Cinematic classic to return to the big screen with songs performed by the Utah Symphony

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (July 1, 2019) – Steven Spielberg’s era-defining masterpiece “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial” won a plethora of awards, including an Academy Award® for John Williams’ spellbinding score. On Saturday, July 13 at 7:30 PM, the Utah Symphony and Deer Valley® Music Festival Principal Conductor Conner Gray Covington will perform the composition live to picture at the Deer Valley® Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater.

Director Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming masterpiece is one of the brightest stars in motion picture history.  Filled with unparalleled magic and imagination, “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” follows the moving story of a lost little alien who befriends a 10-year-old boy named Elliott.  Experience all the mystery and fun of their unforgettable adventure in the beloved movie that captivated audiences around the world, complete with John Williams’ Academy Award®-winning score performed live by the Utah Symphony in sync to the film shown on the big screen!

During their main season, the Utah Symphony performs live to picture concerts with award-winning films and their prestigious scores. The 2019-2020 season will feature films such as “The Empire Strikes Back”, “Coco”, “Singin’ In the Rain” and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”.

Conner Gray Covington is in his second season with the Utah Symphony as Associate Conductor and recently assumed the role of the Deer Valley® Music Festival’s Principal Conductor for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He has conducted over 80 performances across the state of Utah. Before his residency in Utah he was the Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and has worked with the symphonies of St. Louis, Virginia, and Monterey (California) as a guest conductor. Covington graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in violin performance and has earned awards such as the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize and the Career Assistance Awards from the Solti Foundation U.S. in 2014, 2017 and 2019.

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s 16^th season of the Deer Valley® Music Festival comprises 19 performances over seven weeks with performances in a variety of venues featuring a wide array of music styles, including bluegrass, musical theater, folk, country, and more. The 16^th year of the festival will focus on celebrating the local community, donors, and supporters through a variety of pop-up ensemble performances at existing summer events and venues throughout the community.

RELATED EVENTS

Throughout the 2019 festival, small Utah Symphony and Utah Opera ensembles will perform close to a dozen “pop up concerts” – many of them free – in collaboration with other community groups. Members of the Utah Symphony Youth Guild will perform at the Deer Valley® Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater on Wednesday, July 10 at 5:30 PM. Additionally, Utah Trombone Authority, featuring members of the Utah Symphony trombone section and Will Kimball will perform in front of the main stage at the Park Silly Sunday Market in Park City on Sunday, July 14 at 10 AM. The following Monday, July 15 at 6:30 PM, a trio from the Utah Symphony will perform a 45-minute concert in Gallery MAR, with Principal Second violin Claude Halter, Acting Associate Principal Viola Elizabeth Beilman on the viola, and Flutist Caitlyn Valovick Moore.