Salt Lake Symphony

Concert
2016-04-23 19:30 (America/Denver)
After last month’s rhythms from Stravinsky, we could only follow it with the rhythms of another master, Ludwig van Beethoven. Join guest conductor Gordon Johnson (Great Falls Symphony) as he leads the Salt Lake Symphony through Beethoven’s glorious Symphony No. 7. Once called the apotheosis if the dance, the work sparkles with thrilling motives that build to an amazing climax in each movement. We are pleased to also welcome the young musicians of the Rocky Mountain Strings to perform Sarasate’s Navarra on this program. The group, from right here in Salt Lake County, is renown for their technique and artistry, all the result of excellent teaching right here in Utah. The concert opens with Respighi’s The Fountains of Rome, a colorful slideshow in sound of some of Rome’s most famous landmarks.
ConductorsGordon Johnson

Respighi Fountains of Rome (Music Director of the Great Falls Symphony)
Sarasate Navarra (Ramona Stirling, Rocky Mountain Strings Director) Solo: Rocky Mountain Strings, violins
Beethoven Symphony #7 (in A Major, Op. 92)

Primal Energy!
2016-03-19 19:30
Few pieces have the primal energy as Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. This year marks a first for the Salt Lake Symphony, our initial performance of this monumental work. Originally intended for ballet when composed in 1913, the piece has become a staple in the concert hall as the quintessential work of the early 20th century. With its driving rhythms and eerie sounds, it’s a piece that creates a lasting memory for performers and audiences alike. It’s not the only legacy we will celebrate at this concert, though. We will open the concert with our annual side-by-side performance, featuring talented young musicians sitting alongside our musicians. After their rousing opening of Dvo?ák’s Slavonic Dances, we will perform the Utah premiere of Jett Hitt’s Yellowstone Concerto, with Dr. Hasse Borup playing the solo violin part. Join us for and evening of music and musicians filled with energy and excitiement. This is an event not to be missed!
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Dvo?ák Slavonic Dances #2 and 7 (Op. 72)
Hitt, Jett Yellowstone for Violin and Orchestra Utah Premiere Solo: Hasse Borup, violin
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

GuestHigh school musicians, side-by-side

Vienna Ball
2016-02-13 20:00, 2015-02-14 20:00
It’s time for the Vienna Ball, the Salt Lake Symphony’s annual gala fund raiser.
Click the Vienna Ball link for further details.
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Summer Arts Piano Competition Winners Concert
2016-01-23 19:30
The winners of the SummerArts Piano Concerto Competition take center stage with Salt Lake Symphony conducted by Resident Conductor and U of U DMA alum, Jong-hun Bae. These gifted young people will each play one concerto movement.
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Family Fun Concert: Wild, Wild, Musical West!
2016-01-09 14:00
Saddle up, pardners! Join us for a Wild West version of our annual Family Fun Concert. There will be western favorites and some surprises, too, as we learn about music, cowboys, horses and tumbleweeds. Always fun and appropriate for the entire family, our Family Fun concert has been an annual favorite for generations, and is fun for all generations!
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Angels and Visitors
2015-12-05 19:30
Shepherds and Kings await us in our 2015 Holiday Concert. We will be performing several selections from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio as well as our third production of Menotti’s beloved holiday opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors. We will be joned by the talents from the University of Utah’s Lyric Opera Ensemble, directed by Dr. Robert Breault. Join us for a program light on little holiday kitsch, but loaded with the appropriate sentiment to start your season on the right foot with the giving spirit.
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Bach Selections from Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248)
Menotti Amahl and the Night Visitors Solo: Amy Livingston, Amahl; Alyssa Jenks, Mother; David Sauer, Kaspar; Jared Lesa, Melchior; Michael Jones-Hanners, Balthazar; Garrett Medlock, Page

