Deseret News – April Fools’ joke or real? Harmonica-playing elephants to shine with the Utah Symphony next season

by Lottie Peterson Johnson

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Symphony isn’t letting April Fools’ Day pass by without a good joke.

But if the organization’s April 1 announcement does in fact turn out to be true, then going to a Utah Symphony concert just got a lot more interesting.

The Utah Symphony announced Monday that kea birds from the Tracy Aviary will be making their symphony debut during the 2019-20 season, joining musicians on percussion and woodwinds for select nature-themed works. According to Chip Dance, the Utah Symphony’s stage and production manager, the birds are “still in the audition process.”

Dance added that the symphony is taking no risks and has outfitted the orchestra with umbrella hats and ponchos.

But the symphony isn’t limiting its upcoming season to include only its feathered friends; elephants from Utah’s Hogle Zoo will also be showing off their musical talents, according to the news release. One elephant in particular, named Christie, is especially eager to shine.

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