USUO Winter 2024

UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA

2024-25 SEASON

Symphony No 2

Joseph Smith

Wherefore, all things must be a compound in one.

Book of Mormon (c.1829)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each thing a half requires another to make it whole. “Compensation” (c. 1830’s)

“Adam fell that man might be; Men are that they might have joy!”

Book of Mormon

www.williamcall.net/essay

Paired Qualities

They exist as they are perceived

On behalf of the board, musicians, and staff of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, it is our pleasure to welcome you to today’s performance. We can think of no better way to enjoy the wonder of the holiday season and promise of the New Year than through the magic of great live music experienced together as a community.

We are thrilled that our musicmaking includes a host of incredible guest artists—from world-renowned musicians with established careers like Yo-Yo Ma, Augustin Hadelich, and our Creative Partner David Robertson all the way through to the young musicians joining us from The Madeleine Choir School as the chorus in Hansel and Gretel. Whether it is the timeless appeal of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring; the evocative orchestration of Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Humperdinck, Korngold, Britten, and John Williams; or exciting new music from living composers; you will hear the musicians of our orchestra demonstrate their extraordinary versatility and expertise in partnership with our vocal and instrumental soloists as they deliver moments that will live long in your memory.

In special holiday concerts, we welcome global music sensations Celtic Woman for a special signature performance; Shayna Steele and Chester Gregory for our Holiday Pops Extravaganza; and Kris Kringle, himself, for our family concert Here Comes Santa Claus! And, we’ll keep the holiday spirit going into January with a family-friendly opera Hansel and Gretel

As we move from one year to the next, we would like to express our deep appreciation to all of you for supporting Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. Because of the generosity of

friends like you, USUO brings the gift of music year-round to audiences throughout our state and region— with a remarkable one third of that audience comprised of students experiencing one of our many free education performances. Thank you for being our ambassadors and reminding your friends and family of the importance of the work we do.

Thinking of holiday gift-giving?

Contributions can be made in honor of others and tickets or gift cards for our performances make wonderful gifts for those special people in your life. Share a performance with them and create musical memories together!

This organization is a state treasure as firmly woven into Utah’s fabric as its red rocks and snow-covered mountains. And like the natural beauty of the state, USUO enriches lives, elevates our community, and is worth cherishing for generations to come. Thank you for joining us in this communal experience of great live music. You play a leading role in fulfilling our mission, and the entire USUO family extends to you our heartfelt thanks. It is great to have you with us for this performance and we look forward to seeing you again and again this season.

Sincerely,

Our Mission

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

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

Education & Community Engagement

111,679 students and teachers served

614 schools served

316 concerts, classes & programs

35 school districts visited

40+ symphony performances

5 sold out Family Series concerts

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

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Patron Services

Abravanel Hall Ticket Office

123 W South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101

801-533-NOTE (6683)

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Box Office Hours

Monday through Friday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Saturday WITH a scheduled performance: 2:00 PM – Showtime* Sunday (Opera matinee): 2 hours prior to Showtime*

Box Office Hours

• Monday through Friday: 12:00 PM–6:00 PM

• CLOSED Saturdays and Sundays without a scheduled performance.

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

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

Accessibility

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

Website Accessibility Interface

Assisted hearing devices, available by request at Guest Services.

ASL-Interpreted performances

Closed-captioned or supertitled performances

· Braille or Large Print Programs available by advance request

Wheelchair, limited mobility, and Bariatric seating available

• Weighted lap pads, earplugs, and other sensory aids available by request at guest services.

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

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STAY IN TOUCH

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ELECTED BOARD

Brian Greeff* Chair

Annette W. Jarvis* Vice Chair & Secretary

Judy Moreton* Vice Chair

Joanne F. Shiebler* Vice Chair

Thomas Wright* Vice Chair

Steven Brosvik* President & CEO

Dr. Stewart E. Barlow

Judith M. Billings

Larry Brownstein

Paul E. Burdiss

George Cardon-Bystry

Gary L. Crocker

John D’Arcy*

David L. Dee

Barry L. Eden*

Jason Englund*

Senator Luz Escamilla

Jonathan Freedman

Brandon Fugal

Dr. Julie Aiken Hansen

Daniel Hemmert*

Dennis H. Hranitzky

Stephen Tanner Irish*

Thomas N. Jacobson

Abigail E. Lowder

Dr. Dinesh C. Patel

Frank R. Pignanelli

Gary B. Porter

Shari H. Quinney

Miguel R. Rovira

Stan Sorensen

Clint Stone

Dr. Shane D. Stowell

Thomas Thatcher

W.James Tozer

David Utrilla

Sharlene Wells

Don Willie

Kim R. Wilson

Henry C. Wurts*

MUSICIAN REPRESENTATIVES

Barbara Scowcroft*

Travis Peterson*

EX-OFFICIO REPRESENTATIVE

Jean Vaniman

Onstage Ogden

LIFETIME BOARD

William C. Bailey

Kem C. Gardner

Jon Huntsman, Jr. G.Frank Joklik

Clark D. Jones

Thomas M. Love*

David T. Mortensen

Scott S. Parker

David A. Petersen

Patricia A. Richards*

Harris Simmons

David B. Winder

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Carolyn Abravanel

Dr. J. Richard Baringer

Howard S. Clark

Kristen Fletcher

Richard G. Horne

Ronald W. Jibson

E.Jeffery Smith

HONORARY BOARD

Jesselie B. Anderson

Kathryn Carter

R.Don Cash

Raymond J. Dardano

Geralyn Dreyfous

* Executive Committee Member

Lisa Eccles

Spencer F. Eccles

Dr. Anthony W. Middleton, Jr.

Edward Moreton

Marilyn H. Neilson

Stanley B. Parrish

Marcia Price

Jeffrey W. Shields, Esq.

Diana Ellis Smith

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Thierry Fischer

Music Director Emeritus

David Robertson

Creative Partner

Jessica Rivero Altarriba Assistant Conductor

Austin McWilliams

Chorus Director & Opera Assistant Conductor

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

Joseph Evans

Lun Jiang

Rebekah Johnson

Tina Johnson~

Alison Kim

Amanda Kofoed~

Jennifer Kozbial Posadas~

Veronica Kulig

David Langr

Hannah Linz

Yuki MacQueen

Alexander Martin

Rebecca Moench

Hugh Palmer

David Porter

Lynn Maxine Rosen

Barbara Ann Scowcroft

Ju Hyung Shin

Bonnie Terry

Julie Wunderle

Wen Yuan Gu

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

VIOLA*

Brant Bayless

Principal

The Sue & Walker

Wallace Chair

Yuan Qi

Associate Principal

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

Andrew Larson

Acting Associate Principal

John Eckstein

Walter Haman

Ian Jones~ Anne Lee

Louis-Philippe Robillard

Kevin Shumway

Hannah Thomas-Hollands~ Pegsoon Whang#

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

Lissa Stolz

ENGLISH HORN

Lissa Stolz

CLARINET

Tad Calcara Principal

The Norman C. &

Barbara Lindquist

Tanner Chair, in memory of Jean Lindquist Pell

Erin Svoboda-Scott Associate Principal

Lee Livengood

BASS CLARINET

Lee Livengood

E-FLAT CLARINET

Erin Svoboda-Scott

BASSOON

Lori Wike

Principal

The Edward & Barbara Moreton Chair

Leon Chodos

Associate Principal

Jennifer Rhodes

CONTRABASSOON

Leon Chodos

HORN

Jessica Danz Principal

Edmund Rollett Associate Principal

Jonathan Chiou

Julia Pilant~ Stephen Proser

TRUMPET

Travis Peterson Principal

Jeff Luke

Associate Principal

Seretta Hart~

Paul Torrisi

TROMBONE

Mark Davidson Principal

Sam Elliot

Associate Principal/Second Trombone

BASS TROMBONE

Graeme Mutchler

TUBA

Alexander Purdy Principal

TIMPANI

Micah Harrow

Acting Principal

Eric Hopkins

Associate Principal

PERCUSSION

Keith Carrick Principal

Eric Hopkins

Michael Pape

KEYBOARD

Jason Hardink Principal

LIBRARIANS

Clovis Lark Principal

Claudia Restrepo**

Anna Thompson~ Acting Librarian

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

Walt Zeschin Director of Orchestra Personnel

Hannah Thomas-Hollands Orchestra Personnel Manager

Unmatched Academic Results

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1325 South Main Street

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10670 South 700 East

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3920 North Traverse Mountain Boulevard

West Jordan (PS–G1) (801) 565-1058

2247 West 8660 South

UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA SEASON SPONSORS

UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA SEASON SPONSOR

MASTERWORKS SERIES SPONSOR

POPS SERIES SPONSOR

FAMILY SERIES SPONSOR

NOORDA CENTER SERIES SPONSOR

UTAH OPERA ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SPONSOR OPERA ENHANCEMENT FUND

EMMA ECCLES JONES FOUNDATION SCOTT & JENNIFER HUNTSMAN

OFFICIAL VOCAL CARE

2024-25 Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Season Sponsor

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

5.

6. Vendors share good food–and great company–with everyone on the plaza of Abravanel Hall.

3. The Utah Symphony brings John Williams’ iconic Jurassic Park score to life, accompanying the film in realtime at Abravanel Hall.

4. Young Dancers whirl in front of Abravanel Hall as part of our annual Celebración Sinfónica festival!

7. Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez and guest trumpeter José Sibaja serenade the audience with favorite tunes inspired by Latin America and Spain.

8. Utah Opera’s production of Sweeney Todd had full audiences nightly and a phenomenal cast.

ADMINISTRATION

Steven Brosvik

President & CEO

David Green

Senior Vice President & COO

Micah Luce

Director of Human Resources & Organizational Culture

Julie McBeth

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Natty Taylor

Human Resources Coordinator

Madison Wilde Thunhorst

Executive Assistant to the Senior VP & COO

SYMPHONY ARTISTIC

Anthony Tolokan

Artistic Consultant

Cassandra Dozet

Artistic Consultant

Walt Zeschin

Director of Orchestra Personnel

Hannah Thomas-Hollands

Orchestra Personnel Manager

Morgan Moulton

Artistic Planning Manager

Isabella Zini

Artistic Planning Coordinator & Assistant to the Music Director

Jessica Rivero Altarriba

Assistant Conductor

OPERA ARTISTIC

Christopher McBeth

Opera Artistic Director

Austin McWilliams

Chorus Director & Opera

Assistant Conductor

Carol Anderson

Principal Coach

Michelle Peterson Director of Production

Ashley Tingey

Production Coordinator

Stephanie Chee, Soprano

Sarah Scofield, Mezzo-Soprano

Aaron McKone, Tenor

Rodney Sharp II, Baritone

Jie Fang Goh, Pianist

Resident Artists

SYMPHONY OPERATIONS

Jen Shark

Director of Orchestra Operations

Melissa Robison

Front of House Director

Chip Dance Director of Production

Marcus Lee

Operations Manager

Sarah Madany

Stage Manager

ADMINISTRATION

Morgane Walton

Assistant Stage Manager

OPERA TECHNICAL

Sam Miller

Technical Director

Kelly Nickle

Properties Master

Dusty Terrell

Scenic Charge Artist

JR Orr

Head Carpenter/Shop Foreman

COSTUMES

Carol Wood

Costume Director

Marcos Ambriz

Costume Rentals & Collections Manager

Mallory Goodman

Costume Rentals & Collections Assistant

Manager

Milivoj Poletan

Master Tailor

Aries Limon

Assistant Tailor

Molly Hartvigsen

Cutter/Draper

Julie Porter

Crafts Artisan/Milliner

Amy Fernelius

Kathryn Wieland

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

Katie Swainston

Individual Giving Manager

Lisa Poppleton

Grants Manager

Dallin Mills

Development Database Manager

Maren Holmes

Manager of Special Events

Ellesse Hargreaves

Corporate Engagement Manager

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Meredith Kimball Laing

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Adia Thornton

Director of Marketing

Megs Vincent Communications Manager

Nina Starling

Website Content Coordinator

Emma Price

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

PATRON SERVICES

Faith Myers

Director of Patron Engagement

Jaron Hatch

Patron Services Manager

Toby Simmons

Patron Services Assistant Manager

Caitlin Marshall

Sales & Engagement Manager

Genevieve Gannon

Group Sales Associate

Lorraine Fry

Michael Gibson

Ian Painter

Ananda Spike

Val Tholen

Salem Rogers

Chloe Toyn

Leah Medley

True Moore

Patron Services Associates

ACCOUNTING & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Steve Hogan

Vice President of Finance & CFO

Mike Lund

Director of Information Technologies

Melanie Giles Controller

Jared Mollenkopf

Patron Information Systems Manager

Bobby Alger

Accounts Payable Specialist

Karine Mnatsakanyan

Payroll Specialist

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Ben Kipp

Vice President of Education & Community

Engagement

Jessica Wiley

Symphony Education Manager

Kevin Nakatani

Opera Education Manager

Beth Foley

Education Coordinator

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

Utah Opera.

CELTIC WOMAN

White Christmas Symphony Tour

DECEMBER 3, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

LLOYD BUTLER , conductor

CELTIC WOMAN , vocals & violin

PROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM STAGE.

Celtic Woman’s fresh fusion of traditional Irish music and contemporary songcraft celebrates Ireland’s history while reflecting the vibrant spirit of modern Ireland. The group’s repertoire encompasses Irish classics, contemporary songs, classical favorites and stirring originals. The lineup of performers has evolved in the years since the group’s inception, but the signature sound of Celtic Woman has remained consistent, showcasing the members’ individual and collaborative talents.

Celtic Woman is comprised of four young Irish women whose performing skills bring centuries of musical and cultural tradition to life. In concert, their angelic voices and instrumental virtuosity are accompanied by a robust ensemble that includes Irish dancers, bagpipers and a full band playing an array of traditional Celtic instruments, including bodhran, tin whistle, bouzouki and Uilleann pipes.

Celtic Woman continues to transcend national and cultural boundaries to celebrate the timeless emotion of Ireland’s centuries-old heritage. A one-of-akind live act, Celtic Woman combines the country’s finest musical talents with epic stage production to present a uniquely inspiring live experience. Postcards from Ireland perfectly captures this chapter of their extraordinary musical journey.

Take the memory home with you.

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Tchaikovsky’s

THE TEMPEST

DECEMBER 6, 2024 / 10:00 AM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL (FINISHING TOUCHES)

DECEMBER 6, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

DECEMBER 7, 2024 / 5:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

FABIEN GABEL, conductor

CHANGYONG SHIN, piano

BRITTEN

Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (16’)

I. Dawn

II. Sunday Morning

III. Moonlight

IV. Storm

SHOSTAKOVICH

Piano Concerto No. 2 (20’)

I. Allegro

II. Andante

III. Allegro

CHANGYONG SHIN, piano

INTERMISSION

TCHAIKOVSKY

KORNGOLD (ARR. PATRICK RUSS)

The Tempest (18’)

The Sea Hawk Suite (17’)

Main Title

Reunion

The Albatross

The Throne Room

The Orchid

Gold Caravan

The Duel Freedom

CONCERT SPONSOR

JONATHAN & MARISA SCHWARTZ

Fabien Gabel Conductor

Fabien Gabel is the newly appointed Music Director Designate of the Tonkünstler-Orchester, a position which begins with the 2025–2026 season. Elsewhere, he has established an international career of the highest caliber, appearing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Oslo Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Praised for his dynamic style and sensitive approach to the score, he is best known for his eclectic choice of repertoire, ranging from core symphonic works to new music to championing lesser-known composers of the 19th and the 20th centuries.

