox (The Little Prince). She also performed as the mezzo soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Utah Symphony. Her other recent roles include Narciso (Agrippina), Die Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), and Messaggiera (L’Orfeo). Dedicated to accessibility in the arts, Sarah was recently a part of the LYNX Project’s Amplify Series, performing settings of texts by non-speaking autistic youth with the Cincinnati Song Initiative. Sarah also holds credits from Cincinnati Opera Fusion: New Works, Music Academy of the West, and Songfest. When not singing Sarah is likely to be found hiking with her dog Cricket or participating in citizen science initiatives.

RESIDENT MEZZO-SOPRANO SPONSOR

CHARLES BOYNTON

Rodney Sharp II

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merican baritone, Rodney Sharp II, from Fort Worth, Texas holds a B.M. from Prairie View A&M University and a M.M. from Arizona State University. Some of Rodney’s favorite roles performed are Peter (Hänsel und Gretel), Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi), and Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress). He’s sang as a soloist in concert works like Mozart’s Requiem, Kodaly’s Missa Brevis, and Schubert’s Mass in G. Praised for his “…deep and robust voice combining strong vocalism and magnetic presence, he is a natural scene stealer.” Rodney is an advocate of classical music by African American composers and strives to present works representing the African American experience. Offstage, you can find Rodney in the kitchen cooking for people close to him or binge watching Rupaul’s Drag Race.

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HISTORY OF THE MUSIC

By Jeff Counts

Messiah THE HISTORY – The commission opportunity that stalled the (presumed) flight back to the continent was nothing less than Messiah. Done for good with opera and the fickle tastes that governed its relevance, Handel found in Messiah a return to a more weatherproof genre (in England at least)—that of the oratorio. He completed the score during a 24-day fury in the late summer of 1741 and by the reactions of the Irish press during the rehearsals and 1742 Dublin premiere, it was clear that the quickness of its creation did not speak to a lack of assured quality or effectiveness. “The finest composition of music that ever was heard,” went one comment and another claimed, “Words are wanting to describe the exquisite delight it afforded the admiring and crowded audience.”

As much as the piece meant to Handel’s career at the time,

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he couldn’t know it was destined for the truly rarified air of “official annual tradition” throughout the English-speaking world in the centuries to come. The practice of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus comes from a convenient, if completely speculative, legend. No one really knows for sure whether or not King George II stood for it in 1743, making it necessary for all of his subjects to do the same and inadvertently setting a precedent.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1742, Swedish scientist Anders Celsius created the first version of his temperature scale, Benjamin Franklin invented what was to become the “Franklin Stove,” and Russian Czarina Elizabeth cruelly ordered the expulsion of the Jews from her kingdom.

THE CONNECTION – Messiah is performed every season by the Utah Symphony as part of the traditional “sing-in.”

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Dan & Janet Myers Nebeker Family Foundation Marilyn H. Neilson Maura & Serge Olszanskyj Stanley B. & Joyce M. Parrish Mr.† & Mrs. James Patterson Barbara Perry Michelle Peterson & Richard Scott Cynthia & George Petrow George & Janet Pilko Roxanne Post-Gilbert Steve Price Gina Rieke Nancy Rossman Ted & Lori Samuels Nathan & Shannon Savage Daniel & Sari Schachtel August L. Schultz Frances & Ron Schwarz Carl Sedlak Roger & Connie Seegmiller Gerald† & Sharon Seiner Bianca Shepard Mr. Jeffrey W. Shields & Ms. Mary Ross Barbara Slaymaker Denise & Denis Smith Janette Smith Dr. & Mrs. Michael H. Stevens Emily Stewart Briant Summerhays Jay Teevan Jeff Trocin Dr. Albert & Yvette Ungricht Dr. James C. Warenski Stephen & Elizabeth Watson Michael D. Weiner Dan & Amy Wilcox David B.† & Anne Wirthlin

LEGACY GIVING

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is grateful to those donors who have made commitments to our Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund is a vital resource that helps the long-term well-being and stability of USUO, and through its annual earnings, supports our Annual Fund. For further information, please contact 801-869-9015.

