Utah Symphony Utah Opera Spring 2025 by Mills Publishing Inc.

UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA

2024-25 SEASON

USUO Main Content

Cover Issue #1

Season Sponsor

They shut me up in ProseAs when a little Girl They put me in the ClosetBecause they liked me “still” -

Still! Could themself have peepedAnd seen my brain- go roundThey might as wise have lodged a Bird For Treason - in the Pound -

BRAVO BROADWAY!

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

We were thrilled to share in November and December the appointments of Markus Poschner as the eighth Music Director in our orchestra’s 84-year history and of Delyana Lazarova as Principal Guest Conductor. Markus assumed the role of Music Director Designate immediately and he will take on full duties as Music Director in the 2027–28 season. Delyana will begin her term as Principal Guest Conductor of the Utah Symphony beginning with the 2025–26 season. Together with

our Opera Artistic Director Christopher McBeth, Symphony Assistant Conductor Jessica Rivero Altarriba, and Chorus Director and Opera Assistant Conductor Austin McWilliams, these two new appointments complete our stellar artistic leadership team. Response to the announcements has been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to a bright future of incredible music and community connection!

This February and March the Utah Symphony presents four masterworks programs, including the return of Music Director Emeritus Thierry Fischer leading two programs featuring Mahler’s 5th and 6th symphonies and guest conductors David Danzmayr and Paolo Bortolameolli conducting Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 and Holst’s The Planets. These masterworks concerts also feature music by 21st century composers Jessie Montgomery and Miguel Farías as well as a solo performance by our very own Concertmaster Madeline Adkins of Glazunov’s Violin Concerto. The orchestra will join Utah Opera’s soloists and chorus (and the choristers of The Madeleine Choir School) in the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre for Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. And on a lighter front, we hope you’ll join us for a screening of the Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (with the orchestra playing the score live in sync with the movie), Bravo Broadway with three star singers performing show tunes you know and love, and a program specially crafted for families titled Gold Rush: An American Musical Adventure

Did you know that, in addition to the exceptional concerts and opera productions we present, USUO’s Education programs offer to the citizens of Utah one of the most extensive arts

education initiatives by a professional musical arts organization in the United States? Our longest-standing program is the Fifth-Grade Concerts that were started by Maurice Abravanel, the Utah Symphony’s legendary past Music Director for whom our concert hall was named. During the month of February, we anticipate that more than 17,000 students will attend these special performances during the school day; for many, it is their first introduction to the thrill of live symphonic music. Throughout the academic year, our professional musicians provide students with the gift of live classical music in their schools as well as the inspiration to develop their own creative capabilities to enhance their lives. Last year alone, over 130,000 students and teachers were served by USUO Education programs.

Our ability to reach so many students is due, in significant part, to the Utah State Legislature, which provides over one-third of the support toward their cost. The remainder of that credit goes to our many donors who cumulatively match the state’s support. Thank you for your patronage and advocacy of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, and please thank your legislators for their support. It is through your participation that we are able to connect the community through great live music!

Thank you for joining us today. Your attendance at our performances and support of USUO ensures that the superbly creative people of this organization serve and inspire the citizens of Utah (as well as visitors to our beautiful state) as deeply and broadly as possible.

Steven Brosvik President & CEO

Brian Greeff Chairman, Board of Trustees

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

130,000 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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Subscriber Benefits

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STAY IN TOUCH

Share your symphony or opera experience—tag us in your photos and memories! @utahsymphony #utahsymphony @utahopera #utahopera

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

Raymond J. Dardano

Geralyn Dreyfous

Lisa Eccles

* Executive Committee Member

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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Markus Poschner

Music Director Designate

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

UTAH SYMPHONY

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

Come tour a campus and see for yourself!

Challenger School offers uniquely fun and academic classes for preschool to eighth grade students. Our students learn to think for themselves and to value independence.

Farmington (PS–G7) (801) 451-6565

1089 Shepard Creek Parkway

Holladay (PS–K) (801) 278-4797

4555 South 2300 East

Salt Lake (PS–G8) (801) 487-4402

1325 South Main Street

Sandy (PS–G8) (801) 572-6686

10670 South 700 East

Lehi (PS–G8) (801) 407-8777

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

1. Our musicians stepped up their costume game for our Spooktacular performance channeling their inner Super Mario Bros

2. Our Costume Department spent months crafting brandnew animal heads for our production of Hansel & Gretel

Check out side-by-side images of the old and new designs.

3. Jessica Rivero Altarriba conducts with expertise, capturing “the romantic spirit and underscored the rhythmic energy of the music with her well-defined and articulate direction,” says Utah Arts Review.

4. A handful of children enjoy the artistic activities provided during one of our Family Series performances.

5. An audience member is thrilled with our opera performance and shares a quick smile with a friend during the show.

6. Newly announced Music Director Designate Markus Poschner left the audience in awe with his bold, dynamic interpretation of Beethoven’s Eroica— “decisive and robust,” praised Utah Arts Review. The energy in the hall was electric!

7. Our evening concert on December 11 was unforgettable! Yo-Yo Ma’s breathtaking performance left us in awe, and we’re still buzzing from the magic.

8. A special guest made a visit to Abravanel Hall during our performance of John Williams and his iconic movie soundtracks!

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 Generalist

Madison Wilde Thunhorst

Executive Assistant to the Senior VP & COO

SYMPHONY ARTISTIC

Kerry Smith

Vice President of Artistic Planning

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

ADMINISTRATION

Stage Manager

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

Abby Gehring

First Hand

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

Assistant Director of Individual Giving

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

True Moore

Salem Rogers

Patron Services Specialists

Lorraine Fry

Michael Gibson

Ian Painter

Ananda Spike

Val Tholen

Chloe Toyn

Leah Medley

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.

BRAVO BROADWAY!

FEBRUARY 14, 2025 / 7:30PM / ABRAVANEL HALL

FEBRUARY 15, 2025 / 7:30PM / ABRAVANEL HALL

JOHN GENNARO DEVLIN, conductor

SCARLETT STRALLEN, vocalist

DEE ROSCIOLI, vocalist

HUGH PANARO, vocalist

(ARR.) CHASE

WARREN

LERNER/LOEWE

SONDHEIM

STYNE

WRIGHT/FOREST

BERNSTEIN

SONDHEIM

WILLSON

HERMAN

Broadway Tonight! (orchestra only)

“Lullaby of Broadway” from 42nd Street

“I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeney Todd

“Don’t Rain On My Parade” from Funny Girl

Stranger In Paradise from Kismet West Side Story Medley (orchestra only)

“Getting Married Today” from Company

“Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man

“Put On Your Sunday Clothes/Before the Parade Passes By” from Hello Dolly

INTERMISSION

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

JOHN DU PREZ

ABBA

STEPHEN SCHWARTZ

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

“You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton “Memory” from Cats

“The Song That Goes Like This” from Spamalot

ABBA Medley (orchestra only)

“For Good” from Wicked “Defying Gravity” from Wicked

“The Phantom of the Opera” from The Phantom of the Opera “Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera

CONCERT SPONSOR

John Gennaro Devlin Conductor

Conductor John Gennaro Devlin is an ardent champion of American music, an innovator of concert design, and a thought leader in the field of classical music. Currently in his fifth season as Music Director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra (WSO), Devlin is only the ninth conductor in its 90-year history to hold that title. Devlin’s artistry and versatility make him a frequent guest conductor with major orchestras across the nation. His engagements include performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, Wintergreen Festival Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and the American Repertory Ballet. Of his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra and violin soloist Joshua Bell, Anne Midgette of The Washington Post wrote that Devlin “led the evening with flair…and was visibly in his element.” John Gennaro Devlin is an American conductor of Italian and Irish heritage. He completed his master’s and doctoral degrees in orchestral conducting under the tutelage of James Ross at the University of Maryland School of Music. His professional career has been shaped by his time as an assistant to conductors Gianandrea Noseda, Christoph Eschenbach, Rossen Milanov, and Victoria Gau.

Scarlett Strallen

Vocalist

Scarlett Strallen is best known in the US for the title role in the Broadway productions of Mary Poppins and as Sibella Hallward in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Strallen has starred in productions on Broadway, London’s West End, including Singin’ in the Rain at Chichester Festival Theatre and The Palace Theatre London, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She most recently starred on Broadway as Gwendolyn in Travesties. A frequent soloist with orchestras around the world, Strallen’s recent and upcoming engagements with orchestras in the US includes The Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Grant Park Music Festival, Utah Symphony, Philly Pops, Phoenix Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, and Arkansas Symphony, among many others. Strallen has recorded “Something’s Gotta Give” with Simon Keenlyside for Chandos conducted by David Charles Abel. Strallen was requested by Her Majesty the Queen on three separate occasions to sing for her. Her film and television credits include the title role in the BBC production of Mary Poppins celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s 80th birthday. Follow Scarlett @scarlettstrallenofficial

Dee Roscioli Vocalist

Dee Roscioli’s home base is NYC, but she has travelled the world singing and acting. Roscioli is best known for her seven-year recordbreaking portrayal of Elphaba in the smash Broadway hit Wicked, where she led the Broadway, Chicago, San Francisco, and First National Touring companies. Most recently, Roscioli was seen on Broadway in The Cher Show, portraying the pop icon herself as both Star and Lady Cher. In 2015 she was invited into the closing company of the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, playing the mischievous Fruma Sarah, which was filmed and archived for Lincoln Center’s performance library. In addition to her theatre credits, she has performed twice as a headlining artist with the prestigious Philly Pops and has also performed as a headlining artist with The Cleveland Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic, Brazos Valley Symphony, Pennsylvania Philharmonic, South Bend Symphony, Cape Symphony, Corpus Christi Symphony, Missouri Symphony, Brevard Symphony, Symphony New Hampshire, Desert Symphony, as well as the International Music Festival in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic, and return concert engagements in Taipei, Taiwan. Dee Roscioli has created her solo show for the legendary Birdland Jazz, 54 Below, and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival cabaret series. She has also guest starred on various TV series. For updates on Dee Roscioli follow her on Instagram and Facebook! @deeroscioli

Hugh

Panaro Piano

Hugh Panaro is perhaps best known for having played the coveted role of The Phantom in Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera over 2,000 times, including the 25th Anniversary production. In fact, Panaro is one of the few actors to be cast by Harold Prince as both The Phantom and Raoul in the show’s Broadway production and recently starred as the title role in the New York production of Sweeney Todd. An active concert artist, Panaro has performed with numerous symphony orchestras including the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall; The Cleveland Orchestra; Philly Pops; Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Seattle, Utah Symphonies; and the London Sinfonietta, among many others. Panaro’s upcoming engagements include the Philly Pops, Charlotte Symphony, Cleveland Pops, Tucson Symphony, Maui Pops, Hawaii Symphony, among others. Hugh also recently returned as a guest soloist with the Festival Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic. He also had the privilege of performing in the world premiere of Penderecki’s Te Deum at Carnegie Hall and was a guest soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic, conducted by Marvin Hamlisch. A native of Philadelphia, Panaro graduated from Temple University and was awarded the Boyer College of Music Certificate of Honor. His first solo CD, Man Without a Mask, recorded live at 54 Below was released in 2023.

SEASON 2024–25

Mahler’s

SYMPHONY NO. 5

FEBRUARY 20, 2025 / 7:30 PM / BYU CONCERT HALL

FEBRUARY 21, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

FEBRUARY 22, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

THIERRY FISCHER , conductor (Utah Symphony’s Music Director Emeritus)

HAYDN

Symphony No. 13 in D Major

I. Allegro molto

II. Adagio cantabile

III. Menuet

IV. Allegro molto

INTERMISSION

MAHLER

Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor

Part I:

Trauermarsch

Stürmisch bewegt, mit grösster Vehemeng Part II:

Scherzo: Kräftig, nicht zu schnell

Part III:

Adagietto, sehr langsam Rondo – Finale: Allegro

CONCERT SPONSOR

HEALTHCARE NIGHT

CONCERT SPONSOR

NORA ECCLES TREADWELL FOUNDATION

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

PATRICIA RICHARDS & WILLIAM NICHOLS

Thierry Fischer Conductor

Thierry Fischer has been Music Director of the São Paulo Symphony since January 2020 and of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León since September 2022. He is also Music Director Emeritus of the Utah Symphony (where he was Music Director 2009–2023).

