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Table of Contents

WELCOME 6

21 CARMINA BURANA

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 10 UTAH SYMPHONY 12

Dan Miller President

USUO STAFF 18 FROM YOUNG ARTISTS TO ARTS PARTNERS 48 FINDING MOTION IN MUSIC 60 AN INTERVIEW WITH OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR DESIGNATE MARKUS POSCHNER 68

Cynthia Bell Snow Office Administrator

31 LA VIDA LOCA: LATIN POP HITS

USUO SPONSORS 14 MUSICAL MOMENTS AT USUO 16

Jackie Medina Art Director/ Production Manager Patrick Witmer Publication Designer/ Web Development

34 THE MAGICAL MUSIC OF HARRY POTTER

Ken Magleby Patrick Witmer Graphic Designers Paula Bell Dan Miller Advertising Representatives

37 PROKOFIEV’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3

43 COPLAND, IVES, & A GUITAR CONCERTO

51 VERDI’S LA TRAVIATA

Julia Lyon Editor UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA program is published by Mills Publishing, Inc., 772 East 3300 South, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84106. Phone: 801.467.8833 Email: advertising@millspub.com Website: millspub.com. Mills Publishing produces playbills for many performing arts groups. Advertisers do not necessarily agree or disagree with content or views expressed on stage. Please contact us for playbill advertising opportunities.

INDIVIDUAL DONORS 77 LEGACY GIVING 83

Mills Publishing, Inc. Publisher

66 BEN FOLDS

MEMORIALS & TRIBUTES 84 INSTITUTIONAL DONORS 85 TANNER & CRESCENDO SOCIETIES 87 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 90

73 BRUCKNER’S SYMPHONY NO. 4

Please scan the QR code if you’d like to view a digital version of the publication.

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Welcome

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, AND STAFF OF UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA,

it is our pleasure to welcome you to today’s performance. We conclude this exceptional season of great live music with four classical orchestral programs, a beloved opera, and several non-traditional performances that invite a broader audience to experience the thrill of live music performed by our renowned professional orchestra—Utah’s first major league team.

The final two months of our 2025–26 Season in Maurice Abravanel Hall include orchestral works led by world-class conductors and feature extraordinary soloists with the outstanding musicians of our orchestra and chorus. April begins with the widely-popular Carmina Burana, greatest Latin Pop hits of the ‘90s and ‘00s, and a program designed with families in mind—The Magical Music of Harry Potter. Next, conductor Andrew Manze makes his Utah Symphony debut with a program featuring Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Simon Trpčeski and Creative Partner David Robertson returns to lead a program of American music by Copland, Ives, and Steven Mackey. The season crescendo builds in May as we close the Utah Opera season with Verdi’s venerated La traviata at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. Rounding out Verdi’s iconic music performed by our exceptional musicians and guest artists, our production includes richly detailed costumes brought to life by the artisans in our in-house costume studio and thoughtful staging by Garnett Bruce (learn about his concept on pp. 58–59) detailed with choreography by Daniel Charon (read more about Charon’s collaborations with Utah Opera on pp. 60–61). Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer Ben Folds joins the Utah Symphony for a special one-night-only concert on Tuesday, May 12 and the finale of the Utah Symphony Masterworks season features Music Director Designate Markus Poschner (learn more about his background and goals for our future on pp. 68–70) along with 2024 Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition Winner Youl Sun performing Piano Concerto No. 5 “The Egyptian” by Saint-Saëns and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 “Romantic.” This summer we will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary at outdoor community venues throughout our breathtaking state during our Music Elevated Tour, June 30 to July 10—learn more about the locations, concert programs, and how to request your FREE tickets at USUO.org/tour. Directly following the tour, we will return to our annual summer home in the cool mountain air of Park City for the 2026 Deer Valley® Music Festival. Markus Poschner will conduct the opening of this year’s five-week festival—visit deervalleymusicfestival.org for details and the full line-up of concerts. We thank you for the energy you bring to our performances, inspiring our artists to create the best symphonic and operatic experiences for and with you. Your presence matters and we look forward to seeing you outdoors this summer and once again in the marvelous settings of Maurice Abravanel Hall and the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre for our 2026–27 season! Please visit USUO.org/schedule for more information about all upcoming performances. Steven Brosvik

President & CEO The O.C. Tanner Chair

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Annette W. Jarvis Chair, Board of Trustees

56 COMPETITORS 14 COUNTRIES

JUNE 14-27 Finals with Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall TICKETS ON SALE NOW! DETAILS AT BACHAUER.COM

The Board of Trustees

ELECTED BOARD Annette W. Jarvis* Chair Judy Moreton* Vice Chair Joanne F. Shiebler* Vice Chair Thomas Wright* Vice Chair Jason Englund* Secretary Steven Brosvik* President & CEO The O.C. Tanner Chair Dr. Stewart E. Barlow Larry Brownstein Paul E. Burdiss

George Cardon-Bystry Gary L. Crocker John D’Arcy* David L. Dee Barry L. Eden* Senator Luz Escamilla Jonathan Freedman Brandon Fugal Marie Gochnour Gardner Dennis H. Hranitzky Stephen Tanner Irish* Thomas N. Jacobson Abigail E. Lowder Derek B. Miller Dr. Dinesh C. Patel Frank R. Pignanelli* Gary B. Porter Jennifer Price-Wallin Shari H. Quinney Miguel R. Rovira Stan Sorensen Aaron Starks

Clint Stone Dr. Shane D. Stowell Thomas Thatcher W. James Tozer David Utrilla Sharlene Wells Don Willie Kim R. Wilson Henry C. Wurts*

Thomas M. Love* David T. Mortensen Scott S. Parker David A. Petersen

Patricia A. Richards* Harris Simmons

Kristen Fletcher Julie Aiken Hansen Richard G. Horne Ronald W. Jibson Dr. Anthony W. Middleton, Jr. Edward Moreton

Marilyn H. Neilson Stanley B. Parrish Marcia Price Jeffrey W. Shields, Esq. E. Jeffery Smith

MUSICIAN REPRESENTATIVES Andrew Keller* Lissa Stolz* EX OFFICIO REPRESENTATIVES Christina Myers Onstage Odgen Curtis Woodbury Associate Board

LIFETIME BOARD Kem C. Gardner Brian Greeff* Jon Huntsman, Jr. G. Frank Joklik

HONORARY & TRUSTEES EMERITI Carolyn Abravanel Jesselie B. Anderson Howard S. Clark Geralyn Dreyfous Lisa Eccles Spencer F. Eccles

* Executive Committee Member

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Utah Symphony Markus Poschner Music Director Designate The Maurice Abravanel Chair, endowed by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation Thierry Fischer Music Director Emeritus David Robertson Creative Partner Jessica Rivero Altarriba Assistant Conductor Austin McWilliams Chorus Director & Opera Assistant Conductor The Sandefur Schmidt Chair 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 Claude Halter Principal Second Evgenia Zharzhavskaya Acting Associate Principal Second Karen Wyatt Acting Assistant Principal Second Sara Bauman~ Erin David Emily Day-Shumway~ Joseph Evans Wen Flatt Lun Jiang Rebekah Johnson Tina Johnson~ Alison Kim Amanda Kofoed~ Jennifer Kozbial Posadas~ David Langr Hannah Linz Yuki MacQueen Alexander Martin Rebecca Moench Suni Norman~ Hugh Palmer David Porter Lynn Maxine Rosen# Elina Rubio Barbara Ann Scowcroft Ju Hyung Shin Bonnie Terry Julie Wunderle

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VIOLA* Brant Bayless Principal The John C. Kish Chair

Lissa Stolz

Yuan Qi Associate Principal

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

Julie Edwards Joel Gibbs Carl Johansen Scott Lewis John Posadas Leslie Richards~ Whittney Sjogren CELLO* Matthew Johnson Acting Principal The J. Ryan Selberg Memorial Chair

ENGLISH HORN Lissa Stolz

Erin Svoboda-Scott Associate Principal The Shane & Stacey Stowell Chair Lee Livengood BASS CLARINET Lee Livengood

Andrew Larson Acting Associate Principal

E-FLAT CLARINET Erin Svoboda-Scott

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

BASSOON Lori Wike Principal The Edward & Barbara Moreton Chair

BASS* David Yavornitzky Principal Corbin Johnston** Associate Principal 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 James Hall Associate Principal

Leon Chodos# Associate Principal Jennifer Rhodes Acting Associate Principal

TROMBONE Mark Davidson Principal The Nathan & Shannon Savage Chair In Memory of Neal Savage Sam Elliot Associate Principal/Second Trombone BASS TROMBONE Graeme Mutchler TUBA Alexander Purdy Principal TIMPANI Micah Harrow~ Acting Principal Eric Hopkins Associate Principal The Theodore & Elizabeth Schmidt Family Foundation Chair PERCUSSION Keith Carrick Principal Eric Hopkins Michael Pape

Jaquain Sloan~

KEYBOARD Jason Hardink Principal

CONTRABASSOON Leon Chodos# Jaquain Sloan~

LIBRARIANS Clovis Lark Principal

HORN Jessica Danz Principal The Marcia JS Richards Chair

Anna Thompson~ Acting Associate Principal Librarian

Edmund Rollett** Associate Principal

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL Ebner Sobalvarro Director of Orchestra Personnel

Lauren Robinson~ Acting Associate Principal Jonathan Chiou Julia Pilant~ Stephen Proser TRUMPET Travis Peterson** Principal Alex Mayon~ Acting Principal Jeff Luke Associate Principal Seretta Hart~ Paul Torrisi

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

THE

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USUO Sponsors UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA SEASON SPONSOR

MASTERWORKS SERIES SPONSOR

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Musical Moments at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

4 16

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Musical Moments at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

Headerfuff

Bass clarinet and clarinet player Lee Livengood answers questions from audience members before a performance of Debussy’s La mer.

Second Associate Concertmaster Laura Ha plays violin at the Hogle Zoo as part of a social media video to promote The Carnival of the Animals family concert.

Associate Concertmaster Kathryn Eberle congratulates Concertmaster Madeline Adkins after her performance of John Adams’ Violin Concerto.

Leonore (Wendy Bryn Harmer) and Florestan (Thomas Kinch) celebrate the power of love in Beethoven’s Fidelio in January.

Young adventurers pose for photos with Carl and Russell before Disney-Pixar’s “Up” in Concert.

The Tooth Fairy (Redge Palmer) speaks during our family holiday concert in December.

Audience members pause for a guided moment of reflection at a Well-Being Concert Series performance in the lobby of Abravanel Hall last winter.

Sign language interpreters Amelia Williams and Emily Longshore assist during our annual Access to Music concert at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre.

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Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Staff ADMINISTRATION Steven Brosvik President & CEO The O.C. Tanner Chair

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 Manager

Farrah Valdez Executive Assistant to the Senior VP & COO SYMPHONY ARTISTIC Kerry Smith Vice President of Artistic Planning Ebner Sobalvarro Director of Orchestra Personnel Morgan Moulton Artistic Planning Manager Jessica Rivero Altarriba Assistant Conductor

Guillermo Sanchez Artistic Planning Coordinator & Assistant to the Music Director OPERA ARTISTIC Christopher McBeth Opera Artistic Director

Austin McWilliams Chorus Director & Opera Assistant Conductor Deborah Robertson Principal Coach

Michelle Peterson Director of Production

Ashley Tingey Production Coordinator

Stephanie Chee, Soprano Julia Holoman, Mezzo-Soprano Aaron McKone, Tenor Rodney Sharp II, Baritone Jie Fang Goh, Piano Resident Artists SYMPHONY OPERATIONS Jen Shark Director of Orchestra Operations Melissa Robison Front of House Director Chip Dance Director of Production Fiona McGowan Operations Manager Sarah Madany Stage Manager

Garrett Vargo Assistant Stage Manager

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OPERA TECHNICAL Kelly Nickle Properties Master

Dusty Terrell Scenic Charge Artist

JR Orr Head Carpenter/Shop Foreman

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Meredith Kimball Laing Vice President of Marketing & Communications Amelia England Director of Marketing Emma Price Marketing Manager

COSTUMES Carol Wood Costume Director

Nina Starling Website Manager

Abby Gehring First Hand

PATRON SERVICES

Marcos Ambriz Cutter/Draper & Costume Manager

Mallory Goodman Costume Rentals & Collection Manager

Spencer Smith Costume Rentals & Collection Assistant Manager Milivoj Poletan Master Tailor

Kathryn Wieland Assistant Tailor

Julie Porter Crafts Artisan/Milliner Amy Fernelius Lee Sego Stitchers

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

Camila Baltazar Communications Manager

Toby Simmons Patron Services Manager

Caitlin Marshall Sales & Engagement Manager

Michael Gibson Patron Services Assistant Manager Genevieve Gannon Group Sales Associate

True Moore Patron Services Specialists

Ananda Spike Val Tholen Kjelbi Elassali Tanush Saran Beverly Storrs Cynthia Harris Patron Services Associates ACCOUNTING & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Jeffrey Andreasen CFO

Mike Lund Director of Information Technologies Melanie Giles Controller

Katie Swainston Assistant Director of Individual Giving

Bobby Alger Accounts Payable Specialist

Dallin Mills Development Database Manager

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Ben Kipp Vice President of Education & Community Engagement

Lisa Poppleton Grants Manager

Ellesse Hargreaves VIP and Sponsorship Benefits Manager Chloe Toyn Development Coordinator

Kevin Nakatani Opera Education Manager

James Wesson Symphony Education Manager Beth Foley Education Coordinator

We would also like to recognize our volunteers, interns, and temporary and contracted staff for their work and dedication to the success of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera.

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MASTERWORKS

CARMINA BURANA Innovation in Concert:

Aerospace and Defense Industry Night FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL TIANYI LU, conductor* JENI HOUSER, soprano* RICARDO JOSÉ RIVERA, baritone* RYAN BELONGIE, countertenor CHORISTERS OF THE MADELEINE CHOIR SCHOOL MELANIE MALINKA, director of music UTAH SYMPHONY CHORUS AUSTIN MCWILLIAMS, chorus director UTAH SYMPHONY

DEBUSSY IMAN HABIBI

Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (10’) Zhiân (2023) (13’) INTERMISSION

ORFF

Carmina Burana (60’)

Fortuna imperatrix mundi (Fortune, Empress of the World)

Primo vere (In Springtime) Uf dem Anger (On the Green)

II.

In taberna (In the Tavern)

III.

Cour d’amours (The Court of Love)

Blanziflor et Helena (Blanziflor and Helena) Fortuna imperatrix mundi *Utah Symphony debut

CONCERT SPONSOR

INNOVATION IN CONCERT: AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE INDUSTRY NIGHT

Carmina Burana reflects the spirit driving Utah’s aerospace and defense industry. Innovation in Concert reminds us that progress is powerful and shaped by forces larger than any one organization. Just as a symphony unites individual musicians in precise coordination to create something bold and consequential, aerospace and defense innovation depends on industry, academic institutions, affiliates, and state and federal government working in harmony. Through 47G, innovation happens not in isolation— but in concert.

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About the Artists

INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR HER THRILLING ENERGY ON THE PODIUM, deeply

creative interpretation, and open-hearted leadership, Chinese-born New Zealander Tianyi Lu collaborates with leading orchestras and opera houses around the world. Her work is driven by an ethos of empowerment, creating connection, and compassion across diverse communities through music. After winning first prize in 2020 at both the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition and the International Conducting Competition ‘Guido Cantelli’ in Italy, Tianyi Lu was appointed Conductor-in-Residence with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway, a position she held until the end of the 2023-24 season. She served as Principal Conductor of the St Woolos Sinfonia in the UK until 2024 and was Assistant Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2019. Tianyi Lu Conductor

OPERA NEWS LAUDS JENI HOUSER’S PERFORMANCES as “commanding and duplicitous,

Jeni Houser

yet also vulnerable.” She is a celebrated interpreter of the Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, having sung the work at the Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera, The Dallas Opera, Minnesota Opera, Grand Teton Music Festival, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Central City Opera—she will return to The Metropolitan Opera next season to reprise the role. She has also sung Lucia di Lammermoor (Madison Opera, Seoul Arts Center); Zerbinetta in Ariadne of Naxos (Austin Opera, Minnesota Opera); Fritzi in Staud’s Die Weiden (Wiener Staatsoper - world premiere); and Cunegonde in Candide, Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann (Madison Opera). Her numerous concert performances include Carmina Burana (previously with Madison Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Florida Orchestra, Atlanta Ballet); Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (Madison Symphony Orchestra); and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Haydn’s Creation, and Mozart’s Requiem (Abendmusik: Lincoln).

