Classical Music
Poschner, Utah Symphony explore tragedy, deliverance with Tchaikovsky and Fauré – Nov 08, 2025
Markus Poschner conducted the Utah Symphony Friday night at Abravanel Hall.
Markus Poschner, the Utah Symphony’s music director designate (he assumes the position full-time in the 2027-28 season), is back on the Abravanel Hall podium this weekend leading the Utah Symphony in two works: Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem and Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique.”
Fauré worked on the Requiem over a period of nearly 15 years. He began writing it in the 1880s, revised it considerably in the following decade, … Read More
Poschner returns to Utah Symphony with music of Bartok and Mahler – Nov 02, 2025
Markus Poschner conducted the Utah Symphony Saturday night at Abravanel Hall.
Markus Poschner returned to Abravanel Hall this weekend for his first performances of the 2025-26 season, conducting the Utah Symphony in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. Pianist Vadym Kholodenko joined the orchestra for Béla Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
Poschner appeared as a guest conductor in 2022 and 2023 and in November 2024 was announced as the music director designate. His first full season as music director will … Read More
Robertson leads Utah Symphony in a varied program from sax to Rachmaninoff – Oct 26, 2025
David Robertson conducted the Utah Symphony Saturday night rt Abravanel Hall.
David Robertson returned to Abravanel Hall this weekend to conduct the Utah Symphony in music of Pierre BoulezandSergei Rachmaninoff. Also joining the program was saxophonist Timothy McAllister in Steven Mackey’s Anemology.
Opening the program was Boulez’s Mémoriale, a short piece composed to commemorate the passing of his colleague and flutist Lawrence Beauregard. Scored for a small ensemble of six string players, two horns, and solo flute, Mémoriale is … Read More
Utah Opera’s strong cast provides rich and chilling advocacy for “The Shining” – Oct 13, 2025
Craig Irvin portrays Jack Torrance in Utah Opera’s production of The Shining. Photo: Dana Sohm
Christopher McBeth, Utah Opera’s artistic director, has always been a strong proponent of new American operas. And for the last several years, the company has been staging a contemporary American work each season.
True to this tradition, Utah Opera opened its new season Saturday in the Capitol Theatre with a superb production of The Shining by composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell. Based on Stephen … Read More
Opera creators find the light of love amid the horror of “The Shining” – Oct 07, 2025
Craig Irvin as Jack Torrance (with Bella Grace Smith as Danny) in Utah Opera’s The Shining. Photo: Dana Sohm
In their adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic 1977 novel The Shining, composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell have struck operatic gold.
Since its 2016 premiere as part of Minnesota Opera’s New Works Initiative, the opera has seen repeat productions across the country, selling out theaters and even prompting the addition of extra shows in its 2023 run at the Atlanta Opera—something virtually unheard … Read More
Lazarova and Lewis team up for exuberant performances with Utah Symphony – Sep 20, 2025
Delyana Lazarova made her first appearance as principal guest conductor of the Utah Symphony Friday night at Abravanel Hall. Photo: Marco Borggreve
The Utah Symphony’s newly appointed principal guest conductor Delyana Lazarova took the podium in Abravanel Hall Friday night to lead a crowd-pleasing program of Ravel, Mendelssohn and Beethoven.
Lazarova, who made a well-received debut with the orchestra in May 2024 proved impressive once again by virtue of her technical command of the music and her obvious rapport with the musicians.
As an oboist recovers, Poschner returns to unveil a violin concerto – May 24, 2025
Markus Poschner conducted the Utah Symphony in music of Berlioz and Bowers Friday night at Abravanel Hall. Photo: Seth Ian Mower/US
A week ago, the Utah Symphony’s Friday concert had a dramatic and abrupt ending when the associate principal oboist, James Hall, experienced a medical emergency and collapsed towards the end of the third movement of the opening work, Mozart’s Symphony No. 35. After he was taken to the hospital, a staff member eventually came onstage and announced … Read More
Musician medical emergency leads to cancellation of Utah Symphony concert – May 17, 2025
James Hall is associate principal oboe of the Utah Symphony.
Friday night’s Utah Symphony concert was terminated halfway through when one of the orchestra’s longtime musicians was stricken with a medical emergency.
Near the end of the third movement of Mozart’s Symphony No, 35, which opened the concert, James Hall, the orchestra’s associate principal oboe, slumped down in his chair. Colleagues seated closest to him stretched Hall out on the floor in front of his chair, as … Read More
Utah Opera closes season with a retooled but effective virtual-reality “Butterfly” – May 05, 2025
Tenor Eric Taylor cosplays into Pinkerton in Utah Opera’s production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Photo: Dana Sohm
Utah Opera closes out its season with a rather unique and unusual staging of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. The brainchild of stage director Matthew Ozawa, it sets the opera as a virtual reality game played by the character who becomes Pinkerton in the game.
The curtain rises before the music begins, showing a bored Pinkerton in his present day apartment. He wanders from his … Read More
Utah Symphony’s Mozart program soars with the Requiem – Apr 19, 2025
Christopher Allen led the Utah Symphony and Chorus in an all-Mozart program Friday night at Abravanel Hall. Photo: Ian Mower
The Utah Symphony, led by guest conductor Christopher Allen, thrilled a capacity crowd in Abravanel Hall Friday night with an all-Mozart evening. The program presented one work from the composer’s teens and two from the final year of his life.
The evening’s main event was the Requiem, in Robert Levin’s 1993 completion. This edition is distinguished mainly by the inclusion of an … Read More