Having attracted international attention in 2004 as the winner of the Donatella Flick conducting competition, Gabel was Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra 2004–2006. He was music director of Orchestre symphonique de Québec 2012–2021 and Orchestre Français des Jeunes 2017–2021. Fabien Gabel was named ‘Chevaliers des Arts et des Lettres’ by the French government in January 2020.

Changyong

Shin

Piano

Passionate, inspired performances and brilliant technique are the hallmark of pianist Changyong Shin, First Prize Winner of the Gina Bachauer International Artist Competition, Seoul International Music Competition, and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. In 2022, he won the Raymond E. Buck Jury Discretionary Award at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

A native of South Korea, Shin was selected as the first prize winner of the Young Artist Award of The National Academy of Arts, Republic of Korea Academy in 2022. He has pursued his musical education in the United States since 2011, earning a Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and Master’s degree and Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Robert McDonald. Currently, he is studying as an Artist Diploma student under the guidance of Wha Kyung Byun at New England Conservatory.

“Four Sea Interludes” from Peter Grimes, op. 33a

Duration: 16 minutes in four movements.

THE COMPOSER – BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913-1976) – After three years in North America, Britten sailed back to Britain in 1942. He had just come across the work of the English poet George Crabbe and the experience of reading the words of a man he described as “entirely of England” made the composer long for home. Home did not long for him so much. Many in the British press were critical of Britten’s departure for America in 1939 (and the accompanying avoidance of his military service), remarking often that his responsibility was to protect his countrymen, not make luxurious art for audiences abroad. Those sentiments were still apparent when Britten and his partner Peter Pears returned, but both men applied immediately for recognition as conscientious objectors. Yet another betrayal in the eyes of some.

THE HISTORY – Peter Grimes was Britten’s first full-scale opera. It was a huge success in England when it premiered in 1945, if perhaps tainted by his status as shirker of patriotic duty. Britain had not produced a homegrown operatic blockbuster since Purcell in the 17th century, so the island was hungry for a work of historic prominence. Hungry enough to forgive a fallen son? In time. Britten was occupied with the thought of Peter Grimes almost from the moment he set foot on his home shore but couldn’t begin writing the score in earnest until 1944. The libretto, by Montagu Slater, was drawn from the poetry of Britten’s recent discovery, George Crabbe. Crabbe wrote The Borough in 1810 and arranged the long tale in a series of 24 letters, the most well-known of which is Letter XXII and its principal character Grimes. In Crabbe’s work, Grimes is a deeply troubled fisherman whose young apprentices wind up dead after spending time in his care. In the hands of Britten he is expanded into the archetypal tortured outsider, a man perhaps not guilty of unspeakable acts but one punished for them nonetheless. Britten masterfully wove the human drama of his story with the musical fabric of the sea and its many faces. In the suite of orchestral Sea Interludes, we have not only a set of brilliantly realized tone portraits, but a subtle psychological primer on the deep questions posed in the libretto. “Dawn” takes place after a duet between Grimes and Ellen, a teacher he hopes to wed. “Sunday Morning” begins with oceanside church bells at the top of Act II and ends with a subtle dread that predicts terrible events. “Moonlight” takes us into Act III when Grimes’ second apprentice has died and the initial calmness of this movement, though deeply beautiful, rings false in context. Finally, the “Storm” from back in Act I

carries us on its gathering winds into the pub with Grimes and his cohort while they wait out the wrath of the water.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1945, Korea split into two nations, the Arab League was formed in Cairo, George Orwell published Animal Farm, scientists discovered the chemical element Promethium, and penicillin became widely available for the first time.

THE CONNECTION – Britten’s Four Sea Interludes has not been heard on a Utah Symphony concert since 2016. Rei Hotoda conducted.

Concerto No. 2 for Piano in F

Major, Op. 102

Duration: 20 minutes in three movements.

THE COMPOSER – DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)

– Shostakovich’s wife Nina died in 1954, a year after Stalin passed. Both departures had significant impacts on the composer. With Stalin gone, his rehabilitation in the eyes of the Soviet state could truly begin and he could finally live without (or at least with less) daily terror. But the loss of Nina had an opposite effect, leaving him alone and publicly unguarded. Shostakovich was dedicated to his kids, but he was not well equipped to take care of them alone, which is perhaps why he re-married so abruptly and without warning in 1956. The match with Margarita Kainova did not last long, but Shostakovich’s desire for a measure of stability in the household and some personal/professional companionship for himself at the age of 50 was real.

THE HISTORY – By 1959, the relationship with Margarita was over but we should imagine the first years of her time with Shostakovich as hopeful. He certainly seemed to be reinvigorated, if his increased compositional activity is any indication. Following the Sixth String Quartet and tucked into the tiny free spaces his work on Symphony No. 11 would allow, Shostakovich wrote a concerto for his son, Maxim, in 1957. It had been two and a half decades since the premiere of his Piano Concerto No. 1, a witty, virtuosic work he had written for himself, and the water under the bridge since then contained the driftwood of many lifetimes. But, by placing his Piano Concerto No. 2 in the hands of his beloved boy, Shostakovich seemed to have forestalled any desire to reflect on his trials. Besides, Stalin was four years dead, and the composer was trying again to be happy at home. No reason to dwell on the past with this music. He had other outlets

like quartets and symphonies for that. As a result, the Piano Concerto No. 2 is fun in a way Shostakovich’s music rarely tries to be. There is a reckless abandon to the writing, so much so that Shostakovich may have feared the carefree nature of the piece would feel a little care-less to the listener. His own stated opinions about the Concerto’s lack of “artistic value” were probably sarcastic, because he liked it well enough to add it to his own concert repertoire in ensuing years. The premiere, however, belonged to Maxim. He was in his final year of study and the performance took place on his 19th birthday in 1957 with the USSR Symphony Orchestra under Nikolai Anosov in Moscow. Listen especially to the beautiful, lyrical 2nd movement for hints about how proud Shostakovich must have been of young Maxim. The technical demands are not great, so the depth of feeling required to pull it off is the real challenge. And the best possible gift.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1957, Elvis bought Graceland for just over $100,000, the The Bridge Over the River Kwai opened internationally in theaters, the Anne Frank Foundation was formed in Amsterdam, and Malaya (now Malaysia) gained its independence.

THE CONNECTION – Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto was last performed in Abravanel Hall in 2018 under Thierry Fischer. Boris Giltburg was soloist.

The Tempest, Op. 18

Duration: 18 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – PIOTR ILYCH TCHAIKOVSKY (18401893) – Tchaikovsky completed his third opera, The Oprichnik, in 1872. It was based on a tragic historical novel by Ivan Lazhechnikov about the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Tchaikovsky had destroyed the scores of his previous two major stage attempts (Voyevoda of 1869 and Udina of 1870), so the new work was carrying a lot of baggage as it entered rehearsals. Oprichnik was initially successful with audiences, but critics found it lacking in creativity and inspiration. Cesar Cui was especially unimpressed, commenting on the “unpleasant mix” of music in the score. Good thing for Tchaikovsky, unblessed with confidence on the best of days, his contemporaneous Symphony No. 2 fared better, and he found the energy to tackle a few interesting projects in 1873.

Russian composers that comprised Balakirev, Cui, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Mussorgsky. Such attention was welcomed by Tchaikovsky, who knew that Stasov’s support and guidance would be a professional boon. Stasov, almost certainly acquainted with Tchaikovsky’s previous embrace of literary inspiration (Romeo and Juliet, 1869), made three suggestions to the composer in 1873, each complete with a detailed synopsis. In the end, Tchaikovsky chose to stick with Shakespeare and set the scenario from The Tempest. The two men exchanged wonderfully brainy letters about exactly how the overture should proceed programmatically. Tchaikovsky asked whether an actual tempest (storm) was necessary for his purposes and, if not, questioned whether the piece should be named for the character Miranda. Stasov, in reply, insisted on an orchestral storm and offered specific insights on how it should unfold. Tchaikovsky gracefully conceded the point but admitted that the project would require more thought and might not happen right away. The program inscription that finally made its way into the printed score is reflective of their agreement: “The sea. The magician Prospero commands his spirit Ariel to create a storm, of which a victim is the unfortunate Ferdinand. The enchanted island. The first shy stirrings of love between Ferdinand and Miranda. Ariel. Caliban. The lovers are overwhelmed by passion. Prospero renounces his magical powers and leaves the island. The sea.” As evocative and explicit as that sounds, Tchaikovsky’s symphonic fantasia The Tempest is a broad-strokes reflection of the play, not a note for word re-telling. It would not be his last dance with The Bard. Hamlet inspired a similar work years later in 1888.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1873, Famed Scottish explorer/physician Dr. Livingstone died of malaria, the QWERTY keyboard layout was created, Jules Verne published “Around the World in 80 Days,” and Japan adopted the Gregorian Calendar.

THE CONNECTION – Ardean W. Watts was the last conductor to lead the Utah Symphony in a performance of Tchaikovsky’s rare The Tempest. The year was 1979.

The Sea Hawk Suite

Duration: 17 minutes.

THE HISTORY – In fact, it was the Symphony No. 2 that got the attention of Vladimir Stasov. Stasov was a respected cultural critic who mentored the “Mighty Five” group of

THE COMPOSER – ERICH KORNGOLD (1897-1957) –Korngold moved to Hollywood in 1934 and, along with other fellow émigrés, spent the years leading up to the war breaking important ground in the nascent art of film scoring. For his part, Korngold believed he was creating music for “operas without singing” and always endeavored to craft scores that could pass

the concert hall test. Korngold had been a child prodigy of the sort not seen since Mozart. He was not even yet a teenager when Mahler and Strauss pronounced him a genius, and his star kept rising from there. Who knows what impact Korngold in his later years would have had on European music had not the war necessitated he remain in America in 1938. Sadly, he died at 60, so he didn’t get many “later years” anyhow.

THE HISTORY – In 1935, before he decided to stay, Korngold was hired by Max Reinhardt to come to Hollywood and adapt Felix Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for a filmed version of the play. The quality of Korngold’s work made a big impression on the film industry and especially thrilled the bigwigs at Warner Brothers. They offered him three more projects over the next couple of years, the third of which was The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). That score earned Korngold his first Academy Award and provided him a reason to stay in California when war and persecution spoiled his home country. Investing in Korngold turned out to be a wise decision for Warner Brothers, and it had a transformative impact on the business of film scoring. Mahler and Strauss were clearly right about this gentleman. Korngold’s preternatural quickness and boundless creativity were perfectly suited to the demands of movie music. Many regard The Sea Hawk (1940) as his best work in the genre. The film starred

Errol Flynn as a roguish swashbuckler in the 15th century who worked for Queen Elizabeth I to harass the Spanish Armada in name of English pride. The Sea Hawk was nominated for four craft Oscars (Korngold included) in 1941, but it didn’t win any. Regardless, it holds up today as a perfect example of Golden Age Hollywood adventure, with enough swordplay and romance to inspire action filmmaking for decades. Korngold, a master of the calibration between sight and sound, depicts everything with the signature enthusiasm that made him so popular in Austria. His suite from The Sea Hawk, reconstructed in 2003 by Patrick Russ, functions like a traditional (if slightly longer than normal) opera overture as it runs the listener through some cardinal themes and plot points. The sections: Main Title, Reunion, The Albatross, The Throne Room, The Orchid, Gold Caravan, Duel Part I, Duel Continued, Freedom.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the first McDonald’s restaurant opened in California, and Lhamo Thondup was officially installed as the 14th Dalai Lama in Tibet.

THE CONNECTION – These concerts mark the Utah Symphony Masterworks premiere of Erich Korngold’s Suite from The Sea Hawk.

UTAH’S WEEKLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

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UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA

YO-YO MA PLAYS DVOŘÁK

DECEMBER 11, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

ERIC JACOBSEN, conductor YO-YO MA, cello

PRESENTING SPONSOR

KEM & CAROLYN GARDNER

ANNA CLYNE

HINDEMITH

DVOŘÁK

Masquerade (5’)

Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber (21’)

I. Allegro

II. Turandot: Scherzo

III. Andantino

IV. March

Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104 (40’)

I. Allegro

II. Adagio ma non troppo

III. Finale: Allegro moderato

YO-YO MA, cello

CONCERT SPONSOR

ORCHESTRA SPONSOR

Eric Jacobsen Conductor

Already well-established as one of classical music’s most exciting and innovative young conductors, Eric Jacobsen combines fresh interpretations of the traditional canon with cutting-edge collaborations across musical genres. Hailed by The New York Times as “an interpretive dynamo,” Jacobsen, as both a conductor and a cellist, has built a reputation for engaging audiences with innovative and collaborative programming. He has been Music Director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra since 2021 and is entering his tenth season as Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

A frequent guest conductor, Jacobsen has established continuing relationships with the Colorado Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Oregon Bach Festival, and the Dresden Musikfestspiele. Upcoming engagements also include concerts with Classical Tahoe and Grant Park Music Festival, and special performances with Yo-Yo Ma and the Atlanta Symphony.

Jacobsen brings joy, storytelling, and a touch of humor to what he describes as “musical conversations” that delight audiences around the world, including those who do not traditionally attend classical music concerts. Jacobsen is married to GrammyWinner singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan and together they have a daughter.

Yo-Yo Ma Cello

Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity.

Most recently, Yo-Yo began Our Common Nature, a cultural journey to celebrate the ways that nature can reunite us in pursuit of a shared future. Our Common Nature follows the Bach Project, a 36-community, six-continent tour of J. S. Bach’s cello suites paired with local cultural programming. Both endeavors reflect Yo-Yo’s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to understand how music helps us to imagine and build a stronger society.

Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris, where he began studying the cello with his father at age four. When he was seven, he moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies before pursuing a liberal arts education.

Yo-Yo has recorded more than 120 albums, is the winner of 19 Grammy Awards, and has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden’s inauguration. He has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. He has been a UN Messenger of Peace since 2006, and was recognized as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

Masquerade

Duration: 5 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – ANNA CLYNE (b. 1980) – London-born composer Anna Clyne began composing at the tender age of 7 but didn’t receive any formal training until she was 20. It was an early start and then kind of a late one. But her path, once identified, accelerated her from the University of Edinburgh to the Manhattan School of Music and eventually into just about every important concert hall in the world. Clyne is among the most performed living composers now and her frequent collaborations with dancers, visual artists, filmmakers, and electronic music specialists provides her with ample opportunity to explore what she refers to as the “physicality of sound.” She continues to receive commissions from the industry’s most prestigious organizations but always leaves time to mentor the next generation of music makers.