Soprano

LAUDED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR “THE EVENING’S RICHEST INSTRUMENT — powerful

Ricardo José Rivera Baritone

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yet capable of softness,” Ricardo José Rivera’s 2025-26 season includes Riccardo Forth in I puritani and Graf Dominik in Arabella (Metropolitan Opera), Conte di Luna in Il trovatore (Sarasota Opera), Don Giovanni (Teatro Nuovo), and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte (Opera San José). Recent performances: Macbeth (Teatro Nuovo); Miller in Luisa Miller (Washington Concert Opera, Sarasota Opera); Stankar in Stiffelio, Don Carlo in Ernani (Sarasota Opera); Conte di Luna in Il trovatore (Opera Colorado); Silvano in Un ballo in maschera (Chicago Symphony Orchestra); Severo in Poliuto, Norcesto in Anna di Resburgo (Teatro Nuovo); Nottingham in Roberto Devereux (Washington Concert Opera); Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Schaunard in La bohème (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Riolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas (Opera San José); Silvio in Pagliacci (Opera San Antonio); and Schaunard in La bohème, Alfio in Cavalleria rusticana (CulturArte). He has previously sung Carmina Burana with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic.

About the Artists

AN ACCOMPLISHED ORATORIO SOLOIST, Brian Stucki has performed in Haydn’s

Creation with Boston Baroque and Utah Symphony, Mozart’s Mass in C, Requiem, and Mass in C minor with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and Handel’s Messiah with the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston’s Symphony Hall. He sang Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Minnesota Symphony and Honolulu Symphony. He also provided the tenor solos for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s historic Easter weekend performances of Handel’s complete Messiah. He made his Avery Fisher Hall debut as Achicham in Hiller’s The Destruction of Jerusalem and his Carnegie Hall debut in Spohr’s Die letzten Dinge with the American Symphony Orchestra.

Brian Stucki Tenor

Stucki holds a Master of Music from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music from Brigham Young University. Additionally, he is a former member of the Glimmerglass Opera Young American Artists Program. Also an accomplished cellist, he has released a recording of Rachmaninoff works on the Tantara label. MELANIE MALINKA IS A NATIVE OF STUTTGART, GERMANY and has served as Director

of Music at The Madeleine Choir School in Salt Lake City since 2001. In this position she oversees the school’s rigorous choral program and leads preparations of the choristers for their extensive concert season, regular service commitments, international tours, and engagements with leading local arts organizations including Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. She regularly conducts the Cathedral Choir of The Cathedral of the Madeleine and has served as interim chorus master for several opera productions of the Utah Opera. In addition, she also maintains a private voice studio focusing on boy sopranos and young adolescent voices. Malinka received a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Utah where she studied with Dr. Barlow Bradford. Melanie Malinka Director of Music

AUSTIN MCWILLIAMS IS A CONDUCTOR AND COUNTERTENOR who specializes in

contemporary vocal music. He strives to present compelling, intriguing art that is directly relevant to the communities in which it is performed. This season marks his second as Chorus Director & Opera Assistant Conductor at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. Previously, McWilliams was Associate Conductor and Chorus Master at Opera Grand Rapids, Head of Music at West Michigan Opera Project, and Co-Artistic Director at Ad Astra Music Festival. In Grand Rapids, he was the choir director at Fountain Street Church, a non-denominational, noncreedal institution that serves as a venue for heterodox speakers and ideologies. A dedicated conductor and educator, McWilliams has served as Director of Choral Activities at Aquinas College and as adjunct faculty at Western Michigan University. He is also a faculty member at Missouri Scholars Academy, a governor’s school for gifted high school juniors in his native state. Austin McWilliams Chorus Director

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About the Artists

Choristers of The Madeleine Choir School

THE MADELEINE CHOIR SCHOOL, founded in 1996 as a mission of the Roman

Catholic Bishop of Salt Lake City, serves students from Pre-K through Grade Eight in downtown Salt Lake City. Inspired by historic European cathedral schools, it forms engaged scholars, effective communicators, dedicated liturgical musicians, and responsible world citizens. Its unmatched music curriculum includes vocal training, music theory and history, and violin study. Students also receive exceptional instruction in the humanities, sciences, math, languages, visual arts, theology, and athletics, with a strong emphasis on character formation. Choristers in Grades 5–8 assist in Cathedral liturgies and concerts, including Monday–Thursday evening masses and Sunday morning services at The Cathedral of the Madeleine. They tour annually, recently performing in Italy and singing at a Papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The school regularly collaborates with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, Ballet West, and Grand Teton Music Festival. Visit utmcs.org or contact admissions@utmcs. org for more information.

Choristers of The Madeleine Choir School Anaya Alt Sophia Borup Vivien Browning Lillian Hanley Luca Hesse Noah Hesse Tala Hobson Alejandra Hernandez Benjamin Just

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Rosalila Lowe Gabriel Motschiedler Eva Peterson Yu-Jin Song Lisha Tathireddy Roshni Tathireddy Camila Trousdale Cruz Warren Luke Williams

Sam Williams Catherine Zidow Eleanor Zidow Musical Preparation Melanie Malinka, Director of Music, The Madeleine Choir School

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About the Artists

THE UTAH SYMPHONY CHORUS IS COMPOSED OF VOLUNTEER SINGERS from the Salt Lake

City area who come from all walks of life. The chorus typically performs three concerts each season with the Utah Symphony in Abravanel Hall, which may include choral masterworks, pops concerts, and the annual Messiah Sing-In. Singers have performed under the baton of Utah Symphony Music Directors Maurice Abravanel, Varujan Kojian, Joseph Silverstein, Keith Lockhart, Thierry Fischer, and Music Director Designate Markus Poschner, as well as numerous guest conductors including Robert Shaw, Margaret Hillis, Roger Wagner, Peter Eros, Bernard Labadie, Andrew Litton, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, and many others. The Utah Symphony Chorus rehearses Tuesday evenings for several weeks before each concert and most evenings the week of a performance. Visit usuo.org/Choruses to learn more about joining the chorus. Utah Symphony Chorus

Soprano Jenny Andrus Cydnee Barnum Farmer Rebekah Barton Stockton Abigail Bendixsen Julia Bigelow Erin Bramscher Christina Brandt Anadine Burrell Jana Conrad A. Elizabeth Davis Julie Fleming Emelia Hartford Kaily Jacobs Macy Kelson Rachel Kibler Isabelle Knowles Sarah Mair Alexandra Montoya Michelle Reid Quinn Natalie Sandberg Michaela Shelton Cherry Stewart Margaret Straw Carolyn Talboys-Klassen Hannah VonHatten Jennifer Way Zemp Breanne White Lindsay Whitney

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Alto Christine Anderson Sara Bayler Caite Beck Joan Jensen Bowles Nelya Coomans Chelsea Cummins Jennifer Dearinger Sylvia Fisk Kate Fitzgerald Kyra Furman Kate Garney Dickerman Gabriella Gonzales Erika Gray Jennifer Hancock Annette W. Jarvis Raenell Jones Samantha Lange Julie McBeth Kate Olsen Heather Perry Belinda Purdum Ruth Rogers Anastasia Romanovskaya Jenica Sedgwick Sue Sohm Jennifer Taylor Maizie Toland Sammie Tollestrup Margaret Toney Dawn Veree Valerie Wadsworth Kathy Wight Ruth Wortley

Tenor Stephen Anderson Peter Asplund Matt Balcells Drake Bennion Geordie Burdick Holden Deitsch Dyson Ford Garv Gianchetta Orion Gray Samuel Hancock Tim Hanna Connor Hansen Hayden Höglund Nate Kemp Matthew Koster Isaac Lee Jeanne Leigh-Goldstein James Miller David Mitchell Dale C. Nielsen Zachary Payne Alan Robertson Sean Robison Kevin Rowe Dan Smith Hugh Strike Scott Tarbet Carl Wadsworth John Woeste Edgar Zúñiga

Bass Julio Cesar Alejos Ibarra George Angerbauer Aaron Asay Olivier Bauer Simon Colton Butler Richard Butler Roger Cox Paul Dixon Nolan Fontaine Jarren Hancock Jim Hardwick Derek Hayashi Michael Hurst Stephen Jackson Camden Lawrence Tom McFarland Steven McGregor Lyman Moulton Michael Moyes Richard Olsen Chris Patch Dwight Perry Gabriel Poulson Say-Eow Quah Michael Rasmussen Bryce Robinson Bryan Romney Karol Runge Carlos Salazar Nathan Scott Kaden Smith Jay Sweet Marc Titcomb Matthew Toone Hobie Willis Kevin Wolford USUO.ORG | 801-533-NOTE (6683)

About the Music

BY NOEL MORRIS

Key Notes Carmina Burana is a go-to “musical steroid” in popular culture, appearing across TikTok, film, hiphop, television, and video games. Claude Debussy was a maverick who broke with conventions of form, meter, and harmony to create his own musical language. Carl Orff was a groundbreaking educator. The Orff Approach is used worldwide.

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

born August 22, 1862, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France died March 25, 1918, in Paris

Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune

composed in 1894 premiered in Paris, in 1894 last performed by the Utah Symphony in April 2022 with conductor Thierry Fischer

The Backstory In 1889, an astonishing 32 million visitors traveled to Paris to attend a world’s fair. The Exposition Universelle celebrated advancements in science, culture, and technology. There were pavilions dedicated to machines, electricity, and the telephone. A new tower, constructed by Gustave Eiffel, offered unprecedented views aided by a lift designed by the American company Otis Elevator. Countries from around the world came together, although there were conspicuous absences. Because the exposition celebrated the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy, and Russia boycotted the fair—they still had functioning monarchies. In essence, they represented the “old,” while the Expo represented the “new.” Debussy had entered the Paris Conservatory at age 10 and stayed for 11 years, thus beginning a sometimes bumpy relationship with formal music education. He, too, clashed with the old guard. When he won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1884, he faced a similar problem in Italy. Traveling to Rome for further studies, he couldn’t find it within himself to get excited about Italian opera—much

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to his teachers’ frustration. Ultimately, he found the home he’d been searching for in the creative hothouse of Paris, alongside Claude Monet, Victor Hugo, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, Camille Saint-Saëns, and more. The Music During the 1889 Exposition Universelle, the 27-year-old composer spent time in the Javanese pavilion, where he fell under the spell of the gamelan, a percussion ensemble in which performers drum on a battery of pitched, bell-like instruments. As the gamelan does not adhere to Western scales, structures, or principles of tuning, the experience proved liberating for Debussy and had a lasting influence on his music. After his return from Rome, he fell into a group of intellectuals who gathered on Tuesday evenings at the home of Stéphane Mallarmé. Self-titled Les Mardistes, this group included W. B. Yeats, Paul Verlaine, and Rainer Maria Rilke. In 1894, Debussy completed his masterpiece Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) based on a poem of the same name by Mallarmé. Unlike earlier 19th-century composers, Debussy’s piece is not so much storytelling as an impression of the mythical faun (a half-human, half-goat), as depicted in the dream-like language of the Symbolist poem. “The majority of his compositions are symbols of symbols,” wrote his longtime friend Paul Dukas in 1901, “expressed in a language so rich and so persuasive that it attains the eloquence of a new word, with its own laws, and often much more intelligible than the language of the poems on which it is based. Such is the case, for example, with Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.” Debussy’s Prelude is deliciously appealing which, perhaps, obscures the radical nature of its being. Some argue this work signaled the dawn of the modern era. For sure, the composer sidestepped tonality. In its place, he shifts from one sinuous harmony to another without the traditional tug of a tonal center. Instead, the mythical faun emerges from his gauzy world, lazily playing his flute, to then envelop us in a dreamscape. Before the 1894 premiere of his Prelude, Debussy attended the rehearsals and made adjustments to his score through trial and error. The musicians happily played along, and that spirit of generosity spilled into the first performance.

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About the Music

“All at once I felt behind me, as some conductors can, an audience that was totally spellbound,” wrote the first conductor Gustave Doret. “It was a complete triumph, and I had no hesitation in breaking the rule forbidding encores. The orchestra was delighted to repeat this work, which it had come to love and which, thanks to them, the audience had now accepted.” IMAN HABIBI

imprisoned or on death row. This piece is my humble attempt to stand in solidarity with them, and I dedicate it to the brave people of Iran, in the hope of better days ahead. —Iman Habibi CARL ORFF

born July 10, 1895, in Munich, Bavaria died March 29, 1982, in Munich

born September 10, 1985, in Tehran, Iran

Carmina Burana Zhiân

composed in 2023 premiered at Tanglewood, in 2023 Utah Symphony premiere

Two notes from the composer While originally written in solidarity with the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, this piece resonates with renewed urgency in the wake of the 2026 protests and the subsequent massacre—now one of the deepest wounds in Iran’s millennia-old memory. I am humbled by the courage and strength of my compatriots, beholden to their sacrifice, and stand firmly with them in their quest for a free, just and green future. —Iman Habibi 2023 marks 20 years since I left my birth country, Iran, to start a new life in North America. Still, I feel deeply connected to and pained by the struggles and suffering of my fellow Iranians. For decades, Iranians have been kept hostage, continually fighting to retrieve their most basic human rights, their freedom, justice, and their environmental and ecological health. Over the past several months, a new wave of protests (which has resembled a revolution) began following the death of Mahsa (Zhina or Jina) Amini, and several other young women. Inspired by Mahsa’s Kurdish name, Zhina, “Woman, Life, Freedom” (Zhen, Zhiân, Âzâdi), has become the main slogan of these protests, and the basic spoken rhythm of this slogan forms the main motivic element of this piece. The title, Zhiân, translates to “life” in Kurdish, and to “indignant” or “formidable” in Persian. The music carries us through darkness and light, but resolves in the end with a determination to continue striving towards a just, sustainable, and vibrant future. In the months I spent writing this piece, I was surrounded by images and videos of Iranian protesters inside and outside of Iran, many of whom lost their loved ones, lost their own lives, or are currently

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composed 1935–1936 premiered in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1937 last performed by the Utah Symphony in January 2023 with conductor Fawzi Haimor

What to Listen for In Carmina Burana, listen for the way the composer uses music to create a sense of theater, whether it’s a dying swan, a drunken abbot, or a libidinous soprano. The Backstory “Why do I love the ancient world?” asked Orff. “[It’s] because we are so close to the ancient world intellectually and spiritually….There’s a spiritual energy behind it, a binding energy.” Well into middle age, no one thought of Carl Orff as a composer, though he’d been writing music since childhood. In 1934, he shuffled into a rare bookshop in Würzburg, where he picked up a volume of poetry. It had a curious title: Carmina Burana, Latin for “Songs of Beuern” (Beuern is a monastery outside Munich). On the first page, he admired the illuminated manuscript, which pictured a Wheel of Fortune. (Not to be confused with game shows, the medieval Wheel of Fortune rotates, elevating one man to prosperity as his predecessor topples into oblivion.) Orff delighted at what he’d found: “Fortune meant well with me,” he mused, “when she guided the catalog…into my hands.” Indeed. In Orff’s hands, the book lit a fire that keeps on burning. The New York Times observed that Carmina Burana “defines the sound of the pop Gothic.” Not quite ancient, yet primal and far away, his 1937 score captures an ethos similar to that of Westeros or Middle Earth. Its chant-like melodies and bare-bones harmonies conjure the Gothic soul as it emerges from the rhythms and opulent percussion writing.