Fischer has conducted orchestras across the globe, notably the Cleveland Orchestra, the Boston, Atlanta and Cincinnati Symphonies, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Maggio Musicale Firenze among others. He has performed and commissioned many world premieres, and works with the London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Intercontemporain but also other leading chamber orchestras such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Swedish Chamber.

April 2024 saw the launch of Frank Martin: Odyssey, of which Fischer is Artistic Director. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of his compatriot’s death Fischer has curated a series of concerts running through to the end of 2026 in which every note of Martin’s oeuvre will be performed in Geneva. As part of the festival he conducts the world premiere of a newly commissioned orchestration of the ballet Die Blaue Blume with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne in their main season and at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

In 2024–25 he opens the Berlin Festwochen with the Sao Paulo Symphony in their 70th anniversary year, also taking the orchestra to the Edinburgh and Rheingau festivals and to the Concertgebouw. He continues his Mahler symphony cycle for the orchestra’s own label, recorded in the studio with the latest audio technology. Together with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León he tours this season to the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Madrid Teatro Monumental, and to the Cartagena Festival (Colombia) for 6 concerts featuring Spanish music, continues his Beethoven cycle, and gives the European premiere of Gabriela Ortiz’ cello concerto – co-commissioned by OSESP (and also by the LA Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, and Philharmonia).

Concluding a transformative 14 years in Utah - including the orchestra’s first visit to Carnegie Hall for the first time in 40 years, a Saint-Saëns cycle on Hyperion and many other highlights – in 2023 Fischer released on Hyperion Messiaen’s Des Canyons aux Étoiles (directly inspired by the awe-inspiring landscape of Utah State). The disc was shortlisted for the 2023 Gramophone Awards (orchestral category). In 2025 he returns to conduct the orchestra in a two-week Mahler festival, and at the League of American Orchestra conference, hosted this year in Salt Lake City.

Whilst Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales 2006-2012, Fischer appeared every year at the BBC Proms, toured internationally, and recorded for Hyperion, Signum and Orfeo. In 2012 he won the ICMA Award for his Hyperion recording of Frank Martin’s Der Sturm with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. His discography also includes a Beethoven disc with the London Philharmonic on the Aparté label.

Fischer started out as Principal Flute in Hamburg and at the Zurich Opera. His conducting career began in his 30s when he replaced an ailing colleague, subsequently directing his first few concerts with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe where he was Principal Flute under Claudio Abbado. He spent his apprentice years in Holland and became Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Ulster Orchestra 2001-2006. He was Principal Guest of the Seoul Philharmonic 2017-2020 and Chief Conductor (now Honorary Guest) of the Nagoya Philharmonic 2008-2011.

By Jeff Counts

Symphony No. 13 in D Major

Duration: 21 minutes in four movements.

THE COMPOSER – FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)

– Haydn, in 1763, was still only the vice-Kapellmeister at Eisenstadt for the Esterházy family, but his expected ascension to the top job was not far off. Prince Pál Antal had only recently rescued the composer after his previous position in Count Morzin’s court was dissolved for financial reasons. Thankfully the prince’s death in 1762 did not halt the growing devotion between the Esterházy family and Haydn. Pál Antal’s brother Miklós was an avid musical connoisseur as well, and he made sure his sibling’s favored composer, once he became full Kapellmeister in 1766, continued to enjoy a generous environment in which to create new works for the next 24 years.

THE HISTORY – The majority of those new works were, of

of that genre exploration was highly important to everyone. In fact, of the staggering 104 symphonies Haydn would write during his productive life, 87 of them date from his Esterházy years. His international reputation grew steadily during his almost three decades in the remote Hungarian location, thanks in part to the professional flexibility his employers allowed. His duties at court kept him very busy, but Haydn was permitted to take occasional outside commissions like the one that produced the six “Paris” symphonies in 1785-86. Long before those high days of continental fame, however, were the more formative ones. The quick pace of Haydn’s output has made the chronology of the low-numbered symphonies a challenge for scholars, but we do know Symphony No. 13 was composed in 1763 during a five-year stretch that yielded many similar works. The Esterházy palace was growing at the time and so was the orchestra, which allowed Haydn to experiment with four horns instead of the usual two in Symphony No. 13. Fourpart horn section writing would become the norm in the 19th century and Haydn’s innovation to compose for interlocking high and low voices (horn 1 and 3 were set in the upper register, horn 2 and 4 were low) is still considered standard practice by composers today. The four note theme upon which the finale of Symphony No. 13 is built may sound

familiar to listeners who know Mozart’s 1788 “Jupiter” Symphony No. 41. The same theme (a common plainchant fragment) was used by Mozart for the finale of his finale (“Jupiter” was his last). Haydn, upon hearing of Mozart’s death in 1791, quoted from “Jupiter” in his own Symphony No. 98.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1763, the Seven Year’s War came to an end, Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia was damaged by an earthquake, Russia invaded Circassia in the Northern Caucasus and slaves revolted against their Dutch masters in Guyana.

THE CONNECTION – Though they regularly perform Haydn Symphonies on the Masterworks Series, these concerts represent the Utah Symphony premiere of No. 13.

Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor

Duration: 68 minutes in five movements.

THE COMPOSER – GUSTAV MAHLER (1860-1911)

– Mahler’s new villa in the village of Maiernigg (on the Worthersee in the Austrian state of Carinthia) was completed in 1901, so he was able to spend the entire summer there at work on new scores. Important among them was the highly progressive 5th Symphony, an exemplar of the significant stylistic and personal changes that developed during this period for Mahler. By the following spring, he would be married in a Catholic ceremony (he had converted in 1897 to remove his Jewish heritage as a major obstacle to his professional success in Vienna) to Alma Schindler. Though their marriage was anything but perfect, she would introduce Mahler to many of Austria’s most influential modernists.

THE HISTORY – The productive summer at Maiernigg was preceded by a significant health scare. Internal bleeding

had necessitated an operation and a lengthy period of recuperation, during which Mahler immersed himself in the study of Bach. It might seem counterintuitive, but the forced acknowledgment of his mortality and the subsequent re-awakening of his respect for Bach put Mahler in a musically revolutionary mood. He was anxious to strike out on a new path as a composer and fully aware that his new symphony must be wholly different from its predecessors (5th Symphonies had been known to have that effect in the past). Mahler was an avid self-quoter in his first four symphonies, borrowing liberally from his own Wunderhorn song cycles, but that phase of his compositional ambition was complete. Apart from the stand-alone (and unclassifiable) 8th, there would be no more vocal music in his symphonies after the 4th. The 4th Symphony is further noteworthy here, in the context of Mahler’s penchant for thematic reference, since the striking trumpet fanfare from that work’s first movement was re-purposed almost verbatim for the opening of the 5th. There is no express reason to read premonitory intent into the earlier music but also no reason to deny that Mahler was trying to say something by looking briefly backward once more with this link. Maybe, to paraphrase commentator Michael Steinberg’s theory, Mahler meant to show that the new must contain parts of the old. The recent fascination with Bach plausibly defends this idea and is substantiated by the highly intricate instrumental writing of the 5th. Regardless of these presumed reminiscences and homages, the 5th Symphony was a great, wrenching step forward in terms of its scope, originality and impact on the just-born century. Mahler knew it right away, and remarked in a letter to Alma that he wished he could premiere the work “fifty years after my death.”

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1902, Edward VII was crowned King in the United Kingdom, Cuba gained formal independence from the United States, the Second Boer War ended and Alfonso XIII began his reign in Spain

THE CONNECTION – Mahler 5 was most recently performed by the Utah Symphony in 2015. Thierry Fischer was on the podium.

MASTERWORKS

Mahler’s

“TRAGIC” SYMPHONY

FEBRUARY 28, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

MARCH 1, 2025 / 5:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

THIERRY FISCHER , conductor (Utah Symphony’s Music Director Emeritus)

MAHLER Symphony No. 6

I. Allegro energico, ma non troppo. Heftig, aber markig.

II. Andante moderato

III. Scherzo: Wuchtig

IV. Finale: Sostenuto – Allegro moderato

CONCERT SPONSOR

Thierry Fischer Conductor

Fischer started out as Principal Flute in Hamburg and at the Zurich Opera. His conducting career began in his 30s when he replaced an ailing colleague, subsequently directing his first few concerts with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe where he was Principal Flute under Claudio Abbado. He spent his apprentice years in Holland and became Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Ulster Orchestra 2001-2006. He was Principal Guest of the Seoul Philharmonic 2017–2020 and Chief Conductor (now Honorary Guest) of the Nagoya Philharmonic 2008–2011.

By Jeff Counts

Symphony No. 6 in A Minor

Duration: 79 minutes in four movements.

THE COMPOSER – GUSTAV MAHLER (1860-1911) –Mahler was never just a composer. His conducting duties in Vienna during the first years of the 20th Century kept him very busy indeed, which makes the inhuman scale of his symphonies even more astounding to consider in retrospect. How did he do it, with his time and concentration so divided? As Director of the Hofoper, he maintained all the usual artistic responsibilities but also met and cultivated a vibrant professional association with the Viennese Secessionist designer Alfred Roller. The two collaborated on over 20 critically acclaimed opera productions and, through their intensive interrogation of theatrical tradition and expectation, changed the art form forever.

THE HISTORY – To call a piece “Tragic” is to invite inquiry into the life of its maker. Certainly, the scholarship around Schubert’s Symphony No. 4, Brahms’ Overture and Chopin’s Polonaise can be obsessive about understanding that nickname. The same can be said for Mahler, who according to Bruno Walter, did in fact refer to his Symphony No. 6 with that intense sobriquet. There has always been some doubt, as there often is with title aliases in music, about Mahler’s usage of the term “Tragic”. But Maestro Walter should be trusted on the matter, since Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 contains far too much tragedy and darkness to refuse him validation. Mahler was, by nearly every measure, living the

life of his dreams in 1903 and 1904 when he composed the piece, so its grim character stood in contrast to his personal reality. For a little while anyhow. The year of the Symphony’s first performance in Vienna, 1907, would contain plenty of strife for Mahler and make his music seem quite prophetic. The finale, for instance, included what the composer conceived of as a “hero” brought low by “three hammerblows of fate” (a staggering visual and sonic effect when done well in concert). He could not have known so in 1904, but that hammer would fall on him no less than four times later in the decade, with the death of his daughter Maria, the diagnosis of his heart disease, his break from the Vienna Hofoper and the discovery of Alma’s affair with Walter Gropius. Aside from all that grief, Mahler must have also been frustrated by the cool critical reception to Symphony No. 6. That, at least, he saw coming. “My Sixth,” he wrote in a 1904 letter with the score mostly complete, “will pose riddles that only a generation who has absorbed and truly understood my first five symphonies may attempt to solve.” We, today, are part of that generation and this mighty, deeply emotional music rewards our efforts richly.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1904, the Russo-Japanese War began, Britain and France signed the Entente Cordiale, Charles Dillon Perrine discovered Jupiter’s largest irregular moon Himalia and Jack London published The Sea-Wolf

THE CONNECTION – Mahler 6 was most recently performed by the Utah Symphony in 2015. Thierry Fischer was on the podium.