THE HISTORY – High among Clyne’s list of high-profile commissions, was the opportunity to write for the Last Night of the Proms in 2013. Masquerade was the thrilling concert opener she dedicated that year to “the Prommers”. In her words, the piece “draws inspiration from the original mid-18th century promenade concerts held in London’s pleasure gardens. As is true today, these concerts were a place where people from all walks of life mingled to enjoy a wide array of music. Other forms of entertainment ranged from the sedate to the salacious with acrobatics, exotic street entertainers, dancers, fireworks and masquerades. I am fascinated by the historic and sociological courtship between music and dance. Combined with costumes, masked guises and elaborate settings, masquerades created an exciting, yet controlled, sense of occasion and celebration. It is this that I wish to evoke in Masquerade. The work derives its material from two melodies. For the main theme, I imagined a chorus welcoming the audience and inviting them into their imaginary world. The second theme, Juice of Barley, is an old English country dance melody and drinking song, which first appeared in John Playford’s 1695 edition of The English Dancing Master.” Clyne’s mention of The English Dancing Master in the context of her imaginary courtly ball is fun to explore further. Published for nearly eighty years in the 17th and 18th centuries, The Dancing Master was a periodical compendium of country dance tutorials, complete with written-out tunes and specific numbered (and gendered) steps. The Juice of Barley page from the 1695 booklet genially suggests that the starting position for the dance

should be “Longways for as many as will.” Playford’s guide must have been very useful for curating spontaneous group activities during a masquerade like the one Clyne has created for us in sound.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 2013, the Boston Marathon bombings occurred, India launched a Mars Orbiter, a powerful meteor explosion near Chelyabinsk in Russia injured 1500 people, and Lance Armstrong finally admitted to doping in all seven of his Tour de France victories.

THE CONNECTION – Though other Anna Clyne works have been played here in recent years, these concerts represent the Utah Symphony premiere of Masquerade

Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von

Duration: 21 minutes in four movements.

Weber

THE COMPOSER – PAUL HINDEMITH (1895-1963) – It’s a story so common it almost loses meaning through its repetition. Almost. Paul Hindemith left Germany in 1940 to get away from the Nazis and settled in America. He would not reside again in Europe until 1953. Hindemith’s pre-departure relationship with the Nazi Party had already necessitated a move to Switzerland in 1938, where he was able to at least nurture both “decent music and a pure conscience.” Once he established himself in America a short time later, the composer still did not feel he had reached a political and artistic promised land. Hindemith called it a place of “limited impossibilities,” but his teaching post at Yale and the welcoming concert experiences he had did bring him much satisfaction.

THE HISTORY – The seeds of the Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber were sown in 1940, coincident with Hindemith’s move to the United States. Ballet master Léonide Massine approached him about a choreographed collaboration based on the music of Weber and Hindemith was initially very interested. The two had already worked together on Nobilissima visione in 1938 so there was every reason to believe each man knew what he was getting from the other. But the new project never really got off the ground. Massine wanted the music to sound like actual Weber,

not a translation of him into modern language. And Hindemith just couldn’t get on board with what Massine was planning for the production. The proposed sets based on art by Salvador Dalí were especially bothersome to the composer. With the dance project scuttled, the music was set aside until 1943, when Hindemith turned it into the four-movement orchestral showstopper we know and love today. Symphonic Metamorphosis takes its Weber themes very seriously, treating them with reverence even when they are obscured by contemporary flourishes and the composer’s playful wit. Everything Hindemith borrowed from Weber came from piano music he played with this wife. Movements 1 and 4 are based on themes from the Op. 60 piano duets. Movement 2 was inspired by a 4-hands reduction of the incidental music Weber wrote for Carlo Gozzi’s play Turandot (yes, this is the same drama that Puccini memorialized in 1926). Movement 3 took its material from another set of piano duos, the Six Pieces, Op. 10a. Symphonic Metamorphosis was an immediate hit in American concert halls and may still be Hindemith’s most popular work. Interestingly, the piece did eventually become a ballet when George Balanchine choreographed it for the New York City Ballet in 1952.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1943, the Pentagon was completed, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising occurred in occupied Poland, a new volcano (Parícutin) emerged and erupted from a cornfield in Mexico, and Ayn Rand published The Fountainhead

THE CONNECTION – Symphonic Metamorphosis is not frequently programmed by Utah Symphony. The last concerts to feature it were in October 2014. Ignat Solzhenitsyn was on the podium.

Concerto for Cello in B Minor, Op. 104

Duration: 40 minutes in three movements.

THE COMPOSER – ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) – In 1891, Dvořák received a telegram from Jeannette Thurber, President of the National Conservatory of Music in America. She was offering him a job. At first, the composer wasn’t sure he wanted to be the Director of the Conservatory’s branch in New York. But his wife helped to convince him and the family set sail in 1892. America was a country already enamored of his music and the Conservatory leaders were intensely interested in his nationalistic voice

as an artist. In a country without its own established musical identity, his example could be instructive to American composers as they developed an identity for their burgeoning culture. Dvořák’s great gift to his hosts was a symphony, perhaps the most important one he ever wrote.

THE HISTORY – Much like this most famous symphony, No. 9 “From the New World”, Dvořák’s last instrumental concerto was an American work. It was written during his time in New York but differs from the “New World” Symphony and the “American” Quartet by how little of his bespoke “Americana” it contains. In fact, there is none. This, in the opinion of writers at the Dvořák American Heritage Association seemed “to signal the impending return to his homeland with references to a song from his earlier works.” We will return to that song in a moment. Dvořák had been previously unconvinced by the cello as a concerto instrument, but he heard performances of Victor Herbert’s 2nd Concerto while in the States and changed his mind completely. From that experience Dvořák took the confidence not only to write a Cello Concerto of his own in 1895, but to do so with a full orchestral accompaniment – a previously outrageous notion to him. It worked, and it greatly impressed an equally cello-skeptical Brahms. The piece was dedicated to Dvořák’s countryman Hanz Wihan. Wihan made several suggestions for alterations, some of which Dvořák accepted, but Wihan’s idea of a cadenza at the end of the finale was plainly rejected by the composer. For scheduling reasons, Wihan did not perform the 1896 London premiere, but his fingerprints remain on the score. There is another bit of inspirational DNA in the music that Dvořák would certainly have preferred not to include. It was mentioned earlier. The shocking death during this time of his beloved sister-in-law Josefina Kaunic necessitated a melodic memorial so, in her honor, Dvořák revised the coda to incorporate a specific song. It was called “Leave Me Alone,” her favorite from his Four Songs, Op. 82. With lyrics like “Leave me the deep peace that these words bestow…” Dvořák’s deep sadness over her passing was, we hope, given some measure of release.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1895, Cuba began an attempt to throw off Spanish rule, the First Sino-Japanese War ended, H.G. Wells published The Time Machine, and Oscar Wilde staged The Importance of Being Earnest

THE CONNECTION – Dvořák’s Cello Concerto is programmed often by the Utah Symphony. It was presented most recently in September 2017. Harriet Krijgh was soloist under Thierry Fischer.

THE FOUR SEASONS

DECEMBER 13, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

DECEMBER 14, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

JESSICA RIVERO ALTARRIBA , conductor

MADELINE ADKINS , violin

ANGEL LAM

GLAZUNOV

VIVALDI Vivaldi’s

Please let there be a paradise…(9’)

The Seasons (38’)

I. Winter (Frost, Ice, Hail & Snow)

II. Spring (gentle Zephyr, Birds & Flowers)

III. Summer (Cornflowers & Poppies dance with the Spirit of the Corn)

IV. Autumn (Bacchanale & Apotheosis - as stars circle the Earth)

INTERMISSION

The Four Seasons (42’)

I. La primavera (Spring) Allegro, Largo, Allegro

II. L’estate (Summer) Allegro non molto, Adagio, Presto

III. L’autunno (Autumn) Allegro, Adagio molto, Allegro

IV. L’inverno (Winter) Allegro non molto, Largo, Allegro

MADELINE ADKINS, violin

CONCERT SPONSOR

Please let there be paradise… was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

Jessica Rivero Altarriba Conductor

Cuban conductor JESSICA ALTARRIBA is known for her charismatic stage presence, dynamic energy, and communicative skills. Recently announced as Utah Symphony Assistant Conductor 2024–2025 Season and Taki Alsop Fellowship Award Recipient 2024–2026. Altarriba was named the New Jersey Symphony’s first-ever Colton Conducting Fellow for the 2023–24 season, she is also a Freeman Conducting Fellow with Chicago Sinfonietta. Altarriba is concurrently pursuing her Masters in Conducting at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

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

Madeline Adkins Violin

CMadeline Adkins joined the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera as Concertmaster in 2016. She served as Associate Concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2005–2016. She performs on the “ex-Chardon” Guadagnini of 1782, graciously loaned by Gabrielle Israelievitch to perpetuate the legacy of her late husband, former Toronto Symphony concertmaster, Jacques Israelievitch.

Adkins is a Concertmaster of the Grand Teton Music Festival and has served as Guest Concertmaster of the orchestras of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, São Paulo, Houston, and Hong Kong, among many others. A sought-after soloist, Adkins has appeared with orchestras in Europe, Asia, Africa, and 26 US states. Her recording of the complete works for violin and piano by Felix Mendelssohn was released to critical acclaim in 2016.

As an educator, Adkins has coached the National Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, the National Orchestral Insitute and the Haitian Orchestra Institute. She completed her studies at the New England Conservatory and the University of North Texas. When not on stage, Adkins is passionate about animal rescue, and has fostered over 100 kittens!

Please let there be a paradise…

Duration: 9 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – ANGEL LAM (b. 1978) – Born in Hong Kong and based in New York, composer Angel Lam’s principal aim is to “tell intimate stories about life and death, growing up, inspirations and relationships.” She is so committed to the narrative drive behind her music, in fact, she often writes accompanying short prose pieces that are an “inseparable component of her creative process.” Lam has studied ancient Chinese zithers (zheng and qin) to deepen her connection to her heritage and the timeless cultural memory she taps into is evident in her music. Her two worlds come together quite often through projects with Melvin Chen’s Musical Bridges, YoYo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, and a concert program at NYC’s Merkin Hall called “Hong Kong Journeys”.

THE HISTORY – With the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, the League of American Orchestras commissioned Lam to write a work for a consortium of 30 orchestras to perform during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Kansas City Symphony did the premiere of Please let there be a paradise… in April, and additional ensembles include the Jacksonville Symphony, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, and, of course, our own Utah Symphony. In her composer’s note for the piece, Lam details her inspiration and gives the listener an introduction to the very important person who lives on in the music. It is a beautifully sincere statement of purpose, and worth reproducing here in full: “Please let there be a paradise… is inspired by a personal story, but I want to share it with you because it is also universal. Many of us had lost a loved one during the pandemic. This piece is about myself going into the underworld in search of my father. In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, my father passed away alone in Hong Kong. His death was very unusual and unexpected, not caused by Covid-19. I was desperate for answers, but I was 8,000 miles away from him and unable to travel to investigate. I started having dream sequences of myself going into a dark, grisly world looking for him… Growing up, he was my muse. On one desperate, distressed night, I finally saw him in my dream at a place full of broken roads and misty waters. He talked excitedly about the topics he loved while he was alive…the arts, history, and music! He was humming a beautiful melody… And then, he disappeared again. Where is he? Where did he go? Is he happy? Why is he in this dark, broken place? Why did he leave me? How did he leave? I had so many questions… I wrote this piece to heal, to find solace and a resting place for myself, and most importantly, to find a paradise for him.”

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 2024 (so far), war rages in Europe and the Middle East, consequential elections are approaching or occurring in nearly 80 countries, the Summer Olympics were presented in Paris, and a total solar eclipse happened in April

THE CONNECTION – This is the Utah Symphony premiere of Angel Lam’s Please let there be a paradise… and part of a 30-orchestra national commissioning consortium.

The Seasons

Duration: 38 minutes in four scenes.

THE COMPOSER – ALEXANDER GLAZUNOV (1865–1936)

– It is a pity that, thanks to program notes which reference the disastrous premiere of Rachmaninoff’s 1st Symphony (present company very much included), Glazunov’s name is often invoked as the (possibly) drunk conductor who tanked that concert. His story is better than that. Long before, Glazunov had showed early promise as a teenager and established himself as heir apparent to the “Mighty Five” Russian masters Cui, Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, and Mussorgsky. Rimsky-Korsakov took him on as a student but began to view him more as a colleague in short order, once he saw how quickly the younger man was developing. Glazunov was a true Russian standard-bearer, and he paid particularly close attention to the career of Tchaikovsky.

THE HISTORY – The detailed study of Tchaikovsky’s work must have included the master’s symphonically rich ballet scores, and Glazunov seemed to have intuited a lot about how to work with choreographers and impresarios. In 1899, he received a commission from the director of the Imperial Theatres Ivan Vsevolozhsky to write a ballet called Harlequinade. Coincident to this opportunity was another company project called The Seasons, to be composed by Glazunov’s close friend Riccardo Drigo. Drigo was the Music Director of the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg, and it didn’t take long for the two men to realize they were in possession of the other’s interest. In the end, they simply switched commissions. The creator of the scenario for The Seasons was Marius Petipa. Petipa, the legendary French/ Russian ballet master, had dozens of creations to his name by this point, and he had worked with Glazunov previously. If Petipa’s highly specific instructions (down to the measure number in some instances) for The Seasons ever came as a shock to the composer, he didn’t let on. Quite the contrary. “Should we not learn freedom in chains?” Glazunov said while cheerfully coloring within Pepita’s lines. The Seasons

had no plot per se. It used embodied elements like frost, ice, and snow to elicit responses from gods, satyrs. and other beings as the cycle of life from birth to maturity was presented allegorically. The premiere occurred in February of 1900 before the assembled Imperial Court at the Hermitage, just three days after the first performance of Drigo’s Harlequinade The Seasons did not reach repertory status while Glazunov was alive and wouldn’t likely enjoy its current modest renown if not for Mikhail Fokine’s use of the Bacchanale music in his 1909 musical pastiche Cléopâtra. Glazunov never composed another ballet, sadly, but he considered The Seasons one of his favorite works in any genre.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1900, the first Zeppelin flight occurred in Friedrichshafen, Germany; the first line of the Paris Metro opened; Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory; and Italy’s King Umberto I was assassinated

THE CONNECTION – This marks the first time the Utah Symphony has performed the entire score of Glazunov’s ballet The Seasons. The “Winter” and “Spring” movements have been performed a number of times on youth concerts, most recently April 2016 with Rei Hotoda conducting.

The Four Seasons

Duration: 42 minutes in four sections.