About the Music

The Music Pulsing with supernatural rage, the Wheel of Fortune starts to churn in the opening music of Carmina Burana. “O, Fortune, you are changeable like the moon,” proclaims the chorus (notice the wheel’s trundling in the two pianos). Essentially, its message is this: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” While much of Orff’s Carmina Burana is a lusty celebration of earthly delights, “O, Fortuna” casts a pall of frantic despair. (Consider the fact that the life expectancy of a 13th-century nobleman was 31.3 years; this is to say nothing of women or peasants.) While Orff channeled his passion for ancient music into his vocal writing, the solo parts are deceptively difficult. For example, “Olim lacus colueram” pushes the tenor to the top of his range. It’s an aural effect used to depict a swan roasting on a spit—from the swan’s perspective. “O Fortuna” bookends the piece, as the turning of the wheel reminds us that everyone—great or ordinary—eventually comes to ruin.

Carmina’s lyrics likely came from sources across Europe. Long associated with the 13th-century monks who copied them, the poems remained at the Benedictine abbey of Benediktbeuern, founded around 742. With the suppression of religious houses in 1803, a librarian transferred the manuscripts to the State Library in Munich. In 1847, the scholar Johann Andreas Schmeller compiled and published the poems. Schmeller chose the name Carmina Burana in honor of the monks. With some 250 works, the book Carmina Burana is the most significant anthology of medieval Latin poems. In addition to Latin, some verses are in Middle-High German and Old French. Orff selected 24 for his oratorio. Originally intending the music to be performed with dance, he included the subtitle: “Profane songs to be sung by soloists and chorus with an accompaniment of instruments and magic tableaux.”

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POPS

LA VIDA LOCA: LATIN POP HITS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026 / 7:30 PM / BROWNING CENTER AT WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY, AUSTAD AUDITORIUM FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL ENRICO LOPEZ-YAÑEZ, conductor ENDER THOMAS, vocals JACKIE MENDEZ, vocals JOSÉ SIBAJA, trumpet LUISITO QUINTERO, percussion UTAH SYMPHONY

CONCERT SPONSOR

CASAS, OSTWALD, & DEFARIA

AS RECORDED BY GLORIA ESTEFAN

ESTEFAN & SANTANDER

AS RECORDED BY JENNIFER LOPEZ

TAYLOR & BARRY

AS RECORDED BY ENRIQUE IGLESIAS

TAYLOR, IGLESIAS, & BARRY

AS RECORDED BY ENRIQUE IGLESIAS

GARDEL & LE PERA

AS RECORDED BY LUIS MIGUEL

MARTÍ, DIAZ, CEPEDA, & DANIEL

AS RECORDED BY CELIA CRUZ

“Get on Your Feet” “Let’s Get Loud” “Bailamos” “Hero” “El Día Que Me Quieras” “Celia Cruz Medley”

ROONEY, ANTHONY, JANNUSI, et al.

“I Need to Vivir”

MUÑIZ, DELGADO, MONGE, et al.

“Mas Macarena”

AS RECORDED BY MARC ANTHONY

AS RECORDED BY LOS DEL RIO

INTERMISSION SHAKIRA, MITCHELL, & ESTEFAN

“Whenever Wherever”

PAUL JABARA & PAUL SHAFER

“Symphonic Santana”

AS RECORDED BY SHAKIRA

AS RECORDED BY CARLOS SANTANA

ASTUDILLO & QUINTANILLA

AS RECORDED BY SELENA

RIO

AS RECORDED BY THE CHAMPS

ENDER, AYALA, & FONSI

AS RECORDED BY LUIS FONSI

ROSA, AFANASIEFF, CHILD, ESCOLAR, & PORTER

AS RECORDED BY RICKY MARTIN

“Como La Flor” “Tequila” “Despacito” “Ricky Martin Medley”

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About the Artists

ENRICO 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. Lopez-Yañez holds the titled positions of Principal Pops Conductor of the Detroit and Pacific Symphonies, Principal Conductor of Dallas Symphony Presents, and Principal Guest Conductor of Pops at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He previously served as Principal Pops Conductor of the Nashville Symphony for eight seasons. Lopez-Yañez was the recipient of the 2023 “Mexicanos Distinguidos” Award by the Mexican government, an award granted to Mexican citizens living abroad for outstanding career accomplishments in their field. As an advocate for Latin music, he has arranged and produced shows for Latin Fire, Mariachi Los Camperos, The Three Mexican Tenors, and collaborated with artists including Aida Cuevas, Arturo Sandoval and Lila Downs. Enrico Lopez-Yañez Conductor

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

ENDER THOMAS IS A VENEZUELAN VOCALIST RENOWNED FOR HIS POWERFUL VOICE and

dynamic stage presence. Born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, he developed a passion for music at a young age, influenced by his Latin roots and the rich cultural traditions of his homeland. Thomas’ vocal style is characterized by its emotional depth and versatility, allowing him to seamlessly blend genres such as Latin pop, rock, and world music. Thomas’ career is marked by collaborations with various artists, as well as his solo work, where he continues to explore new musical horizons. His performances are noted for their intensity and his ability to convey deep emotion, making him a standout figure in the world of Latin and world music. With a career that continues to evolve, Ender Thomas remains a captivating and influential voice in the music industry. Ender Thomas Vocalist

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About the Artists

JACKIE MENDEZ IS A NATIVE MIAMI SINGER-SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER of Cuban

and Lebanese descent. She started singing professionally at the young age of 17 when she was signed to Warner Brothers’ Electra Records her senior year of high school back in 2001. She began writing with the music industry’s top artists and songwriters as well as joining several world tours and special appearances throughout the years with artists like Ricky Martin, J. Lo, Alejandro Sanz, Juanes, Ricardo Montaner, and more recently on Camila Cabello’s “Tiny Desk” performance. As an accredited artist with the Latin Grammy Recording Association, you can find her on five Latin Grammy-winning albums singing along with Franco de Vita, Ricky Martin, David Bisbal, and Alejandro Sanz. Mendez’s voice is a layered sound full of texture, rasp, and soul. She captures all the emotions in the world of funk, soul, rock, and pop. Jackie Mendez Vocalist

JOSÉ 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 Living la Vida Loca tours. Currently, Sibaja 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, Sibaja’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. José Sibaja Trumpet

LUIS ERNESTO QUINTERO VEGAS, KNOWN AS LUISITO QUINTERO, was born in the

populous Caracas, Venezuela neighborhood of San Agustín on August 24, 1967. Quintero, a child music prodigy, hails from a lineage of distinguished musicians and singers.

Luisito Quintero

Quintero brings technical wizardry and musicality to every performance and recording. He has participated in more than 700 musical productions spanning a variety of music genres and between Grammys and Latin Grammys, Quintero has more than 60 Grammy Awards to his credit. His most recent Grammys were in 2019 with Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band for the Best Latin Jazz Album and in 2018 with Spanish Harlem Orchestra for the Best Tropical Latin Album. In August 2020, Quintero released the second production of his Grammynominated band (co-founded with his cousin, percussionist Roberto Quintero), Quintero’s Salsa Project, Tributo a La Dimensión Latina.

Percussion

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FAMILY

Welcome

THE MAGICAL MUSIC OF HARRY POTTER TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026 / 7:00 PM / BROWNING CENTER AT WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY, AUSTAD AUDITORIUM SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026 / 11 AM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026 / 12:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL ENRICO LOPEZ-YAÑEZ, conductor UTAH SYMPHONY

WILLIAMS

Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

HOOPER

“The Weasley Stomp” from Concert Suite from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

ARR. JERRY BRUBAKER

WILLIAMS

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

WILLIAMS

“Nimbus 2000” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

WILLIAMS

“Witches, Wands and Wizards” from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

WILLIAMS

“Children’s Suite” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

WILLIAMS

“Aunt Marge’s Waltz” from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

DOYLE WILLIAMS

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Concert Suite “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

Please see Enrico Lopez-Yañez’s bio on page 32.

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HVAC AND TEMPERATURE INFORMATION Have you ever felt a sudden chill or a burst of heat while enjoying a performance? You’re not imagining things! Here’s an overview of why this occurs and the enhancements we’re implementing to improve your comfort. Why Does This Happen?

The entire theatre - stage, orchestra level, and balcony - is served by a single air handler and it is a delicate balance to keep temperatures just right for the audience and the performers on stage. This means some areas may be a little warmer and other areas may be a little colder.

How Do We Compensate?

We monitor temperatures in real-time using the IMonnit App, allowing us to respond to temperature fluctuations quickly. Backstage, we can deploy portable heaters for localized temperature adjustments. We work hard to find ideal temperatures in all areas of the auditorium

and stage, but because of the historical design of the systems we are not always able to reach perfect temperatures in every area.

When Will This Be Fixed?

Our long-term goal is to design and install an HVAC system with independent temperature control for different zones. This multi-year project begins in 2026 with a feasibility study to determine the best options for optimizing temperatures and associated costs, while preserving the historical nature of Capitol Theatre. From there, we will seek funding and develop a construction timeline. Because of the scope of this project, it is expected to take several years.

Thank you for your continued patience as we work to make the Capitol Theatre a more comfortable experience for everyone.

MASTERWORKS

PROKOFIEV’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3 THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2026 / 7:30 PM / BROWNING CENTER AT WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY, AUSTAD AUDITORIUM FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2026 / 5:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL ANDREW MANZE, conductor* SIMON TRPČESKI, piano UTAH SYMPHONY

PROKOFIEV

Concerto No. 3 in C Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 26 (28’) I.

Andante - Allegro

II.

Andantino

III.

Allegro ma non troppo

INTERMISSION

ELGAR

Symphony No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 63 (54’) I.

Allegro vivace e nobilmente

II.

Larghetto

III.

Rondo

IV.

Moderato e maestoso

*Utah Symphony debut

CONCERT SPONSOR

ORCHESTRA SPONSOR

NORA ECCLES TREADWELL FOUNDATION

HEALTHCARE NIGHT

SPECIAL DEDICATION IN MEMORY OF

DR. RICHARD BARINGER

HEALTHCARE NIGHT CO-FOUNDER

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About the Artists

ANDREW MANZE IS WIDELY CELEBRATED AS ONE OF THE MOST STIMULATING and

inspirational conductors of his generation. His extensive and scholarly knowledge of the repertoire, together with his boundless energy and warmth, mark him out. He held the position of Chief Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hannover from 2014 until 2023. Since 2018, he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. In April 2024, he was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, starting in September of that year.

Andrew Manze

Manze is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, Visiting Professor at the Oslo Academy, and has contributed to new editions of sonatas and concerti by Bach and Mozart, published by Bärenreiter and Breitkopf & Härtel. He also teaches, writes about, and edits music, as well as broadcasting regularly on radio and television. In November 2011, Andrew Manze received the prestigious Rolf Schock Prize in Stockholm.

Conductor

PRAISED AS MUCH FOR HIS POWERFUL VIRTUOSITY AND DEEPLY EXPRESSIVE approach as

Simon Trpčeski Piano

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

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for his charismatic stage presence, Simon Trpčeski has captivated audiences worldwide for over two decades. Launched onto the international scene as a BBC New Generation Artist, he has collaborated with more than 100 orchestras across four continents, including the London Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestras; Orchestre National de France; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich; Royal Stockholm, Oslo, and Helsinki Philharmonics; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin; NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra; the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics; and The Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras; as well as the Seoul Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Sydney and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras. A much sought-after soloist, he has worked with many of today’s most prominent conductors, earning a reputation as one of the most distinctive and compelling pianists of his generation.

About the Music

BY NOEL MORRIS

Key Notes Like the vivid character portraits of his famous Enigma Variations, Edward Elgar associated people, places, and ideas with music and drew on those associations to fuel his Second Symphony. Elgar was a self-taught musician and composer. Sergei Prokofiev was a monster pianist who wrote concertos for his own (very long!) fingers to play. What to Listen for Prokofiev shared a love of machines with his friend Cyrus McCormick (inventor of the mechanical reaper) and incorporated machine-like propulsion into his Third Piano Concerto. SERGEI PROKOFIEV

born April 23, 1891, in Sontsivka, Ukraine died March 5, 1953, in Moscow, USSR

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26

composed 1917–1921 premiered in Chicago, Illinois, in 1921 last performed by the Utah Symphony in June 2024 with conductor Conner Gray Covington and pianist Youl Sun as part of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation’s 2024 International Artists Competition

rehearsal at the famed Mariinsky Theater in Petrograd. For much of that year, he avoided the unrest and retreated into nature. He took a river cruise and made an extended stay at a resort town in the Caucasus Mountains (in fact, he got stranded there as the ravages of war and revolution made returning to the city untenable). Throughout that historic year, new works poured out of him. In June 1917, the Chicago industrialist Cyrus McCormick joined a diplomatic delegation to Russia, where he befriended the 26-year-old Prokofiev. McCormick had made his fortune through International Harvester, but served on the board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He and the composer shared an endless fascination for both music and machinery, prompting McCormick to invite Prokofiev to Chicago. History gave the composer a nudge. With violence erupting within Russian cities, concerts became impossible, if not inappropriate. And Russia hemorrhaged its greatest talent, including Sergei Rachmaninoff, Wassily Kandinsky, and Vladimir Horowitz. Like many, Prokofiev packed his bags, thinking he’d be gone a few months, and boarded one of the last trains of the Trans-Siberian railway to journey toward America. The Music As promised, McCormick introduced Prokofiev to Frederick Stock of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the composer performed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in 1918. One reviewer wrote, “Russian Genius Displays Weird Harmonies,” but went on to describe a “thunderous ovation.” Still in exile, Prokofiev returned to Chicago to debut his Piano Concerto No. 3 in 1921.

The Backstory 1917 proved to be among the most consequential years of the 20th century. As the Russian people rang in the new year, the Tsar’s empire spanned nearly 9,000,000 square miles. His armed forces racked up terrible losses in World War I, and bread and coal were scarce in the cities. In the ensuing months, demonstrations and work stoppages became daily occurrences. Workers organized into soviets. In March, the Romanov dynasty fell, ceding power to a provisional government. In April, Vladimir Lenin returned from exile to build a coalition among workers, leading to a second revolution in October that established the Soviet Union.

According to the composer, he wrote some of the material as early as 1911, while a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. But for all practical purposes, he composed the piece in St. Brevin, France, where the Loire Valley meets the Atlantic. Although he was on vacation, he kept a strict schedule: hot chocolate, composition, lunch, chess, swimming, newspapers and tea, piano practice, etc.

Not a political creature, Sergei Prokofiev went on with his life. In early 1917, his new opera The Gambler went into

The Prokofiev Third opens with a poignant clarinet melody that quickly turns backwards in the hands of the pianist.

“My Third Concerto has turned out to be devilishly difficult,” he wrote. “I’m nervous, and I’m practicing hard three hours a day.” After a 1922 Paris performance, the work entered the repertoire and became one of the most popular piano concertos of the 20th century.

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About the Music

Motoric rhythms undergird this piece, pointing to the composer’s love of machines and futurism. Yet he still wrote melodies that put a catch in your throat. The middle movement is a Baroque dance called a gavotte, which conjures images of chandeliers and ball gowns. But Prokofiev perverts his gavotte in a set of variations, making it piquant, like a strong cheese. In the finale, he whips up a battle between piano and orchestra until sweeping melodies and red-hot virtuosity win the day. SIR EDWARD ELGAR

born June 2, 1857, in Broadheath, United Kingdom died February 23, 1924, in Worcester

When Elgar began his Symphony No. 2, he had the king in mind, turbulence and all. According to the composer, the symphony evolved alongside the people and places that touched his life during its composition. Indeed, it is a deeply personal piece, filled with private references. For example, a descending passage at the end echoes music that Elgar wrote as a child. An inscription on the last page, “Venice and Tintagel,” points to his travels and a bountiful inner life.

composed 1909–1911 premiered in London, in 1911 last performed by the Utah Symphony in March 2010 with conductor Christopher Seaman

Across the top of the first page, the composer quoted lines from a poem by Percy Shelley: “Rarely, rarely, comest thou, Spirit of Delight,” leading scholars to identify the opening theme as the Spirit of Delight motive. From there, Elgar spun the opening movement with widely contrasting gestures, from joy to sadness, serenity to violence.