Photo Credit: Brandon Flint

TELL US ABOUT BEING A MUSICIAN:

1. What first inspired you to become a musician?

Performing as part of a full symphony orchestra solidified my desire to become a musician. The thrill of every individual musician playing their part to create one cohesive piece captivated me, especially the unique role of the oboe.

2. How did you choose your instrument, or did it choose you?

In 5th grade, I picked the oboe because it was a “weird instrument” no one else wanted. I didn’t know much about it, but I managed to get a sound out of it, so I figured, “Why not?” Over time, I fell in love with its tone and the incredible music written for it.

3. What’s your favorite memory of performing with the Utah Symphony?

Performing Messiaen’s Des Canyons aux étoiles in Zion National Park in 2022 was unforgettable. It was one of my first concerts with the Symphony, and the combination of winning my new position and playing in such a stunning setting was incredible.

4. Do you have a pre-performance ritual or tradition? I like to eat something small, have a bit of coffee, and arrive early to warm up on stage, test my oboe reeds, and get a feel for the space.

5. If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Performing in Europe’s historic halls, like the Concertgebouw or La Scala, would be a dream come true.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR INSTRUMENT:

6. What’s unique about your instrument that most people wouldn’t know?

Oboe reeds are incredibly temperamental and labor-intensive. I spend a lot of time

making them, and they’re affected by altitude, humidity, and temperature.

7. How long have you been playing your instrument, and what drew you to it?

I’ve played the oboe since 2002. Its unique, distinctive sound is what initially attracted me.

8. Do you have a favorite piece of music that shows off your instrument’s character?

Mozart’s Oboe Quartet beautifully captures the oboe’s singing quality and its mischievous side.

9. Describe your relationship with your instrument in three words.

Obsessed, Voice, Adversarial (sometimes).

10. Do you have a backup or favorite story about your current instrument?

In high school, my youth orchestra toured South America. At the airport on our way home, a security agent pulled out my oboe reed knives and gave me a baffled look. Unable to speak Spanish, I mimed reed-making to explain. Thankfully, after some awkward gesturing, they let me check my carry-on instead of confiscating the knives. It was a dull flight home without my bag, but at least I kept the knives!

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF:

1. If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing instead?

I’d probably work in public transportation or local government—I’m obsessed with it!

2. What’s a surprising piece of music on your playlist?

The new Wicked movie soundtrack— it even has great oboe moments!

3. Do you have a favorite composer or musical era?

J.S. Bach is a favorite. His writing for the oboe is so satisfying, with its vocal, singing quality.

4. What’s your go-to comfort food after a performance?

Pizza, especially Chicago-style, always hits the spot after a big concert.

5. If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

Beyoncé, of course! I’d also love to collaborate with legendary singers like Joyce DiDonato or Cecilia Bartoli.

CAST PARTY SPONSOR

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

ELIZABETH SOLOMON

LEADING LADY SPONSOR

JOANNE SHIEBLER GUEST ARTIST FUND

OPERA ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SPONSOR

FLORAL SEASON SPONSOR

VIP INTERMISSION RECEPTION SPONSOR VIP INTERMISSION BEVERAGE SPONSOR

Leoncavallo’s

PAGLIACCI

MARCH 8 (7:30PM), MARCH 10 (7:00PM), MARCH 12 (7:00PM), MARCH 14 (7:30PM), MARCH 16 (2:00PM)

Composed and Libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo Premiere – May 21, 1892, Milan, Teatro del Verme

Previously at Utah Opera – 2018, 2002, 1988, 1981

Performed in Italian with English Supertitles (Captions)

CAST

(in order of vocal appearance)

Tonio Darren Drone

Canio Jonathan Burton

Beppe ............................................... Aaron McKone*

Nedda Lydia Grindatto

Silvio Eleomar Cuello

Villagers .......................................Utah Opera Chorus and Choristers of The Madeleine Choir School

ARTISTIC TEAM

Conductor Joseph Colaneri

Stage Director Tara Faircloth

Chorus Director & Assistant Conductor ................... Austin McWilliams

Children’s Chorus Director Melanie Malinka

Scenic Designer Laura Fine Hawkes

Costume Designer ....................................... Verona Green

Lighting Designer Ben Rawson

Wig & Makeup Designer Kate Casalino

Principal Coach ....................................... Carol Anderson

Guest Coach Dallas Aksoy

Rehearsal Pianist

Jie Fang Goh*

Assistant Director Matthew Schulz

Fight Choreographer Christopher DuVal

Stage Manager Kathleen Stakenas

Assistant Stage Manager Hannah Schumacher

2nd Assistant Stage Manager Mariana V. Villarreal

Set & Costumes Built by Utah Opera Supertitle Translation by Tara Faircloth

The performance run time is approximately 2 hours with one intermission

*Current Resident Artist

JANET QUINNEY LAWSON CAPITOL THEATRE

Jonathan Burton (Ohio) Canio

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Turandot

Recently:

Pagliacci, Pittsburgh Opera

Tosca, Pittsburgh Opera

La fanciulla del West, Central City Opera

Upcoming:

The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Washington National Opera

Joseph Colaneri (New Jersey) Conductor

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Rigoletto

Recently:

Pagliacci, The Glimmerglass Festival

The Pirates of Penzance, The Glimmerglass Festival

Upcoming:

L’amico Fritz, Academy of Vocal Arts

Tosca, The Glimmerglass Festival

The Rake’s Progress, The Glimmerglass Festival

Kate Casalino (New York) Wig & Makeup Designer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Hansel and Gretel

Recently:

Faust, Academy of Vocal Arts

Sweeney Todd, Utah Opera

Upcoming:

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Pioneer Theatre Company

Madame Butterfly, Utah Opera

Eleomar Cuello (Cuba) Silvio

Utah Opera Debut

Recently:

Ainadamar, The Metropolitan Opera

La bohème, Opera Maine

Upcoming:

Il barbiere di Siviglia, The Metropolitan Opera

Darren Drone (Arkansas)

Tonio

Utah Opera Debut

Recently:

La bohème, The Glimmerglass Festival

Jubilee, Seattle Opera

Fire Shut Up in My Bones, The Metropolitan Opera

Upcoming:

Falstaff, Portland Opera

Aida, Dayton Opera

La traviata, Berkshire Opera Festival

Laura Fine-Hawkes (New York)

Scenic Designer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Pagliacci, Gianni Schicchi

Recently:

Così fan Tutte, Arizona Opera

POTUS, Stages Houston

Upcoming:

Le nozze di Figaro, Wolf Trap Opera

Tara Faircloth (Texas)

Stage Director

Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Marriage of Figaro

Recently:

Tosca, Pittsburgh Opera

Don Giovanni, Arizona Opera

Upcoming:

Romeo and Juliet, Palm Beach Opera

Loving Clara Schumann, Mercury Orchestra

Verona Green (Utah)

Costume Designer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Pagliacci (2018)

Recently:

Don Giovanni, Opera Omaha

Pagliacci, Opera Santa Barbara

Lydia Grindatto (New Mexico) Nedda

Utah Opera Debut

Recently:

Roméo et Juliette, Palm Beach Opera

Don Giovanni, Arizona Opera

Upcoming:

The Rake’s Progress, The Glimmerglass Festival

Le trouvère, The Wexford Festival

Austin McWilliams (Missouri)

Chorus Director & Assistant Conductor

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Sweeney Todd

Recently:

Associate Conductor & Chorus Master, Opera Grand Rapids

Director of Choral Activities, Aquinas College

Upcoming:

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera 2024-2025 Season

Aaron McKone (South Carolina) Beppe

Most Recently at Utah Opera, Messiah

Recently:

Current Utah Opera Resident Artist

Hamlet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Die Fledermaus, Bel Cantanti Opera

Upcoming: Madame Butterfly, Utah Opera

Ben Rawson (Georgia)

Lighting Designer

Most Recently at Utah Opera, The Marriage of Figaro

Recently:

The Moment is Imminent, BalletCollective

Caress Them, Prisma International Dance Festival

Upcoming: Coppélia, Atlanta Ballet

Sponsored by the Joanne Shiebler Guest Artist Fund

CHORUS LIST

(Alphabetical within Voice Type)

Sopranos

Lindsay Spring Browning

Genevieve Gannon

Audrey Meservy

Emma-Claire Polich

Michaela Shelton

Katie Sullivan

Carolyn Talboys-Klassen

Kathryn Thompson

Altos

Jennifer Hancock

Melissa James

Deborah Johnson

Rebecca Keel

Angela Keeton

Julie McBeth

Sammie Tollestrup

Dawn Veree

Supernumeraries

Grace Bardugon

Bradley Christensen

Nannette Ovard

Todd Sieber

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

Tenors

George Burdick

Ryan Francis

Orion Gray

Brynnen Green

Elijah Hancock

Rodrigo Hernandez

Carson Smith

Scott Tarbet

Basses

Buddy Eyre

Kobe Hagen

Charles Hamilton

Thomas Klassen

Michael Moyes

Giovanni Nuvan

Bryce Robinson

Mark Sorensen

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 admissions@utmcs.org or 801323-9850 ext. 103. We look forward to welcoming you to The Madeleine Choir School.

Choristers of The Madeleine Choir School

Vivien Browning

Maria Chelu

Hamid Fadul

Pauline Htoi

Aila Hummasti Fouxman

Elliott Jeppsen

James Maxfield

Declan Millican

Declan Morrissey

Eleanor Morrissey

Lisha Tathireddy

Colsen Taylor

William Taylor

Veronica Todd

Camila (Mila) Trousdale

Pavlos

Tsoutsounakis

PAGLIACCI OPERA IN TWO ACTS

Music and Libretto by

Ruggero

Leoncavallo (1857–1919

By Michael Clive

Presented in two breathlessly dramatic acts, Pagliacci is—to coin a musicology joke—shorter than the full name of its composer, Ruggero Giacomo Maria Giuseppe Emmanuele Raffaele Domenico Vincenzo Francesco Donato Leoncavallo. It was the second of his nine operas, composed when he was only 35. Though that is young for an opera composer, the prospect of a major new opera generated excitement before its premiere, and it was Introduced to the world by none other than Arturo Toscanini. Pagliacci was immediately hailed as the composer’s crowning achievement and became a vehicle for Enrico Caruso, whose rendition of the opera’s most famous aria, “Vesti la giubba,” became the first recording to sell a million copies. Today, though several of Leoncavallo’s operas and songs are publicly performed, only Pagliacci remains a repertory staple in the world’s major opera houses.

Like his close colleagues and rivals Pietro Mascagni and Giacomo Puccini, Leoncavallo worked in the shadow of Giuseppe Verdi, whose final operas came just as the three younger composers were beginning their careers. From our modern vantage point it’s hard to imagine how fully Verdi dominated Italian culture and even Italian history; he was not only the living embodiment of opera in Italy and the world beyond, but was also—along with Garibaldi—the most powerful exponent of Italian unification. After his last opera, Falstaff, enthusiasts around the world wondered: What next for Italian culture and for opera, its signature art form? The answer was in the hands of Puccini, Mascagni, and Leoncavallo.

Leoncavallo was the oldest of the three, but not by much. He was born one year before Puccini and six before Mascagni in Naples, which would become part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies four years later. After a thoroughgoing education in music theory, composition,

literature, and piano performance, he went to Egypt at the suggestion of his uncle Giuseppe, director of the press department at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to showcase his pianistic abilities. The year was 1879, Leoncavallo was twenty-two, and the city was Cairo, where Verdi’s opera Aida received a historic performance seven years earlier. But after three years there, Leoncavallo fled the city when the British intervened in the nationalist uprising known as the Urabi Revolution.