THE COMPOSER – ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678–1741) –Vivaldi became music director of the Venice Ospedale della Pietà (an orphanage for boys and girls, but only the girls studied music) in 1716 after more than a decade as their master of violin. Much was expected of him there, including a request in 1723 for no less than two concerti per month, to be sent by mail if necessary, for performance by the school orchestra. Records from the Ospedale confirm payment for at least 140 such works over the ensuing six years, so Vivaldi certainly kept up his end of the bargain. The mail-in option was probably critical to his success, because the school was not his only creative outlet. He wrote many operas during this period and often accepted work for patrons in other cities like Mantua and Rome.

THE HISTORY – It was for a Mantua client that Vivaldi wrote his most famous work, The Four Seasons. Other Baroque composers attempted to capture the sweep and spin of the calendar through music, but none came close to what Vivaldi accomplished. The Four Seasons was first published in Amsterdam (1725) as part of a larger collection with the rather grand title of The Contest of Harmony and Invention. Vivaldi dedicated the work to Count Wenzel von Morzin (yes, of the same Morzin family that would later commission Haydn). The Seasons comprise the first four of the set’s twelve concerti and are each based on evocative sonnets that represent their respective time of year. The authorship of the texts is unknown but there exists some suspicion that the Vivaldi himself wrote them. It makes sense that it was him or someone he knew well enough to dictate to, since the sonnets are purpose-built for use as programmatic concerto inspiration. And the three-part structure of the poetic words corresponds nicely with what would become the traditional fast-slow-fast configuration of the baroque concerto, too nicely to be coincidental. Each musical Season is a virtuosic showpiece for soloist and accompaniment, replete with allusions to the birdsong and flowing streams of Spring, the heat and thunderstorms of Summer, the harvest celebrations and hunting parties of Autumn and the bitter winds and uneasy footing of Winter. Vivaldi was reportedly not just a capable instructor, but an expert performing violinist in his own right. He has often been credited with bringing his instrument out of the ensemble and to the fore as a featured solo voice. His Four Seasons may well be the culmination, historically if not intentionally, of that effort. The effect of hearing the entire “year” in one sitting is both a thrilling pictorial experience and a fascinating evolutionary snapshot of the violin itself.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1725, Russian Tsar Peter the Great died; the Malt Tax riots broke out in Scotland; and important international accords were signed, including the Treaty of Vienna between Austria and Spain and the Treaty of Hanover between Great Britain, France, and Prussia.

THE CONNECTION – Utah Symphony has programmed The Four Seasons, whole and in part, many times over the years. The most recent Masterworks performance was in 2013 with Thierry Fischer.

MADELINE ADKINS | UTAH BUSINESS MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN 2024

By Savannah Beth Withers Taylor

Madeline Adkins started playing the violin at five years old. By the time she was 15, her goal was to become a concertmaster—a role Adkins describes as “a bit like the quarterback, whereas the conductor is the coach.” Today, as concertmaster of the Utah Symphony and a frequent guest concertmaster with prestigious orchestras worldwide, Adkins is instrumental in shaping the musical landscape of Utah.

Adkins’s early career was marked by numerous accolades, including first prizes in the Stulberg International String Competition, ASTA National Solo Competition, and the New England Conservatory Concerto Competition. Before becoming concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, she served as associate concertmaster with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2005–2016.

Adkins’s role as concertmaster goes beyond technical skill; it requires exceptional leadership and communication abilities. She helps shape the musical interpretation of each piece the Symphony performs, making critical decisions regarding bowings, phrasing, and articulation and serving as a crucial link between the conductor and the orchestra.

“My main strategy is just to lead by example. I am always 150 percent prepared and always giving absolutely everything to the music,” Adkins says. “I also interface a lot with our board members and with community members, trying to build that community and help everyone realize how important the Utah Symphony is in the fabric of Salt Lake City and the state of Utah.”

Her global experience as a guest concertmaster has diversified her approach to this position, bringing unique perspectives and techniques to Utah while sharing personal

approaches when abroad. “Being a guest concertmaster with other orchestras really opens your eyes to the many different ways of doing things,” she notes.

Under her leadership, the Utah Symphony has continued to excel and innovate. One of her remarkable initiatives was commissioning and premiering a new concerto, “The Maze,” by composer Nathan Lincoln de Cusatis, inspired by the dramatic scenery of Canyonlands National Park. This project exemplifies her commitment to making classical music relevant and accessible to diverse audiences.

Adkins’ impact extends beyond her role at the Symphony as she engages with students in education programs across the country. “I was just coaching the National Youth Orchestra, which is a Carnegie Hall program [with] the top high school kids from all of the United States,” she says. “Anytime that you’re teaching and sharing knowledge, it really helps you drill down and solidify what you think about things. I always bring that back to my work at the Utah Symphony.”

Looking to the future, Adkins aims to continually elevate the Utah Symphony’s international reputation. “I would love to see the Utah Symphony even more well-known in the U.S. and the world,” she says. Her leadership and efforts to showcase the orchestra on global stages play a crucial role in achieving this goal.

HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS!

A festive Symphonic Revue with Santa missing his cue

DECEMBER 21, 2024 / 11 AM & 12:30 PM

JESSICA RIVERO ALTARRIBA, conductor SANTA CLAUS

ELLESSE HARGREAVES, carol

KAITLIN MILLS, noelle

ANDERSON

HERBERT

TCHAIKOVSKY

TCHAIKOVSKY

TCHAIKOVSKY

BERNARD

NELSON

MARKS

BASS

ANDERSON

PIERPONT

A Christmas Festival

“March of the Toys” from Babes in Toyland

“Dance of the Reeds” from The Nutcracker Suite

“Chinese Dance” from The Nutcracker Suite

“Trepak” from The Nutcracker Suite

“Winter Wonderland”

“Frosty the Snowman”

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”

The Night Before Christmas

Sleigh Ride

“Jingle Bells Forever”

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

See page 38 for Jessica Rivero Altarriba’s profile.

Ellesse Hargreaves is truly honored to share the stage with such extraordinary artists and musicians. While much of her work takes place behind the scenes, she has proudly been involved with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera for over ten years. Hargreaves studied theater at Southern Utah University and has performed in numerous local productions. She has written and starred in past productions of Here Comes Santa Claus! as well as Utah Symphony’s Symphonic Space Adventure and Halloween Spooktacular!

“Thank you to everyone in the audience who brought a child with them today, as nurturing a lifelong love of music often begins at a young age. I also want to express special gratitude to my mother, Linda Hargreaves, whose influence has been invaluable in shaping my passion for the arts. She filled my childhood with classics like Beethoven Lives Upstairs and Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery, which I listened to from the backseat of our family Aerostar.”

Kaitlin Mills is a woman who wears many “hats”: actor, visual artist, makeup artist, arts administrator, and mother. Previous acting credits include Utah Shakespeare Festival’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia), Sense and Sensibility (Anne Steele), and Amadeus (Katherina Cavalieri), as well as Taming of the Shrew (Bianca) for the Shakespeare in the Schools Tour. She is thrilled to be returning to the stage with the Utah Symphony this holiday season.

CONNECTING FAMILIES THROUGH MUSIC ONE PERFORMANCE AT A TIME

By Megs Vincent

The Utah Symphony’s Family Series is one of the most beloved offerings in our season. Designed for children and families, these concerts blend fun and musical discovery in a format that invites multiple generations to experience the joy of live orchestral performances together.

With tickets starting at just $12 (students and attendees under 30 save 50%), these concerts are both affordable and accessible for Utah families. Plus, performances are kept to about 60 minutes or less—just the right length before the wiggles set in and to leave kids wanting to come again! This season’s highly anticipated concerts include Here Comes Santa Claus!, Gold Rush!, and Wild Symphony

An Ever-Growing Legacy of Family Programming

The success of the Family Series is not new, and its popularity continues to rise each year. Last season, the Utah Symphony saw record-breaking attendance for these performances, with shows like the timeless classic Peter and the Wolf, which continues to enchant generations of audiences both young and old. This commitment to education and accessibility has been key to drawing in new audiences and nurturing the next generation of classical music lovers.

Our goal with the Family Series is to create performances that spark curiosity and provide an engaging musical experience for all ages. By keeping the concerts interactive, fun, and educational, the Utah Symphony ensures that these shows are not only entertaining but also formative for young audience members.

Here Comes Santa Claus! – A Festive Tradition with a New Twist

One of the crown jewels of this year’s Family Series is Here Comes Santa Claus!, happening on December 21, 2024, at Abravanel Hall. This holiday-themed concert has become an annual tradition for many Utah families, offering a delightful mix of storytelling, Christmas carols, and festive orchestral music designed to capture the magic of the season and make lasting memories.

But this year’s performance brings something extra special—a beloved story created by Ellesse Hargreaves, an integral member of the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera staff team. Hargreaves has crafted a heartwarming story that will guide the audience through a holiday adventure—with Santa Claus himself making an appearance.

This festive narrative will engage young concert-goers and delight those who have made this concert part of their holiday tradition. With a runtime of approximately 50 minutes, it’s a perfect introduction to live orchestral music for even the youngest attendees.

Looking Ahead in 2024–25

In addition to Here Comes Santa Claus!, the 2024-25 Family Series will also feature Gold Rush! and Wild Symphony two equally exciting performances.

This March, Gold Rush! takes audiences on a musical journey through the history of the American West. This performance is filled with lively music that brings to life the spirit of exploration, adventure, and the gold rush era. Families will be transported to a time of discovery as the orchestra plays dynamic pieces that evoke the excitement and challenges of the pioneers. The performance will feature a blend of orchestral storytelling and visual elements that help younger audience members understand the context of the music while being fully immersed in the experience.

In April, Utah Symphony will present Wild Symphony, a family-friendly concert inspired by the best-selling children’s book of the same name by author and composer Dan Brown. Wild Symphony invites families on an imaginative journey as each piece of music introduces a different animal, encouraging children to learn about the natural world through music. Brown’s book, paired with the Utah Symphony’s performance, will captivate young minds as they hear sounds inspired by everything from buzzing bees to playful kangaroos. The combination of literature, music, and learning makes this concert a truly unique offering in the Family Series lineup.

The Utah Symphony’s Family Series is more than just a set of concerts—it’s central to our mission to: “Connect the Community through Great Live Music.” By creating accessible performances that captivate younger audiences while maintaining high musical standards, we ensure that families return year after year, fostering a lifelong love of orchestral and classical music while deepening relationships with one another.

SEASON 2024–25

HOLIDAY POPS EXTRAVAGANZA

DECEMBER 19, 2024 / 7:30 PM / BROWNING CENTER, WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY, OGDEN

DECEMBER 20, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

DECEMBER 21, 2024 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

JESSICA RIVERO ALTARRIBA, conductor

SHAYNA STEELE, vocalist

CHESTER GREGORY, vocalist

PROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM STAGE.

See page 38 for Jessica Rivero Altarriba’s profile.

Shayna Steele Vocalist

There’s no need to sugarcoat it, since her impressive credits speak for themselves. Her colleagues praise her ability, her dedication and drive to perfecting her craft as a professional singer and knockout performer. On stage and in the studio, New York City based vocalist and songwriter Shayna Steele proves she is a vocal force to be reckoned with.

It was the release of Steele’s first full-length album I’ll Be Anything co-written with Cook that put her on the map as a legitimate solo artist. She was soon sought after by clubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, New York City, Milan, Rome, and Zurich, welcoming her to packed rooms and a dedicated fan base. Steele and the band have toured and continue to tour extensively throughout Europe, Africa, and North America. In 2013, Steele’s original song “Gone Under” was recorded live for DVD on Snarky Puppy’s Family Dinner, Volume 1, for which the band received a Grammy Award in 2014 for their performance of “Something” with Lalah Hathaway.

“In one performance, California-born, New York-based vocalist Shayna Steele unleashed enough voltage to light up the West End.” - London Jazz News

Chester Gregory Vocalist

Chester Gregory is an award winning singer and actor. He was last seen starring in Motown: The Musical as the iconic Berry Gordy. Broadway credits include Motown: the Musical, Hairspray, Tarzan, Cry-Baby, and Sister Act. Other credits include August Wilson’s Fences and Two Trains Running. He has toured nationally with Dreamgirls, Sister Act, as well as his one-man show The Eve of Jackie Wilson. Chester has received many awards, including the Jeff Award and a NAACP Theatre Award, and has been presented with the key to the city of his hometown of Gary, Indiana and in East Chicago. He has also been chosen as an Honorary State Representative of Indiana and has received a Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater Columbia College Chicago. He is currently producing several projects and recordings. Add him on social media @ChesterGregory and chestergregory.com

MODERN TIMES IN CONCERT

A Charlie Chaplin Film

JANUARY 2, 2025 / 7:00 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

conductor

David Robertson Conductor

David Robertson–conductor, artist, composer, thinker, American musical 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. He appears with the world’s great orchestras such as those of New York, Philadelphia, LA; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, 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 2021 Grammy® Award, Best Opera Recording. In 2022, he conducted its Met revival, and made his Rome Opera debut. Robertson is The Juilliard School’s Director of Conducting Studies, Distinguished Visiting Faculty, and serves on the Tianjin Juilliard Advisory Council. In the 2024–25 season, he celebrates the Boulez Centennial with the New York Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, and Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra; conducts the orchestras of Philadelphia, Cleveland, San Francisco, Chicago, Seoul, Leipzig, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, and more. He leads European tours of the Deutsches SymphonieOrchester Berlin and Australian Youth Orchestra, and continues his term as the inaugural Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Creative Partner. Robertson is a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France.

Modern Times© Roy Export S.A.S.

Music for Modern Times Copyright © Roy Export Company Ltd. and Bourne Co. Charlie Chaplin TM © Bubble Incorporated S.A.

Musical Arrangement David Raksin and Edward Powell

Musical Director for original recording Alfred Newman

Score restored for live performance by Timothy Brock Screening time 89 minutes

FEATURE - ACCESS TO MUSIC

ACCESS TO MUSIC

SPONSOR

UTAH AUTISM FOUNDATION

This free, hour-long performance featuring the Utah Opera Resident Artists with the Utah Symphony allows valuable opportunities for all to experience professional live music without any expectations to remain seated or refrain from audible or physical reactions to the performance, expectations which can otherwise limit a person’s opportunity to attend a live performance. The house lights remain on and doors remain open for anyone wishing to relocate to a less acoustically active space.

Invitations to this free event are sent to schools and community groups and it is publicized on our website, registration is required.

“To have a night, where we felt like we belonged and we didn’t have to try to fit into the mold society sometimes creates, there were no rules we had to try our best (and fail) to follow, we were welcomed exactly as we are… felt like a real gift.” – Access to Music attendee

BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED NIGHT

In collaboration with the Moran Eye Center, Utah Council for the Blind, and Guide Dogs for the Blind, Utah Opera will host its 28th annual Blind and Visually Impaired Night at the Opera during the orchestra dress rehearsal this spring. In a pre-performance presentation, members of our artistic and education staff introduce the story, history, and themes of the opera. Fabric swatches from the production are passed around, providing a tactile element to the experience. During the performance, many audience members use provided headphones to listen to a live audio description of the events happening on stage. Patrons also have access to braille supertitle scripts provided by the Library for the Blind. This event additionally welcomes guide dogs in

training and their handlers into the theatre as an opportunity to gain experience attending a live performance.