The Backstory Sir Edward Elgar was one of seven children born to a multitalented father who was a violinist, shopkeeper, and piano tuner. His father couldn’t afford music lessons, let alone a conservatory. So little Edward taught himself the various instruments in his father’s music shop.

Inspiration for the second movement came from three events: the deaths of the composer’s friend Alfred Rodewald and King Edward VII (1910), and a trip to Italy in 1909. The Larghetto takes us inside St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, where a solemn scene gives way to an impressive funeral march.

Living in Victorian England, Edward’s talent took him far beyond his station in society, but he never forgot where he came from. As late as 1897, he declined a luncheon, stating, “You would not wish your board to be disgraced by the presence of a piano-tuner’s son and his wife.”

For the third movement, Elgar takes us outside St. Mark’s to the sun-baked Piazza San Marco. To teleport his audience to the 16th-century arcades, he copied out a rhythm from “some itinerant musicians who seemed to take a grave satisfaction in the broken accents of the first four bars.” Once again, Elgar hints at past compositions, adding enigma to this personal flight of fancy.

Symphony No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 63

In his uneasy way, Elgar rose among the ranks to become the most sought-after composer in England, until he knelt before Edward VII to receive a knighthood. When it comes to writing symphonies, Elgar bloomed later than most. He issued his first in 1908 at 51, but its success is legendary. In its first year, Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 received more than 100 performances worldwide. Naturally, he started his Symphony No. 2 almost immediately. The Music The United Kingdom had settled into a new age after the 1901 death of Queen Victoria. Unlike his stolid mom, King

Edward VII was charming and outgoing. He loved the arts and relaxed the moral codes that had constrained Victorian creatives, leading to a flowering of theater and literature. He also saw the rise of suffragettes, Irish separatists, and a liberal social agenda.

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The meaning of the inscription “Tintagel,” written on the last page of his manuscript, is not so concrete (to us). But the Strauss-like opulence of the symphony suggests a woman. Here’s what we know: Elgar maintained an intimate relationship with a beautiful young pianist who served as his muse for several works, including the Violin Concerto. He gave her a pet name, “Windflower,” and maintained a correspondence with her for the rest of his life, including many letters with windflowers pressed into them. Her daughter, Clare, destroyed her mother’s letters to the composer.

About the Music

Alice “Windflower” Stuart-Wortley and her husband liked to vacation in Cornwall, near the dramatic, seaside ruins of Tintagel Castle. Elgar and his wife, also named Alice, visited them there in April 1910 while he was working on the Second Symphony.

be a loyal tribute, bears its present dedication with the gracious approval of His Majesty the King.

Edward Elgar conducted the premiere on May 24, 1911, with the following lines:

By this time, Edward VII lay in his tomb, and the national mood looked toward the coronation of George V. The symphony’s lack of timeliness, coupled with the quietude of its final pages, couldn’t deliver the riotous ovations of the First Symphony, prompting a mixed reception.

Dedicated to the memory of His late Majesty King Edward VII. This Symphony, designed early in 1910 to

Yet it’s said that Elgar had a very different perspective, describing the work as “the passionate pilgrimage of a soul.”

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MASTERWORKS

COPLAND, IVES, & A GUITAR CONCERTO FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL DAVID ROBERTSON, conductor GRETCHEN MENN, guitar UTAH SYMPHONY

COPLAND STEVEN MACKEY

Danzón Cubano (5’) Aluminum Flowers for guitar and orchestra (25’) I.

Introduction

II.

Echo

III.

Canción

IV.

Fantasia

Loop

INTERMISSION

IVES

Symphony No. 2 (37’) I.

Andante moderato

II.

Allegro

III.

Adagio cantabile

IV.

Lento maestoso

Allegro molto vivace

CONCERT SPONSOR

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About the Artists

DAVID ROBERTSON – CONDUCTOR, ARTIST, COMPOSER, THINKER, American musical

David Robertson Conductor

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

visionary – occupies the most prominent podiums in orchestral and new music, and opera. He is a champion of contemporary composers, and an ingenious programmer. Robertson has served in numerous leadership positions, including Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, a transformative 13-year tenure as St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Music Director, with Orchestre National de Lyon, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and, as protégé of Pierre Boulez, Ensemble InterContemporain. In the 2024-25 season, Robertson celebrated the Boulez Centennial on four musical occasions, with The Juilliard Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, at the Aspen Music Festival and Lucerne Festival. He appears with the world’s great orchestras such as those of New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Cleveland; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Wiener Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester; and major ensembles and festivals on five continents. Since his 1996 Metropolitan Opera debut, Robertson has conducted a breathtaking range of Met projects, including the 2019 production premiere of Porgy and Bess, winning the Grammy Award, Best Opera Recording. In 2022, he conducted its Met revival, and made his Rome Opera debut. In the 2025-26 season, he returns to the St. Louis and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, to the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, HR-Sinfonieorchester, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, to the orchestras of Dallas, Leipzig, and Vancouver, and will conduct in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. Robertson is The Juilliard School’s Director of Conducting Studies, Distinguished Visiting Faculty, and serves on the Tianjin Juilliard Advisory Council. He concludes his three-year term this season as the inaugural Utah Symphony and Opera’s Creative Partner. Robertson is a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France. GRETCHEN MENN BRINGS A MUSICAL VOICE SHAPED BY FORMAL TRAINING and a variety

of musical pursuits. She earned a B.A. in Music from Smith College, where she studied classical guitar with Phillip de Fremery. Her career and interests include rock, metal, jazz, classical, and fingerstyle. She tours extensively with her original trio and Zepparella, the latter honoring the music of Led Zeppelin. As the winner of Guitar World’s No Limits Challenge, she appeared on the September 2022 cover, and has been featured in guitar magazines: Guitar Player, Guitar World, Vintage Guitar, Premier Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, and others, celebrated for her versatility, virtuosity, and depth of original compositions.

Gretchen Menn Guitar

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

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In 2024, Menn premiered Steven Mackey’s Aluminum Flowers with Utah Symphony, a piece showcasing both classical and electric guitar and an extensive array of extended techniques. Her original music blends modern and classical instruments: Hale Souls (2011), Abandon All Hope (2016).

About the Music

BY NOEL MORRIS

Key Notes All the works on this program come from composers reflecting on the sound of popular music. Aaron Copland was a Brooklyn native who wrote iconic musical portraits of the Wild West. Charles Ives could afford to be a musical maverick because he worked as an insurance executive.

AARON COPLAND

born November 14, 1900, in Brooklyn, New York died December 2, 1990, in Peekskill, New York

Danzón Cubano

composed in 1942 premiered in New York City, in 1942 Utah Symphony premiere

The Backstory In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered his inaugural address from the steps of the U. S. Capitol—just as Adolph Hitler unleashed paramilitaries across Germany to intimidate voters and assure his electoral advantage. Already, Roosevelt perceived the threat and alluded to it in his speech. “In the field of world policy, I would dedicate this nation to the policy of the good neighbor— the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others,” said the new president. With these words, he not only advanced American values but also pragmatism. America necessarily needed to counter Nazi propaganda in Latin America. And with a hellish storm on the horizon, the U.S. couldn’t go it alone. That same year, 1933, Roosevelt established the Good Neighbor Policy toward Latin America based

on mutual respect and economic cooperation. To extend American “soft power” to the south, the Office of Inter-American Affairs chose Aaron Copland, among others, as a cultural ambassador. Copland fit the bill for several reasons: he had a kind demeanor. He wrote folkish and accessible music based on American themes, such as Billy the Kid. He spoke Spanish and had already shown his affection for Latin America with his popular showpiece El Salón México. As the State Department’s OIAA sought to promote PanAmericanism through commercial and cultural initiatives, what they called a “fresh” or “American” take on the arts, they dispatched Copland to grease the wheels. He was obviously good at the job. From 1941 to 1978, the composer made 13 diplomatic tours for the State Department. The Music “Folklore, identity, musical modernism surface in Copland’s 1941 goodwill tour,” said Copland scholar Carol Hess. Making a nine-country tour from Mexico to Chile, Copland gave concerts and met with prominent Latin American composers. In Havana, he settled into local dance halls to watch and listen. With the outbreak of war, Copland spent the fall of 1942 in Oakland, New Jersey, working on his patriotic Fanfare for the Common Man. He also wrote a playful piece for two pianos that evoked the rhythms and melodies remembered from the Cuban dance halls. It “is in no sense intended to be an authentic danzón, but only an American tourist’s impression,” said the composer. On December 9, 1942, pianists Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein played the world premiere of “Birthday Piece (On Cuban Themes),” celebrating the 20th anniversary of the League of American Composers, as well as the birthday of the photographer and filmmaker Rudy Burckhardt. Copland orchestrated the piece in 1946 with a large battery of percussion instruments including claves, güiro, and maracas and settled on the title Danzón Cubano.

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About the Music

STEVEN MACKEY

born February 14, 1956, in Frankfurt, Germany

CHARLES IVES

born October 20, 1874, in Danbury, Connecticut died May 19, 1954, in New York City

Aluminum Flowers

Symphony No. 2

Aluminum Flowers celebrates the variety of musical modes that “polymath” guitarists practice regularly, ranging from delicate, intimate tones emanating from flesh on nylon strings to the grand orchestral textures possible with the electric guitar wired to a bank of effects pedals. From the 600-year-old tradition of the Spanish vihuela to contemporary pop, rock, blues, and jazz, guitarists are conversant in a wide range of styles, all of them, ironically, on the fringe of mainstream classical music.

What to listen for? Ives used popular melodies throughout his Second Symphony. How many do you recognize?

composed in 2024 premiered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2024 last performed by Utah Symphony in April 2024 with conductor David Robertson and guitarist Gretchen Menn

The movements contrast sharply with each other as each movement is cast for a different instrument. The first movement is a nylon string “classical” or “Spanish” guitar. The second movement runs the electric guitar through a delay pedal, requiring impeccable timing to produce a rapid moto perpetuo texture. The third movement, somewhat paradoxically, uses overdrive/distortion to create a sustained, lyrical, singing tone. The fourth movement is for prepared guitar—a guitar pick threaded through the strings to create a gong-like sound—and a bottleneck which slides up and down the string unencumbered by the frets. The last movement uses a looper to layer several polyphonic strands, creating an orchestral texture. Within each movement, one thing leads to the next naturally, without jagged edges or willfully discursive digressions, one might say “organically.” This organicism, combined with the image of metal wires carrying current from the guitar to its pedals like veins to petals, conjured the image of metal flowers—Aluminum Flowers because the pitches A-F have an important structural role in the piece, beginning with the introduction, which is made up entirely of a bass line that alternates between A and F.

composed in 1897–1909 premiered in New York City, in 1951 last performed by Utah Symphony in November 2022 with conductor Ludovic Morlot

The Backstory “Yankee maverick.” That’s how biographer Jan Swafford describes Charles Ives. Ives’ music is “as familiar as a tune whistled in childhood, music that can conjure up the pandemonium of a small-town Fourth of July or the quiet of a New England church.” At the same time, his music was decades ahead of its time. Ives’ connection to old-time American music ran deep. His father, George Ives, had been a bandmaster in the Union Army during the Civil War. George was 20 when the war ended and went home to Danbury to make a living as a jack-of-all-trades musician. George was a great experimenter: he once set two bands marching toward one another while playing different music to see how it sounded. George taught young Charles all the rules of melody and harmony—and encouraged him to break them. Following in his father’s footsteps, Charles became a professional musician at 14, serving as the organist in a local church. As a freshman at Yale, Charles became the organist at the prestigious Center Church. At the same time, he played sports, joined various clubs, and was always willing to bang out a ragtime tune on the piano. He had a keen sense of popular music and probably could have been a bandleader and songwriter, but his muse tugged him in a different direction. After graduation, Charles Ives made a decision that would forever impact the music he wrote. In 1898, he moved to New York City to clerk for Mutual Life Insurance Company. “Father felt that a man could keep his music interest stronger, cleaner, bigger, and freer, if he didn’t try to make a living out of it,” wrote Ives. “Assuming a man lived by himself

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About the Music

. . . [he] might write music that no one would play, listen to, or buy. But—if he has a nice wife and some nice children, how can he let the children starve on his own dissonances?” Over the years, Ives rose through the ranks of the insurance industry to sit in the executive’s chair, all the while writing music that was at once familiar and radical. The Music Ives wrote his First Symphony under the supervision of Horatio Parker at Yale. He followed with his Second Symphony shortly after moving to New York. The Second Symphony is an amalgam of the music that had filled his head until that point. It is jam-packed with musical references to well-known songs including “Camptown Races,” “America the Beautiful,” and “Turkey in the Straw.” Some are direct quotes, while others carry just a whiff of something familiar, encouraging fans to dissect the piece to discover them. “Every one of his themes paraphrases an American vernacular tune,” wrote biographer J. Peter Burkholder. “At the same time, many transitional sections... paraphrase transitions or episodes in the music of Bach, Brahms, or Wagner. The American sources, then, are identified with the thematic

material, the European sources with non-thematic episodes and transitions.” There are fiddle tunes, hymns, marches, Civil War songs, a student song, an abolitionist song, and bits from Ives’ own compositions. And he set these tunes in an elaborate dialogue with the European classical music as if to represent the whole musical firmament as he knew it. Ives revised the Second Symphony as late as 1910 and completed the Third Symphony that same year. For years, both sat on a shelf. Ives moved on, venturing into an experimental sound world until he wrote his last piece in 1926. Twenty years later, Lou Harrison conducted the premiere of the Third Symphony, which earned the composer some surprising, if delayed, recognition—Ives received the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Suddenly, the music world was looking again at the “Yankee maverick” and marveling at the daring inventiveness of his works. With Ives on the brain, Leonard Bernstein conducted the premiere of the Second Symphony in 1951—50 years after the composer had completed its first draft. Ives declined to attend the performance but listened to it on a small radio. It’s said that Ives’ reaction was “ambivalent.” The performance included many unauthorized changes and errors. But the audience loved it and gave Bernstein a resounding ovation.

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From Young Artists to Arts Partners

FROM YOUNG ARTISTS TO ARTS PARTNERS

Now sponsor of the viola principal chair, she’s gotten to know Brant Bayless and has “the greatest respect for his musical path from childhood and his expertise and love for the viola and Utah Symphony,” she said. “We are blessed to have the passion of this organization in our lives.”

By Julia Lyon

Sandefur Schmidt

Austin McWilliams

If you’ve read your playbill closely recently, you might have noticed some new names listed under musicians in our roster. These aren’t new members of Utah Symphony– though many of them have a strong music background– they’re sponsors supporting our principal musicians.

Her sponsorship comes through The John C. Kish Foundation where Nicolatus is a trustee. Other newcomers to the Partner with a Player program include Sandefur Schmidt, who is sponsoring Austin McWilliams, Chorus Director and Opera Assistant Conductor.

Over the last two years, the number of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera named chairs has doubled to 15. Known as the Partner with a Player program, it allows donors to support USUO in a personalized way.

Schmidt started singing in choirs in elementary school and never really stopped. “I have always thought the best people sang in choirs,” the Provo resident said. “I’ve made hundreds of lifelong friends in all the BYU choirs I either sang in or conducted.” After graduating from BYU with a Master of Music in choral conducting, she continues to keep track of decades of alumni, organizing reunions and many special projects.

Melina Nicolatus

Brant Bayless

Musician and sponsor often connect over a shared love of a particular instrument or voice type, as was the case for Melina Nicolatus.