Anonymous Edward R. Ashwood & Candice A. Johnson Gael Benson C. Comstock Clayton Foundation Estate of Alexander Bodi The Elizabeth Brown Dee Fund for Music in the Schools Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation Thomas D. Dee III & Dr. Candace Dee Hearst Foundation Estate of John Henkels Roger & Susan Horn Carolyn T. Irish Revocable Trust Estate of Marylin Lindsay The Right Reverend Carolyn Tanner Irish† and Mr. Frederick Quinn Estate of Loretta M. Kearns Vicki McGregor Edward Moreton Estate of Pauline C. Pace The Linda & Don Price Guest Artist Fund Perkins-Prothro Foundation Kenneth† & Jerrie Randall The Evelyn Rosenblatt Young Artist Award Bill† & Joanne Shiebler Steven P. Sondrop Family Trust James R. & Susan Swartz Clark L. Tanner Foundation Norman C. & Barbara L. Tanner Charitable Trust Norman C. & Barbara L. Tanner Second Charitable Trust O.C. Tanner Company Estate of Frederic & Marilyn Wagner M. Walker† & Sue Wallace† Jack & Mary Lois Wheatley Family Trust Edward & Marelynn† Zipser

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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MEMORIALS & TRIBUTES Many donors have made gifts to Utah Symphony | Utah Opera in memory or to honor friends and loved ones.

Thank you for your generous tributes.

In Memory of Amy Shari Fisher

In Memory of Blake McDonald Rebekah Johnson

In Memory of Georgia Bennion Cynthia & William H. Kennedy

In Memory of Frank & Maxine McIntyre Jerilyn McEntyre

In Memory of Janice Ione Berghout Ann Berghout Austin

In Honor of Warren K. (Sandy) McOmber Virginia McOmber

In Memory of Robert H. Burgoyne, M.D. Marianne Burgoyne

In Memory of Glade & Mardean Peterson Leslie Peterson & Kevin Higgins

In Memory of James O. Clark Elaine Clark

In Loving Memory of Charles Philbin Annie-Lewis & Ralph Garda Dr. & Mrs. Tom M. McDougal

In Memory of Norman & Charleen Clark Melissa Quigley In Memory of Frances Darger The Bennett Family Rolayne Fairclough Fridolyn Hicks June Ragan In Memory of Jack G. Edwards Leslie Edwards In Memory of Ellen Samantha Allison In Memory of Lynne Farmer CJ Robinson

In Memory of Dan Ragan June Ragan In Memory of Norm Rosenblatt Susan & John Walker In Memory of Nedra S. Robison Greg & Anne Robison In Memory of Rodney S. & Carol S. Rougelot Renee Woodell

In Honor of Georgia Gates DeAnn McCune

In Memory of Bill Shiebler Mark & Dianne Prothro Swartz Foundation Allison Weiss

In Memory of Gail Gerlach Larry Gerlach

In Memory of Robert C. Sloan, Jr. Bruce & Julie Newton

In Memory of Carolyn Hanks Matt & Nancy Dorny

In Memory of Willard & Evelyn Smith Jerilyn McEntyre & David Smith

In Memory of Carl & LeAnn Hoyal Joan Dye

In Memory of Linda Twitchell Brenda N. Koga

In Memory of Karen Johnson Bryce Johnson

In Memory of Sheila Van Frank Jodi Graham Jeff Nielsen

In Memory of Gary B Kitching, M.D. Allison Kitching In Memory of Morris Lee Catherine W. Smith

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In Memory of Maria A. Proser Matthew Proser

In Honor of Keith Lockhart June Ragan USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

In Memory of Judy Watts Brady Drew W. Browning In Memory of Carol Zimmerman Patrick Zimmerman