Still young and ambitious but now cosmopolitan and welltraveled, Leoncavallo was married and living in Paris when Pietro Mascagni’s opera Cavalleria rusticana stunned Italian operagoers, ushering in a new era in opera: Verismo (literally “realism”). This opera was based on an 1880 story of the same name by Giovanni Verga who was influenced by French realist writers including Balzac and Zola. Verga was one of the Italian writers who broke through the veneer of Tuscan elegance to introduce Verismo into Italian literature at a time when Italy was striving for national identity; Verdi had long sought to do the same in his operas.

For most of the history of opera, its serious plotlines focused on characters who were gods and goddesses from classical times, or historical figures, or aristocrats. The stories were elevated and moralistic. During Verdi’s career, things began to change, but only slightly—much to his frustration. He took important steps toward Realism in the 1850s with La traviata and Un ballo in maschera, but many of that era’s elegant operagoers thought of the elegant courtesan Violetta Valéry as a virtual prostitute and were shocked by his frank, sympathetic depiction of her. In the last act of Traviata he thrust Realism on the audience by showing Violetta on her deathbed suffering the ravages of tuberculosis, a ghastly killer. As for Un ballo, the scene of the king’s assassination was so realistic (and politically unflattering) that when Verdi was about to mount the first production, the Neapolitan censors refused to let him produce the opera as he had written it. They forced him to find another setting for it, and so the action was somewhat incongruously transferred to colonial Boston. For years after its premiere, censors still insisted on changing the opera’s title, setting, plot, and characters.

A decade after Verga published his story of passion and murder in a small, southern Italian town, Italian opera finally caught up with him. With hindsight, it’s easy for us to see that Italy’s signature art form was waiting for Verismo to happen. The first radical break with operatic tradition came not in Italy, but in France, where Bizet’s Carmen took the opera stage with a gritty realism for which the public was unprepared. Here were lead characters who were everyday people, lots of sex and violence, and no moral lesson in

sight. By the time of its premiere at the Opéra-Comique in 1875, arguments over the scandalous plot were raging in cafés and in the theater itself. Bizet was also criticized for producing it at the Opéra-Comique, which was considered a venue where middle-class families could count on wholesome entertainment…”A place where a man can take his wife and daughters.”

Fifteen years passed before Mascagni introduced these elements to Italian opera with the premiere in Rome of Cavalleria rusticana, with its frank depiction of passion and prurience in the lower social strata of southern Italy. Here was all the poverty and dramatic grit of Carmen, along with a modern, anti-clerical, proto-feminist twist in the tragic ostracism of its female protagonist—barred

from associating with her neighbors or even entering church—all couched in lush music. It had a huge impact on Leoncavallo. We can just imagine him thinking, I can do that. And he did.

Over the years there have been many conflicting theories regarding the source of the Pagliacci plotline, since similar scenarios have cropped up in other forms. But with hindsight, the most convincing explanation is Leoncavallo’s own: His father was a well-known police magistrate and judge who presided over some sensationally lurid cases, including a well-reported case of a jealous clown’s onstage murder of his wife and her lover during a performance. Leoncavallo had heard the tragic story since childhood. As an adult he recognized it as a perfect subject for Verismo.

Photo Credit: Kent Miles

STORY OF THE OPERA

PROLOGUE

In rural southern Italy, an itinerant troupe of comic actors has arrived in town. Tonio the clown makes a “curtain speech” to us, the audience, explaining that what we are about to see is a true story, and that actors have the same joys and sorrows as the rest of us.

ACT I

Canio, a clown who heads the troupe, touts the night’s performance to the gathered crowd. The late starting time— “ventitre ore” (11pm) suggests it’s adult fare. One of the villagers suggests that Tonio is secretly courting Canio’s attractive young wife, Nedda. Canio warns them all that he will not tolerate any flirting offstage—life and theater are not the same.

As the crowd disperses, Nedda is left alone. She feels confined by the troupe’s way of life and is disturbed by her husband’s possessiveness and jealousy. She looks up to the sky, envying the birds their freedom. Tonio appears and tries to force himself on her, but she feds him off. He swears revenge.

The vivacious, frustrated Nedda does, in fact have a lover: Silvio, a young peasant, who suddenly appears. The two reaffirm their love and Silvio persuades Nedda to run away with him that night. Tonio, who has returned and overheard their conversation, hurries to alert Canio, but Silvio manages to slip away unrecognized. Canio violently demands the name of Nedda’s lover, but she refuses to reveal it. Beppe, another of the troupe’s clowns, restrains Canio, and Tonio advises him to wait until the evening’s performance to catch the culprit. Alone, Canio voices to his despair in the opera’s most famous aria, “Vesti la giubba”—he must play the clown even though his heart is breaking.

ACT II

That evening, with Silvio in the audience, Beppe plays Harlequin, who serenades Columbine, played by Nedda. He dismisses her buffoonish servant Taddeo, played by Tonio, and over dinner the two lovers plot to poison Columbine’s husband Pagliaccio, played by Canio. When Pagliaccio unexpectedly appears, Harlequin slips away. Taddeo slyly assures Pagliaccio of his wife’s innocence, which ignites Canio’s jealousy. Forgetting his role and the play, he demands that Nedda reveal her lover. As she struggles to continue her role as Columbine, the audience is enthralled by the drama’s realism; with the tension mounting, Canio snaps, stabbing Nedda and then Silvio, who has rushed to her aid. Turning to the horrified crowd, Canio speaks one of the most famous lines in all opera: la commedia è finita. The comedy is finished.

UTAH’S WEEKLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

SYNOPSIS — PAGLIACCI

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES:

Jealous Husband Stabs Wife and Her Lover!

By Michael Clive

ACIRQUE CINEMA

s one of the seminal Verismo operas, Pagliacci is formally and thematically innovative. From its opening moments, as Tonio breaks the “fourth wall” to prepare us for the action to follow, Leoncavallo’s skills as a dramatist are clear. So we needn’t worry about unproven claims by Leoncavallo’s contemporaries that the story was derivative, a notion that provoked some lawsuits that went nowhere back in the day. But if Leoncavallo’s musical approach was new, the story was as old as marriage itself. It remains as topical as last week’s video stream.

Featuring Troupe Vertigo

JULY 31 / 2024 / 8 PM

COSETTE JUSTO VALDÉS , conductor JESSICA DANZ , horn

As the son of an eminent police magistrate and judge, Leoncavallo was familiar with stories of jealous, vengeful lovers and their crimes of passion since childhood. So were his audiences. And if the story seemed familiar, opera’s troupe of comic actors were even more so. Itinerant theatricals were staples of small-town entertainment in 19thCentury Italy. Their players were instantly recognizable— standard characters enacting comic situations that could be traced back centuries, to the plays of Plautus and Terence. In the opera’s play-within-a-play, we hear these comic types referred to by their standard-issue IDs. For example, Nedda plays Colombina (a Columbine, always perky, always concealing ulterior motives); the male clowns are similarly recognizable as Pulcinellas or Arlecchinos (Harlequins) or, in Canio’s case, a Vecchio or a Dottore—an older, possessive husband. He plays Pagliacco, but they are all pagliacci— clowns. And, as Tonio and Canio remind us, they are all real human beings under all that make-up.

As Verismo emerged on the opera stage, crime stories were catching on in the popular press, adding resonance to Leoncavallo’s drama. “Penny dreadfuls” and “shilling shockers,” serialized stories and plays sometimes based on court records, were popular in England. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective, Sherlock Holmes, made his first appearance in 1887, and his burgeoning popularity coincided with the premiere of Pagliacci in 1890. Just two years earlier, the grisly, sex-tinged crimes of Jack the Ripper had spurred a fevered intensity in the reporting genre we now call “true crime” just three years before the premiere of Pagliacci

Today, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (“rustic chivalry”), along with Sherlock Holmes, have outlasted the fads that helped fuel their initial success. For decades, “Cav and Pag” were most often paired as a double-bill, but Pagliacci is increasingly performed on its own. After all, it does encompass a prelude and two acts. And for many opera fans, Pagliacci as a stand-alone opera provides the perfect amount of melody, passion, jealousy and murder for one evening.

Photo Credit: Kent Miles

UTAH

BRINGING MUSIC TO EVERY CORNER OF UTAH

A Special Evening in Delta

By Megs Vincent

At Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, we believe in the transformative power of music and its ability to connect communities across our state.

Our mission extends far beyond Salt Lake City—we bring music to every corner of Utah to further connect communities. This October, we had the privilege of bringing our music to Delta, Utah—a visit that exemplified our commitment to fostering connections and inspiring audiences wherever they are.

A Tour Through Central Utah

In early October, a chamber-sized group of Utah Symphony musicians embarked on a tour through Millard County in central Utah. Performing five educational concerts at Tintic, Juab, and Delta High Schools, this passionate ensemble reached over 2,000 students with the magic of live performance. These concerts provided many young listeners with their first experience of live orchestral music—a memory we hope will inspire a lifelong love of music.

The highlight of the tour was a special evening concert at Delta High School on October 9, 2024. Symphony Education Manager Dr. Jessica Wiley worked closely with Millard Arts Council Chair Michelle Burr to organize the event. Michelle’s deep connection to Utah Symphony’s history made this collaboration particularly meaningful. Her mother, who once served as the chair of the Arts Council, worked with Maurice Abravanel to bring the symphony to Hurricane years ago. A treasured handwritten note from the maestro himself still reflects the warmth of that relationship.

The people of Delta welcomed the Utah Symphony with open arms and extraordinary hospitality. Before the concert, the Arts Council provided a delicious dinner for our musicians and staff, along with thoughtful goodie bags that included locally donated honey. Around 300 enthusiastic attendees packed the concert hall—just under 10% of the small town’s population—showing their appreciation with thunderous applause and heartfelt words during the post-concert reception. Assistant Conductor Jessica Rivero Altarriba had the amazing opportunity to personally engage with the audience, signing programs and sharing their passion for music.

Inspiring the Next Generation

The impact of this visit extended beyond the concert hall. Delta High School’s Orchestra and Band Director, Sarah Peterson, shared her personal story of inspiration. As a second grader in Richfield, she saw the Utah Symphony perform and knew instantly that she wanted a life centered on music. Now a music teacher in another small Utah town, Sarah shared her excitement about how the performance could spark inspiration in her students. “Live music has a unique energy and excitement that no recording can replicate,” she said, emphasizing its importance in today’s digital world.

Strengthening Bonds Across Utah

Our visit to Delta was a celebration of community and the power of music to bring people together. It was a privilege to connect with students, teachers, and families, and to strengthen our ties with this vibrant community. We left Delta inspired by the warm hospitality we received and the shared enthusiasm for live music. This journey reaffirmed our mission to bring music to every corner of Utah— unifying communities, igniting creativity, and forging lasting connections through the universal language of music.

Photo Credit: Kent Miles

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.

GOLD RUSH: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL ADVENTURE

MARCH 15 2025 / 11:00 AM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

MARCH 15 2025 / 12:30 AM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

conductor

JESSICA RIVERO ALTARRIBA ,

CONCERT SPONSOR

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

Jessica Rivero Altarriba Conductor

Latin American conductor Jessica Rivero Altarriba is known for her charismatic stage presence, dynamic energy, and communicative skills. Recently announced as a Taki Alsop Fellowship Award Recipient from 2024–26 and 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 master’s degree in conducting at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

Upcoming engagements this season include performances with the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, New Jersey Symphony, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, and the NOI Institute and National Seminario Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival. During the 2022-23 season she worked with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, and Lüneburg Symphoniker in Germany as a guest conductor.

Altarriba’s guest engagements include performances with the Málaga Camerata in Spain, Virtuós Mediterrani Orchestra, Lüneburg Symphoniker in Germany, and professional orchestras in Cuba such as the Holguín Symphony Orchestra, Camagüey Symphony Orchestra, Esteban Salas Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of the National School of Art, Eastern Symphony Orchestra, Amadeo Roldán Orchestra, Lyceum Mozartiano Orchestra, and the Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestra of the University of Arts of Cuba. She also conducted incidental music with the Havana-Martin Camerata for the national premiere of Phantom of the Opera.