“I now do more photography than singing, but in between looking for wildlife and unique landscapes I photograph concerts and choral tours.” She’s impressed by the performances she’s heard under McWilliams’ direction.

The Park City resident heard a symphony for the first time in Vienna at age 15, leaving her “profoundly moved.” The musicians were performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major.

“I’ve seen a lot of artistic growth in the chorus under Austin,” Schmidt said. “I’m looking forward to his future with the choir.”

“This particular piece is the one I listen to when I need to escape from stress and feel like all is right with the world,” she said. Over time, her favorite section of the orchestra would grow to be the strings.

** The Partner with a Player program creates a unique bond between musician and benefactor, signifying their shared love for music. Named chairs help ensure the future of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera stays strong while more deeply connecting our musicians with members of the community.

“I especially love the viola, and its rich harmonious sound,” she said. “It’s the center of gravity for the string section.”

To learn more, contact Garrett Murphy, Director of Development, at (801) 869-9016.

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Utah Opera Sponsors - La traviata

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

SET & COSTUME SPONSOR

OPERA ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SPONSOR

EMMA ECCLES JONES FOUNDATION LEADING LADY SPONSOR

THE SCOTT & JENNIFER HUNTSMAN OPERA ENCHANCEMENT FUND

VIP INTERMISSION RECEPTION SPONSOR

VIP INTERMISSION BEVERAGE SPONSOR

FLORAL SEASON SPONSOR

CAST PARTY SPONSOR

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UTAH OPERA Verdi’s

LA TRAVIATA MAY 9 (7:30 PM), MAY 11 (7:00 PM), MAY 13 (7:00 PM), MAY 15 (7:30 PM), MAY 17 (2:00 PM) JANET QUINNEY LAWSON CAPITOL THEATRE

Composed by Giuseppe Verdi with Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave Premiere – March 6, 1853, Teatro La Fenice, Venice Previously at Utah Opera – 2019, 2014, 2006, 1998, 1987, 1980 Performed in Italian with English Supertitles (Captions)

CAST

(in order of vocal appearance) Violetta Valéry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lydia Katarina Flora Bervoix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julia Holoman* Marquis d’Obigny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rodney Sharp II* Baron Douphol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Clayton Doctor Grenvil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Nakatani Gastone de Letorières . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron McKone* Alfredo Germont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ricardo Garcia Annina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Chee* Giorgio Germont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weston Hurt Dancers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maeve Friedman, Emily Marsh, Ruger Memmott, Madeline Nelson, Tyler Schnese, Brandin Steffensen

ARTISTIC TEAM

Conductor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Tweten Stage Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garnett Bruce Chorus Director & Assistant Conductor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin McWilliams Scenic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Dean Beck Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan Memmott Allred Lighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Sale Choreographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Charon Wig & Makeup Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kate Casalino Principal Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deborah Robertson Rehearsal Pianist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jie Fang Goh* Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gina Hays Assistant Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mickey Acton 2nd Assistant Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sierra Loertscher Supertitle Musician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Tingey

Set and costumes built by Utah Opera The performance run time is approximately 2 hours 45 minutes with two intermissions *Current Resident Artist **Former Resident Artist

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Artists’ Profiles

Peter Dean Beck (New York) Scenic Designer Most Recently at Utah Opera, La traviata

Garnett Bruce (Texas) Stage Director Most Recently at Utah Opera, La bohème

Cendrillon, Eklund Opera Falstaff, Eklund Opera Dead Man Walking, Eklund Opera

La fanciulla del West, Wichita Grand Opera Le comte Ory, San Francisco Opera/Merola Resident Stage Director, University of Texas at Austin

Recently:

Upcoming:

Turandot, LA Opera

Kate Casalino (New York) Wig & Makeup Designer Most Recently at Utah Opera, Fidelio

Stephanie Chee (California) Annina Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Elixir of Love

Come From Away, Pioneer Theater Company Wilderness Generation, Philadelphia Theater Company I & You, Olney Theater Center

Utah Opera Resident Artist Fidelio, Utah Opera Messiah, Utah Symphony The Shining, Utah Opera Hansel and Gretel, Utah Opera

Recently:

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Recently:

Artists’ Profiles

Christopher Clayton (Utah) Baron Douphol Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Shining

Maeve Friedman (Utah) Dancer Utah Opera debut

Falstaff, Lyrical Opera Theatre Il trovatore, St. Pete Opera

Emerge, Repertory Dance Theatre Phantom Limb, Sock Opera Dance Company

Recently:

Upcoming:

Sponsored by Mike & Vickie Callent

Phantom Limb, Sock Opera Dance Company

Ricardo Garcia (California) Alfredo Utah Opera debut

Julia Holoman (North Carolina) Flora Bervoix Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Shining

Die Fledermaus, Florida Grand Opera La traviata, Staatstheater Darmstadt Wozzeck, Staatstheater Darmstadt Alcina, Staatstheater Darmstadt

Utah Opera Resident Artist Alcina, Rice University Shepherd School of Music Dido and Aeneas, Rice University Shepherd School of Music

Recently:

Upcoming:

Ariodante, Minnesota Opera Falstaff, Minnesota Opera

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Artists’ Profiles

Weston Hurt (Kansas) Giorgio Germont Utah Opera debut

Lydia Katarina (New Mexico) Violetta Valéry Most Recently at Utah Opera, Pagliacci

La traviata, Opera Colorado Madama Butterfly, Fort Worth Opera

Le trouvère, Wexford Festival Opera Roméo et Juliette, Palm Beach Opera The Rake’s Progress, The Glimmerglass Festival

Recently:

Upcoming:

The Ballad of Baby Doe, Central City Opera

Emily Marsh (Utah) Dancer Utah Opera debut Recently:

Emerge, Repertory Dance Theatre Tusitala: Loto ma le agaga, LeGrande Lolo Meraki, Myriad Dance History of the Hustle, Side Hustle Dance Project What is dance? (what we leave behind), University of Utah School of Dance

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Recently:

Upcoming:

King Roger, Des Moines Metro Opera

Aaron McKone (South Carolina) Gastone de Letorières Most Recently at Utah Opera, Fidelio

Recently:

Utah Opera Resident Artist The Shining, Utah Opera Pagliacci, Utah Opera Upcoming:

The Magic Flute, The Santa Fe Opera

Artists’ Profiles

Austin McWilliams (Missouri) Chorus Director & Assistant Conductor Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Elixir of Love

Ruger Memmott (Utah) Dancer Utah Opera debut

Associate Conductor & Chorus Master, Opera Grand Rapids Director of Choral Activities, Aquinas College

Hello, Dolly!, Hale Center Theatre Dancer, Odyssey Dance Theatre

Recently:

Upcoming:

Recently:

Faculty, Missouri Scholars Academy Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Deer Valley Music Festival

Susan Memmott Allred (Utah) Costume Designer Most Recently at Utah Opera, Hansel and Gretel

Kevin Nakatani (Utah) Doctor Grenvil Most Recently at Utah Opera, Madame Butterfly

PBS Christmas Concert, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square Stylist, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square La traviata, Livermore Valley Opera The Marriage of Figaro, Amarillo Opera La bohème, Madison Opera, Pittsburgh Opera

The Daughter of the Regiment, Utah Opera The Pirates of Penzance, Utah Opera Silent Night, Utah Opera

Recently:

Upcoming:

Tosca, Opera Montana The Marriage of Figaro, Indianapolis Opera

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Artists’ Profiles

Madeline Nelson (Utah) Dancer Utah Opera debut

James Sale (Colorado) Lighting Designer Most Recently at Utah Opera, Sweeney Todd

Alchemy, University of Utah Outro, University of Utah Wizard of Oz, Backstage Performing Arts Utah Something Rotten Jr., Backstage Performing Arts Utah

Verdi Requiem, Austin Opera Turandot, Kansas City Opera La bohème, Austin Opera

Recently:

Upcoming:

Alice in Wonderland Jr., Backstage Performing Arts Utah

Upcoming:

La bohème, Lyric Opera of Kansas City

Tyler Schnese (Utah) Dancer Utah Opera debut

Rodney Sharp II (Texas) Marquis d’Obigny Most Recently at Utah Opera, Fidelio

Artistic Associate, Gibney Dance Company Soloist, Hessisches Staatsballett

Utah Opera Resident Artist The Shining, Utah Opera Madame Butterfly, Utah Opera

Recently:

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Recently:

Artists’ Profiles

Brandin Steffensen (Utah) Dancer Utah Opera debut

Robert Tweten (New Mexico) Conductor Most Recently at Utah Opera, Sweeney Todd

Sleep No More, Emursive Theatre Company Life and Trust, Emursive Theatre Company

Rigoletto, Pacific Opera Victoria Flight, New England Conservatory

Recently:

Upcoming:

The Last – Pharaoh, Stephanie Batten Bland

CHORUS SPONSOR

CAROLYN TALBOYS-KLASSEN & TOM KLASSEN

Recently:

Upcoming:

Eugene Onegin, The Santa Fe Opera

UTAH OPERA CHORUS Soprano Lauren Bohannan Kahli Dalbow Genevieve Gannon Abigail Ketch April Meservy Kate Olsen Katie Sullivan Alto Melissa James Deborah Johnson Angela Keeton Samantha Lange Alice Packard Dawn Veree Valerie Wadsworth Tenor Samuel Lorenzo Gilbert Orion Gray

Brynnen Green Elijah Hancock Tim Hanna Layton Loucks William Tepner Bass Buddy Eyre Rodrigo Hernandez-Vazquez Thomas Klassen Nelson LeDuc Oscar Safsten Carson Smith Daniel Tu’utau Supernumeraries Maxwell Caloca Peter Gehring Robert Payne Sam Stuart

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A Note from the Director

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR By Garnett Bruce

“One such woman experienced deep love, she suffered for it and died for it…Her history is exceptional. Had it been common, it would not have been worth writing.” – A. Dumas-fils, The Lady of the Camellias FRENCH AUTHOR ALEXANDRE DUMAS-FILS (son of the famous author) scandalized French society with his 1848 novel telling of the demi-monde of Paris: an opaque world of courtesans and their protectors who would lavish them with adornments for a time and then cast them aside when they became old or ill. His subject was based in reality— following the short and vibrant life of Marie Duplessis— while most of the wealthy men in the story were indicated only by their first initial, creating outrage and intrigue. The demi-monde had its own coded language, displaying camellias being one of them, letting suitors know if she was entertaining newcomers or not. The novel was also not shy about discussing the ailments, particularly consumption, that plagued these courtesans. But above all, the story of how a middle-class young man came to win the heart of a glorious (if notorious) woman honors her, reminding readers to look beneath the surface. By 1853, Giuseppe Verdi had also witnessed the duplicity and condemnation of French society and sought to challenge the elites with this tale of his own time, naming his heroine Violetta. Premiering in Venice, La traviata (The Fallen Woman) did not immediately find its audience. Elite operagoers rejected the critique and stayed away. But soon, everyone recognized the psychological depth and emotional journey of the principal characters in Verdi’s music. Violetta has her public and private faces: “Life of the Party” in Act I, with high-notes and dazzling coloratura; “The Quiet Angel” in Act II, momentarily happy and healthy until she returns to the pressure of Paris; and “Grasping at Life” in Act III, as her breathing and her singing become labored. Through it all, she displays the “exceptional”

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strength and nuance Dumas-fils describes as she wrestles with her independence and her struggles with a disease, a judgmental society, and ultimately isolation. Verdi was quite adept at capturing the allure of movement in music, and in this opera, it’s also a gateway to the honesty, integrity, and desires of Violetta. Dance has always been part of French opera tradition, but even when writing for the Italian audiences (who didn’t require a ballet), Verdi included space for choreography. The chorus hears lively tempi in ¾ time in Act I, and they dance a Spanish pastiche at Flora’s party—Moderato for the fortune-telling ladies, Allegro Assai Mosso for the matadors. Even in the haunting prelude, we hear a gentle waltz descending into the strong melody for the cellos playing a romantic theme before it all vanishes: a life flashing before our eyes. When creating this staging for Utah Opera, we took the opportunity to include dance throughout. Working with choreographer Daniel Charon, we not only enliven the dances written in the score but also connect them to Violetta’s world of delicacy and decadence: exchanging partners, finding momentary physicality, gestures that are boldly elegant. We expand our worldview of the excess and intrigue that Violetta might have recognized. Our corps of dancers is an extension of society couples surrounding Violetta, celebrating her in one act, moving on without her in another: a subtle reminder of the hollow friendships that will abandon a soul when she is most in need. You will see a new costume for Act II, as I wanted to imagine a healthy Violetta riding horses across the countryside with Alfredo. The mid-19th century research reveals several independent women altering their skirts, corsets, and petticoats to allow them to ride assertively alongside the gentlemen. I appreciate showing Violetta’s practicality over the finery of the boudoir. Finding her so

A Note from the Director

relaxed, even the elder Germont has to respect Violetta’s integrity, learning she is much more than he expected. The riding costume also offers a great contrast when she has to go back to a more formal look at Flora’s party. The corset and trappings of the period now seem to overwhelm her. By the final act, she’s not even capable of dressing to go outside, with the orchestra thundering away, reflecting her frustration: “Grand Dio, non posso!” (God, it’s impossible). In some eyes, she has fallen from dramatic fashions to barely able to manage a basic housedress, but we are still able to showcase Violetta’s perseverance. The disease may be overwhelming her, the world may condemn her, but those who truly know her find the goodness no matter what she wears.

molding and faceted windows, but it is the full spectrum of color that we respond to most–colors that tie us to our protagonist’s journey. Verdi shows the way to understand her right from his prelude: dream-like delicate strings, chromatic chords which evolve with transparency and even longing for unrequited love. Here is a vibrant life, cruelly cut short just when it should be flourishing. With a commitment to explore the nuance whenever we stage her story, I hope we are able to echo Alexandre Dumas-fils in finding this woman extraordinary by every standard.

Above all, our approach relies on theatrical lighting to focus our attention and emotions beyond reality. By framing our stage with vivid color shifts outside the walls, Violetta’s challenges become exponentially bigger than the rooms she occupies. This abstraction underlines musical shifts and character, and better amplifies the complex choices Violetta must make. We have an elegant framework within the built scenery to establish a well-off world with crown

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Finding Motion in Music

FINDING MOTION IN MUSIC By Julia Lyon

WHEN UTAH OPERA ANNOUNCED AN OPEN CALL FOR DANCERS

last year, applications—and questions—started pouring in. It seemed like dancing in La traviata was an opportunity people didn’t want to miss. “It’s a different world,” reflected choreographer Daniel Charon. “They’re used to a lean infrastructure where dancers wear many hats. Opera, by contrast, lives within a deeply rooted tradition, often supported by a large staff.” After 50 dancers applied, he chose six to perform in Verdi’s famous opera this spring. But, for Charon, choreographing this opera won’t be something new. He and director Garnett Bruce have collaborated with Utah Opera multiple times including La traviata in 2019—when Charon was still artistic director of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. Integrating dance into opera adds new layers of physicality and meaning, he explained, enriching the experience for both performers and audiences.

He’d created roughly 30 minutes of choreography, scattered throughout the three-hour production. Though some sections may not surprise the audience—like the party scene dancing in Acts I and II—Charon and Bruce looked for storytelling moments in less obvious places. The dancers appear in the preludes to Acts I and III “as a way to both visualize the beautiful music with movement and also to set up some of Violetta’s storyline,” the choreographer said. Later in the opera, the dancing becomes part of Violetta’s dreamworld. “In opera, there’s often so much opportunity musically for movement and moments that aren’t realized or taken advantage of—especially for more traditional operas like La traviata,” he said. Leading up to rehearsals, he also studied his notes, which looked different than a traditional musical score, explained Charon, who is now retired from Ririe-Woodbury. His counts are not based on Verdi’s score and what a musician reads, but on what he hears in the music, allowing him to structure movement more easily. With a new group of dancers performing, Charon knew his choreography was likely to evolve. “If I find that things don’t work well on them or they have different strengths than a dancer in the original class, I’m happy to modify,” he said. “If there are other opportunities in the score that we find have possibilities for some movement, we’ll explore that, too.”