INSTITUTIONAL DONORS

We thank our generous donors for their annual support of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. * in-kind donation ** in-kind & cash donations

$100,000 or more The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation Dominion Energy Arts Foundation George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation

Marriner S. Eccles Foundation Emma Eccles Jones Foundation Frederick Q. Lawson Foundation LOVE Communications** Marriott Residence Inn*

Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation O.C. Tanner Company Sorenson Legacy Foundation Stowell Leadership Group, LLC* Zions Bank

$50,000 - $99,999 47G Utah Aerospace & Defense The Florence J. Gillmor Foundation Janet Q. Lawson Foundation Anonymous Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Moreton & Company Crocker Catalyst Foundation The Grand America Hotel & Salt Lake Chamber Cultural Vision Fund Little America Hotel* World Trade Center Utah $25,000 - $49,999 Arnold Machinery BMW of Murray | BMW of Pleasant Grove Joan & John† Firmage John & Carol Firmage Vicki & Bill Bennion Carol Franc Buck Foundation Cache Valley Electric

Charles Maxfield & Gloria F. Parrish Foundation Deer Valley Resort* Joanne L. Shrontz Family Foundation The Kahlert Foundation McCarthey Family Foundation Moreton Family Foundation

Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation Richard K. & Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation Simmons Family Foundation Summit Sotheby’s

$10,000 - $24,999 Altabank HJ & BR Barlow Foundation B.W. Bastian Foundation Bertin Family Foundation R. Harold Burton Foundation Caffé Molise*

Marie Eccles Caine Foundation-Russell Family The Capital Group Greenberg Traurig Joseph & Kathleen Sorenson Legacy Foundation Millburn & Company S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney Foundation

St. Regis / Deer Crest Club** The Joseph & Evelyn Rosenblatt Charitable Fund Stay Park City The Swartz Foundation University of Utah Health Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce

USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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INSTITUTIONAL DONORS

$1,000 - $9,999 Anonymous Rodney H. & Carolyn Hansen Brady Charitable Foundation Cambia Health Foundation Chartway Credit Union Spencer F. & Cleone P. Eccles Family Foundation EcoView Windows & Doors Grandeur Peak Global Advisors Holland & Hart

Homewood Suites by Hilton* Intermountain Healthcare J. Wong’s Thai & Chinese Bistro* Kennecott Utah Copper LLC KKC Foundation Lee’s Marketplace Merit Medical Systems, Inc. Mountain America Credit Union Mountain Temp Services, LLC Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau Ray, Quinney & Nebeker Foundation Rocky Mountain Power Foundation Ruth’s Chris Steak House* Salsa Queen Serving Table 22* Snow, Christensen & Martineau Foundation Summerhays Music Center Utah Autism Foundation

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera would like to especially thank our major sources of public funding that help us to fulfill our mission and serve our community.

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TANNER & CRESCENDO SOCIETIES

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera offers sincere thanks to our patrons who have included USUO in their financial and estate planning.

TANNER SOCIETY OF UTAH SYMPHONY Beethoven Circle (gifts valued at more than $100,000) Anonymous (3) Doyle Arnold & Anne Glarner Edward R. Ashwood & Candice A. Johnson Dr. J. Richard Baringer Haven J. Barlow† Dr. Melissa J. Bentley Marcy & Mark Casp Shelly Coburn Raymond & Diana Compton

Anne C. Ewers Annette W. & Joseph Q. Jarvis Flemming & Lana Jensen James Read Lether Daniel & Noemi P. Mattis Anthony & Carol W. Middleton, Jr., M.D. Robert & Diane Miner Glenn Prestwich Kenneth A.† & Jeraldine S. Randall

Mr.† & Mrs. Alvin Richer Patricia A. Richards & William K. Nichols Sharon & David† Richards Harris H. & Amanda P. Simmons E. Jeffery & Joyce Smith G.B. & B.F. Stringfellow Mr.† & Mrs. M. Walker Wallace