GuestUniversity of Utah Lyric Opera Ensemble

Russian Masterworks
2015-11-14 19:30
November sees the SLS presenting two of the finest Russian masterpieces for audiences. It’s a celebration in need of a fanfare, so we’ve added Miklos Rozsa’s rousing Entr’acte March from “El Cid” to open the festivities. Recent Salt Lake resident and conductor of the Utah Opera Chorus, pianist Caleb Harris will join us for Sergei Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Easily Rachmaninov’s most inventive work, it also contains one of the top melodies ever written, so popular that it has been used in several films. The centerpiece of the concert will be Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique). This symphony, sadly the composer’s last work, is nevertheless Tchaikovsky’s finest example of symphonic writing. Full of every element of life, the slow last movement is possibly a precursor of Tchaikovsky’s death which occurred only days after the premiere performance. The poignancy and power of the work make it a universal favorite with audiences ad players alike.
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Rózsa, Miklós Entr’act March from “El Cid”
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Op. 43)
Tchaikovsky Symphony #6 “Pathetique” (in B Minor, Op. 74)

Parliament of World Religions
2015-10-17 15:30
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Grieg Peer Gynt Suite #1 (Op. 46)
Bimstein, Phillip The Brahma Viharas, A Meditation for English Horn and Orchestra World Premiere Solo: Charlotte Bell, English Horn
Strauss, Richard Death and Transfiguration (Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24)

Bimstein, Phillip The Brahma Viharas, Concerto for English Horn and Orchestra Solo: Charlotte Bell, English Horn

Life, Death, and Beyond
2015-09-26 19:30
Earthly realities, heavenly music. No better way to kick off four decades of music making in Salt Lake City! The 40th Season opens with one of the most beloved works by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, the Peer Gynt Suite No. 1. Compiled from incidental music for the Ibsen play of the same title, Grieg’s compilation contains four movements that have long been audience favorites, including the deeply moving Åse’s Death and the slightly scary In the Hall of a Mountain King. We will follow this familiar music with something no one has heard before—a world premiere! Phillip Bimstein’s The Brahma Viharas was written especially for Charlotte Bell, our SLS English horn player. It is a work celebrating and describing the four Buddhist virtues of Loving Kindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity using the solo English horn and the colors of a modern orchestra. Since we are on the topic of life and death, we thought it appropriate to close the concert with Richard Strauss’s great tone Poem, Death and Transfiguration, a testament to the late Romantic philosophy. Depicting a dying artist, thoughts of life pass through the orchestra as memories: his childhood innocence, the struggles of his manhood, the attainment of his worldly goals; and at the end, the longed-for transfiguration from the infinite reaches of heaven. It’s an orchestral thrill ride worthy of the life it depicts.
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Grieg Peer Gynt Suite #1 (Op. 46)
Bimstein, Phillip The Brahma Viharas, A Meditation for English Horn and Orchestra World Premiere Solo: Charlotte Bell, English Horn
Strauss, Richard Death and Transfiguration (Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24)

Utah Arts Festival
2015-06-25 20:00
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Let There Be Light!
2015-05-30 19:30
What do you get when you ask the most prolific composer in the Classical era to compose music for an anonymous libretto about the creation of the world? Haydn’s Creation (Die Schöpfung). The libretto was first given to the great Baroque composer, Händel, but it was not seriously attempted until Haydn’s commission in 1797. The result is a monumental creation in and of itself, taking texts from the Book of Genesis, Psalms and Milton’s Paradise Lost. We join forces with the Utah Voices and Dr. Michael Huff for a memorable evening of music, story and ultimately, inspiration. The story will be told in music and words, sung in English, and will feature the vocal talents of Melissa Heath, soprano; Robert Breault, tenor; and Christopher Clayton, bass-baritone as soloists.
ConductorsRobert Baldwin, Michael Huff

Haydn The Creation Solo: Melissa Heath, soprano;Robert Breault, tenor;Christopher Clayton, bass-baritone