“It tells us more about the characters,” Charon said. “It brings it all together.”

Though some members of the audience might be surprised to see dancers on stage, partnering with local artists and

Rehearsal for Utah Opera’s 2018 production of Moby-Dick.

Utah Opera’s 2018 production of Moby-Dick.

(Photo courtesy of Joseph Gaines)

As Charon prepared to reconstruct his choreography, he studied the archival video.

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Finding Motion in Music

arts organizations is a longstanding tradition at Utah Opera. “One of the biggest joys of producing opera is the synergy that comes from collaborating with multiple disciplines and the artists who represent them,” said Christopher McBeth, Utah Opera Artistic Director. “The very word, ‘opera,’ derives from the concept—opera being the plural form of the Latin word for ‘work,’ opus—making productions and performances all the more meaningful and dynamic with every additional layer.”

Performing in an opera is a unique opportunity for these six dancers, said Charon, who danced in operas earlier in his career. “We don’t often perform with live music,” he said. “The way the stage manager takes care of us—even the dressers and makeup and hair—it’s all very exciting.” Though some opera composers set aside a section specifically for ballet, these dancers will get to perform a variety of dance styles.

When he and Charon first met, McBeth sensed his artistic contributions “would be a major boon to Utah Opera presentations.”

“By bringing contemporary dancers to the work, there’s a human quality that can help with storytelling,” Charon said. “There’s a realistic sensibility to the way the dancers are moving.”

“He’s a true man of the theater,” McBeth said.

He hopes his dancers will make the beloved work resonate more deeply with audiences—as his choreography has so many times before.

This kind of collaboration benefits everybody, Charon agreed. “The more that arts organizations can collaborate rather than be competitive elevates the whole community,” the choreographer said. “It’s so important to work together, to brainstorm together. Hiring Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company [in 2019] gave us employment and exposure. This was great for our small nonprofit dance company.”

“I hope to have him as a partner for many more projects,” McBeth said. See Verdi’s La traviata May 9-17 at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre.

Though the company is not involved in this production, freelance dancers in Utah will benefit instead. “That’s a great way of supporting the arts ecosystem in town,” Charon said. But some of the dancing on stage won’t be by dancers. Charon works with singers in the opera, too. When he tells them he’s the choreographer, he always anticipates what they’ll say next: “I can’t dance.” “Then they usually do a really great job,” the choreographer said, laughing. Utah Opera’s 2015 production of The Pearl Fishers, Daniel Charon’s first collaboration with Utah Opera.

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Composer & Librettist

GIUSEPPE VERDI WAS BORN IN LE RONCOLE, ITALY, IN 1813 into a family of small

landowners and taverners. When he was 7, he was helping the local church organist; by 12, he was studying with the organist at the main church in nearby Busseto and, in 1829, he became this organist’s assistant. It was there that he first took lessons on composition. Verdi’s first success as an opera composer came in 1841 with Nabucco. By 1851, when Rigoletto first saw the stage, Verdi had produced 18 operas. He became the most popular opera composer of his age, and every opera house in Italy sought to produce his works.

Giuseppe Verdi Composer

Verdi visited Paris from late 1851 through March 1852. In February he attended a performance of Alexandre Dumas Jr.’s La dame aux camélias. Verdi biographer Mary Jane Phillips-Matz reports that as a result of this, “the composer immediately began to compose music for what would later become La traviata.” However, Julian Budden notes that Verdi had probably read the Dumas novel some time before and, after seeing the play and returning to Italy, “he was already setting up an ideal operatic cast for it in his mind,” as shown by his dealings with La Fenice Theatre. On his return to Italy, the composer had immediately set to work on Il trovatore for the January 1853 premiere in Rome, but at the same time seemed to have ideas for the music for La traviata in his head. Since then, La traviata has become the most popular of all Verdi’s operas, placing it first in the Operabase list of most performed operas worldwide. Verdi spent his later years in Milan; rich, authoritarian, but charitable. He was visited often at his home there, and was much revered and honored. He died at the beginning of 1901 in Milan, and it is said that 28,000 people lined the streets for his funeral procession.

BORN IN MURANO IN 1810, FRANCESCO MARIA PIAVE WAS AN ITALIAN LIBRETTIST and

composer. He abandoned an ecclesiastical career, continuing his studies in Rome, where he had moved with his family. In 1842 he became performance director at the La Fenice Theatre in Venice, where from 1848 to 1859 he was named official poet. In 1842, he also worked with La Scala Theatre in Milan, and was official poet there from 1859 to 1867. He wrote about 60 librettos for various composers: Mercadante, Pacini, Ponchielli, and the Ricci brothers for whom he wrote the poetry for Crispino e la comare (1850).

Francesco Maria Piave Librettist

His most important librettos, though, were those he wrote for Verdi, of whom he became an assiduous and devoted collaborator. He did 10 librettos for the Maestro of Busseto: Ernani and I due Foscari (1844), Attila (1846), Macbeth (1847), Il corsaro (1848), Stiffelio (1850), Rigoletto (1851), La traviata (1853), Simon Boccanegra (1857) and La forza del destino (1862). Piave died in 1867 in Milan.

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Synopsis | La traviata

BY GARNETT BRUCE

FRANCE – MID-19TH CENTURY Act One Violetta Valéry, a courtesan, has recovered her health and Baron Douphol is throwing an extravagant party to welcome Parisian society back to her home. Flora Bervoix and the Marquis d’Obigny arrive late, followed shortly by Gaston de Letorières who brings an uninvited guest: Alfredo Germont. When the Marquis challenges the Baron to make a toast, the Baron declines and the invitation passes to Alfredo. Dance music is heard in the ballroom, but Violetta collapses momentarily and stays behind. Alfredo sneaks back in, admitting to admiring her for over a year and speaks of the pain and pleasure of unrequited love. She secretly agrees to meet Alfredo the following day, and all the guests bid Violetta farewell. Alone, she considers if falling in love will risk her liberty and independence. Act Two, Scene One Violetta and Alfredo, now deeply in love, have taken a country house, but costs are mounting. Violetta has secretly sent Annina, her maid, to sell off some of her possessions. When Alfredo learns of the debt, he races off to raise money to repay Violetta. Alfredo’s father, Giorgio, arrives to insist Alfredo end this romance and return to Provence so that his little sister can have an honest marriage without the shadow of his affair. But, finding only Violetta, he makes the case to her to shed her tears now and return to her former life as a courtesan in Paris. Violetta agrees to this sacrifice but challenges the elder Germont to love her as a daughter and to support Alfredo, who will be brokenhearted. Before she can finish writing a note to Alfredo, he surprises her. She proclaims her love and dashes away. The gardener announces that she has left, and a messenger brings Alfredo Violetta’s note ending their relationship. Giorgio reappears bringing what comfort he can to his son who storms back to Paris to find Violetta. Act Two, Scene Two Flora Bervoix is amidst her Spanish-themed casino party, with several of her guests costumed as gypsies and matadors. She marvels at the news that Violetta will attend with Baron Douphol. Alfredo arrives first, announcing he is single and intends to win a fortune at cards. While the rest of the guests move off to dinner, Violetta insists Alfredo must leave or the Baron will kill him. Alfredo, in anger, condemns Violetta in front of the guests, leading the Baron to challenge Alfredo to a duel despite Violetta’s pleas and Giorgio’s admonishments.

Act Three Some weeks later, Violetta is alone and destitute, forgotten by all except her loyal maid and Dr. Grenvil as she endures the final stages of consumption. The duel took place, leaving the Baron wounded. Alfredo has gone abroad. Violetta clings to a letter from Giorgio claiming he confessed his scheme, and Alfredo will return to be at her side. All are reunited in time for Violetta to ask Alfredo to remember her, handing him a small portrait before she collapses a final time.

Est. 2024

Park City Opera

Park City Opera, now entering its third season, reimagines what vocal art can be: community-driven & inspired by the spirit and natural beauty of Utah.

Join us in Summer 2026: Copland’s The Tender Land Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette

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SPECIAL EVENT

BEN FOLDS TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026 / 7:00 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL CHAD GOODMAN, conductor BEN FOLDS, singer-songwriter/pianist UTAH SYMPHONY

SELECTIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM THE STAGE

CONCERT SPONSOR

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About the Artists

NAMED CONDUCTOR OF THE YEAR BY THE ILLINOIS COUNCIL OF ORCHESTRAS in 2025,

Chad Goodman has served as Music Director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra since 2023, receiving praise for taking the orchestra to new artistic heights and dramatically expanding its community impact. As a guest conductor, he has led the Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. Goodman has previously served as the Conducting Fellow of the New World Symphony and as an Assistant Conductor to the San Francisco Symphony where he worked alongside conductors including Michael Tilson Thomas, EsaPekka Salonen, Herbert Blomstedt, and Elim Chan.

Chad Goodman Conductor

Highlighting his work on and off stage, Forbes hailed him as “An entrepreneur bringing innovation to classical music.” In 2022, he published the book You Earned a Music Degree. Now What?, which teaches musicians the business skills needed to successfully navigate the music world.

BEN FOLDS IS AN EMMY-NOMINATED SINGER-SONGWRITER who has created an enormous

body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, a holiday album, and numerous collaborative records.

He currently tours as a pop artist, while also performing for over two decades with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras. Folds, who served for eight years as the first ever Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., stepped down from his post when Donald Trump announced his takeover of the center. Just days before the U.S. presidential election, Folds recorded two sold-out performances with the NSO, which he released as a live album in 2025 that debuted at the top of the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. Ben Folds

Singer-songwriter/Pianist

A New York Times best-selling author, Ben also creates new music for film, TV and theatre, including original songs for an ongoing series of animated Peanuts specials on Apple TV. In 2022, he launched a music education charitable initiative in his native state of North Carolina entitled “Keys For Kids,” which provides funds and keyboards to existing nonprofits that offer free or affordable piano lessons to school-age children from economically disadvantaged households. For the past 15 years, he has been an outspoken advocate for arts funding, music education, and music therapy in the U.S. as a member of Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund.

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An Interview with Our Music Director Designate Markus Poschner

AN INTERVIEW WITH OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR DESIGNATE MARKUS POSCHNER By Julia Lyon

Markus Poschner, our Music Director Designate, sat down with us to discuss his journey as a conductor and what might come next for the Utah Symphony. Tell us what made you want to be a conductor. Was it your family’s influence? Or was there a particular concert or person who sparked your interest? I had the privilege to grow up among musicians. My whole family is connected with music. My mom used to be a high school music teacher and my father was a conductor as well. So I had no chance to escape. I remember as a child being struck by the specific sound of an orchestra, the power, the energy, and then, of course, the repertoire. I was so amazed by Beethoven’s music. By chance, my father conducted the Egmont Overture when I was around 7 or 8 years old. I listened to a recording every day, every free minute. I was so overwhelmed by the power of this piece. Egmont is about freedom. When the full orchestra plays it, it’s an outburst. It sounds like a volcano. I started by studying piano as a child and then switched to conducting because I like to make music with other people. As a pianist, you practice hours and hours alone in a room. I realized that conducting was my way to share my enthusiasm and my ideas with other people. But it was not a deliberate decision. Almost the opposite happened. I tried to find my own destiny. My own way. That’s why as a teenager I was very inspired by jazz music. I played and practiced much more jazz than classical music. Nobody from my family was connected with jazz. But, finally, there was no escape.

Markus Poschner conducts the Utah Symphony in December.

How would you describe your conducting style? I’m the last person who can provide any information about my conducting style. You can ask everyone else! But I think that’s not the point. My job is to absorb the score and to bring everything written there back to life. And to represent an idea, the intentions of the composers. I try every day to make my orchestra, all the musicians, play the best version of themselves, to be the best version of themselves. One of my teachers always said, “Conducting, you can just put altogether in one sentence: don’t get in the way. Don’t disturb, only help.” That’s true. The older I get and the more I’ve done, that’s exactly what it’s all about. Just help. And open doors and windows in making real music together.

Utah Symphony musicians surprised Poschner with a German-themed celebration after a concert last year.

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An Interview with Our Music Director Designate Markus Poschner

Poschner laughs as he and guest violinist Vadim Gluzman discuss Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 before last winter’s concert.

How do you prepare right before a concert? I don’t have any rituals or voodoo techniques. For me, it’s maybe 10 minutes of silence and focus, right before entering the stage. That’s what I need. No tricks. Most of your conducting career has taken place in Europe. Are there any differences between conducting in Europe and the United States? I want to say there are always differences between orchestras. That could be just the orchestra next to you in the next city, the next village, or the next country. It’s not so much about the differences between America, Asia, or Europe. I think sound and phrasing, listening, is the result of the personalities of the musicians. The way they grew up. It’s a lot about their social environment, cultural links and connections ... it’s about the people. What are some of your goals for the Utah Symphony over the next few years? I’d like to help point out and sharpen our musical narrative, our profile, which is grounded and rooted here in Utah, in

Utah’s geography. With all the history here, the spirit of pioneers, this pioneer heritage, the tradition of innovation, that’s a very strong link. And of course we have the legacy of Abravanel here. That legacy leads directly to the music of Mahler and Tchaikovsky. There’s a tradition of approach to that specific music. I’d like to underline this and to discover: what does it mean? So that’s the very first step. Second, I’d like to make the orchestra globally recognized. I always say: locally beloved and internationally recognized. This is a unique ensemble, such a capable and well-trained orchestra. It’s a high-class orchestra. It’s a jewel we have in our hands here in Utah and we should teach the world to know about us. You’ve now been to Utah multiple times. What are some of your favorite places in Salt Lake City or other places you’ve visited? We are here in one of my favorite places. I love this hall, the acoustics, and the lobby here; this artwork, it’s really great. I like the downtown district here very much. Last time I was

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An Interview with Our Music Director Designate Markus Poschner

I know you’re a big soccer fan. What’s your favorite soccer team? My older son knows every player here in Utah in the Real Salt Lake club—even the Royals. Last time my son came with me to Salt Lake City, he bought a ticket for a match in the stadium. I had rehearsals and couldn’t go with him. He told me, “Next time, dad, we have to go together.” I promised him we would. I love sports and especially, as a European, I love soccer. I played a lot when I was young. When I have time, at least with my boys, we’re always kicking around a ball. As a guy from Munich, my favorite team is Bayern München. I grew up with that fußball club – it’s almost like a religion. You cannot choose. It depends on where you grew up. What else would you want the audience to know? I’m here to share my love of music, because I deeply believe in the secret of music, in the power of music, to bring people together in harmony. This creates community. It seems more important today than ever before to bring people together. Let them experience what it means to be connected with each other and also connected with their inner world, their inner self.

Photo credit: Robert Josipovic

here, it was in May—so it was quite warm out there—we took a trip to Antelope Island. I was really impressed. I’m a passionate hiker and skier. I’m Bavarian, from Munich, so I grew up in the middle of the Alps. I’m sure I’ll have more free time in the future to go up to the mountains, skiing or hiking. There’s a lot to experience here in Utah. I’ve never skied here before.

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What is inside of us is not possible to talk about with our daily language. You need the language of art, of poems, of paintings, and the language of music to express what is inside of you. We are very complex human beings. It’s so important that we never forget to listen to each other and to respect each other. Wherever you come from, whatever kind of passport, or skin color, or god you have, that’s what music can teach us. It’s something bigger than we are. It’s what we need. Even if you don’t speak the same tongue, music makes us feel like a community.

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MASTERWORKS

BRUCKNER’S SYMPHONY NO. 4 FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2026 / 10:00 AM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL (FINISHING TOUCHES) FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2026 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL MARKUS POSCHNER, conductor YOUL SUN, piano* UTAH SYMPHONY

SAINT-SAËNS

Concerto No. 5 in F Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 103 “The Egyptian” (29’) I.