“Last night I felt so welcomed, accepted and included… My world has been made a bit bigger and brighter again.” –Blind & Visually Impaired Night attendee

For more information or to register for these performances, visit: https:// utahsymphony.org/education/teachers/ access-to-music-registration/

MEET THE 2024–25 RESIDENT ARTISTS

Jie Fang Goh, pianist Malacca, Malaysia

Instagram: @dorefang

Stephanie Chee, soprano Sunnyvale, California

Instagram: @stephaniecheesoprano

Utah Opera’s Resident Artists Program for singers and pianists provides an integral step between graduate studies and a career. Participants spend nine months with Utah Opera developing professional skills through mainstage performances with Utah Opera and Utah Symphony, coaching, workshops, and masterclass sessions. Resident Artists also travel throughout the state to perform in-school presentations and teach students about the art of opera.

For more information visit utahopera.org/ the-company/resident-artists/

Aaron McKone, tenor

Rock Hill, South Carolina

Instagram: @aaronmckone

Sarah Scofield, mezzo-soprano Paris, France

Instagram: @mezzoscofrano

Utah Opera’s Resident mezzo-soprano sponsored by Charles Boynton

Rodney Sharp II, baritone Fort Worth, Texas

Instagram: @tallglassofbaritone

FILM MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS

JANUARY 3, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

JANUARY 4, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

DAVID ROBERTSON, conductor MADELINE ADKINS, violin

CONCERT SPONSOR

This program features iconic film music composed by John Williams, including the films Hook, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and Star Wars

Program selections will be announced from the stage.

For David Robertson’s profile, please see p. 51 For Madeline Adkins’s profile, please see p. 38

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

CREATIVE PARTNER SPONSOR

Brahms’

VIOLIN CONCERTO

with Augustin Hadelich

JANUARY 9, 2025 / 8:00 PM / DAINES CONCERT HALL AT THE CHASE FINE ARTS CENTER (UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY IN LOGAN, UT)

JANUARY 10, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

JANUARY 11, 2025 / 5:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

ELIM CHAN , conductor

AUGUSTIN HADELICH , violin

ELIZABETH OGONEK RACHMANINOFF

BRAHMS

Moondog (10’)

Symphonic Dances (35’)

I. Non allegro

II. Andante con moto (Tempo di valse)

III. Lento assai - Allegro vivace

INTERMISSION

Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra (38’)

I. Allegro non troppo

II. Adagio

III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace

AUGUSTIN HADELICH, violin

CONCERT SPONSOR

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

FRED & LUCY MORETON

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

Elim Chan Conductor

Since winning the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 2014 as the first ever female winner, Elim Chan has built a unique career, establishing herself as one of the most sought-after conductors internationally. Her conducting embodies modern orchestral leadership through zeal and crystalline precision, all in service of the music.

Highlights of her 2024–25 season include two tours with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, returns to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Vienna Symphony, as well as debuts with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, to mention a few. Previous debuts include Salzburg and Lucerne Festivals as well as the BBC Proms (which she opened this year), and orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Staatskapelle Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and Swedish Radio Symphony.

Elim Chan was Chief Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra between 2019–2024 and Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra between 2018–2023. She began her career as Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and shortly afterwards joined the Dudamel Fellowship program at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Bernard Haitink was an important supporter and mentor at the beginning of her career.

Augustin Hadelich

Violin

Augustin Hadelich is one of the great violinists of our time. Known for his phenomenal technique, insightful and persuasive interpretations, and ravishing tone, he appears extensively on the world’s foremost concert stages. Hadelich has performed with all the major American orchestras as well as the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and many other eminent ensembles.

Hadelich, a dual American-German citizen born in Italy to German parents, rose to fame when he won the Gold Medal at the 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. Further distinctions followed, including an Avery Fisher Career Grant (2009), U.K.’s Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship (2011), and an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter in the U. K. (2017). In 2018, he was named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by the influential magazine Musical America. Hadelich holds an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Joel Smirnoff, and in 2021, was appointed to the violin faculty at Yale School of Music. He plays a 1744 violin by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, known as “Leduc, ex Szeryng”, on loan from the Tarisio Trust.

Moondog

Duration: 10 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – ELIZABETH OGONEK (b. 1989)

– American composer Elizabeth Ogonek was born in Minnesota but grew up in New York City. Her academic career took her to Indiana University, USC, and the Guildhall School in London. Ogonek then moved right away into the prestigious position of Mead Composerin-Residence with Chicago Symphony with fellow American Samuel Adams. She was there until 2018 and has since stormed the world with awards, commissions, and projects too many and various to list. Ogonek just joined the faculty of the Eastman School of Music after holding positions at Oberlin Conservatory and Cornell University. While at Cornell, Ogonek taught a class called FutureSounds, a “creative lab where students across disciplines collaborate[d] to design multi-faceted projects around the invention of new instruments.”

THE HISTORY – In 2021, Ogonek wrote the first work of an intended orchestral triptych based on the idea of looking up at the sky. This was Cloudline, commissioned by the BBC Proms and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It was a tribute to what Ogonek called “the infinite canon of cloud-inspired musings” of people like Walt Whitman and Georgia O’Keefe. Next came Starling Variations for the Boston Symphony, in which she endeavored to symbolically capture the murmuration of starling flocks. A murmuration is the coordinated flight phenomenon where large groups of birds swoop, dive, and abruptly change direction in one otherworldly mass of living mercury. Last in the trilogy is Moondog, a piece composed on a commission from San Francisco Symphony in 2022 and premiered in 2023. Again, we find ourselves gazing up to the heavens with this music, but this time at the moon and the interesting meteorological treat it occasionally offers up. A “moondog,” like its sibling the “sundog,” is part of the “halo” family of optical miracles. To create one, light interacts with the ice crystals (or “diamond dust”) in the atmosphere and results in stunning, if often quite faint, displays around the moon. These light shows can also conjure vertical pillars, false submoons, parhelic circles, and other celestial delights (look these up when you get home tonight – it’s worth it). “For Moondog,” Ogonek told San Francisco Symphony for the premiere, “I really wanted to do a vocalese [a song without words] for the orchestra” and around this central core, she employed a “halo” structure of her own with outer sections that reflect back on their source. Within that conceptual framework, Ogonek has successfully built an “orchestral atmosphere that evokes the mysteriousness of nighttime.”

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died in September, Shackleton’s ship Endurance was discovered in Antarctica, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Kahn was removed from office by no-confidence vote, and Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.

THE CONNECTION – These concerts represent the Utah Symphony premiere of Elizabeth Ogonek’s Moondog

Symphonic Dances, op. 45

Duration: 35 minutes in three movements.

THE COMPOSER – SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (18731943) – Like so many of his artistic cohort in the eventful moments of 1939, Rachmaninoff decided that Europe was no place to be. He had seen it all before and knew well the sound made by distant drums of war. And at his age (he had recently fallen and was forced to miss the ballet based on his Paganini Variations), the prospect of another global conflagration was more than he was prepared to endure. He was living in Switzerland at the time but traveling regularly for concerts in the U.S. and England. His decision to flee more permanently to America was fateful. It meant he would never again see his beloved Swiss villa, let alone his long-lost Russian homeland.

THE HISTORY – In the latter years of his compositional life, Rachmaninoff favored a leaner and more focused orchestral language. The luxuriant textures that fueled his rise to prominence became rare and in their place was a more concise, less emotional presentation of ideas. Rachmaninoff’s somber seriousness as a person was often at odds with his early Romantic opulence as a composer, so the turn towards directness in his December years is perhaps an understandable eventuality. In his last completed work, Rachmaninoff found reason to blend a bit of the old with the new. The Symphonic Dances of 1940 actually date in part back to 1915 and a ballet project that Rachmaninoff had proposed to Mikhail Fokine. Nothing came of it, so the material in those sketches remained on the shelf for twenty-five years before finding a new home in the score of Symphonic Dances. The work was dedicated to Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra and, though not an overwhelming success at the premiere, Symphonic Dances is regularly and quite reasonably held up as Rachmaninoff’s finest masterpiece. The spare angularity of his late style was reminiscent of

his countrymen Stravinsky and Prokofiev, but the lushness of his harmonic language and the occasional, well-placed “big” melody (in honor of his own younger self) are elements that still brook no comparison. No composer before or since has ever truly matched them. Present also of course was the Dies Irae chant that shadowed Rachmaninoff throughout his life and figured prominently in his final three large-scale works. “Last” works often enjoy reflective prominence in a composer’s history, either as an invitation to consider what might have come next or as an intentional conclusion to the thesis of their lives. The music itself, so often incomplete, does not always oblige the latter. But with Symphonic Dances, no stretch is needed to see it as a capstone to a brilliant career.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1940, the film version of The Grapes of Wrath premiered, Peter Fraser became Prime Minister of New Zealand, the improbable Dunkirk evacuation took place, and the Lascaux cave paintings were discovered.

THE CONNECTION – Symphonic Dances was recorded by Utah Symphony in 2004 and last performed live in 2022. Thierry Fischer was on the podium.

Concerto in D Major for Violin, Op. 77

Duration: 38 minutes in three movements.

THE COMPOSER – JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) –

In the middle years of the 1870s, Brahms was forced to contend with something his dogged humility must have been averse to – fame. He had been living in Vienna for years at that point. It was an impossible place in which to hide had he really wanted to, but it was also a city whose hard-won praise an artist could really trust. Brahms’ first two symphonies, finally written after decades of doubt, were actively in the world and confirming him as both Beethoven’s successor and a conservative foil to Wagner’s progressive excesses. This success gave Brahms the courage to stare down another of his persistent ghosts, this one of his own design. It was time to write another concerto.

THE HISTORY – Not since 1859 and the disastrous launch of his 1st Piano Concerto had Brahms given serious thought to composing another, for any instrument. It was a friendship, a long and devoted one, that eventually brought him back around. Brahms and violin virtuoso Josef Joachim had been friends since 1853 and the latter had been a great help during the construction and trials of the piano concerto. Joachim must have been thrilled then when Brahms told him in 1878 that he had a few nascent “passages” to share. Joachim fully expected a highly collaborative process to ensue, much like the one they established back in 1857 and 1858, and he got one. Whenever they could not meet in person, letters and manuscript morsels flew back and forth between the two comrades. It wasn’t always enjoyable. Brahms was often resistant and occasionally dismissive of Joachim’s expert corrections, but both men wanted the piece to be special, worthy of another orbit around Beethoven’s star. Joachim was enthusiastic about the possibility of New Year’s Day premiere in 1879, but Brahms felt unready to meet so ambitious a deadline. He did, in the end, but that Leipzig performance felt a little thrown together, and the friends would have to wait for the Vienna concerts two weeks later to enjoy a rapturous response. The symphonic nature of the work would continue to fuel its detractors, Pablo Sarasate most notable among them, and the concerto did not always make a big splash in its travels after Vienna. This is hard to fathom, given the work’s current standing (with Beethoven and Mendelssohn) as one of the three unbreakable pillars of 19th century violin mastery. Posterity often makes better arguments than audiences, it seems, and Brahms’ stern masterpiece would have to wait.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1877, Oglala Lakota leader Crazy Horse was killed by a soldier while in confinement in Nebraska, the first Championships at Wimbledon were held, and the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos were discovered.

THE CONNECTION – Brahms’ Violin Concerto is a popular work on Utah Symphony Masterworks seasons. The most recent performance was in 2021 under the baton of Jahja Ling with Hilary Hahn as soloist.

UTAH OPERA’S HANSEL AND GRETEL SPONSORS

THE MADELEINE CHOIR SPONSOR

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

PETER, THE FATHER SPONSOR FLORAL SEASON SPONSOR

KATHIE & CHUCK HORMAN

CAST PARTY SPONSOR

UTAH OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST MEZZO-SOPRANO SPONSOR

CHARLES BOYNTON

VIP INTERMISSION RECEPTION SPONSOR VIP INTERMISSION BEVERAGE SPONSOR

Humperdinck’s HANSEL AND GRETEL

JANUARY 18 (7:30PM), JANUARY 20 (7:00PM), JANUARY 22 (7:00PM), JANUARY 24 (7:30PM), JANUARY 26 (2:00PM)

JANET QUINNEY LAWSON CAPITOL THEATRE

Gretel

Composed by Engelbert Humperdinck with Libretto by Adelheid Wette

Premiere – December 23, 1893, Hoftheater, Weimar

Previously at Utah Opera – 2011, 2004, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989 Performed in German with English Supertitles (Captions)

CAST

(in order of vocal appearance)

Maureen McKay

Hansel Sarah Coit**

Gertrude (the mother) ........... Aubrey Adams-McMillan

Peter (the father)

Sandman

Gabriel Preisser

Sarah Scofield*

Dew Fairy .......................... Stephanie Chee*

The Witch

Angels & Woodland Animals

Freddie Ballentine

Children’s Ballet Theatre

Gingerbread Children ........ The Madeleine Choir School

ARTISTIC TEAM

Conductor .................. Stephanie Rhodes Russell

Stage Director & Choreographer Kyle Lang

Children’s Chorus Director

Melanie Malinka

Scenic Designer ...................... Steven C. Kemp

Costume Designer

Susan Memmott Allred

Lighting Designer Driscoll Otto

Wig & Makeup Designer .................. Kate Casalino

Assistant Conductor

Principal Coach

Austin McWilliams

Carol Anderson

Guest Coach ...................... Timothy Accurso**

Assistant Director Marinette Gomez

Stage Manager Lisa R. Hays

Assistant Stage Managers Hannah Schumacher

Taylynn Rushton

Supertitle Musician Mitchell Atencio

Set rented from New Orleans Opera

Costumes built by Utah Opera

Supertitle Translation by Utah Opera

Set designed by Steven C. Kemp, provided by the New Orleans Opera Association as Co-Produced with Opera San Antonio

The performance run time is approximately 2 hours 20 minutes with one intermission

*Current Resident Artist

**Former Resident Artist

Aubrey Adams-McMillan (Utah)

Gertrude (the mother)

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Thaïs

Recently:

Amahl and the Night Visitors, University of Utah

Mezzo Soloist, 80th commemoration of D-Day, Paris

Upcoming:

Bach Arias, NOVA Chamber Music Series

Kate Casalino (New York)

Wig & Makeup Designer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Sweeney Todd

Recently:

Faust, Academy of Vocal Arts

The Queen of Versailles, Pre-Broadway World Premiere

Upcoming:

Madame Butterfly, Utah Opera

Freddie Ballentine (Germany)

The Witch

Utah Opera Debut

Recently:

The Manchurian Candidate, Austin Opera

Der Kaiser von Atlantis, New World Symphony

Upcoming:

We Are The Lucky Ones, Dutch National Opera

Stephanie Chee (California)

Dew Fairy

Utah Opera Debut

Recently:

Messiah, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

The Rape of Lucretia, Rice University Shepherd School of Music

Upcoming:

Madame Butterfly, Utah Opera

Sarah Coit (Florida) Hansel

Most Recently at Utah Opera, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs

Recently:

The Barber of Seville, Tri-Cities Opera

Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, Opera San Antonio

Upcoming:

Maria Stuarda, Opera Baltimore

Kyle Lang (California)

Stage Director & Choreographer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Pirates of Penzance

Recently:

Carmen, Virginia Opera

Don Giovanni, San Diego Opera

Upcoming:

La traviata, San Diego Opera

Steven C. Kemp (Texas) Scenic Designer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Rigoletto

Recently:

Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci, Pittsburgh Opera

Carmen, Virginia Opera

Upcoming:

La bohème, Opera Colorado, Knoxville Opera, and Opera Carolina

Melanie Malinka (Germany) Children’s Chorus Director

Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Little Prince

Recently:

The Magic Flute, Grand Teton Music Festival

La bohème, Utah Opera

Upcoming:

Pagliacci, Utah Opera

Maureen McKay (Connecticut)

Gretel

Utah Opera Debut

Recently:

Tannhäuser, The Metropolitan Opera

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Seattle Opera

Upcoming:

Le nozze di Figaro, The Metropolitan Opera

Driscoll Otto (Texas)

Lighting Designer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Daughter of the Regiment

Recently:

L’Amant anonyme, Boston Lyric Opera

Upcoming:

Orpheus and Eurydice, The Dallas Opera Aida, Oper im Steinbruch

Susan Memmott Allred (Utah)

Costume Designer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Marriage of Figaro

Recently:

La traviata, Pittsburgh Opera

La bohème, Utah Opera

Gabriel Preisser (Florida)

Peter (the father)

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Silent Night

Recently:

Il barbiere di Siviglia, Indianapolis Opera

Sweeney Todd, Helena Symphony

Upcoming: Cendrillon, Opera Orlando

Stephanie Rhodes Russell (Texas) Conductor

Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Daughter of the Regiment Recently:

The Jungle Book, Washington National Opera Roméo et Juliette, Arizona Opera Upcoming:

Aida, Arizona Opera

The Madeleine Choir School

A Place to Begin. A Place to Become. A Place to Belong.

