Utah Arts Review

Music by Johann Strauss, Pintscher and Ravel
Utah Symphony and Chorus/Matthias Pintscher with Inon Barnatan
September 25-26

Composer-conductor Matthias Pintscher returns to Abravanel Hall after a decade-long absence to lead the Utah Symphony in his piano concerto, NUR, which pianist Inon Barnatan has performed several times in collaboration with Pintscher. The work departs from the typical concerto format in that it’s a continuous and vibrant dialogue between the piano and orchestra, with both being treated as equal partners. Also on the program is Johann Strauss’ exuberant Overture to Die Fledermaus and Ravel’s lush ballet Daphnis et Chloé. utahsymphony.org

Armienta: Zorro
Utah Opera
October 10-18.

Utah Opera opens its season with a swashbuckler: Héctor Armienta’s operatic version of Zorro, the masked hero of the oppressed. Taking place in the Los Angeles of the early 1800s, Armienta’s score is filled with soaring Puccini-esque melodies. Sung in both Spanish and English, the all-Latin cast features César Delgado as Zorro/Diego de la Vega; Zulimar López-Hernández as Ana Maria Soza; and Armando Contreras as Sergeant José Maria Gomez. Liliana Duque Piñeiro designed the sets, and costume designer is Ulises Alcala. Alex Amsel conducts the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera Chorus. utahopera.org 

The Nutcracker
Ballet West
December 4-26

With choreography by Willam Christensen and music by Tchaikovsky, Ballet West’s Nutcracker is Utah’s beloved holiday tradition. It’s also a complex logistical arrangement with up to eight different casts performing throughout the month. As dancers leave and retire, this is a chance to see up-and-coming artists in their first solos while indulging in the Christmas cheer of the longest-running Nutcracker in America. balletwest.org (Sara Neal)

Music by Robertson, Sarasate, Dorman and Esmail
Utah Symphony/David Robertson with Gil Shaham, Adele Anthony and Orli Shaham
January 29-30, 2027

This concert is definitely a family affair, featuring husband-and-wife violinists Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony, Shaham’s sister, pianist Orli Shaham, and her husband David Robertson conducting the Utah Symphony. On the program is Robertson’s Light forming, a piano concerto written for his wife in 2022. Sarasate’s Song of the Nightingale for violin and piano and his Navarra for two violins and piano will also be heard along with Avner Dorman’s Double Concerto for two violins, written for Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony, and Reena Esmail’s Double Concerto for violin and piano, written for the Shaham siblings. utahsymphony.org 

Don Quixote
Ballet West
February 12-20

This Spanish tale of chivalry and adventure is renown for its fantasy love story, but the ballet is also known for challenging choreography enhanced by passionate acting and athleticism. With choreography by Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa and music by Ludwig Minkus, this classic of dance repertoire is the first revival by Ballet West since 2012. balletwest.org (Sara Neal)

Music by Beethoven
Utah Symphony/Earl Lee with Joshua Bell
March 17

This special one-night-only concert features a rare Utah Symphony appearance by superstar violinist Joshua Bell playing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. The composer’s Symphony No. 2 is also on the program. Conductor Earl Lee leads the Utah Symphony in his local debut. utahsymphony.org 

Music by Ives, Muhly and Brahms
Utah Symphony and Chorus/Markus Poschner
March 26-27

Markus Poschner, the Utah Symphony’s music director designate who assumes the position at the beginning of the 2027-28 season, leads the orchestra and chorus in a performance of Brahms’ poignant A German Requiem, with soloists Heidi Stober and John Moore. Also on the program is Charles Ives’ The Unanswered Question and Nico Muhly’s Doom Painting, a trumpet concerto written for Tine Thing Helseth. utahsymphony.org 

Bates: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs
Utah Opera
May 8-16

Mason Bates’ opera was staged during Utah Opera’s 2022-23 season but had to be cancelled after only one performance due to a cast member’s illness. Hopefully everyone will remain healthy this time. Mark Campbell’s libretto delves into the complex mind of Steve Jobs as he faces his mortality and looks back on the things that shaped his life, both personally and professionally. The cast features John Moore as Steve Jobs; Sarah Coit as Laurene Powell Jobs; and Bille Bruley as Steve Wozniak. Tomer Zvulun created the original production and staging, and conductor Robert Tweten leads the Utah Symphony. utahopera.org 

Music by Richard Strauss
Utah Symphony/Markus Poschner
May 28-29

Markus Poschner leads the Utah Symphony in Strauss’ monumental An Alpine Symphony, a nearly hour-long work that vividly depicts the experiences of climbing an Alpine peak from dawn to early evening. Rounding out the program is the composer’s Four Last Songs, with South African-born soprano Erica Eloff. utahsymphony.org