Allegro animato

II.

Andante

III.

Molto allegro

INTERMISSION

BRUCKNER

Symphony No. 4 “Romantic” (64’) Bewegt: nicht zu schnell

Andante, quasi allegretto Scherzo: bewegt - Trio Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell

*Utah Symphony debut

CONCERT SPONSOR

ORCHESTRA SPONSOR

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About the Artists

MARKUS POSCHNER IS MUSIC DIRECTOR DESIGNATE OF THE UTAH SYMPHONY, assuming full

duties as Music Director beginning in the 2027–28 season. This season, Poschner begins his tenure as Chief Conductor of Sinfonieorchester Basel and, in 2026–27, he becomes Chief Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Markus Poschner Conductor

He was Chief Conductor of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana from 2015 to 2025, leading the orchestra in two International Classical Music Award-winning recordings: the complete Brahms symphonies in 2018 and a Hindemith/ Schnittke recording in 2025. His recording of Offenbach’s Maître Péronilla with the Orchestre National de France was honored with the German Record Critics’ Award 2021. In 2024, Poschner received the Special Achievement Award from the ICMA jury for the complete recording of all Bruckner symphonies with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, of which he has been Chief Conductor since 2017, and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Together with Bruckner Orchestra Linz, he was given the Orchestra of the Year and Conductor of the Year prizes at the Austrian Music Theatre Awards 2020.

PIANIST YOUL SUN ACHIEVED A REMARKABLE TRIPLE VICTORY at the 2024 Gina Bachauer

International Artists Piano Competition, winning the Gold Medal, the Audience Choice Prize, and the Student Jury Prize. Known for his exceptional technique and musicality, he also garnered attention on the European stage by winning second prize and the Audience Prize at the 2023 Viseu International Piano Competition in Portugal.

Youl Sun Piano

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Sun graduated from Yewon School, and while attending Seoul Arts High School was admitted to and graduated from the Korea National University of Arts as an artistic prodigy. Since 2022, he has been continuing his musical studies in France. After graduating from the Schola Cantorum de Paris in 2023, he is currently enrolled at the École Normale de Musique de Paris. He has studied under professors Yoojung Yoon, Daejin Kim, and Olivier Gardon, and is currently receiving artistic support from the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation.

About the Music

BY NOEL MORRIS

Key Notes Anton Bruckner and Camille Saint-Saëns were two of the top organists on the planet. Saint-Saëns played the solo part at the premiere of his Fifth Piano Concerto. From the time he started issuing symphonies, Bruckner developed a cult following that continues to this day, through various online forums and Bruckner societies.

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS

born October 9, 1835, in Paris, France died December 16, 1921, in Algiers

Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 103 “The Egyptian”

composed in 1896 premiered in Paris, in 1896 last performed by Utah Symphony in March 2015 with conductor Matthias Pintscher and pianist Teo Gheorghiu

The Backstory Camille Saint-Saëns seemed to have twice as many hours in a day as the rest of us. For sure, he had a head start. He was a dazzling prodigy, prompting Hector Berlioz to quip, “He knows everything, but lacks inexperience.” Saint-Saëns made notable contributions in mathematics, astronomy, poetry, theater, and acoustics. Born two years before Brahms, he lived long enough to write one of the first film scores. And Franz Liszt declared him “the greatest organist in the world.” With celebrity came money, and Saint-Saëns became a snowbird, traveling as far as Uruguay, Saigon, North Africa, and Spain. Funnily enough, he preferred to go incognito, traveling under the name “Charles Sannois.” As a rule, he pretended to be a merchant but wasn’t very convincing. He once got himself thrown out of a concert hall for loudly criticizing the conductor. In the Spanish Canary Islands, locals whispered about the foreigner’s odd behavior and began to suspect he was a spy. After they alerted the police, Saint-Saëns changed hotels. Back in Paris, people wondered about his whereabouts and his picture appeared

in a French paper. With that, the canarios recognized the itinerant celebrity and hounded him for concerts, auditions, and new works. The Music In January 1896, the composer attended a production of his opera Henry VIII in Milan before heading to Egypt, where he took a boat ride on the Nile. Boarding a small sailing vessel called a felucca, he savored the Nile’s winding ribbon of greenery flanked by towering dunes. And he listened to the boatmen’s song. In Cairo, he enjoyed the company of friends and tossed off a couple of miniatures for local performances. He then wrote a violin sonata before going into seclusion to write a new piano concerto. In just a few weeks, Saint-Saëns composed his Piano Concerto No. 5. Although it earned the nickname “The Egyptian,” its flavor is more global. For example, it’s hard to miss the Spanish guitar-like strumming of the middle movement. Although modernism had begun to overtake the music world, the concerto’s opening has Brahmsian zest coupled with staggering pianism, underscoring the composer’s skill as a player. The middle movement looks eastward, with the Hijaz scale underpinning dramatic piano flourishes. SaintSaëns quotes the Nile River boatman’s song—a Nubian love song—before moving into the pentatonic scale colored by the exotic sound of the tam-tam (gong). In the finale, the composer shifts gears again to depict what he likened to the “joy of a sea crossing, a joy that not everyone shares.” Listen for the thrum of the ship’s engines in its opening bars, followed by the play of light on the water. ANTON BRUCKNER

born September 4, 1824, in Ansfelden, Upper Austria died October 11, 1896, in Vienna

Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major, WAB 104 “Romantic”

composed 1873–1880 premiered in Vienna, in 1881 last performed by Utah Symphony in February 2012 with conductor Thierry Fischer

What to Listen for Bruckner conjured a rural world in his Fourth Symphony that includes birds, horn calls, and a hunting scene.

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About the Music

The Backstory “Medieval city—Daybreak—Morning calls sound from the city towers—the gates open—On proud horses the knights burst out into the open, the magic of nature envelops them—forest murmurs—bird song—and so the Romantic picture develops further…” Bruckner didn’t usually tell stories with his symphonies, but years after writing the Fourth, he supplied those lines—not to stage a drama but to bring you into his world. One might imagine the boy Bruckner climbing around castle ruins in Upper Austria, and the quote as an invitation to walk around and see the place through the Fourth Symphony. Bruckner was the proverbial country mouse. From age 13, he sang in the choir at the St. Florian monastery, a celebrated ensemble founded in 1071. Through his 20s, he served as an instructor and organist. In fact, he was a phenomenal organist, which fed into another feature of his symphonies: Bruckner obsessively revised them. As a master improviser, Bruckner had a gift that, perhaps, worked against him when writing symphonies. He spent hours at the keyboard, spinning a yarn, cranking out endless variations on ideas. When working on symphonies, he necessarily had to pare down his ideas and commit them to paper. As it happened, his works proved too visionary for most people, and he grew painfully sensitive to criticism; multiple revisions followed. Bruckner’s decision to move from writing church music to symphonies was calculated—some might say excessively so. He found composition teachers who guided his studies by correspondence, and he took lessons until middle age. In the end, he didn’t feel ready to write a symphony until he’d passed the final exams at the Vienna Conservatory (though he’d never enrolled there). Bruckner left the organ loft for the city in 1868, taking a teaching job at the conservatory. The move proved jarring. Bruckner’s clothes, his country accent, and his strange manner provoked whispers and ridicule, leading to social isolation. Over the coming years, the local critic and much of musical society savaged his early symphonies, and he suffered for it. The Music Of his 11 symphonies, the Fourth is the only one with a title. Calling it “Romantic,” the composer suggested the image of a medieval city for the first movement (a more

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rural setting than what we might imagine as a city). It opens with a lonely horn call over a tremolo in the strings as if he’s cracked a door into a distant world. He includes a bird call, the European tit (a bird that resembles a chickadee). To lend an air of nobility, he unleashes the brass section with a rhythmic figure (1-2, 1-2-3) that came to be known as the Bruckner rhythm. The second movement feels like a solemn procession, another familiar scene for a man who spent more than half his life in the church. The scherzo evokes a merry hunting scene with a little midday country dance in the woods before Bruckner pulls out all the stops for a heroic finale. He completed the Fourth Symphony in November 1874, but the Vienna Philharmonic declined to perform it. In 1878, he composed a new scherzo and finale, then rewrote the finale between 1879 and 1880. Finally, on February 20, 1881, Hans Richter led the Vienna Philharmonic in the symphony’s world premiere. For the first time as a symphonist, Bruckner received a thundering ovation.

The St. Florian Monastery was home to Anton Bruckner starting at age of 13. A paragon of Baroque splendor, the basilica’s vaulted nave and dome are a riot of exquisitely appointed frescoes, flanked by gold-and-marble Corinthian columns. The 7,343pipe organ soars overhead, like the crown jewels of the sanctuary. In the 1840s, the famous instrument was the personal playground of young Bruckner, as he developed into one of the greatest organists alive. The gold and frescoed St. Florian’s library is equally stunning and includes some 1,000 medieval handscripts among its 130,000 volumes. Founded in the early 9th century, the Augustinian order rebuilt the St. Florian’s structure in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is the largest monastery in Upper Austria. The monks founded the St. Florian’s choir, where young Bruckner sang treble, in 1071. The choristers continue to lead services today. Even after moving to Vienna, Bruckner often returned to St. Florian’s, where he gave popular recitals. After he died in 1896, the monks laid him to rest beneath the organ, now called the “Bruckner Organ.”

Individual Donors

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is grateful to our generous donors who, through annual cash gifts and multi-year commitments, help us bring great live music to our community.

Millennium ($250,000+) Anonymous Marcia JS Richards

Norman C. & Barbara L. Tanner Jacquelyn Wentz Second Charitable Trust

Encore ($100,000 – $249,999) Anonymous Estate of Dr. J.R. Baringer Estate of Eva-Maria Adolphi Kem & Carolyn Gardner

Dennis Hranitzky Scott & Jennifer Huntsman Anthony & Renee Marlon Edward Moreton

John & Marcia Price Family Foundation Beano Solomon

Kristen Fletcher & Dan McPhun Frederick & Lucy Moreton Mark & Dianne Prothro Patricia A. Richards & William K. Nichols Shiebler Family Foundation

Harris H. & Amanda P. Simmons Foundation George Speciale Norman C. & Barbara L. Tanner Charitable Trust Zibby & Jim Tozer Wheatley Family Charitable Fund

David & Angela Glenn Brian & Detgen Greeff Ronald & Kaye Gunnell Intuitive Funding Tom Jacobson Charles & Pat McEvoy Mr.† & Mrs. Alvin Richer Nathan & Shannon Savage Peggy & Ben Schapiro

Theodore & Elizabeth Schmidt Foundation Shane & Stacey Stowell Taft & Anne Symonds Naoma Tate & the Family of Hal Tate Jennifer Price-Wallin John & Jean Yablonski

Bravo ($50,000 – $99,999) Doyle Arnold & Anne Glarner Thomas Billings & Judge Judith Billings† Berenice J. Bradshaw Trust Estate of Dorothy B. Cromer Dr. Kent DiFiore & Dr. Martha Humphrey Barbara Hartman

Overture ($25,000 – $49,999) Anonymous Frances Akita & Christine Akita Sulser Scott & Kathie Amann Bloomfield Family Foundation Mr. Charles Boynton Judy Brady† & Drew W. Browning Judy & Larry Brownstein Michael & Vickie Callen John & Flora D’Arcy

Gifts as of February 10, 2026 * in-kind donation ** in-kind & cash donations † deceased

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Individual Donors

Maestro ($10,000 – $24,999) Anonymous Clisto and Suzanne Beaty Beesley Family Foundation Jim & Susan Blair Steven & Cassandra Brosvik Howard & Betty Clark Larry Clemmensen Marian Davis & David Parker Kathleen Digre & Michael Varner Estate of Jeff Drenker Barry L. & Traci L. Eden Sarah Ehrlich Pam & Jonathan Eichner Matthew B. Ellis Foundation Carolyn & Craig Enenstein Midge & Tom Farkas Robert & Elisha Finney Brandon & Kristen Fugal

David & Karen Gall Diana George Emma Hamilton & Brian Casper Douglas & Connie Hayes Susan & Tom Hodgson Sunny & Wes Howell Mary P.† & Jerald H. Jacobs Family Stephen C.† & Lynda M. Jacobsen Annette & Joseph Jarvis G. Frank & Pamela Joklik Bill Ligety & Cyndi Sharp Matthew Prince & Tatiana Lingos-Webb Prince Michal & Maureen Mekjian The Millerberg Family Giving Fund Harold W. & Lois Milner James & Ann Neal Dr. Dinesh & Kalpana Patel

Leslie Peterson & Kevin Higgins Frank R. Pignanelli & D’Arcy Dixon Pignanelli Walter J. & Peggy Plumb Albert J. Roberts IV Richard & Carmen Rogers James & Anna Romano Sandefur Schmidt Jonathan & Marisa Schwartz Gerald† & Sharon Seiner Dewelynn & J. Ryan† Selberg Pamela Slomski Mr.† & Mrs. G. B. Stringfellow Thomas & Marilyn Sutton Brad E. & Linda P. Walton Dr. & Mrs. Harry C. Wong Caroline & Thomas Wright Kathie Zumbro

Chuck & Kathie Horman Tim & Angela Laros David Luker Jed Millburn Sheryl & James Snarr

Paul Taylor Susan Warshaw Jaelee Watanabe

Allegro ($6,000 – $9,999) Anonymous [5] Kyle & Melissa Barnett Barbara & Melvin Echols Fifty50Fifty Family Fund John H.† & Joan B. Firmage

Gifts as of February 10, 2026 * in-kind donation ** in-kind & cash donations † deceased

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Individual Donors

Abravanel & Peterson Society ($3,000 – $5,999) Anonymous [3] Clayton & Julia Anderson Dr. Ann Berghout & Dennis Austin Dr. Peter & Rosemary Beck Philip Bienert C. Kim & Jane Blair Mr. & Mrs. William D. Callister Helen & Jeff Cardon Kenneth Colen Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth R. Cutler Dr. Thomas D. & Joanne A. Coppin Michael Brent Davies Matt & Nancy Dorny Linda Francis Mr. & Mrs. Eric Garen* Barbara Greenlee Dr. & Mrs. John Greenlee Kenneth & Kate Handley Brad Hare MD & Akiko Okifuji PhD Jeff & Peggy Hatch John Edward Henderson Dixie S. & Robert P. Huefner Jay Jackson

Rhett & Willow Jeppson Maxine & Bruce Johnson James R. Jones Family Drs. Randy & Elizabeth Jensen Dr. Michael A. Kalm Lucinda L. Kindred Jeffrey LaMora Dr. Donald & Alice Lappe G F Larsen Family Charitable Fund Christie & Franklin Michael Liess Dennis & Pat Lombardi Hillary Marquardson Kathryn & Jed Marti Dale & Carol Matuska Christopher & Julie McBeth David & Nickie McDowell George & Nancy Melling Pieter & Janice Mensink John & Bria Mertens Dr. Louis A. & Deborah Moench Terrell & Leah Nagata Patricia Legant & Thomas Parks

Lisa Poppleton & Jim Stringfellow Sarah Ratchye & Edward Frank Glenn Ricart & Patricia Guenther Kenneth Roach & Cindy Powell Kazuhiro Saito Mark & Loulu Saltzman Margaret P. Sargent Smith & Wilcox Blue Skies Foundation Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Eddie Stone Ruth Stone Dr. Albert & Yvette Ungricht Susan & David† Wagstaff Sally Wakefield & Anthony Arnason John & Susan Walker Susan Warshaw M. Terri Poli & J. Craig Weakley Sharlene Wells Kim Wilson Michael Wolfe Jennifer Wollin E. Woolston† & Connie Jo HepworthWoolston