The Madeleine Choir School is a Roman Catholic school that offers an exceptional education to its students through music, academics, and a focus on the whole student. Serving students in Pre-kindergarten through Grade Eight, the school is unique in Utah and one of only a few in the United States that offers students the opportunity to not only study music, but to put their knowledge into practice every day.

With daily Masses, Sunday services, regular concerts, biennial domestic and international tours, and frequent collaborations with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and other arts organizations, students

Sarah Scofield (France) Sandman

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Thaïs Recently:

Messiah, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

The Little Prince, Utah Opera Upcoming:

Madame Butterfly, Utah Opera

at The Madeleine Choir School not only learn about music, they lead performances at the highest level. Combined with rigorous academic and physical education, The Madeleine Choir School offers an unique environment dedicated to caring for the whole student so they become engaged scholars, effective communicators, dedicated liturgical musicians, and responsible world citizens who seek to build a civilization of justice, mercy, and love.

We invite you to experience the unique atmosphere of The Madeleine Choir School firsthand. Please visit our website at utmcs.org to schedule an admissions tour, or contact our Director of Admissions at [email protected] or 801323-9850 ext. 103. We look forward to welcoming you to The Madeleine Choir School.

Choristers of The Madeleine Choir School

Anaya Alt

Claudia Barker

Vivien Browning

Lilah Burrell

Riley Coursey

Gabrielle Cutshall

Andrew Deputy

Gwyneth Foy

Lillian Hanley

Luca Hesse

Noah Hesse

Tala Hobson

Arina Ispolatova

Benjamin Just

Gabriel

Motschiedler

Meg Nuvan

Eva Peterson

Mateo Sigala

Yu-Jin Song

Roshni Tathireddy

Pavlos

Tsoutsounakis

Ola Wilcox

Christoph Zeller

Eleanor Zidow

HANSEL AND GRETEL + ENGELBERT AND ADELHEID + JACOB AND WILHELM = OPERA MAGIC

By Michael Clive

It took three pairs of siblings to create Hansel and Gretel, one of the most beloved of all fairy-tale operas.

Engelbert Humperdinck and his sister Adelheid Wetter were the composer-librettist team, while a certain Jacob and Wilhelm—whom we know as the Brothers Grimm—transcribed the story of siblings Hansel and Gretel, who were stranded and hungry in the forest overnight. Jacob and Wilhelm added literary flair and deep linguistic scholarship to folk tradition, giving posterity a rather severe morality tale (albeit with a happy ending). Adelheid’s scenario brightens the darkness, keeping the original’s life-lessons intact. But the most important of the half-dozen siblings, of course, are the opera’s doughty, delightful title characters, who have a thing or two to teach us.

Hansel and Gretel is not just kids’ stuff: The lushly tuneful score, which mixes folk melodies with Humperdinck’s most inspired arias and orchestral writing, made this opera a smash hit with demanding German music enthusiasts and critics, as well as children, from the moment it opened— two days before Christmas 1893 in Weimar. Since then its popularity has never flagged; it grew to become a yuletide tradition with many opera companies, and today is composer Engelbert Humperdinck’s sole claim to fame.

Humperdinck was 36 when he began work on Hansel and Gretel. Born in the German town of Siegburg in 1854, he started piano lessons and proved his talents early on, producing his first compositions when he was seven, and then two musical plays at age 13. Though his parents tried

to steer him away from music and toward architecture as a vocation, he enrolled at the Cologne Conservatory in 1872. In 1876, a scholarship enabled him to study with the esteemed pedagogues Franz Lechner and Josef Rheinberger, and in 1879 the Mendelssohn Foundation in Berlin awarded him the first Mendelssohn Prize. Further awards permitted travels in Italy, France, and Spain—the kind of cultural touring considered foundational for 19thcentury European composers.

After meeting Richard Wagner on his travels, Humperdinck became the master’s protégé, assisting him at Bayreuth and serving as music tutor to his son Siegfried. (Wagner was 21 years older than Humperdinck.) Their close association is evident in Humperdinck’s music and would have been a serious credential for any young composer of that time. Humperdinck went on to teach at conservatories in Barcelona and Frankfurt.

It’s interesting to note that the German Humperdinck, like the Frenchman Camille Saint-Saëns, lived until 1921, when musical modernism was painfully coming into existence. Both composers brought the sound of the 19th century into the 20th and looked backward toward Romanticism, not ahead to tonal experiments. Though we can hear Wagner’s imprint on Humperdinck’s style, we do not hear Wagner’s modernity. Like Wagner, Humperdinck employs thematic motifs, but Hansel and Gretel hews to the tradition of set-pieces in the form of melodious songs and ensembles with familiar structure. In contrast with Wagner’s operas, Humperdinck’s music never leaves themes and harmonies unresolved.

Still, Humperdinck’s intricate craftsmanship and dense, layered handling of a large orchestra are masterful in Hansel and Gretel, and his scoring takes full advantage of Wagner’s orchestral expansionism. The opera’s melodies, of course, are irresistibly charming, and there are probably enough of them for two or three hit operas. Humperdinck produced other choral and orchestral works that were successful during his lifetime, but today he is known almost entirely as the composer of Hansel and Gretel

The premiere of Hansel and Gretel was conducted by Richard Strauss, already a successful composer himself and soon to become the foremost composer of Germanlanguage operas. In 1923, Hansel and Gretel became the first opera to be broadcast from London’s Royal Opera House; eight years later it became the first opera to be broadcast live from The Metropolitan Opera in New York.

SYNOPSIS: THE STORY OF HANSEL AND GRETEL

Act II

Is that the sound if a wind-borne witch? Is she coming for Hansel and Gretel? We can feel the swooping air currents as we listen to Gingerbread Witch riding her broom in the “Witch’s Ride,” the evocative orchestral prelude that opens Act II. But the children seem unconcerned as Gretel weaves a floral crown and Hansel searches for strawberries. Soon they are nibbling strawberries rather than gathering them. Finally, with the strawberries gone and darkness closing in, they realize they are lost, and something is coming— something that grows more menacing as it comes closer. But what is it?

Act I

The action opens at the snug home of a broom-maker and his wife. Their children, Hansel and Gretel, are doing chores—or should be. But while daughter Gretel sings to herself as she works, son Hansel jests, turning her song into a ditty about how hungry he is. When Gretel reminds him of their father’s advice—that the Lord provides for those in need—Hansel replies that they cannot eat words. But Gretel discloses that a neighbor has given their mother a jug of milk that will help in making their supper, and Hansel, excited at the prospect, skims some cream from the top. Gretel tells him to get back to work, but soon they are dancing instead.

Their mother enters and is upset when she sees that the children have been slacking off. Angrily threatening to punish them, she accidentally spills the milk. Her dinner plans now ruined, she sends Hansel and Gretel into the forest to forage for wild strawberries. Once they are gone, her anxieties about caring for her family are more evident. She expresses her sorrow and appeals to God for help.

Approaching the house, the broom-maker can be heard singing. He’s been drinking, but that’s not the only reason he’s in a good mood: he’s laden with provisions including bacon, flour, eggs, onions, beans, and more, thanks to banner sales of his brooms. But when he learns that the children have been sent into the woods, he grows concerned. He tells his wife about the evil Gingerbread Witch—a notorious hag with magical powers who lurks in the forest, lures children with cakes and sweets, and then pushes them into her oven, transforming them into gingerbread. The worried parents rush out to look for their son and daughter.

It is the Sandman, who loves them and will protect them as they sleep. Once he sprinkles their eyes with his sleepsand, the children can barely keep them open. With another lushly beautiful interlude, the children sing their evening prayers. A tender postlude conveys all the beauty and innocence of childhood as fourteen angels array themselves protectively around Hansel and Gretel, lulling them to sleep.

Act III

With the dawn comes the Sandman’s morning counterpart, the Dew Fairy, who sprinkles dew on Hansel and Gretel to waken them. Soon the children notice a fantastic gingerbread house: fanciful, ornate, non-GMO, and 100% delicious. As they nibble, a voice calls out, demanding to know: who is the mouse-y nibbling on her house-y? It is the voice of the Gingerbread Witch!

Pretending to be just a sweet lady proffering sweets, the Witch tempts Hansel and Gretel with goodies of all sorts. Soon their suspicions are aroused. When they plan an escape, the Witch uses her wand to immobilize them. But their resourcefulness is by no means at an end: while Hansel slyly convinces the Witch that he needs further fattening, Gretel steals her wand, freeing them to move again; when the Witch tells Gretel to check the gingerbread cookies in her oven, Hansel pushes the Witch into it— restoring life to all the Witch’s gingerbread children. The Witch’s oven explodes, and with Hansel and Gretel’s further help, full freedom of movement is restored to all the newly liberated children.

Amid the happy scene, Hansel and Gretel’s parents are heard approaching. They joyfully reunite with all the happy youngsters as Hansel’s father reminds them of God’s justice and mercy.

THE CHERISHED TRADITION OF UTAH OPERA’S HANSEL AND GRETEL

By David Silvano

Throughout Utah Opera’s history, our production of Hansel and Gretel has enchanted audiences with its magical blend of music and storytelling. In fact, it has been so beloved that it has become one of the most programmed works in the company’s history. Engelbert Humperdinck’s adaptation of the classic Grimm fairy-tale is not only a beloved opera for families, but also a showcase of Utah’s vibrant cultural partnerships—chief among them, the ongoing collaboration with The Madeleine Choir School. This partnership has not only enriched the performances but has also provided an invaluable educational experience for the young singers involved.

As Utah Opera prepares for yet another performance of Hansel and Gretel, the production continues to uphold its status as a cultural staple, celebrated for its artistry and community engagement.

A Timeless Opera

Since its debut in 1893, Hansel and Gretel has been a favorite for opera companies worldwide. Humperdinck’s lush, Wagner-inspired score pairs beautifully with the fairy-tale setting, making the opera an ideal choice for audiences young and old. The story follows two children lost in the woods who

encounter a wicked witch with a house made of sweets, only to triumph over her evil with their wit and bravery. The themes of hope, innocence, and overcoming adversity resonate as powerfully today as they did over a century ago.

At Utah Opera, Hansel and Gretel has become a favorite, providing a sense of warmth, nostalgia, and celebration for the community. The production brings together opera lovers, families, and first-time attendees alike, creating a shared experience that invites audiences into the magic of live performance.

Collaboration and Legacy: The Madeleine Choir School

At the heart of Hansel and Gretel is Utah Opera’s longstanding collaboration with The Madeleine Choir School, a partnership that has flourished for the past two decades. Since their first appearance with Utah Opera in 2005 for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the young choristers have appeared in a variety of productions and have become an iconic part of any opera or symphonic work featuring children’s chorus.

Portraying the children who are freed from the Witch’s spell thanks to Hansel and Gretel, the children’s chorus enhances the performance both musically and theatrically. Their young, pure voices add an ethereal joy and celebration at the conclusion of the opera. Their participation is more than a charming addition—it’s a vital component of the storytelling, symbolizing the hope and purity that ultimately save Hansel and Gretel from danger.

Performing on the Utah Opera stage offers the invaluable opportunity for The Madeleine Choir School students to apply their education and experience professional-level music-making. Their rigorous music curriculum including vocal technique, stagecraft, discipline, and the importance of collaboration ensures that the students are wellprepared, and their performances have consistently earned praise for their professionalism and artistry. But the real magic of this collaboration is in fostering their lifelong love of music and offering a transformative experience for these young artists. Singing in a professional opera production gives them the confidence and skill to pursue future musical endeavors.

This partnership embodies our shared values of artistic excellence, education, and community engagement and provides a nurturing ground for the next generation of musicians. Each year, The Madeleine Choir School’s students bring fresh energy to our productions ensuring that this legacy continues to cultivate and inspire the next generation of musicians, while creating a cultural experience that resonates across all ages.

Engelbert Humperdinck (1854–1921) was a German composer who began his career as an assistant to Richard Wagner in Bayreuth in a variety of capacities, including tutoring Wagner’s son Siegfried in music and composition. Hansel and Gretel was Humperdinck’s first complete opera and remains the foundation of his reputation. The libretto was written by Humperdinck’s sister, Adelheid Wette (1858–1916), and is based on the version found in the Brothers Grimm collection of folk stories. Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859) Grimm were German academics whose groundbreaking linguistic work revolutionized the understanding of language development.

RIPPLE EFFECT

The Complex and Consequential Life of a Gift

By Jeff Counts

In the last playbill, our season-long recognition of the Evelyn Rosenblatt Young Artist Award began with a look at the many musicians her family has hosted and honored over the years. We got to know a bit about the 24-25 Award recipient Randall Goosby and spent time at a few imagined dinner parties with him and others from the list of past winners. Now it’s time to learn more about the philanthropy at the heart of this celebration.

This is a biography, not of a person but of a concept–in this case an incredible financial gift. As it was with those dinners in the previous article, a few of the scenes and circumstances that make up this life story will occur only in our minds. But don’t worry. The possibilities they exemplify are quite real. They happen all the time.

