Pioneer Fiddles
The Soundtrack of the Gathering to Zion
Musical instruments were a significant part of the pioneer’s journey as they crossed the plains to the Salt Lake Valley. The instruments were sturdy, portable, and at the heart of every gathering. The musicians who carried them laid the foundation for the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s earliest iteration in 1892.
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, in partnership with the Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is interested in knowing about those instruments and the stories they carry. Ahead of Temple Square’s reopening in 2027, we are showcasing fiddles, violins, and other family instruments with a connection to Utah’s history for an exhibition in the lobby of Abravanel Hall and around downtown Salt Lake City, and to honor the families behind them. Selected stories will be preserved through a collaboration with StoryCorps. Where possible and if given permission by their current owners, select instruments will be evaluated and expertly restored to playing condition.
If a fiddle or other instrument has lived in your family since the early days of Utah Territory — or you suspect one might have — we want to know. The instrument doesn’t have to be in playing condition, and the story doesn’t have to be complete. Share what you have, and we’ll help piece together the rest.