Festival credits include Cuba’s A Tempo Con Caturla Festival, Jazz Plaza Festival, Contemporary Music Festival, Mozart Havana Festival, and the Arts Festival, where she was awarded first prize for young conductors.

Born in Cuba, Altarriba is equally vested in both established and well-known repertoire and contemporary compositions. Her devotion to her craft is evident in her prior posts, which include serving as guest conductor of the Esteban Salas Symphony Orchestra in Cuba and Music Director of the University of Arts Band and the Eastern Symphony Orchestra in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. She received her bachelor’s degree in conducting from the Arts University in Havana in 2018. During her time at the University of Arts, Altarriba gave world premieres of contemporary pieces including “Calabi’’ by Nathalie Hidalgo Reyes, and “The Creation’’ by Dania Suarez Piorno—in collaboration with the university’s composition faculty. Altarriba is the recipient of an Excellence in Music Leadership Fellowship at The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where she is currently pursuing her master’s in orchestral conducting under Marin Alsop.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Checking In on Past Rosenblatt Award Winners

By Jeff Counts

In the first of this season’s articles celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Evelyn Rosenblatt Young Artist Award, we travelled back in time to the legendary postconcert dinner parties hosted by Evelyn and Joseph. The essential intersection of philanthropy and creativity was never more apparent than it was on those evenings. In that spirit, we allowed ourselves to imagine that these special events continued into the years of the Award and spent a few hypothetical moments with three past winners. Let’s take a real-life moment now to check in on everyone. Twenty-three names. Twenty-three stories that had early chapters here, thanks to the stunning charity of the Rosenblatt family.

Keri-Lynn Wilson, Conductor (2000-2001) – As mentioned previously, Keri-Lynn now serves as founder and Music Director of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra. She is fully committed to Ukrainian liberty and has increased her artistic involvement as Music Director of the Kyiv Camerata.

Denis Matsuev, Pianist (2001-2002) – In addition to maintaining an active calendar of solo appearances, Denis is Artistic Director of the Rachmaninoff International Competition of Pianists, Composers and Conductors as well as the “Symphony of Yamal” Youth Competition.

Cédric Pescia, Pianist (2002-2003) – Cédric is Piano Professor at the Haute Ecole de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland. He is also the co-creator (with composer Georg Nussbaumer) of a fascinating “pianistic flip book” of snippets from the over 1000 pieces of sheet music he owns.

Viviane Hagner, Violinist (2003-2004)* – Viviane continues to perform, commission and advocate for new and

forgotten composers. She serves on the faculty of the Mannheim Conservatory and is co-founder and Artistic Director of Krzyżowa-Music, an ambitious chamber music festival in Poland.

Olga Kern, Pianist (2004-2005) – Since winning prestigious competitions in her youth, Olga now often chairs the juries that award the next generation of stars. In fact, she now hosts her own Olga Kern International Piano Competition. It occurs every three years in New Mexico.

Scott St. John, Violinist (2005-2006) – After appearing as the Rosenblatt Young Artist, Scott went on to be a member of the St. Lawrence String Quartet and just ended a threeyear tenure as Chamber Music Director at the Colburn School in Los Angelos.

Scott Yoo, Conductor (2006-2007) – When not on the podium as Chief Conductor of the Mexico City Philharmonic, Music Director of Festival Mozaic or any of his other ensembles, Scott can be seen as Host of the acclaimed PBS series “Now Hear This”.

Julie Albers, Cellist (2007-2008)* – Julie teaches at the New England Conservatory and until 2022 was an Assistant Professor at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University. She is currently Principal Cello of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Baiba Skride, Violinist (2008-2009)* – Baiba has returned to Abravanel Hall numerous times to work with Maestro Fischer since she was named Rosenblatt Young Artist. Conductors adore her and she enjoys ongoing relationships with the world’s finest orchestras and recording labels.

William Hagen, Violinist (2009-2010)* – Will was the first Salt-Lake City native on the Rosenblatt Young Artist roster. He recently toured the Netherlands with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and continues to appear on chamber music programs around the world on a 1732 Stradivarius.

Andrew Grams, Conductor (2010-2011)* – Andrew recently concluded a highly successful 8-year tenure as Music Director of the Elgin Symphony. Just last September, he was on the podium at the BBC Proms with Chineke!, a British professional orchestra of Black and ethnically diverse players.

Denis Kozhukhin, Pianist (2011-2012) – Most of our winners haven’t stopped traveling since they left us. Denis performs as a soloist and recitalist everywhere, all the time. In the early months of 2025, he’ll be in Spain, America, Israel and the UK.

Yu Kosuge, Pianist (2012-2013) – For the Beethoven 250 celebrations in 2020, Yu began a project she called MO-DE. It comes from the Japanese word for “shrine visit” and she used the concept to engage with (to “visit”) Beethoven’s entire chamber music catalogue.

Matthew Zalkind, Cellist (2013-2014) – A son of two former Utah Symphony members, Matthew is our other SLC-born winner. Matthew is Cello Professor at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music and has won numerous international prizes as a soloist.

Veronika Eberle, Violinist (2014-2015)* – Veronika’s career in front of the world’s great orchestra might already seem comprehensive, but she has a few important debuts this season. New York Philharmonic. Boston Symphony. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Just to name a few.

Joyce Yang, Pianist (2015-2016)* – Joyce was the Grant Park Music Festival’s Artist-in-Residence for the 2023/20245 season. Other recent collaborations include a stint as Guest Artistic Director at the Laguna Beach Music Festival and a project with Santa Fe Ballet.

Narek Hakhnazaryan, Cellist (2016-2017) – Narek has been a featured artist on several award-winning international films. He also recently founded and became Chief Conductor of the Artsakh Orchestra, a group comprising displaced musicians from the NagornoKarabakh region.

Karina Canellakis, Conductor (2017-2018) – In addition to being one of America’s most sought-after conductors today, Karina is Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. She is an outstanding violinist too.

Stefan Jackiw, Violinist (2018-2019) – Stefan tours

regularly and widely as a soloist, but also enjoys performing with his friends Conrad Tao and Jay Campbell as part of the Junction Piano Trio. He will be in residence at the San Francisco Conservatory in 2025.

Lukas Vondracek, Pianist (2019-2020) – In 2023, Lukas released recordings of all four Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos and the Paganini Rhapsody with the Prague Symphony. He will perform several concerts in his Czech homeland in early 2025.

Inmo Yang, Violinist (2021-2022) – Inmo was actually named the Rosenblatt Artist for the 2020-2021 season, the global concert year that never was. Thankfully, he joined us a year later and now studies at the Kronberg Academy in Germany.

Andrew Staupe, Pianist (2022-2023) – Andrew teaches at the University of Houston after holding a similar position at the University of Utah. He is also Artistic Director of the Young Artist World Piano Festival in his native state of Minnesota.

Francesca Dego, Violinist (2023-2024) – Francesca already has a record deal with the distinguished Chandos label and just last year released recordings of the Brahms Concerto and an album of “Horn” Trios. She is also the published author of a book on music.

That brings us to now. It is exciting to think about how this article might be updated down the road. More names. More chapters. Generational generosity and inspiration have brought us this far, and with current awardee Randall Goosby on stage with the orchestra this season, the next 25 years looks very bright indeed.

[*Indicates award winners who have subsequently returned as a soloist/conductor with Utah Symphony.]

Dvořák’s

SYMPHONY NO. 8

MARCH 20, 2025 / 7:30 PM / THE NOORDA AT UVU

MARCH 20, 2025 / 10:00 AM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL (FINISHING TOUCHES)

MARCH 21, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

MARCH 22, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

DAVID DANZMAYR , conductor

MADELINE ADKINS , violin

JESSIE MONTGOMERY

GLAZUNOV

RACHMANINOFF

DVOŘÁK

Overture

Concerto in A minor for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 82

Moderato - Andante sostenuto - Allegro

Vocalise

INTERMISSION

Symphony No. 8 in G major, Opus 88

I. Allegro con brio

II. Adagio

III. Allegretto grazioso

IV. Allegro ma non troppo

CONDUCTOR SPONSOR

GUEST ARTIST SPONSOR

David Danzmayr

Conductor

Described by ‘The Herald’ as “extremely good, concise, clear, incisive and expressive” David Danzmayr is widely regarded as one of the most exciting European conductors of his generation.

Danzmayr is in his second season as Music Director of the Oregon Symphony, having started his tenure there in the orchestra´s 125th anniversary season. He also stands at the helm of the versatile ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Columbus, an innovative orchestra comprised of musicians from all over the USA.

In addition he holds the title of Honorary Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he had served as Chief Conductor—leading the Zagreb musicians on several European tours with concerts in the Salzburg Festival Hall, where they performed the prestigious New Year´s concert, and the Vienna Musikverein.

David has won prizes at some of the world´s most prestigious conducting competitions including at the International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition and at the International Malko Conducting Competition. In recognition of his successes he has been awarded the Bernhard Paumgartner Medal by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum.

Madeline Adkins Violin

Madeline 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!

By Jeff Counts

Overture

Duration: 6 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – JESSIE MONTGOMERY (b. 1981)

– Many contemporary orchestral composers have “moments”, rising briefly and brightly before succumbing to the increasingly risk-averse nature of today’s symphonic music industry. But a select few have managed to break through and see their names stick in the annual rotation repertoire. Jessie Montgomery is firmly in the latter category. According to her impressive biography, Montgomery’s work “interweaves classical music with elements of vernacular music, improvisation, poetry and social consciousness, making her an acute interpreter of twenty-first century American sound and experience.” She is a world-wide phenomenon now, with too many honors to name. Among them was a three-year appointment in 2021 as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-InResidence.

THE HISTORY – As part of her role with the CSO, Montgomery wrote three new orchestral works and two chamber music pieces. She also curated the highly acclaimed MusicNOW series, an event concept designed to promote thoughtful contemporary music experiences and provide direct access to composers and performers. Premiered by her Chicago Symphony colleagues in 2022 on a MusicNOW program (but not commissioned by them) was the brief but thrilling Overture. Montgomery’s program note for the piece (also brief and thrilling) states: “Overture is a one-movement orchestral tutti steeped in the harmonic textures inspired by a fusion between jazz and American classical idioms, Baroque rhythmic gestures, and polyphonic tension.” Subsequent performances were quick to follow, with a notable reading given by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra in November of the same year. It was a fitting collaboration and a tribute to an influential artistic ambassador for the city, given Montgomery’s important work with Chicago-area high school students for the CSO’s Young Composers Initiative. Overture begins with a chantlike rhythmic cohesion but does not maintain it for long. About halfway through, the underlying harmonic tensions break up the metrical conformity and take the listener on a sonic (and visual) tour of the orchestra’s color palette.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, Roe vs. Wade was overturned, the world’s oldest DNA samples were discovered in Greenland, Queen Elizabeth died and protests erupted in Iran over the killing of Mahsa Amini.

THE CONNECTION – These concerts represent the Utah Symphony premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Overture

Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82

Duration: 21 minutes in three movements (played without pause).

THE COMPOSER – ALEXANDER GLAZUNOV (18651936) – Glazunov’s name is mentioned in biographies with the usual trio of professional designations – composer, conductor, educator – but he was not equally gifted in each. As a composer, he showed very early promise and began writing his own music at the age of 11. He was studying soon after with Rimsky-Korsakov, who eventually saw a peer in the younger man, not a pupil. Glazunov’s academic credentials were just as sound, with the prestigious Directorship of the St. Petersburg Conservatory coming in 1905. It was only conducting that seemed to consistently elude Glazunov, and no amount of enthusiasm for the craft ever made him successful with it. Still, he did enjoy leading his own premieres when he could.