GuestUtah Voices, Chorus

Utah Talent Spotlight
2015-04-25 19:30
Utah Talent Abounds! Our April 25th concert features home-grown talent like no other concert this year! We are pleased to welcome back to the podium Barbara Scowcroft, conductor of the Utah Youth Symphony and violinist with the Utah Symphony. Barbara is a favorite local personality, known for her insightful interpretations and gift of communication for musicians and audiences alike. We will open the concert with a performance of Utah composer John Costa’s Vignette, a work originally commissioned by Barbara Scowcroft and the Utah Youth Symphony to celebrate the Salt Lake Winter Olympics in 2002. Also featured will be Shenae Anderson, the winner of the Utah Division of the Stradivarius International Violin Competition. She will join the orchestra to perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Long considered one of the quintessential concertos by any composer, this work sparkles with energy and clarity. The evening ends in sunny Italy with Mendelssohn’s ebullient Symphony No. 4 (Italian). Here the local talent of the Salt Lake Symphony musicians will shine as bright as the Italian sun in summer!
ConductorsBarbara Scowcroft

Costa, John Vignette for Orchestra
Beethoven Violin Concerto Stradivarius Competition Utah Division Winner Solo: Shenae Anderson, violin
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 (Italian)

Fire and Ice!
2015-03-21 19:30
Take a pinch of the Arctic Circle, an epic journey in Antarctica, and throw in a fiery Russian legend. What do you get? The recipe for Fire and Ice, our exciting March 21st program. We will be joined on the stage by talented high school student to play Sibelius’ most enduring work, the tone poem Finlandia. Long considered the unofficial national anthem of Finland, the work brims with dark energy and soaring melody, indicative of the nordic country and its inhabitants. The music gets more colorful for Stravinsky’s first ballet, The Firebird. The 1919 Suite presents the major themes and events of the ballet in a cohesive, four-movement work. The cast of characters comes alive, from princesses to princes, evil sorcerers and the Firebird herself. After intermission, we journey south-—far south-—to the South Pole. Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 7 (Sinfonia Antarctica) is based on material written for a 1948 film which depicts Robert Scott’s ill-fated attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. Vaughan Williams effectively used the symphony orchestra to depict the landscape, which ranges from bleak to awe-inspiring, as well as the feelings experienced by the members of the expedition. Added voices of Emily Nelson, soprano, and a 16-voice chorus of female voices, will add to the symphonic chills in store for the entire audience. So bundle up and light a fire with YOUR neighbors and friends, the Salt Lake Symphony!
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Sibelius Finlandia Side-by-Side with high school students
Stravinsky Suite from the Firebird (1919)
Vaughan Williams Symphony #7 (Sinfonia Antarctica)

Summer Arts Piano Competition Winners Concert
2015-01-24 19:30
The winners of the SummerArts Piano Concerto Competition take center stage with Salt Lake Symphony conducted by Resident Conductor and U of U DMA alum, Jong-hun Bae. These gifted young people will play concerto movements by Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, Grieg, and Liszt.
ConductorsJong-hun Bae

Family Concert: Music, the Final Frontier!
2015-01-17 14:00
January’s Family Concert has long been a favorite with Salt Lake families. This year music director/conductor Robert Baldwin, special guest Sterling Poulson, and the Salt Lake Symphony have cooked up more fun for all ages. The orchestra will perform a variety of music, including the Flying Theme from E.T., Bach’s Little Fugue in G minor, The Remarkable Farkle McBride with Sterling Poulson narrating, selections from Frozen, and some audience improvisation to Adophe’s Tawoop. Perfect for all ages, this year’s concert will look into the building blocks of music, how it is put together, and why we love to listen. And every audience member gets a debut with the symphony. Audience participation is essential! What you do with your career afterwards is totally up to you!
ConductorsRobert Baldwin
GuestSterling Poulson, narrator

