Classical Music
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 living … 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 “Amen” fugue … Read More
Bortolameolli makes impressive debut as Utah Symphony takes flight with “The Planets” – Mar 29, 2025
Paolo Bortolameolli conducted the Utah Symphony in music of Holst, Montgomery and Farías Friday night at Abravanel Hall.
Chilean-born conductor Paolo Bortolameolli made an impressive debut with the Utah Symphony this weekend, leading the orchestra in Gustav Holst’s ever-popular The Planets.
At Friday night’s sold-out performance in Abravanel Hall, Bortolameolli, who is currently the associate conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, gave a rock-solid account of the nearly hour-long work that captured all of its dramatic flair, romantic melodicism and … Read More
Danzmayr, Adkins bring out the passionate essence of Dvořák, Glazunov with Utah Symphony – Mar 22, 2025
Madeline Adkins performed Glaznuov’s Violin Concerto with the Utah Symphony Friday night at Abravanel Hall.
Since joining the Utah Symphony in 2016 as concertmaster, Madeline Adkins has frequently appeared on the Abravanel Hall stage as soloist.
This past December she soloed and led members of the orchestra in Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and this weekend she’s in the spotlight in Alexander Glazunov’s infrequently performed Violin Concerto in A minor. a work that the Utah Symphony hasn’t programmed in nearly 20 years.
A superb cast delivers the fire and passion of “Pagliacci” at Utah Opera – Mar 10, 2025
Canio (Jonathan Burton) confronts his wife Nedda (Lydia Grindatto) in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci at Utah Opera. Photo: Dana Sohm
A strong cast defines Utah Opera’s production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, which opened Saturday night at the Capitol Theatre.
The story is one of infidelity, betrayal, anger and extreme passions and needs singers with the acting chops to pull off the powerful drama convincingly. Fortunately, Utah Opera has brought together a cast that had the dramatic ability as well as the vocal prowess to … Read More
Fischer wraps Mahler return with a deep and devastating Sixth – Mar 01, 2025
Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 was performed by the Utah Symphony Friday night led by Thierry Fischer.
It’s hammer time at the Utah Symphony.
Music director emeritus Thierry Fischer is concluding his two-week return to the Abravanel Hall podium with another Mahler symphony. Last week brought emotionally charged readings of the Fifth; this time out, it’s the tragic Sixth, known to Mahler buffs as “the one with the hammer of fate.”
The take-away from Friday’s performance was one of valiant … Read More
Fischer returns to lead Utah Symphony in Mahler’s epic Fifth – Feb 22, 2025
Thierry Fischer conducted the Utah Symphony in music of Haydn and Mahler Friday night at Abravanel Hall. Photo: Marco Borggreve
Thierry Fischer is back in Abravanel Hall this weekend for the first time since stepping down as music director of the Utah Symphony in 2023. And as music director emeritus he returns in a big way, leading the orchestra in Gustav Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 5. (He returns next weekend to lead the orchestra in Mahler’s monumental Sixth Symphony.)
Fischer has … Read More
Utah Opera serves up a magical “Hansel and Gretel” – Jan 20, 2025
Maureen McKay (left) and Sarah Coit in Engelbert Humpedinck’s Hansel and Gretel at Utah Opera. Photo: Dana Sohm
In his music for Hansel and Gretel, Engelbert Humperdinck creates a magical mix that successfully blends simple, folk-like tunes with a more sophisticated operatic style. And in Utah Opera’s current production of Hansel and Gretel, Humperdinck’s score is coupled with sets and costumes that bring the Grimm Brothers’ fairytale to life.
With sets from New Orleans Opera and Utah Opera’s own costumes, this production … Read More
Hadelich returns to Utah Symphony with memorable Brahms – Jan 11, 2025
Augustin Hadelich performed Brahms’ Violin Concerto with conductor Elim Chan and the Utah Symphony Friday night at Abravanel Hall. Photo: Suxiao Yang
Augustin Hadelich is back on stage in Abravanel Hall this weekend after a three-year absence, playing Brahms’ magnificent Violin Concerto.
One of the composer’s most melodic orchestral works, the concerto teems with lyrical beauty. Even the occasional bursts of romantic passion in the outer movements are tempered with an innocuous melodicism that allow the soloist to explore … Read More
Adkins’ freshly spun Vivaldi sparks Utah Symphony’s “Seasons” program – Dec 14, 2024
Jessica Rivero Altarriba conducted the Utah Symphony Friday night at Abravanel Hall.
The Utah Symphony has two large works on the program this week celebrating the seasons: Glazunov’s 1899 ballet score and Vivaldi’s endearing set of four violin concertos.
The concerts this weekend mark the first time that Glazunov’s The Seasons has been performed in its entirety. And the Utah Symphony’s recently appointed assistant conductor, Jessica Rivero Altarriba, gave a fine account Friday night at Abravanel Hall.
Altarriba captured the romantic spirit … Read More