THE HISTORY – One such occasion was the first performance of his Violin Concerto in 1904. It was written for his Conservatory colleague Leopold Auer. The work is emblematic of a strange moment in the career of Glazunov. He was at the height of his creative confidence in 1904 and widely recognized as a potential successor to the Russian “Mighty Five” of Cui, Balakirev, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. But he was also buffeted by the winds of modernism coming at him from the West. Glazunov was as hopeless a Romantic as ever there was, and he surely felt that time might be running out for conservative musical traditionalists like himself. His compositional productivity slowed significantly after 1906, never to be regained, as his anachronistic tastes continued to isolate him. The Concerto then, in the context of this crossroads, is fascinating. The response to the premiere was mixed, thanks to the work’s atypical construction and tone. Late 19th century concertos were extroverted, Olympic-level athletic affairs, with distinct movements and a clear division of labor between soloist and ensemble. Glazunov’s concerto was opposite to all these expectations. It proceeds through its movements without pause. It denies the soloist a cadenza until the very end. It embraces lyricism over technical showmanship. It employs a collaborative relationship between the violin and the orchestra instead of an oppositional one. What a courageous and decidedly non-conservative risk for

someone who felt the world passing him by to take. Glazunov initially wondered if he might be on the wrong track. “This work has caused me a lot of grief,” he wrote to Rimsky-Korsakov, “sometimes it seems to me that the music is rubbish.” It wasn’t, and it isn’t. The Violin Concerto, though seldom heard these days, had its moment in the sun with widespread recognition through the first decades of the 20th century.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1904, the Anglo-Tibetan Treaty was signed, the stage play Peter Pan debuted in London and the Herero people of South-West Africa staged an uprising against German colonial rule.

THE CONNECTION – Utah Symphony has not programmed Glazunov’s Violin Concerto since the 2006–07 season. David Cho conducted and Ralph Matson was soloist.

Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14

Duration: 6 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (18731943) – That Rachmaninoff is remembered best today as a virtuoso pianist and a composer of multiple evergreen masterpieces for his chosen instrument is perhaps no surprise. The concertos. The études. The Preludes. These would be load-bearing columns for any legacy. But they are only part of Rachmaninoff’s history. He was gifted with one of the purest melodic souls of his or any time, and he also used it to create stunning orchestral scores (including the symphonies, Isle of the Dead and Symphonic Dances) and a surprising amount of vocal music. In addition to six operas (some completed, some only planned, all sadly forgotten now), Rachmaninoff wrote several choral works and some 80 songs for solo voice.

THE HISTORY – 13 of the 14 lieder that make up the Op. 34 set of songs were written in 1912, but the final number was complete three years later in 1915. As the closing part of the set, No. 14 (Vocalise) stands out at first glance for the wordlessness that fueled its eventual ubiquity. In fact, it has been argued that the entirety of Rachmaninoff’s gorgeous and lengthy song catalogue would be a standard part of the repertory if not for their Russian language, and the popularity of the culturally neutral Vocalise seems to prove it. Rachmaninoff wrote the song for the star coloratura soprano Antonia Nezhdanova of the Moscow Grand Opera. She initially balked at the lack of text, but the composer

convinced her that, in her capable care, the music required no such context and that the single syllable of “Ah” was enough. “What need is there of words,” he asked her, “when you will be able to convey everything better and more expressively…by your voice”. That smart bit of flattery settled matters and the 1916 premiere was very well received. By then, Rachmaninoff had already converted the piano accompaniment into an orchestral score to be conducted by Serge Koussevitzky. Koussevitzky’s connection to the Vocalise goes even further. Thanks to some recent scholarship on the publication history of the song, we now know that the famed maestro (a good friend to the composer and virtuoso string instrumentalist in his own right) performed the Vocalise previously in December of 1915 on the double bass! No recording of that night exists, unfortunately, so it must remain the stuff of letters and legend. We can still enjoy the prophecy of that event, however, as Koussevitzky’s rendition predicted the countless arrangements, for nearly every instrument imaginable, that have come since. Rachmaninoff’s own orchestral version (without soloist) was penned right after the official premiere.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1915, war raged across Europe, but it was also a year of great art in every discipline. Kafka published his masterpiece The Metamorphosis, Picasso produced his oil on canvas Harlequin and Sibelius premiered his 5th Symphony.

THE CONNECTION – Utah Symphony last performed Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise in 2022 with Eivind Gullberg Jensen on the podium.

Symphony No. 8 in G Major, op. 88

Duration: 34 minutes in four movements.

THE COMPOSER – ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) –Dvořák produced a lot of excellent music in 1889, immediately following a period of focus on the revision of earlier works (a practice that plagued the chronological understanding of his catalogue for many years). Among the fresh creations were three overtures, the “Dumky” Trio, the Requiem and the 8th Symphony. He was truly then living up to the promise identified by Brahms over a decade earlier. Dvořák was still a few years away from his American academic residency and the creation of his most internationally beloved work (Symphony No. 9), but his fame as a composer in 1889 was established enough that when the Prague Conservatory offered him a teaching post, he declined.

THE HISTORY – The job was offered again a year later and Dvořák accepted. Biographer Klaus Döge believed this reversal was due in part to the falling out Dvořák had with Simrock (his publisher) over the fee offered for the 8th Symphony. Their relationship had almost broken over the 7th Symphony fee so when Simrock offered two thirds less for the 8th, Dvořák took even deeper offense. He was a driven composer, insistent on making a highly original impression as a symphonist and Simrock’s continual undervaluing of his most cherished efforts put significant strain on their professional relationship. Dvořák’s consequent willingness to take his work to a competing firm in London was also a prime contributor to the numbering issues that surrounded his symphonies for decades. Novello published this work as No. 4, not 8, but the difference doesn’t mean much anymore. Despite Novello’s desire to maintain a distinct collection of their own, the G Major Symphony was Dvořák’s 8th foray into the form and we call it so today for good reason. It signaled the fully realized maturity of a composer intent on finally leaving his Germanic influences behind, and we should not forget the work it took on Symphonies 1-7 for him to get there. Dvořák scholar Otakar Sourek felt the 8th Symphony projected the composer’s Slavic heritage “more completely…than any of his other symphonies” and he further declared that the “variety of mood and emotional eruptiveness” of the music wonderfully captured Dvořák’s “human and artistic personality.” The symphony was mostly written in the Bohemian countryside that Dvořák so adored and finished in Prague late in 1889. Dvořák conducted the 1890 premiere in celebration of his election to the Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts. He believed he had at last made something “different from other symphonies.” By this he meant anyone’s, not just his own.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was erected as part of the World’s Fair in Paris, Vincent Van Gogh painted The Starry Night, the Wall Street Journal was founded and Brazil became a Republic.

THE CONNECTION – Dvorak’s 8th last appeared on a Utah Symphony program back in 2022. Thierry Fischer was conducting.

Take the memory home with you.

UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA SHOP

Holst’s

THE PLANETS

An HD Odyssey

Utah Aerospace & Defense Industry Night

MARCH 28, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

MARCH 29, 2025 / 7:30 PM / MAURICE ABRAVANEL HALL

PAOLO BORTOLAMEOLLI , conductor

AUSTIN MCWILLIAMS , chorus director UTAH SYMPHONY CHORUS

JESSIE MONTGOMERY

MIGUEL FARÍAS

HOLST

Hymn for Everyone

Retratos Australes (Southern Portraits)

I. Tirana

II. Minga

III. Chinchinero

INTERMISSION

The Planets, Suite for Large Orchestra, Opus 32 Mars, the Bringer of War Venus, the Bringer of Peace Mercury, the Winged Messenger Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age Uranus, the Magician Neptune, the Mystic

CONCERT SPONSOR

USUO is excited to partner with 47G to celebrate Utah’s Aerospace & Defense Industry during our presentation of Holst’s The Planets. Join us before each performance to learn more about Utah’s Aerospace & Defense industry!

ORCHESTRA SPONSOR

CHORUS

Sopranos

Jenny Andrus

Rebekah Barton Stockton

Abigail Bendixsen

Julia Bigelow

Caitlyn Bramble

Erin Bramscher

Christina Brandt

Altos

Maya Allred

MJ Ashton

Naomi Bawden

Sara Bayler

Catherine Beck

Katherine Filipescu

Paolo Bortolameolli Conductor

Chilean-Italian conductor Paolo Bortolameolli is a prolific force on the podium, a talented lecturer, and advocate for the arts.

Notable debuts between 2022 and 2024 include the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, as well as returns to the Hollywood Bowl, Kansas City Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires, and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia. He has led ensembles and built relationships with orchestras around the world such as Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolivar in Caracas, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Haydn Orchestra in Bolzano, Gulbenkian Orchestra in Portugal, and the Orchestra della Toscana in Florence. Recent opera productions include Tosca at the Opéra de Paris, Die Zauberflöte and Madama Butterfly at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, and Golijov’s Ainadamar at Detroit Opera, as well as performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Ópera Nacional de Chile and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Juvenil which marked the monumental work’s premiere in Chile.

Austin

McWilliams

Chorus Director

Austin McWilliams is a conductor and countertenor who specializes in contemporary vocal music. He strives to present compelling, intriguing art that is directly relevant to the communities in which it is performed. He began his tenure as Chorus Director & Opera Assistant Conductor at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera with the 2024/25 season.

Previously Austin was Associate Conductor and Chorus Master at Opera Grand Rapids, Head of Music at West Michigan Opera Project, and Co-Artistic Director at Ad Astra Music Festival. In Grand Rapids he was the choir director at his beloved Fountain Street Church, a non-denominational, non-creedal institution that serves as a venue for heterodox speakers and ideologies. Content in both the rehearsal hall and classroom, Austin has served as the Director of Choral Activities at Aquinas College and as adjunct faculty and opera conductor at Western Michigan University, where he studied with Kimberly Dunn Adams. He is also a faculty member at Missouri Scholars Academy, a governor’s school for gifted high school juniors in his native state.

Isabella Carlton

Lauren Cartwright Bohannan

A. Elizabeth Davis

Alexis Dazley

Kaylynne Fox

Olivia Fryer

Emelia Hartford

Kate Fitzgerald

Jennifer Hancock

Annette Jarvis

Catherine Jeppsen

Angela Keeton

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Macy Kelson

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Jeanne Lancaster

Audrey Meservy

Abby Payne-Peterson

Erin Rubin

Natalie Sandberg

Sylvia Miera-Fisk

Kate Olsen

Brittany Rogers

Anastasia Romanovskaya

Jenica Sedgwick

Sue Sohm

Michaela Shelton

Margaret Steele

Margaret Straw

Carolyn Talboys-Klassen

Shichun Wang

Cassie Weintz

Lindsay Whitney

Cherry Lynn Stewart

Michelle Swenson

Jennifer Taylor

Sammie Tollenstrup

Valerie Wadsworth

By Jeff Counts

Hymn for Everyone

Duration: 12 minutes.

THE COMPOSER – JESSIE MONTGOMERY (b. 1981) –Named Musical America’s 2023 Composer of the Year, Jessie Montgomery is among the most sought-after talents in classical music. She is a GRAMMY winner and has received many other honors, including the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation and a Civitella Ranieri Fellowship to work amongst handpicked artists from multiple disciplines at an Umbrian castle. Montgomery’s list of commissions is equally impressive and features contributions to virtually every genre. Her selection as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead ComposerIn-Residence in 2021 placed her in the footsteps of highly successful peers and offered the opportunity to create five new works over the course of her three-year tenure.