Christmas Eve Magic
2014-12-06 14:00
There’s holiday magic in the air for our December concert. Come see emerging talent dance the first act of Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker. We are pleased to welcome dancers from the University of Utah’s Department of Ballet to present this famous tale. The first act represents the very best of story, action, and magic. The SLS will also share holiday favorites that are guaranteed to put you in the holiday mood. Two performances. Come for the matinee and stay for the second show!
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

traditional Selected Holiday Favorites
Tchaikovsky Act 1 from the Nutcracker

Cultural Roots
2014-11-15 19:30
For November, we present two orchestral favorites and also feature one of our players as a soloist. Long an audience favorite, Dvo?ák’s Eighth Symphony brims with memorable melodies and thrilling climaxes. Beethoven’s Overture to Coriolanus is an orchestral showcase, filled with drama and power. Our principal bassoonist, Ryan van Liere, also takes center stage as soloist for John Williams’ The Five Sacred Trees, a unique work that highlights the solo bassoon as well as the colors of the orchestra.
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Beethoven Overture to Coriolan
Williams, John Five Sacred Trees Solo: Ryan van Liere, bassoon
Dvo?ák Symphony No. 8 in G major

Celebrating Ten Years
2014-09-27 19:30
Join us on September 27th as the SLS and Maestro Baldwin celebrate the start of his tenth season by conducting one of his favorite symphonies, the monumental Symphony No. 10 by Dmitri Shostakovich. This work will highlight and challenge every section of the orchestra with its technical and emotional demands. Audience members often remark after hearing it that the work is one of their new favorite pieces. It is a work filled with every aspect of the human condition, reflecting the struggle and triumph of the individual—something we all can relate to. To contrast, we will open with the ebullient Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein. Join the party! Don’t miss this event that will highlight one of the finest community orchestras in the Western U.S.!
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Bernstein Overture to Candide
Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

The Legacy of Bach
2014-05-17 19:30
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
Villa-Lobos Aria from Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5 Arr: Krance
Mendelssohn Symphony #5 “Reformation”

Sacred Sounds
2014-04-26 19:30
ConductorsRobert Baldwin, Anton Armstrong

Kodály Dances of Galanta
Bloch Sacred Service Solo: Christopher Clayton, baritone

Irish Ides are Smiling
2014-03-15 19:30
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Williams, John Symphonic Excerpts from “Far and Away” (side by side)
Grainger Irish Tune from County Derry Side-by-Side with high school students
Harty In Ireland Solo: Christina Castellanos, flute
Beach Symphony #2 “Gaelic”

Vienna Ball
2014-02-08 20:00
ConductorsJong-hun Bae

Summer Arts Piano Concerto Concert
2014-01-25 19:30

Family Concert: Symphonic Stories
2014-01-18 14:00
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf
Smith The Great Locomotive Chase
Grieg In the Hall of a Mountain King.
Gregson-Williams Chronicles of Narnia Suite
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade: Last mvt. excerpt

Through a Child's Eyes
2013-12-07 19:30
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Menotti Amahl and the Night Visitors
Arnold The Holly and the Ivy (Fantasy on Christmas Carols)
traditional Do You Hear What I Hear? Arr: Regney/Lowden
traditional Mary’s Little Boy Child Arr: Hairston
traditional A Holly & Jolly Sing-Along

East Meets West: Promoting Peace Through Music
2013-11-09 19:30
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Ippolitov-Ivanov Procession of the Sardar from Caucasian Sketches
Merritt Dervish
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
traditional Popular Persian tunes

GuestMonika Jalili and her Persian Ensemble

Season Opener
2013-10-05 19:30
ConductorsRobert Baldwin

Wolking, Henry Salt Lake Overture
Brahms Double Concerto Solo: Ralph Matson, violin; John Eckstein, cello
Sibelius Symphony #1

Verdi: A Bicentennial Celebration
2013-05-18 19:30
ConductorsMichael Huff, Lawrence Spell, Robert Baldwin

Verdi Four Sacred Pieces
Verdi “Anvil Chorus” from Il Travatore
Verdi La Forza del Destino Overture
Verdi “Pace, pace mio dio” from La Forza del Destino Solo: Melissa Heath, soprano
Verdi “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” from Nabucco (va pensiero)
Verdi “Triumphal March” & “Ballet” from Aida

GuestUtah Voices, chorus

Music on the Orient Express
2013-04-20 19:30
ConductorsGerald Elias

Enesco Romanian Rhapsody No. 1
Iachimciuc, Igor Adagio
Bartók Concerto for Orchestra