Herbert C.† & Wilma Livsey Dianne May Jerry & Marcia McClain Jim & Andrea Naccarato Stephen H. & Mary Nichols Craig S. Ogan Hal Noyce Mr. & Mrs. Scott Parker Mr. & Mrs.† Michael A. Pazzi Richard Q. Perry Chase† & Grethe† Peterson

Glenn H. & Karen F. Peterson Thomas A. & Sally† Quinn Dan† & June Ragan Mr. Grant Schettler Glenda & Robert† Shrader Mr. Robert C. Steiner & Dr. Jacquelyn Erbin† JoLynda Stillman Joann Svikhart Edward J. & Marelynn† Zipser

Mahler Circle Anonymous (3) Eva-Maria Adolphi Dr. Robert H.† & Marianne Harding Burgoyne Richard Clegg Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth E. Coombs Paul (Hap) & Ann† Green Robert & Carolee Harmon Richard G. & Shauna† Horne Virginia A. Hughes Turid V. Lipman

CRESCENDO SOCIETY OF UTAH OPERA Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. William C. Bailey Judy Brady† & Drew W. Browning Dr. Robert H.† & Marianne Harding Burgoyne Shelly Coburn Travis & Jamie Donio Anne C. Ewers Joseph & Pat Gartman

Paul (Hap) & Ann† Green Annette W. & Joseph Q. Jarvis Edward R. Ashwood & Candice A. Johnson Clark D. Jones Turid V. Lipman Herbert C. & Wilma Livsey Richard W. & Frances P. Muir Marilyn H. Neilson

Carol & Ted Newlin Patricia A. Richards & William K. Nichols Mr.† & Mrs. Alvin Richer Jeffrey W. Shields G.B. & B.F. Stringfellow Dr. Ralph & Judith Vander Heide Edward J. & Marelynn† Zipser

† Deceased USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT DONATE TODAY Utah Symphony | Utah Opera relies on donations from music lovers like you to fulfill our mission to connect the community through great live music. Your contribution supports extensive education programs, artistic excellence, and accessible musical experiences for all.

Right now, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation is matching all new or increased donations dollar for dollar. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to amplify the impact of your generosity!

DONATE ONLINE AT USUO.ORG/GIVE OR BY CALLING 801-869-9200

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USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

LEAVE A LEGACY ENSURE THE FUTURE MAKE A PLANNED GIFT You can have a lasting impact on the arts in our community while meeting your financial goals today. It’s simple (and often tax-advantageous) to include your favorite charities (like Utah Symphony | Utah Opera!) in your estate plans.

Whether through a bequest, beneficiary designation, or other planned giving option, your gift of any size ensures that the beauty and power of music will continue to inspire generations to come.

Please reach out to us or your financial advisor with any questions about the financial and donor benefits of legacy giving.

Find out more: 801-869-9200 | usuo.org/planned-giving USUO.ORG | (801) 533-NOTE

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA 123 West South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101 801-533-5626 EDITOR

Megs Vincent HUDSON PRINTING COMPANY www.hudsonprinting.com 241 West 1700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84115 801-486-4611 AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES PROVIDED BY

Tanner, llc LEGAL REPRESENTATION PROVIDED BY

Greenberg Traurig, llp Parsons Behle & Latimer, llp

ADVERTISING MEDIA & WEBSITE SERVICES PROVIDED BY

Love Communications, Salt Lake City

The organization is committed to equal opportunity in employment practices and actions, i.e. recruitment, employment, compensation, training, development, transfer, reassignment, corrective action and promotion, without regard to one or more of the following protected class: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, family status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and political affiliation or belief.

Maurice Abravanel Hall and and The Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre are owned and operated by the Salt Lake County Center for the Arts.

By participating in or attending any activity in connection with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, whether on or off the performance premises, you consent to the use of any print or digital photographs, pictures, film, or videotape taken of you for publicity, promotion, television, websites, or any other use, and expressly waive any right of privacy, compensation, copyright, or ownership right connected to same.

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