THE HISTORY – First out of the commission gate for Montgomery during her run as the Mead Composer-inResidence was the orchestral chorale Hymn for Everyone Her own program note for the work states: “Hymn for Everyone is based on a hymn that I wrote during the spring of 2021 that was a reflection on personal and collective challenges happening at the time. Up to that point, I had resisted composing ‘response pieces’ to the pandemic and social-political upheaval, and had been experiencing an intense writer’s block.” Montgomery continues: “But one day, after a long hike, this hymn just came to me – a rare occurrence. The melody traverses through different orchestral ‘choirs’, and is accompanied by the rest of the ensemble. It is a kind of meditation for orchestra, exploring various washes of color and timbre through each repetition of the melody.” In a short video introduction to the work for its Chicago Symphony premiere, Montgomery offered even more insight into the genesis of the work. “I was inspired by the hymn as a tradition of offering some solace,” she said, adding that the idea of a hymn was, “something to gather around and to sing collectively.” Montgomery did a contemporaneous interview about Hymn for Everyone with the long-time Chicago Sun-Times critic Wynne Delacoma in which the composer admitted that the work also served as a tribute to her mother. This was Robbie McCauley, a renowned performance artist and theater luminary who died in May of 2021. Completing the Hymn was “a bit of catharsis” for Montgomery. Hearing it can provide something similar for any among us who have lost someone.

power in Afghanistan, the United States made Juneteenth a federal holiday, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in Haiti and Tokyo hosted the summer Olympics after they were postponed due to COVID-19.

THE CONNECTION – These concerts represent the Utah Symphony premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Hymn for Everyone

Retratos Australes (Southern Portraits)

Duration: 15 minutes in three movements.

THE COMPOSER – MIGUEL FARÍAS (b. 1983) –Venezuelan-Chilean writer and composer Miguel Farías began his musical life early. In a wonderful online interview in 2022 with fellow composer and friend Christian Baldini, Farías described how he taught himself piano at the age of 10 but found his artistic confidence a short time later with the guitar. Once Farías realized, at 14, that he wanted to create his own music, his path was set. Now in his 40s, Farías has an international career and numerous awards and commissions to his name. When not fulfilling his professorial duties at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Farías spends his time writing. He writes music, of course, for a world-wide list of ensembles and institutions, but that is not all. Farías also just published his first novel, Plástico.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 2021, the Taliban returned to

THE HISTORY – Retratos Australes (Southern Portraits) was commissioned by Fundación de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Chile (FOJI) in 2019 as part of their orchestra’s tour to Europe and Africa under the direction of Maestro Maximiano Valdes. FOJI is dedicated to “promoting the social, cultural and educational development of [Chile’s] young people” and prides itself on “bringing concert music to all people, without distinction”. Farías served briefly as their Executive Director from 2022. The premiere of Retratos Australes took place at the Berlin Konzerthaus as part of the Young Euro Classic festival for youth orchestras from around the world. Set in three movements, which Farías calls “narrative soundpaintings”, the music is energetic and highly colorful, with South American folk idioms and contemporary classical music techniques in constant tension. Movement 1, Tirana, depicts “the idea of being in the desert with the Fiesta de la Tirana [an annual celebration of the Virgen del Carmen] approaching.” Movement 2, Minga, reflects on the Chiloé Island tradition

of moving houses (yes, entire houses!) with teams of oxen. It is “a big [musical] voyage”, according to Farías, “where different sonorities appear [with] hidden quotations from Mahler.” Movement 3, Chinchinero, honors the urban street performers who wear drums and cymbals on their back while performing various acrobatic dances. “If you watch the videos of chinchineros,” Farías told me, “you’ll find that they start spinning and reaching really high speeds. This movement tries to recreate that…and the drum sounds too, of course.”

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral burned, protesters took to the streets in Hong Kong, Donald Trump became the third President in U.S. history to be impeached and Japan’s Emperor Hirohito abdicated.

THE CONNECTION – These concerts represent the Utah Symphony premiere of Miguel Farías’ Retratos Australes.

The Planets

Duration: 51 minutes in seven movements.

THE COMPOSER – GUSTAV HOLST (1874-1934) – In the years prior to the Great War, Gustav Holst was already settled into a comfortable academic life. His post at the St. Paul’s Girls’ School in Hammersmith was but one among the many he held, but it was there that he would stay until his death in 1934. It was a perfect atmosphere for a composer of Holst’s carefully measured ambition and the seclusion it offered made room for much creativity. In fact, when a new music wing was opened at St. Paul’s in 1913, it included a soundproof studio for Holst. In that hushed, private space he would compose many works, from the humble St. Paul Suite to the grand galactic travel guide that made him famous.

THE HISTORY – Given its proximity to the start of WWI and the martial theme of the first movement, it is logical

to assume The Planets was Holst’s “war piece.” That still seems a sensible assumption over one hundred years later, but the truth is that he began work on the music before hostilities commenced and it seems unlikely, then or later, that it was intended as a political statement. The Planets was unique among Holst’s compositions to that point, and it represented a synthesis of his interests in astrology and Theosophy. For those who might not know, theosophy was a late 19th century philosophy that drew from ancient religious and mythological traditions to teach access to the divine through mysticism. Astrology, well, everyone knows what that is, and Holst enjoyed casting horoscopes for his close friends. In addition to mixing celestial concepts, high and low, The Planets also displayed Holst’s ability to personalize the prevailing musical trends of his day. Both Schoenberg and Stravinsky toured England prior the creation of The Planets and their concerts clearly had a powerful effect on Holst. Each of the seven (excluding Earth and the then undiscovered Pluto) tone portraits that make up the suite are brilliant, colorful portrayals of the Roman Gods for whom each planet is named. It is fascinating to hear Holst’s typically economical voice “turned loose” on such a luxuriously large orchestral palette. Epic-scale composition was not something that came easily to him, according to his daughter, Imogen. Perhaps that is why Holst never did anything quite like it again. Or maybe he never tried to repeat the feat because the immediate popularity of The Planets after the 1920 “full” premiere (parts had been performed in 1919 after a private concert the year before) led to an annoying public expectation that he did everything after would be derivative of it. Composers often accept their legacies grudgingly and for Holst, the notion that all his work would be judged against The Planets was a frustration that lasted the rest of his days.

THE WORLD – Elsewhere in 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union was created, Explorer Robert Peary died, the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire’s began, the very first “Ponzi” scheme was launched and Joan of Arc was canonized.

THE CONNECTION – The last time Utah Symphony performed The Planets on the Masterworks Series was in 2019. Thierry Fischer conducted.

Concerts for everyone.

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is committed to making all of our programs accessible to all people. Visit our website for information regarding accessibility features and recommendations for your visit at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera performances.

UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA

TRADITION MEETS TRANSFORMATION

By Megs Vincent

The delicate strains of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly are poised to captivate Utah audiences once again, but this time with a bold new vision that honors its timeless beauty while inviting a contemporary conversation. Revered for its heartbreaking melodies and emotional depth, Madame Butterfly is as iconic as it is controversial. Now, under the innovative direction of Matthew Ozawa, the opera returns to the stage with a production that confronts its complex history and offers fresh insight into a story audiences have cherished for over a century.

As we conclude our final preparations to bring this reimagined work to you May 3-11, we are pleased to share with you this production’s journey, and invite you to contemplate with us the opera’s inherent duality of beauty and darkness, and the role the arts play in highlighting our humanity.

Historical Context

Since its debut in 1904, Madame Butterfly has enchanted audiences with its sweeping romance and poignant tragedy. At its heart, the opera tells the story of Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese woman who falls in love with American naval officer Pinkerton, only to suffer betrayal and heartbreak. The music, rich with unforgettable arias such as “Un bel dì vedremo,” has cemented its place as one of the greatest

operatic masterpieces of all time. However, alongside its beauty lies a darker legacy. The opera has long been critiqued for its fetishization of Asian women, cultural appropriation, and perpetuation of harmful stereotypes. Early productions often featured white singers in yellowface, further compounding its problematic elements. Yet, these issues provide an opportunity for reflection and reinterpretation rather than dismissal. By examining Madame Butterfly through a critical lens, modern productions can preserve its artistry while addressing the need for greater cultural sensitivity and awareness.

Matthew Ozawa’s Vision

Enter Matthew Ozawa, a visionary director whose Japanese and Japanese American heritage uniquely positions him to tackle the challenges of this opera. With a team of similarly diverse creatives, Ozawa approaches Madame Butterfly not by shying away from its complexities, but by leaning into them. By highlighting the opera’s problematic elements, he underscores Pinkerton’s cultural arrogance and moral failings, casting his actions in a harsher, more intentional light.

A groundbreaking element of Ozawa’s production is its use of virtual reality (VR) as a framing device. This innovative approach positions the story as a fantasy filtered through Pinkerton’s gaze, drawing attention to his distorted perceptions of love, culture, and power. By contextualizing the narrative in this way, the production invites audiences to see the opera not just as a romantic tragedy but as a cautionary tale about cultural imperialism and exploitation. Ozawa’s vision transforms Madame Butterfly into a contemporary work of art that resonates deeply with today’s audiences.

Utah Opera’s Role

Utah Opera is proud to serve as a co-producer of this groundbreaking production, which has already garnered

Photo Credit: Kent Miles

acclaim in Cincinnati, Detroit, and Pittsburgh. By collaborating with other leading companies, Utah Opera continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering innovative and thought-provoking performances.

In discussing the upcoming production of Madame Butterfly, Utah Opera’s Artistic Director, Christopher McBeth, emphasized the importance of acknowledging the opera’s complex cultural context. “With Madame Butterfly, as much as we love the music, the characters, and the story, we must also recognize the European and American perspectives of the time, which lacked a deep understanding of Japanese culture.”

“Utah Opera is exploring with members of our local Japanese American community how this production of Madame Butterfly may further appreciation and respect for Japanese heritage in Utah,” said McBeth, highlighting the significance of engaging with the local Japanese American community in Utah.

Bringing this production to Utah audiences is both an honor and a responsibility. Utah Opera has approached the staging with care and respect, ensuring that the

performance maintains the highest artistic standards while addressing the cultural sensitivities of its subject matter. The company’s dedication to these values is a testament to its role as a leader in the arts community.

A Balance of Tradition and Modernity

For traditionalists, rest assured—Puccini’s music remains as breathtaking as ever, and Pinkerton has always been the story’s true villain. In fact, this production restores original moments that were cut from early performances, offering audiences an even richer experience of the opera.

At the same time, Ozawa’s reimagining breathes new life into the work, allowing viewers to see it through a vibrant and thoughtful lens. This balance of tradition and modernity ensures that Madame Butterfly remains both a cherished classic and a relevant, evolving masterpiece. It’s an opportunity to appreciate the opera’s beauty while engaging with the important conversations it sparks.

Don’t miss your chance to experience this reimagined masterpiece. Support the arts and witness firsthand how Madame Butterfly has been transformed for a new generation. We look forward to seeing you in May!

INFREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS

Digging Deeper on What It Takes to Make the Music

By Leslie Peterson & Jeff Counts

On Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s Ghost Light Podcast, we like to give listeners a “behind the curtain look into the world of classical music and the artists who make it.” Through interviews and in-depth discussions, the mysterious and unknowable elements of creativity are explored and, we hope, coaxed out into the light. But that’s just the magic. What about the science? The simple math? USUO is frequently asked what makes a great orchestra or opera company like ours tick, but we don’t always give ourselves the time to answer thoroughly. Let’s fix that now by pulling back the curtain even more to peer past the music and into the business that supports it. Here are five of the most common questions:

Q: What does it really mean to have an orchestra and opera company of the caliber of USUO in our community and the Intermountain West?

A: It means we can and should boast about a few things. Like the fact that Utah Symphony is one of only 17 fulltime professional American orchestras. That is vanishingly few, in the grand scheme of the industry globally. We can also be very proud that we host a major summer music festival in Park City every year. And what about the stat that Utah Opera is one of only six opera companies with full costume and set building capacities? Six! Our $29 million budget allows us to reach a diverse annual audience of over 350,000 people, including 100,000 students, so the reputation of USUO is very strong. But the endowment fund of $42M, with its ratio of 1.8 to operating expenses, is below industry average and far below the best practice of five times the annual operating budget.