When Evelyn Rosenblatt turned 90 in 2000, her kids made another special contribution to the culture of Salt Lake City in her name. Their dad, Joseph, had just passed away in 1999 and, given both parents’ dedication to Utah Symphony (Evelyn was in the Guild, Joseph served on the Board of Directors), it was clear that a legacy gift to this flagship performing arts institution was in order. The Rosenblatt children and their partners – Norm and Nan Rosenblatt, Toby and Sally Rosenblatt, Steven and Martha Rosenblatt, and Mindy Rosenblatt and Evelyn Jacob–already knew how to do this. You see, the gift had forbears too, many of them, like the Rosenblatt Award for Excellence which was established in 1983 for honoring faculty at the University of Utah.

For the Young Artist Award, the Rosenblatt family’s charitable trust set up another endowment to ensure that the distribution of their funds would be evergreen so Utah Symphony could highlight young musicians of exceptional promise for many years. Why an endowment, you might ask? Because there is simply no better mechanism for encouraging longevity. An endowment fund, once it has been seeded with significant philanthropic dollars, can invest those dollars and provide dependable future dividends for the benefit of a designated

arts company. And when it is well looked after by folks as dedicated as the Rosenblatt family, an endowment can theoretically extend its benevolence forever.

It’s important to point out that a gift like the one that started the Evelyn Rosenblatt Young Artist Award can inspire beyond its charter and offer a structural template for new initiatives both in and out of its presumed lane. In other words, the gift itself builds a reputation. Fundraisers and potential big donors may be aware of it, sure, but so are the rank-and-file patrons whose relationship to a non-profit is limited to the tickets it sells. For example, everyone who sees Randall Goosby play this season will know the name Evelyn Rosenblatt and many will, perhaps for the first time, understand that some of the families who care deeply about the culture of their city are willing to make transformative efforts for it. They might, these speculative, perceptive concertgoers of ours, even consider making a gift of their own.

Imagine also this oft-repeated scenario. The fundraising team at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is building a campaign to create named positions within the orchestra or develop an annual instrument purchase fund for the percussion section (you would be shocked to learn how expensive their stuff can be). Whenever they approach a prospective donor about ideas like these, it is an enormous advantage to have a proof of concept in hand. A perfectly designed, gracefully maintained, and professionally stewarded example like the Evelyn Rosenblatt Young Artist Award not only offers the new donor a proven method to emulate, it also shows them that their own largesse would place them in some very impressive company.

To put this complicated web of potential in the simplest possible terms, the Rosenblatt family’s gift has, in addition to doing its own important work for young performers over the last 25 years, led to the creation of countless other meaningful relationships for Utah Symphony. Joseph and Evelyn’s children, and now the grandchildren who have enthusiastically taken up the mantle, did not likely predict or even intend this outcome, but that doesn’t matter. The gift, their gift, had a story of its own to tell.

A non-profit organization is a pond. The donations it receives are devotional stones thrown into the center. The ripples move outward, influencing other funders and kindred organizations, before they reach the shore and return back to the source to re-inspire those close to the original generosity. It is more than young performing artists of exceptional promise that Evelyn Rosenblatt’s name inspires today. Through the Young Artist Award, her great legacy reaches beyond Maurice Abravanel Hall and into the wider world of art as the life of this gift, barely getting started now at 25 years, continues to surprise us.

Thank you, Rosenblatt Family.

Prelude lectures by Principal Coach Carol Anderson offer insights before each Utah Opera production. This introduction includes historical context, musical highlights, and a behind-the-scenes perspective.

Preludes are free with your opera ticket and begin one hour before curtain in the Capitol Room.

Do you have any questions or comments about tonight which you would like to ask or share?

Please join Artist Director, Christopher McBeth and special guests in the Capitol Room after each performance for a Q & A session.

THE RITE OF SPRING

JANUARY 31, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

FEBRUARY 1, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

DAVID ROBERTSON , conductor

SYNERGY VOCALS , vocals

STEVE REICH STRAVINSKY

The Desert Music (48’)

SYNERGY VOCALS , vocals

INTERMISSION

Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) (32’)

Part I: The Adoration of the Earth Part II: The Sacrifice

CREATIVE PARTNER SPONSOR

JOHN & MARCIA PRICE FAMILY FOUNDATION

For David Robertson’s bio, please see p. 51

Synergy Vocals

Synergy Vocals has been closely associated with the music of Steve Reich for almost 30 years. Specializing in close-microphone singing, the group has performed all over the world with ensembles including the Boston, Chicago, St Louis, New World, San Francisco and Vancouver Symphony orchestras, the Los Angeles and Brooklyn Philharmonic orchestras, Nexus, Steve Reich & Musicians, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, AskoǀSchönberg, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ictus, London Sinfonietta, the London Symphony Orchestra and all of the UK’s BBC orchestras. They have also collaborated with dance companies in London and Brussels.

World premières include Reich’s Three Tales, Daniel Variations, Traveler’s Prayer and Jacob’s Ladder, Steven Mackey’s Dreamhouse, Andriessen’s La Commedia, David Lang’s writing on water and Sir James MacMillan’s Since it was the day of Preparation…, as well as the UK première of Nono’s Prometeo. Synergy Vocals provided the chorus for Ravi Shankar’s opera Sukanya, and for Satya Hinduja’s Harmony of the Worlds project with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Their commercial recordings include Andriessen’s De Staat, Reich’s Proverb, Music for 18 Musicians and The Desert Music, John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music and Berio’s Sinfonia

Synergy Vocals is featured on a variety of film soundtracks and television signature tunes.

The Desert Music

Duration: 48 minutes in five sections.

THE COMPOSER – STEVE REICH (b. 1936) – Most biographies of Steve Reich include a quote from The Guardian critic Andrew Clements: “There’s just a handful of living composers who can legitimately claim to have altered the direction of music history and Steve Reich is one of them.” For listeners without a lot of experience with Reich’s music, this accurate pronouncement might require context. Reich was the leading figure in the Minimalism movement of the 1960s. He rejected the conventions of mid-century classical music by stripping away its harmonic, rhythmic, and structural complexities. In their place, Reich favored more simplified elements like static chord patterns, repeated rhythms and large-scale, nearly imperceptible phase shifts to create meditative experiences that occasionally last as long as a Romantic symphony. Not everyone followed him on this path, but nobody could ignore him.

THE HISTORY – The Desert Music (1983) for amplified voices and orchestra is a fully realized example of Reich’s musical philosophy. All his minimalist experiments found fruition here, as did his increasing willingness to reference big subjects through music. In his own commentary on the piece, Reich described it as a “setting of parts of poems by the American poet William Carlos Williams…The title is taken from Dr. Williams’ book of collected poems, The Desert Music. From this collection I chose parts of The Orchestra and Theocritus: IdylI – A version from the Greek From another collection I chose a small part of Asphodel, That Greeny Flower.” Steve Reich’s The Desert Music, which continued his interest during the 1980s in converting text fragments into longer than normal (for him anyhow) melodic segments, was an important personal statement on human conflict. “I have loved Dr. Williams’ poetry since I was 16 years old,” he wrote, “and picked up a copy of his long poem Patterson just because I was fascinated by the symmetry of his name – William Carlos Williams. I have continued reading his work to the present. I find Dr. Williams’ finest work to be his late poetry written between 1954 and his death in 1963 at age 80. It is from this period in the poet’s work that I have selected the texts for The Desert Music – a period after the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dr. Williams was acutely aware of the bomb and his words about it, in a poem about music entitled The Orchestra struck me as to the point: ‘Say to

them:/ Man has survived hitherto because he was too ignorant/ to know how to realize his wishes. Now that he can realize/ them, he must either change them or perish.’” The Desert Music was commissioned by the West German Radio, Cologne and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1983, Gestapo war criminal Klaus Barbie was arrested in Bolivia, the final episode of M*A*S*H aired on CBS, Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party won a landslide Parliamentary election, and Manuel Noriega became the de facto President of Panama.

THE CONNECTION – These performances represent the Utah Symphony premiere of Steve Reich’s The Desert Music

Le Sacre du printemps (“The Rite of Spring”)

Duration: 32 minutes in two parts (with a short pause).

THE COMPOSER – IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882-1971) – By the second decade of the 20th century, Stravinsky was a big star. Two huge successes with Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe –Firebird and Petrushka – had his name on the tips of every tongue in Paris and even elicited some respectful envy from Claude Debussy. Stravinsky, who was splitting time then between the French capital and Switzerland, had earned the right to suggest his own projects and take his own leaps. There were no limits, and these were heady times indeed for the young Russian composer and his audience as they sat at the premiere of his latest ballet in 1913. As they waited with a collectively held breath to see what was next for him, how could any of them know the spin of the Earth was about to reverse?

THE HISTORY – So much has already been written about the riot that erupted in the audience during the premiere of The Rite of Spring that it can be tempting to avoid the subject altogether now. Is the music famous because of its infamous debut or does it merit its place in music history based on the brilliantly groundbreaking new language from which it was created? Certainly, both. After all, the riot did happen, and it was the result of many factors. In addition to the shocking nature of the score, there was much for the conservative factions of the audience to deride in the

HISTORY

costumes and the pagan subject matter. Many were already angry at Nijinsky for his choreography of Debussy’s Jeux two weeks earlier and came loaded for bear. Some probably just wanted to yell at fussy rich people. Regardless of which axe a given section of the house was there to grind, once the protests (among them satirical calls for doctor and even a dentist) and the counter-protests (such as the suggestion by composer Florent Schmitt that the society ladies near him “shut up”) took hold, the music became essentially inaudible over the din. Critical success would follow in later performances and the tumult at the premiere was never repeated once the various partisans dispersed. The score, with its muscular, primordial fearlessness, was an undisputable masterpiece and everyone knew it. It’s easy to say now, from our distant vantage, that The Rite of Spring was the most important and influential work of the 20th century, because of course it was. But even by 1929 The

New York Times had proclaimed it as significant to its time “as Beethoven’s Ninth is to the 19th century.” In one stroke of compositional genius, Stravinsky turned every aspect of musical creativity on its head and effortlessly changed the course of musical thought forever. The riot was optional.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1913, civil war raged in Mexico, King George I was assassinated in Greece, the United States began parcel post service, and New York’s Grand Central Terminal was opened in February.

THE CONNECTION – The Rite of Spring is part of the regular repertory of the Utah Symphony, with no less than a dozen Masterworks performances since 1955. The most recent concerts were in 2019, under Thierry Fischer.

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.

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Carol & Anthony W. Middleton, Jr., M.D.

Moeller Family Foundation

Dr. Louis A. & Deborah Moench

Michael Montgomery

Terrell & Leah Nagata

Patricia Legant & Thomas Parks

Dr. Dinesh & Kalpana Patel

Kirith Prady

Quinn Family Charitable Foundation

Brooks & Lenna Quinn

Mitch & Shannon Rice

Marcia JS Richards

Albert J. Roberts IV

Rhett M. Roberts

John F. Foley, M.D. & Dorene Sambado, M.D.

Barbara & Paul Schwartz

Sheryl & James Snarr

Marcie & Avy Stein

Sidney Stern Memorial Trust

Jaelee Watanabe

Mark & Debbie Weinstein

Kelly & James Whitcomb

Douglas Wood

Caroline & Thomas Wright

Abravanel & Peterson Society ($2,500 - $4,999)

Anonymous [2]

Craig & Joanna Adamson

Pam & Paul Apel

Drs. Crystal & Dustin Armstrong

Connie Barker

Tina & John Barry

Nancy Bartmess

Charles & Jennifer Beckham

Dr. Melissa Bentley

Sharon & Michael Bertelsen

Philip Bienert

Alice & Bill Bierer

Richard & Suzanne Burbidge

Burroughs Family Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. William D. Callister

Lee & Mary Carter

Mark & Marcy Casp

Blair Childs & Erin Shaffer

Dr. Sidney Cole

George & Katie Coleman

Tracy Collett

Sandra & David Cope

Dr. Thomas D. & Joanne A. Coppin

Cindy Corbin

James Cox

Rod Cullum

Ruth & Phil Davidson

Thomas D. Dee III & Dr. Candace Dee

Lawrence Dickerson & Marcela Donadio

Matt & Nancy Dorny

Karey & Phillip Dye

Carol & Greg Easton

Barbara & Melvin Echols

Midge & Tom Farkas

Blake & Linda Fisher

Karen & Pat Fletcher

Shawn & Karin Fojtik

Adele & James Forman

Linda Francis

Dixie & Joseph F. Furlong III

Robert & Annie-Lewis Garda

Larry Gerlach

Jeffrey L. Giese, M.D. & Mary E. Giese

Kenneth† & Amy Goodman

Sue & Gary Grant

Kenneth & Kate Handley

Brad Hare MD & Akiko Okifuji PhD

Jonathan Hart

Mary Haskins

Jeff & Peggy Hatch

Nancy Ann Heaps

John Edward Henderson

Richard & Ruth Ann Hills

Gordon Irving

Jay & Julie Jacobson

Drs. Randy & Elizabeth Jensen

Rhett & Willow Jeppson

M. Craig & Rebecca Johns

Chester & Marilyn Johnson

Maxine & Bruce Johnson

Neone F. Jones Family

Dr. Michael A. Kalm

Michael & Amy Kennedy

Lucinda L. Kindred

Howard & Merele Kosowsky

Deborah & Gary Lambert

Jeffrey LaMora

Nicole & David Langlie

Dr. Donald & Alice Lappe

Tim & Angela Laros

Stan & Susan Levy

Franklin Lewis

Don List

David Luker

John & Kristine Maclay

Steve & Marion Mahas

Keith & Vicki Maio

Heidi & Edward D. Makowski

Peter Margulies & Louise Vickerman

Kathryn & Jed Marti

Miriam Mason & Greg Glynnis

David & Nickie McDowell

Ted A. McKay

Karen & Mike McMenomy

Clayton McNeel

John & Bria Mertens

MJZR Charitable Trust

Glenn & Dav Mosby

Metta Nelson Driscoll

Charles W. & Amy Newhall

Vincent & Elizabeth Novack

Patrick & Charlotte O’Connell

Stanley B. & Joyce M. Parrish

Elodie Payne

Joel & Diana Peterson

James S. & Dyan Pignatelli

Nathan & Shannon Savage

Lisa Poppleton & Jim Stringfellow

Esther Rashkin

Sarah Ratchye & Ed Frank

Dr. Barbara S. Reid

Glenn Ricart & Patricia Guenther

Steven K Richards

Lee Rippel

Kathryn Rommel

Rebecca Roof & Gary Smith

Rachel Sabin

Kazuhiro Saito

Mark & Loulu Saltzman

Marlin Sandlin Jr

Margaret P. Sargent

Gerald† & Sharon Seiner

Lisa & Joel Shine

Ray & Ann Steben

Alfred Stein

Lauraine Stephen F. Craig Stuart

Tim & Judy Terrell

Douglas & Susan Terry

Sal & Denise Torrisi

Dr. Albert & Yvette Ungricht

Richard Valliere

Marvin & Sandra Van Dam

The Victory Foundation

Susan & David† Wagstaff

Sally Wakefield & Anthony Arnason

John & Susan Walker

Grant Lippincott & Donna Walsh

Gerard & Sheila Walsh

Susan Warshaw

Renee & Dale Waters

M. Terri Poli & J. Craig Weakley

Cindy Williams

Barry & Fran Wilson

Jennifer Wollin

E. Woolston† & Connie Jo HepworthWoolston

Peter Zutty

Anonymous [4]

Alan, Carol, & Annie Agle

Ryan Aller & Natasja Keys

Christine A. Allred

A. Scott & Jesselie Anderson

Margaret Anderson

Beth & Roger Armstrong

Joe Arnold

Gaylen Atkinson

Fred & Linda Babcock

Lowell Bennion

C. Kim & Jane Blair

Diane Banks Bromberg & Dr. Mark Bromberg

George & Matthew Cardon-Bystry

Lindsay† & Carla Carlisle

Dana Carroll & Jeannine Marlowe Carroll

Linda Jo Carron

Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Carter, Jr.