Associate Board A dynamic group of young professionals, the Associate Board partners with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera to shape the future of live music. They bring fresh ideas, cultivate philanthropy, and strengthen connections between USUO and the community. Contact Katie Swainston at kswainston@usuo.org for more information about becoming involved. Curtis Woodbury, chair Kylee Dickamore Hillary Marquardson Jeff Pickett Rayanne Riepl Stephen Tracy Gifts as of February 10, 2026 * in-kind donation ** in-kind & cash donations † deceased

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Individual Donors

Friend ($1,000 – $2,999) Anonymous [6] Craig & Joanna Adamson A. Scott & Jesselie Anderson George & Frances† Alderson Christine A. Allred Drs. Crystal & Dustin Armstrong Joe Arnold Ian Arnold Fred & Linda Babcock Dr. & Mrs. Grant Bagley James Barthelmess David Bateman Lowell Bennion Vicki & Bill Bennion Roger & Karen Blaylock Susan Boyer Diane Banks Bromberg & Dr. Mark Bromberg Céline Carol Browning & Nathan Sutherland Dana Carroll & Jeannine Marlowe Carroll Linda Jo Carron Po & Beatrice Chang William & Patricia Child Phillip I. & Gail Coleman Dr. & Mrs. David Coppin David & Carol Coulter Jason & Kristin Covili Coleen Cronin Mark B Dean Thomas & Candace Dee Paul Dorgan Eric & Shellie Eide David & Susan Erhart Leonard Farnsworth Craig Fineshriber & Dr. Nancy Futrell Drs. Norman L. & Carol† M. Foster Dr. Robert Fudge & Sylvia Newman Dr. Martin I. & Sheila G. Gelman Larry Gerlach

Bob & Mary Gilchrist Ralph & Rose† Gochnour John & Linda Green Olga Gromadzka Keith Guernsey & Rebecca Burrage Dr. Elizabeth Hammond Helene Harding & Patrick Briggs Robert & Marcia Harris Virginia Harris Jonathan Hart Lex Hemphill & Nancy Melich Susan K. Hickenlooper Connie C. Holbrook Laura Holleman Ron & Marsha Houston Stephen Tanner Irish Jay & Julie Jacobson Eldon Jenkins & Amy Calara Joann & Russell Jex Audrey Jiricko Bryce & Karen† Johnson Kimberly Johnson & Bennett Greenfield Nicholas Johnson Rebekah & Joseph Johnson Kimberli Jones Michael & Amy Kennedy Michael & Peg Kramer Patricia L Leikhim Scott & Valerie Lindley Ms. Susan Loffler Chris and Susan Lockwood Katherine Marumoto Jerilyn S. McIntyre & David Smith Jeffrey McNeal Warren K.† & Virginia G. McOmber Mr. & Mrs. Reed W. Merrell David B. & Colleen A. Merrill Jim & Nanette Michie Stephen & Sandy Morgan Barry & Kathy Mower David Murrell IV & Mary Beckerle

Gifts as of February 10, 2026 * in-kind donation ** in-kind & cash donations † deceased USUO.ORG | 801-533-NOTE (6683)

Phillip & Alice Newberry Craig Sparrow Ogan Rick Oliver Maura & Serge Olszanskyj Cynthia L. Papadopoulos Stephanie Pappas Elodie Payne Cynthia & George Petrow Keith & Linda Poelman Dr. Susan J. Quaal Thomas Quam Esther Rashkin Dr. Barbara S. Reid Frances Reiser G. Dale & Susan Richey Gina Rieke Gail T. Rushing Rachel Sabin John F. Foley, M.D. & Dorene Sambado, M.D. Tomoko Schlag Steffen Schmitz--Valckenberg August L. Schultz Mr. Jeffrey W. Shields & Ms. Mary Ross Barbara Slaymaker Jan H. Smith Dr. & Mrs. Michael H. Stevens Val & Julie Stokes Clint & Jody Stone Annie & Cory Strupp Jay Teevan Brent & Lissa Thompson Sharon Walkington Judith Warner Bruce & Leigh Washburn Frank & Janell Weinstock Dan & Amy Wilcox Jody L. Williams David† & Jerre Winder Tolford & Mary Young

Individual Donors

Andante ($500 – $999) Anonymous [3] Drew J. Adams Dennis & Louise Ahern Sara Jane Andersen Mr. Gaylen Atkinson Dr. Robert Silver & Denise Beaudoin Patter & Thomas Birsic Ted Buckwalter Paul & Ruth Cherecwich Barbara Christensen Martin & Elinor Colman Cecilia Crystal David & Donna Dalton Darrell & Sharon Child Ashby† & Anne Cullimore Decker John D. Doppelheuer M.D. & Kirsten A. Hanson M.D.** Joseph Ferriter & Jennifer Trauscht-Van Horn Dennis & Sherrie Gardner Joshua & Alisha Garrett

Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Gurney, Jr. Robert Haddick Julie Hadley Peter & Beth Hanlon Christina Hemphill Linda Hertzberg Dr. & Mrs. John Howarth Gary & Christine Hunter Dr. Richard & Helene Jaffe Kenneth & Penny Jameson Amelia Jones Matthew & Shirley Kirby Mr. & Mrs. Bruce M. Lake Guttorm & Claudia Landro Brent Lutz Kerrie MacPherson Dan McKnight & Deanna Donaldson Sanford & Lynn Meek Elizabeth Miller Eva Novak James & Janette Orton

Dr. Anne M. Pendo & Duncan Edwards Jerry & Nancy Pitstick Nelly Poe Vedran Radojcic Arthur & Susan Ralph Tom & Karma Ramsey Delia and Craig Reece Kyle Rose Peggy & Richard Sacher Brenda Scheer Linda & Rick Smaligo Stephen Tracy Ron Tucker Kenneth Uy Jason & Marcie Ward Lee Walker David B.† & Anne Wirthlin Dave Wood Frank & Betty Yanowitz Dean & Jean† Zobell

Simon Harrison Joel & Christine Hatch Doug Hattery Mr. John P. Hill, Esq. Jonathan Jensen Rodney L. Johnson Heidi Kunzler Kurt L. Larsen Claudia Laycock Emily Lemer Steven & Kimberlee Lewis Susan Loving Madeleine Choir School Penelope Mathews & David Horner James Mathis Jack & Patsy McNamara Melissa Miller Hal & JeNeal Miller Robert L. Miller Bill & Jane Moore David & Debra Neff Wayne & Iris Nixdorf Amanda Norton & Jim Jacobs David R. Osborn Brent Palfreyman

Barbara Perry Tera Peterson Laszlo & Sandra Preysz Robert Redd Lousje & Keith Rooker Lynn P. Rosas Roger & Connie Seegmiller Erik Sherwood Dr. Bernard J. Simbari Deborah Simmons Josh Smith Harrison Smithwick Robert Sonneborn Kenneth A. & Claudia M. Sperling Dr. Ralph & Judith Vander Heide Jill West Eugene Weymouth Henry O. Whiteside Don & Jennifer Willie Frank & Pam Wilson Winder & Counsel PC Douglas Wood Paul Woodward

Chorale ($250 – $599) Anonymous [6] Ronald I. Apfelbaum, MD & Kathleen A. Murray, MD Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence R. Barusch Michael Behring & Debra Marin Reed & Jeanne Benson Brighton High School Marianne Burgoyne Jody K. Burnett Alejandro Chagoya Claire Chassen Mr. & Mrs. Don M. Christensen Joseph & Cathy Cleary Nathanael & Jennifer Davenport Tim Dick G. Dietrich & M. Paret Family Natalie Divino Susan Dube Lisa Espinosa Rick & Patti Fersch Paula J. Fowler Elizabeth Frank & Steve Achelis Warren Gallant David & Ann George Dr. & Mrs. William R. Gray

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and

BACK SM

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Legacy Giving

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is grateful to those donors who have made commitments to our Endowment Fund.

Anonymous   C. Comstock Clayton Foundation   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   Carolyn T. Irish Revocable Trust   The Right Reverend Carolyn Tanner Irish† & Mr. Frederick Quinn   Edward Moreton   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   Jack & Mary Lois Wheatley Family Trust   Edward & Marelynn† Zipser

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 Garrett Murphy, Director of Development, at (801) 869-9016.

† deceased

USUO.ORG | 801-533-NOTE (6683)

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 Jack Ashton David Luker

Carol Lynn Nenow Anonymous

Wallace Ring, MD. Dr. Harry Wong

Frances J. Darger Peggy & Richard Sacher

Ruzena (Rose) Novak Eva Novak

Gladys Gladstone Rosenberg David Luker

Gerald Rich (Skip) Daynes James Barthemess

Julie Palfreyman Brent Palfreyman

Willard & Evelyn Smith Jerilyn McIntyre & W. David Smith

Ashby Snow Decker David & Colleen Merrill

Joyce Parrish Angele Morcos

David Winder Emily Lemer

Lydia Dobbins Eileen Dobbins

Glade & Mardean Peterson Leslie Peterson & Kevin Higgins

Dr. Gary F. Larsen The G.F. Larsen Fund

Kelvin Peterson Scott & Kathleen Amann Rick & Betsy Anderson Kirsten & Gary Dodge Lory Hendry & Rob Ayres Joann & Russell Jex Richard Morais Shelley Morandi Sean Myles

Maxine, Frank & Joel McIntyre Jerilyn McIntyre & W. David Smith Warren K. (Sandy) McOmber Virginia McOmber

IN HONOR OF J. Richard Baringer, MD Norman L. Foster, MD

Joanne Shiebler Maria S. Tuttle

† deceased

USUO.ORG | 801-533-NOTE (6683)

Institutional Donors

We thank our generous institutional donors for their annual support of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. $100,000 or more The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation Marriner S. Eccles Foundation

George S. & Dolores Doré LOVE Communications** Eccles Foundation Larry H. & Gail Miller Family The Florence J. Gillmor Foundation Foundation O.C. Tanner Company Emma Eccles Jones Foundation Sorenson Legacy Foundation Frederick Q. Lawson Foundation Stowell Leadership Group, LLC* Zions Bank

$50,000 – $99,999 47G Utah Aerospace & Defense** Anonymous AHE/CI Trust Crocker Catalyst Foundation

The Grand America Hotel & Little America Hotel* Janet Q. Lawson Foundation Moreton & Company

Charles Maxfield & Gloria F. Parrish Foundation Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce* World Trade Center Utah**

Richard K. & Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation Intermountain Community Care Foundation The Kahlert Foundation The John C. Kish Foundation McCarthey Family Foundation

Moreton Family Foundation S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney Foundation Simmons Family Foundation Summit Sotheby’s International Realty

Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Joseph & Kathleen Sorenson Legacy Foundation Minky Couture* Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau PhotoNodes* Pura

The Joseph & Evelyn Rosenblatt Charitable Fund Stewart Education Foundation Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation University of Utah Health Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce* WCF Insurance Woodbury Corporation

$25,000 – $49,999 Arnold Machinery Big-D Construction BMW of Murray/BMW of Pleasant Grove Carol Franc Buck Foundation Cultural Vision 30 Year Endowment Goldman Sachs and Co $10,000 – $24,999 Anonymous Altabank HJ & BR Barlow Foundation B.W. Bastian Foundation Bertin Family Foundation R. Harold Burton Foundation Capital Group Deer Valley Resort* Enbridge Gas

Gifts as of February 10, 2026 * in-kind donation ** in-kind & cash donations † deceased USUO.ORG | 801-533-NOTE (6683)

Institutional Donors

$1,000 – $9,999 Anonymous Alsco Uniforms Amano Artisan Chocolate Bank of America The Buckner Company Caffé Molise* CHG Healthcare Services Spencer F. & Cleone P. Eccles Family Foundation Henry W. & Leslie M. Eskuche Charitable Foundation Every Blooming Thing* The Fanwood Foundation Western Office FanX Grandeur Peak Global Advisors Hideout Adventures Holland & Hart

Huntsman International LLC J. Wong’s Thai & Chinese Bistro* KeyBank KKC Foundation Lone Peak Valuation Microsoft Corporation* Millburn & Company Millcreek Coffee Roasters* Mountain America Credit Union Nammo OPERA America Placemakr: Apartment Hotels Precision Hermetic Technology Promontory Foundation Ray, Quinney & Nebeker Foundation Red Rock Brewing Company* Ruth’s Chris Steak House* SALTT

Semnani Family Foundation Serving Table 22* Spencer Fane Snow Christensen & Martineau Foundation Squatters Pub Brewery* St. Regis / Deer Crest Club** Stay Park City Summerhays Music Center The Swartz Foundation Swire Coca-Cola, USA* The Fang Family Foundation Urban Hill Utah Autism Foundation Vergara Miller Law Vox Marketing Group* Wells Fargo

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.

Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks Utah State Board of Education Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement

Utah Division of Arts & Museums Utah Office of Tourism Utah State Legislature Summit County RAP Tax

Gifts as of February 10, 2026 * in-kind donation ** in-kind & cash donations † deceased

USUO.ORG | 801-533-NOTE (6683)

Summit County Restaurant Tax National Endowment for the Arts Salt Lake City Arts Council Orem City CARE Tax

Tanner & Crescendo Societies

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera offers sincere thanks to our patrons who have included USUO in their financial & 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.R. Baringer†  Dr. Melissa J. Bentley   Marcy & Mark Casp   Shelly Coburn

Raymond & Diana Compton   John & Flora D’Arcy Jeff Drenker† 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   Pieter and Janice Mensink  Glenn Prestwich   Kenneth A.† & Jeraldine S. Randall  Marcia JS Richards

Barbara Hartman†  Richard G. & Shauna† Horne   Virginia A. Hughes   Gordon Irving† Herbert C.† & Wilma Livsey Dianne May   Jerry & Marcia McClain

Dr. Louis & Deborah Moench  Jim & Andrea Naccarato   Stephen H. & Mary Nichols   Craig S. Ogan   Mr. & Mrs.† Scott Parker   Mr. & Mrs.† Michael A. Pazzi

Mahler Circle Anonymous [3]   Dr. Robert H.† & Marianne Harding Burgoyne   Richard Clegg   Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth E. Coombs Dorothy B. Cromer† Robert & Carolee Harmon

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

Gordon Irving† Annette W. & Joseph Q. Jarvis   Edward R. Ashwood & Candice A. Johnson 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  Laura Scholl   w Jeffrey W. Shields   G.B.† & B.F. Stringfellow   Dr. Ralph & Judith Vander Heide   Edward J. & Marelynn† Zipser

For more information, call (801) 869-9001. † Deceased

USUO.ORG | 801-533-NOTE (6683)

IMAGINE SITTING IN 1/3 OF A SEAT— THAT’S WHAT YOUR TICKET COVERS

The remaining 2/3 comes from generous supporters like you. With ticket sales covering roughly 30% of the cost of our performances, your contribution helps complete the experience. Here’s how you can help:

One-Time Gift

DonorAdvised Fund

Monthly Giving

Qualified Charitable Distribution

FIND OUT MORE | usuo.org/ways-to-give | 801-869-9200

Stock Gift

PARTNER WITH A PLAYER “When I was young, I dreamed about becoming a professional horn player. I attended Eastman School of Music, but realized there was little chance of a female brass player being hired by a major orchestra. Today, I can be part of the Utah Symphony horn section through financial support, adding my name to the principal horn chair. My childhood dream is now realized in a different way.” -Marci Richards Foster a unique connection with the individual behind the music while supporting the Symphony’s commitment to excellence.

LEARN MORE by contacting Garrett Murphy, Director of Development gmurphy@usuo.org

LEAVE A LEGACY

MAKE A PLANNED GIFT Make a lasting impact while meeting your financial goals today. Including Utah Symphony | Utah Opera in your will is simple, often taxadvantageous, and helps ensure the power of music touches lives for generations to come. To learn more, please reach out to your financial advisor or contact us at: 801-869-9200 usuo.org/planned-giving

Acknowledgments

L E T ' S TA K E THE CADILLAC

UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA 123 W. South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101 801-533-5626 EDITOR Julia Lyon 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

MEET

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.

THE

F A M I LY

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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