Q: Okay, you’re very good at what you do, but what is the real impact of USUO on our community?

A: USUO creates economic impact right here, where we perform and live. We are ambassadors for the quality of life in our state and, through our broad range of performances to suit many musical tastes, we contribute to Utah’s vibrant creative industry by employing approximately 150 full-time people and about 400 part-time, seasonal, and contracted artists. Underlying the art you love is a complex business apparatus, made up of entrepreneurs, innovators, creative artists, industry leaders and successful philanthropists. USUO is a flagship organization for the entire Intermountain West, and we respond to that honor with great humility and professionalism. At USUO, we understand that we need to be flexible to meet the demands and shifting landscapes of the time, and that we require investors to help us fulfill our mission. Lastly, let’s not forget that we have brought some of the music world’s best artists to our stages at Maurice Abravanel Hall, the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, and Deer Valley, among them such luminaries as Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer; Yefim Bronfman, Augustin Hadelich; Steve Martin; Diana Krall, Hilary Hahn, Chris Botti, The Beach Boys and so many others.

Q: Why can’t USUO operate on ticket sales alone?

A: This is an age-old problem, and it goes beyond us. Very few not-for-profit organizations, including health care and social services institutions, colleges, and university athletics and libraries, can provide their services with only the money paid directly by those who use them. Think of it this way: when you purchase a ticket to a USUO event, it only covers 1/3 of the actual cost. The remainder comes from contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. For example, each $40 per ticket sold, in effect, necessitates an added subsidy from gifts and grants of about $80. The average ticket price to a Utah Jazz game, by contrast, is $153. That’s the AVERAGE! We know we can’t go that high, even though the costs associated with our two art forms are significant. Our goal to keep the arts accessible to everyone is just too important to us, so our ticket prices must remain well below the need.

Q: Why are symphony concerts and opera performances so expensive?

A: It’s all about the amazing people on stage. Like the incredibly gifted Utah Jazz athletes, our artists—musicians, singers, designers, and directors—are among the most elite in the field. Our opera singers perform all over the world in some of the most prestigious opera houses. They devote a month of their time for rehearsals and performances in SLC for each of our productions. And, collectively, our Utah Symphony players have been mastering their instruments for 2,744 years! For this institution alone they have contributed a combined 1,155 years of service and

no less than 165 college degrees. Among all the orchestral musicians in the United States, only 1,942 have jobs with major symphony orchestras. That’s it. This is why auditions for our positions are highly competitive and attract many candidates from around the world. One last note about our beloved Utah Jazz players: they work in an industry with an average salary of $10 million and a minimum starting pay of $1 million. As high as our expenses are relative to what we earn from tickets, that compensation level is a universe away from what we can provide on an individual basis.

Q: Utah Symphony has Music Director “Designate”. What does that mean?

A: We are THRILLED with the recent announcement about Markus Poschner’s appointment to the position of Music Director Designate. It’s more typical than you might think to

have “Designate” in the title initially. The best conductors often have multiple overlapping jobs around the world, so that qualifier simply means is that Maestro Poschner’s responsibilities here will be ramping up over the next several years as his other commitments wind down. It does NOT mean he won’t be fully engaged in his leadership role with USUO from the start, collaborating closely with CEO Steve Brosvik, Utah Opera Artistic Director Christopher McBeth, and recently announced VP of Symphony Artistic Planning Kerry Smith. It’s happening already! Just as Christopher McBeth has a wide network among opera professionals to discuss coproductions, new works, artists, and best practices, Maestro Poschner’s affiliations with other orchestras is bringing enormous value to USUO through his work with and exposure to rising artists, new composers, and ideas. There are no half measures in this line of work, and our new Music Director Designate Markus Poschner is all in!

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Graf Family Charity Fund

Keith Guernsey & Rebecca Burrage

Dr. Elizabeth Hammond

Robert & Marcia Harris

Virginia & R. Glenn Harris

Lex Hemphill & Nancy Melich

Connie C. Holbrook

Ron & Marsha Houston

Caroline & David Hundley

Stephen Tanner Irish

Eldon Jenkins & Amy Calara

Jerry & Shari Seiner Family Charitable Fund

Dr. & Mrs. Ramon E. Johnson

Bryce & Karen† Johnson

Nicholas Johnson

Rebekah & Joseph Johnson

James R. Jones & Family

Kimberli Jones

Hyo J Kim

Steven & Christine Knudson

Mary Denice & George Koch

Michael & Peg Kramer

Stacy Lederer

Patricia L. Leikhim

Ms. Susan Loffler

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

Dr. Nicole L. Mihalopoulos & Joshua Scoville

Philip Miller

Kenny Mizel

Mower Family Charitable Fund

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

Alice & Frank Puleo

Dr. Susan J. Quaal

Mick Rasmussen

Gina Rieke

Kenneth Roach & Cindy Powell

Nancy Rossman

Nathan & Shannon Savage

Daniel & Sari Schachtel

August L. Schultz

Ron & Frances Schwarz

Roger & Connie Seegmiller

Bianca Shepard

Mr. Jeffrey W. Shields & Ms. Mary Ross

Jeffrey Simmons

Barbara Slaymaker

Denise & Denis Smith

Elliot Smith & Neylan McBaine

Janette Smith

Stan & Mary Sorensen

Dr. & Mrs. Michael H. Stevens

Emily Stewart

Briant Summerhays

Jay Teevan

Jeff Trocin

Jean Vaniman

William Vogel

Dr. James C. Warenski

Stephen & Elizabeth Watson

Michael D. Weiner

Dan & Amy Wilcox

David B.† & Anne Wirthlin

Michael & Judy Wolfe

LEGACY GIVING

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

Anonymous

Edward R. Ashwood & Candice A. Johnson

Gael Benson

C. Comstock Clayton Foundation

Estate of Alexander Bodi

The Elizabeth Brown Dee Fund for Music in the Schools

Lawrence T. & Janet T.

Dee Foundation

Tim and Candace Dee 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

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

MEMORIALS & TRIBUTES

Many donors have made gifts to Utah Symphony | Utah Opera in memory or to honor friends and loved ones. Thank you for your generous tributes.

IN MEMORY OF

Amy

Shari Fisher

Georgia Bennion

Cynthia & William H Kennedy Jr.

Janice Ione Berghout

Ann Berghout Austin

James O. Clark

Elaine Clark

Norman & Charleen Clark

Melissa Quigley

Frances Darger

The Bennett Family

Pamela Bobbs

J.W. Cheek

Rolayne Fairclough & John Evans

Fridolyn Hicks

Julianne Johnson

Susan Morgan

June Ragan

Jack G. Edwards

Leslie Edwards

Ellen

Samantha Allison

Lynne Farmer

CJ Robinson

Gail Gerlach

Larry Gerlach

Burton & Elaine Gordon

A. Scott & Jesselie Anderson

IN HONOR OF

Anne & Ashby Decker

Colleen Merrill

Georgia Gates

DeAnn McCune

Elaine Gordon

The JLL Team at WRT

Carolyn Hanks

Matt & Nancy Dorny

Earle R. Bevins

Anonymous

Carl & LeAnn Hoyal

Joan Dye

Karen Johnson

Bryce Johnson

Gary B Kitching, M.D.

Allison Kitching

Blake McDonald

Rebekah Johnson

Frank & Maxine McIntyre

Jerilyn McIntyre & David Smith

Warren K. (Sandy) McOmber

Virginia McOmber

Glade & Mardean Peterson

Leslie Peterson & Kevin Higgins

Charles Philbin

Dr. & Mrs. Tom M. McDougal

Maria A. Proser

Matthew Proser

Dan Ragan

June Ragan

Norm Rosenblatt

Susan Walker

Alexander Schreiner

Julianne Johnson

Bill Shiebler

Tom & Laurie Eastwood

Fickling Family Foundation

Kristen Fletcher & Dan McPhun

James T. & Barbara Gaddis

Veloria M. Jacobson

Allison Kitching

Frank & Alice Puleo

Deanna L Rodeghier

Ron & Frances Schwarz

Anne & Taft Symonds

Allison Weiss

Robert C. Sloan, Jr.

Bruce & Julie Newton

Willard & Evelyn Smith

Jerilyn McIntyre & David Smith

Linda Twitchell

Brenda N. Koga

Sheila M. VanFrank

Jeff Nielsen

Judy Watts Brady

Drew W. Browning

Carol Zimmerman

Patrick Zimmerman

Keith Lockhart

June Ragan

Joanne Shiebler

Maria S. & Allen Tuttle

Ed Zipser

Wilma Odell

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

* in-kind donation

** in-kind & cash donations

AHE/CI Trust

Marie Eccles Caine Foundation-Russell Family

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation

Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation

Dominion Energy Arts Foundation

Anonymous

47G: Utah Aerospace & Defense*

Crocker Catalyst Foundation

Cultural Vision Fund

Anonymous

Arnold Machinery

BMW of Murray/BMW of Pleasant Grove

John † & Joan Firmage

John & Carol Firmage

Bill & Vicki Bennion

Altabank

HJ & BR Barlow Foundation

B.W. Bastian Foundation

Bertin Family Foundation

R. Harold Burton Foundation

Caffé Molise*

The Capital Group

Greenberg Traurig

$100,000 or more

Marriner S. Eccles Foundation

George S. & Dolores Doré

Eccles Foundation

The Florence J. Gillmor Foundation

Emma Eccles Jones Foundation

$50,000 - $99,999

The Grand America Hotel & Little America Hotel*

Janet Q. Lawson Foundation

Marriott Residence Inn*

Moreton & Company

$25,000 - $49,999

Carol Franc Buck Foundation

Cache Valley Electric

Deer Valley Resort*

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Richard K. & Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation

The Kahlert Foundation

$10,000 - $24,999

Microsoft Corporation*

Merit Medical Systems, Inc.

Millburn Company

Raymond James

The Joseph & Evelyn Rosenblatt

Charitable Fund

Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah

Joanne L. Shrontz Family Foundation

Frederick Q. Lawson Foundation

LOVE Communications**

Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation

O.C. Tanner Company

Stowell Leadership Group, LLC*

Zions Bank

S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney Foundation

Salt Lake Chamber*

Sorenson Legacy 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

Joseph & Kathleen Sorenson Legacy Foundation

Stay Park City

The Swartz Foundation

University of Utah Health

Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce

Anonymous

Cambia Health Foundation

Chartway Credit Union

Spencer F. & Cleone P. Eccles Family Foundation

Grandeur Peak Global Advisors

Holland & Hart

Huntsman International LLC

Intermountain Health

J. Wong’s Thai & Chinese Bistro*

KKC Foundation

Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau

$1,000 - $9,999

Promontory Foundation

Ray, Quinney & Nebeker Foundation

Red Rock Brewing Company*

Serving Table 22*

Squatters Pub Brewery*

Stewart Education Foundation

St. Regis / Deer Crest Club**

Utah Autism Foundation

Vox Marketing Group*

Rodney H. & Carolyn Hansen Brady

Charitable Foundation

EcoView Windows & Doors

The Fanwood Foundation Western Office

Kennecott Utah Copper LLC

Millcreek Coffee Roasters*

Mountain America Credit Union

Mountain Temp Services, LLC

OPERA America

Ruth’s Chris Steak House*

Salsa Queen

Snow, Christensen & Martineau Foundation

Summerhays Music Center

Trujillo Acosta Law

Utah Food Services*

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

Larry Gerlach

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

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

Megs Vincent

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

801-486-4611

AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES PROVIDED BY Tanner, llc

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

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

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

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

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

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.