Phillip & Gail Coleman

Kenneth Colen

Dr. & Mrs. David Coppin

Jason & Kristin Covili

Cecilia Crystal

Kathia Dang & Sam Sleiman

Nathanael & Jennifer Davenport

Mark B Dean

Margarita Donnelly

Dr. Paul Dorgan

Eric & Shellie Eide

Elana Spitzberg Family Foundation

David & Susan Erhart

Hans & Nanci Fastre

The Fickling Family Foundation

John H.† & Joan B. Firmage

Drs. Norman L. & Carol† M. Foster

Mr. & Mrs. Wayne B. Freckleton

Dr. Robert Fudge & Sylvia Newman

Heidi Gardner

Sheila S. Gardner

Bob & Mary Gilchrist

Ralph & Rose† Gochnour

Graf Family Charity Fund

Keith Guernsey & Rebecca Burrage

Dr. Elizabeth Hammond

Helene Harding & Patrick Briggs

Robert & Marcia Harris

Virginia & R. Glenn Harris

Lex Hemphill & Nancy Melich

Connie C. Holbrook

Chuck & Kathie Horman

Caroline & David Hundley

Stephen Tanner Irish

Eldon Jenkins & Amy Calara

Bryce & Karen† Johnson

Nicholas Johnson

Rebekah & Joseph Johnson

Kimberli Jones

Rick & Paulette Katzenbach

Hyo J Kim

Steven & Christine Knudson

Michael & Peg Kramer

Stacy Lederer

Patricia & Mark Lucas

Shelly Elaine Mair

Jerilyn S. McIntyre & David Smith

Jeffrey McNeal

Warren K.† & Virginia G. McOmber

Mr. & Mrs. Reed W. Merrell

David B. & Colleen A. Merrill

James & Nannette Michie

Jim & Nanette Michie

Dr. Nicole L. Mihalopoulos & Joshua Scoville

Philip Miller

Mower Family Charitable Fund

Garrett Murphy & Esther Jeehae Ahn

Dan & Janet Myers

Nebeker Family Foundation

Marilyn H. Neilson

Maura & Serge Olszanskyj

Mr.† & Mrs. James Patterson

Barbara Perry

Michelle Peterson & Richard Scott

Cynthia & George Petrow

Steve Price

Gina Rieke

Nancy Rossman

Ted & Lori Samuels

Daniel & Sari Schachtel

August L. Schultz

Frances & Ron Schwarz

Roger & Connie Seegmiller

Bianca Shepard

Jeffrey W. Shields & Ms. Mary Ross

Barbara Slaymaker

Denise & Denis Smith

Janette Smith

Stan & Mary Sorensen

Dr. & Mrs. Michael H. Stevens

Emily Stewart

Briant Summerhays

Jay Teevan

Jeff Trocin

Jean Vaniman

Dr. James C. Warenski

Stephen & Elizabeth Watson

Michael D. Weiner

Dan & Amy Wilcox

David B.† & Anne Wirthlin

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

Anonymous

Edward R. Ashwood & Candice A. Johnson

Gael Benson

C. Comstock Clayton Foundation

Estate of Alexander Bodi

The Elizabeth Brown Dee Fund for Music in the Schools

Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation

Thomas D. Dee III & Dr. Candace Dee Hearst Foundation

Estate of John Henkels

Roger & Susan Horn

Carolyn T. Irish Revocable Trust

Estate of Marylin Lindsay

The Right Reverend Carolyn Tanner

Irish† and Mr. Frederick Quinn

Estate of Loretta M. Kearns

Vicki McGregor

Edward Moreton

Estate of Pauline C. Pace

The Linda & Don Price Guest Artist Fund

Perkins-Prothro Foundation

Kenneth† & Jerrie Randall

The Evelyn Rosenblatt Young Artist Award

Bill† & Joanne Shiebler

Steven P. Sondrop Family Trust

James R. & Susan Swartz

Clark L. Tanner Foundation

Norman C. & Barbara L.

Tanner Charitable Trust

Norman C. & Barbara L. Tanner

Second Charitable Trust

O.C. Tanner Company

Estate of Frederic & Marilyn Wagner

M. Walker† & Sue Wallace†

Jack & Mary Lois Wheatley

Family Trust

Edward & Marelynn† Zipser

In Memory of Amy Shari Fisher

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 Georgia Bennion

Cynthia & William H Kennedy Jr.

In Memory of Janice Ione Berghout

Ann Berghout Austin

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

Marianne Burgoyne

In Memory of James O. Clark

Elaine Clark

In Memory of Norman & Charleen Clark

Melissa Quigley

In Memory of Frances Darger

Pamela Bobbs

J.W. Cheek

Rolayne Fairclough & John Evans

Fridolyn Hicks

Julianne Johnson

The Bennett Family

In Memory of Jack G. Edwards

Leslie Edwards

In Memory of Ellen

Samantha Allison

In Memory of Lynne Farmer

CJ Robinson

In Honor of Georgia Gates

Larry Gerlach

In Memory of Gail Gerlach

Gerlach, Larry

In Memory of Burton & Elaine Gordon

A. Scott & Jesselie Anderson

The JLL Team at WRT

In Memory of Carolyn Hanks

Matt & Nancy Dorny

In Memory of Carl & LeAnn Hoyal

Joan Dye

In Memory of Karen Johnson

Bryce Johnson

In Memory of Gary B Kitching, M.D.

Allison Kitching

In Memory of Morris Lee

Catherine W. Smith

In Memory of Keith Lockhart

June Ragan

In Memory of Blake McDonald

Rebekah Johnson

In Memory of Frank & Maxine McIntyre

Jerilyn McEntyre & David Smith

In Honor of Warren K. (Sandy) McOmber

Virginia McOmber

In Memory of Glade & Mardean Peterson

Leslie Peterson & Kevin Higgins

In Loving Memory of Charles Philbin

Dr. & Mrs. Tom M. McDougal

Annie-Lewis & Ralph Garda

In Memory of Maria A. Proser

Matthew Proser

In Memory of Dan Ragan

June Ragan

In Memory of Nedra S. Robison

Greg & Anne Robison

In Memory of Norm Rosenblatt

Susan Walker

In Memory of Rodney S. & Carol S. Rougelot

Renee Woodell

In Memory of Alexander Schriener

Julianne Johnson

In Memory of Bill Shiebler

Mary Bush

Fickling Family Foundation

Kristen Fletcher & Dan McPhun

Mark & Dianne Prothro

Veloria M. Jacobson

Swartz Foundation

Anne & Taft Symonds

Allison Weiss

In Memory of Robert C. Sloan, Jr.

Bruce & Julie Newton

In Memory of Willard & Evelyn Smith

Jerilyn McEntyre & David Smith

In Memory of Linda Twitchell

Brenda N. Koga

In Memory of Sheila Van Frank

Jodi Graham

Jeff Nielsen

In Memory of Judy Watts Brady

Drew W. Browning

In Memory of Carol Zimmerman

Patrick Zimmerman

We thank our generous donors for their annual support of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera.

* in-kind donation

** in-kind & cash donations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation

Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation

Dominion Energy Arts Foundation

Marriner S. Eccles Foundation

Anonymous Cultural Vision Fund

47G: Utah Aerospace & Defense*

Arnold Machinery

BMW of Murray/BMW of Pleasant Grove

John † & Joan Firmage

John & Carol Firmage

Vicki & Bill Bennion

Carol Franc Buck Foundation

$100,000 or more

George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation

The Florence J. Gillmor Foundation

Emma Eccles Jones Foundation

Frederick Q. Lawson Foundation

LOVE Communications**

$50,000 - $99,999

The Grand America Hotel & Little America Hotel*

Janet Q. Lawson Foundation

Marriott Residence Inn*

Moreton & Company

$25,000 - $49,999

Cache Valley Electric

Crocker Catalyst Foundation

Deer Valley Resort*

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Richard K. & Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation

The Kahlert Foundation

Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation

O.C. Tanner Company

Sorenson Legacy Foundation

Stowell Leadership Group, LLC*

Zions Bank

Salt Lake Chamber*

S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney Foundation

World Trade Center Utah*

McCarthey Family Foundation

Moreton Family Foundation

Charles Maxfield & Gloria F. Parrish Foundation

Simmons Family Foundation

Summit Sotheby’s

Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation

Altabank

HJ & BR Barlow Foundation

B.W. Bastian Foundation

Bertin Family Foundation

R. Harold Burton Foundation

Caffé Molise*

Marie Eccles Caine

Foundation-Russell Family

$10,000 - $24,999

The Capital Group

Greenberg Traurig

Joseph & Kathleen Sorenson

Legacy Foundation

Merit Medical Systems, Inc.

Microsoft Corporation*

Millburn & Company

The Joseph & Evelyn Rosenblatt

Charitable Fund

Joanne L. Shrontz Family Foundation

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah

Stay Park City

University of Utah Health

Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce*

Anonymous

Rodney H. & Carolyn Hansen Brady

Charitable Foundation

Cambia Health Foundation

Chartway Credit Union

Spencer F. & Cleone P. Eccles Family Foundation

EcoView Windows & Doors

The Fanwood Foundation Western Office

Grandeur Peak Global Advisors

Holland & Hart

Homewood Suites by Hilton*

$1,000 - $9,999

Intermountain Health

J. Wong’s Thai & Chinese Bistro*

Kennecott Utah Copper LLC

Lee’s Marketplace*

Millcreek Coffee Roasters*

Mountain America Credit Union

Mountain Temp Services, LLC

Opera America

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau

Ray, Quinney & Nebeker Foundation

Red Rock Brewing Company*

Rocky Mountain Power Foundation

Ruth’s Chris Steak House*

Salsa Queen

Serving Table 22*

Snow, Christensen & Martineau Foundation

Squatters Pub Brewery*

St. Regis / Deer Crest Club**

Suazo Business Center

Summerhays Music Center

Trujillo Acosta Law

Utah Autism Foundation

Utah Food Services*

Vox Marketing Group*

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.

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

TANNER SOCIETY OF UTAH SYMPHONY

Beethoven Circle (gifts valued at more than $100,000)

Anonymous (3)

Doyle Arnold & Anne Glarner

Edward R. Ashwood & Candice A. Johnson

Dr. J. Richard Baringer

Haven J. Barlow†

Dr. Melissa J. Bentley

Marcy & Mark Casp

Shelly Coburn

Raymond & Diana Compton

Mahler Circle

Anonymous (3)

Eva-Maria Adolphi

Dr. Robert H.† & Marianne Harding Burgoyne

Richard Clegg

Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth E. Coombs

Paul (Hap) & Ann† Green

Robert & Carolee Harmon

Richard G. & Shauna† Horne

Virginia A. Hughes

Turid V. Lipman

Anne C. Ewers

Annette W. & Joseph Q. Jarvis

Flemming & Lana Jensen

James Read Lether

Daniel & Noemi P. Mattis

Anthony & Carol W. Middleton, Jr.,

M.D.

Robert & Diane Miner

Glenn Prestwich

Kenneth A.† & Jeraldine S. Randall

Mr.† & Mrs. Alvin Richer

Patricia A. Richards &

William K. Nichols

Sharon & David† Richards

Harris H. & Amanda P. Simmons

E. Jeffery & Joyce Smith

G.B. & B.F. Stringfellow

Mr.† & Mrs. M. Walker Wallace

Anonymous

Mr. & Mrs. William C. Bailey

Judy Brady† & Drew W. Browning

Dr. Robert H.† & Marianne Harding

Burgoyne

Shelly Coburn

Travis & Jamie Donio

Anne C. Ewers

Joseph & Pat Gartman

Herbert C.† & Wilma Livsey

Dianne May

Jerry & Marcia McClain

Jim & Andrea Naccarato

Stephen H. & Mary Nichols

Craig S. Ogan

Hal Noyce

Mr. & Mrs. Scott Parker

Mr. & Mrs.† Michael A. Pazzi

Richard Q. Perry

Chase† & Grethe† Peterson

CRESCENDO SOCIETY OF UTAH OPERA

Paul (Hap) & Ann† Green

Annette W. & Joseph Q. Jarvis

Edward R. Ashwood & Candice A. Johnson

Clark D. Jones

Turid V. Lipman

Herbert C. & Wilma Livsey

Richard W. & Frances P. Muir

Marilyn H. Neilson

Glenn H. & Karen F. Peterson

Thomas A. & Sally† Quinn

Dan† & June Ragan

Mr. Grant Schettler

Glenda & Robert† Shrader

Mr. Robert C. Steiner & Dr. Jacquelyn Erbin† JoLynda Stillman

Joann Svikhart

Edward J. & Marelynn† Zipser

Carol & Ted Newlin

Patricia A. Richards & William K. Nichols

Mr.† & Mrs. Alvin Richer

Jeffrey W. Shields

G.B. & B.F. Stringfellow

Dr. Ralph & Judith Vander Heide

Edward J. & Marelynn† Zipser

† Deceased

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find out more:

801-869-9200 | usuo.org/planned-giving

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

EDITOR

Melissa Robison

HUDSON PRINTING COMPANY www.hudsonprinting.com 241 West 1700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84115 801-486-4611

AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES PROVIDED BY Tanner, llc

LEGAL REPRESENTATION PROVIDED BY Greenberg Traurig, llp Parsons Behle & Latimer, llp

ADVERTISING MEDIA & WEBSITE SERVICES PROVIDED BY Love Communications, Salt Lake City

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

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

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

YOUR NEEDS. OUR SPECIALTY.

Name: Natalie

Company: Zerorez

Legal needs: Intellectual property (IP)

Natalie is general counsel at Zerorez, a carpet and upholstery cleaning business. As Zerorez expands nationally and internationally, she needs help with IP matters. Kirton McConkie’s IP attorneys help Natalie register trademarks and patents, protect IP rights, and navigate the complexities of expansion.