Critic’s Choice 2024-25
Sweeney Todd. Utah Opera. October 12–20.
Stephen Sondheim’s twisted masterpiece finally makes its way to Utah Opera, which last brought Sondheim to its stage in 2002. Michael Mayes sings the title role, with Audrey Babcock as Mrs. Lovett. Robert Tweten conducts the singers and Utah Symphony. utahopera.org (CRN)
Jekyll & Hyde. Ballet West. October 25–November 2.
After opening last season with a well-received production of Dracula, Ballet West turns to another iconic horror story to kick off 2024–25—Jekyll & Hyde. Val Caniparoli’s 2020 adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella is set to music of five Polish composers: Frédéric Chopin, Henryk Górecki, Wojciech Kilar, Krzysztof Penderecki and Henryk Wieniawski. balletwest.org (CRN)
Music of Barber, Price, Gershwin and Bernstein. Stephanie Childress & the Utah Symphony. October 25-26.
Conductor Stephanie Childress makes her Abravanel Hall debut with an all-American program that features several Utah Symphony firsts. Young American violinist Randall Goosby who made his local debut last year will be the soloist in Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2, which represents the first time the work will be performed in Salt Lake City. The program also includes Price’s Adoration as well as Barber’s Second Essay for Orchestra. Rounding out the program are Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. utahsymphony.org (ER)
Music of Schoenberg, Mozart and Brahms. David Robertson & the Utah Symphony. November 1-2.
Concertgoers will get a chance to see the Utah Symphony’s creative partner David Robertson with his wife, pianist Orli Shaham, on the Abravanel Hall stage in Mozart’s delightful Piano Concerto No. 17. Also on the program are two rarities for Utah, Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 2 and Brahms’ Serenade No. 1. utahsymphony.org (ER)
Music of Ogonek, Rachmaninoff and Brahms. Elim Chan & the Utah Symphony. January 10-11, 2025.
Hong Kong-born Elim Chan joins the ever expanding list of guest conductors leading the Utah Symphony. Chan will conduct the Utah Symphony in the local premiere of Elizabeth Ogonek’s Moondog as well as Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Augustin Hadelich makes a welcome return to the Abravanel Hall stage in Brahms’ Violin Concerto. utahsymphony.org (ER)
Music of Reich and Stravinsky. David Robertson & the Utah Symphony. January 31-February 1.
Since David Robertson began collaborating with the Utah Symphony as creative partner last season, he’s made his mark by creating distinctive and sometimes unique programs. For this concert, the English ensemble Synergy Vocals joins Robertson and the symphony for Steve Reich’s The Desert Music, a 1984 work for large orchestra and chorus on texts by William Carlos Williams. Rounding out the program is Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. utahsymphony.org (ER)
Mahler and Haydn. Thierry Fischer conducts the Utah Symphony. February 21–22 and February 28–March 1.
The orchestra’s music director emeritus returns to Abravanel Hall for back-to-back weekends of Mahler. First up is the composer’s Symphony No. 5, sharing the bill with Haydn’s Symphony No. 13 (continuing the conductor’s “Haydn cycle” with the orchestra). The hammer of fate comes down a week later with Symphony No. 6. utahsymphony.org (CRN)
Jessie Montgomery plays Jessie Montgomery.NOVA Chamber Music Series. March 9.
Montgomery, a violinist and one of today’s leading composers, joins local musicians in a program featuring five of her works. Other featured composers are Juhi Bansal, Shawn Okpebholo and Béla Bartók. novaslc.org (CRN)
An Evening of Stravinsky. Ballet West. April 4–12.
Nicolo Fonte’s Rite of Spring, which had its world premiere at Ballet West in 2014, is the centerpiece of this all-Stravinsky program. Also on the triple bill are George Balanchine’s 1928 Apollo and the company premiere of Jiří Kylián’s Symphony of Psalms,the latter featuring full chorus in addition to the Ballet West Orchestra. balletwest.org (CRN)
Music of Mozart, Saint-Saëns and Bartók. Christoph Koncz & the Utah Symphony. May 16-17.
Another young conductor making his debut with the Utah Symphony, Christoph Koncz will lead the orchestra in Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. Koncz, who is the principal guest conductor of Les Musiciens de Louvre, will be joined by Alessio Bax in Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2. utahsymphony.org (ER)
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