Utah Symphony Announces 2020-21 Season
Music Director Thierry Fischer leads orchestra’s 81st season featuring continued celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday with all five piano concertos; Additional highlights of the Utah Symphony’s 81st season include:Composer-in-Association Latin Grammy Award nominee Arlene Sierra’s U.S. debuts of her works “Aquilo,” and “Nature Symphony,” and the world premiere of “Bird Symphony.”
Fifteen “first-ever” Utah Symphony performances of classical and contemporary pieces, including five premieres and works by five living composers.
Flutist Emmanuel Pahud joins Thierry Fischer and the orchestra as Artist in Association for two programs of Nielsen’s Flute Concerto, Fantasy themes from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” and the U.S. premiere of Philippe Manoury’s “Saccades.”
Performances of “Back to the Future,” Cirque de la Symphonie, Video Games Live!, a Rodgers and Hammerstein celebration, and “Peter and the Wolf.”
Masterworks Series guest conductor Jun Märkl returns alongside seven conductors making their Utah Symphony Masterworks debuts including Shiyeon Sung, Rune Bergmann, David Afkham, David Danzmayr, Ludovic Morlot, Marc Albrecht and Domingo Hindoyan.
Masterworks Series guest artists include violist Tabea Zimmermann, pianist Ingrid Fliter, pianist Louis Schwizgebel, pianist Steven Osborne, violinist Vadim Gluzman, guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas, and flutist Emmanuel Pahud. Making their Utah Symphony debuts are pianist Benjamin Grosvenor and violinists Inmo Yang and Daniel Lozakovich.
Two featured Utah Symphony soloists include Concertmaster Madeline Adkins (“Scottish Fantasy” and Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins”), and Principal Second Claude Halter (Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins”)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (February 4, 2020) – Music Director Thierry Fischer and Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and Interim President and CEO Patricia A. Richards today announced the Utah Symphony’s 2020-21 season, sponsored by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, with highlights including a cycle of all five Beethoven piano concertos featuring world-renowned pianists in celebration of the composer’s 250th birthday. American composer Arlene Sierra will be the Utah Symphony’s 2020–21 Composer-in-Association, and in addition to having several works premiered or given their first U.S. performances by the orchestra, she will travel to Salt Lake City to engage with the community as an ambassador for contemporary music. The orchestra also welcomes a new Artist-in-Association, flutist Emmanuel Pahud, who performs works by Mozart and Nielsen, as well as a U.S. premiere by Philippe Manoury. The orchestra’s Entertainment Series, Family Series, Films in Concert Series and other special event concerts were announced under the banner of “Live with the Utah Symphony.” “For me, the diversity of our 2020-21 season is really exciting. From the international artists like my good friend, flutist Emmanuel Pahud, to the varied repertoire, we are in store for an inspiring season that showcases what Utah Symphony does best: bring a high level of musical excellence to the stage while interpreting a wide array of musical genres,” said Music Director Thierry Fischer, who was appointed in 2009 and will be in his tenth full season with the orchestra. “Whether it’s contemporary music by our Composer-in-Association Arlene Sierra or Michael Jarrell’s commission, smaller chamber ensembles, or classical masterworks by Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart, I am proud of the orchestra for mastering an assortment of styles that inspires and engages audiences.”This season, Maestro Fischer will lead a continuation of Beethoven’s 250th birthday celebration with a cycle of all five of the composer’s piano concertos featuring world-renowned guest pianists. He leads the orchestra in the season opening concert of Beethoven’s “Emperor” followed by Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, both with soloist Stephen Hough. He also conducts two works by contemporary composers: the U.S. premiere of Utah Symphony commission “Emergences-Résurgences” by Swiss composer Michael Jarrell, and the world premiere of “Bird Symphony” by composer in association Arlene Sierra. In addition to these works, Maestro Fischer will conduct ten Masterworks programs, including Weber’s Overture to Abu Hassan, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Stravinsky’s “Song of the Nightingale,” Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet,” Haydn’s Symphony No. 11, Nielsen’s Flute Concerto, Fauré’s “Requiem,” Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9, Strauss’s “Ein Heldenleben” (A Hero’s Life), Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphonies No.. 1 and 2, and Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik.”
“The upcoming Utah Symphony season showcases the artistry and versatility of this incredible group of musicians. We are especially proud to highlight two of our own extraordinary violinists as soloists this season in our Masterworks Series, which presents some of the most beautiful and inspiring music ever written,” said Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Interim President and CEO Patricia A. Richards, who was Board Chair from 2005 to 2014 and is a Lifetime Trustee on the Board of Trustees. “And on the lighter side, from Films in Concert to show-stopping favorites like Cirque de la Symphonie and Pink Martini, we are offering programs with wide appeal. It is going to be a great year!” London-based American composer Arlene Sierra, who “The New York Times” recognized for “vividly scored, colorful works,” is Utah Symphony’s 2020-21 composer in association. Over the course of the season, the orchestra will explore three premieres: a mysterious and evocative orchestral showpiece, “Aquilo,” appears as the first of her two U.S. premieres on November 13, and 14; “Nature Symphony,” the second of Arlene Sierra’s U.S. premieres on January 29 and 30, takes a deep look into “the mechanics and processes of nature.” The season of Arlene Sierra premieres concludes with “Bird Symphony,” which is commissioned by the Utah Symphony and has its world premiere on April 23 and 24. As part of its mission to inspire and connect communities throughout the state with great live music, the Utah Symphony continues “run outs” to three venues. An eight-part series is presented in Ogden in partnership with the Onstage Ogden at Austad Auditorium at Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Weber State University; a six-part series in its second year brings the orchestra to The Noorda, the new performing arts center on the campus of Utah Valley University in Utah County; and a single performance of German violist Tabea Zimmermann, in her Masterworks Series debut, in partnership with the BRAVO! Series at de Jong Concert Hall at the Harris Fine Arts Center on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo on November 19, 2020. “As board chair, I am very proud to witness firsthand how music changes lives when I attend orchestra performances. We are so fortunate to live in a state with a full time, world-class symphony orchestra and experience the high caliber of talent this group of musicians offers citizens all across our state,” said Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Board Chair Tom Love. “This truly is Utah’s Symphony! And we can only accomplish this with the generous support of a great many community leaders, patrons and elected officials, for whom we are extremely grateful. The board and I continue to advocate on behalf of this cultural gem so that future generations will continue to have access the transformative power of music.” 2020-21 SEASON AT A GLANCE Beethoven’s 250th birthday The season includes a continuation of the celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday with Masterworks performances of all five of the composer’s piano concertos featuring world-class soloists. British pianist Stephen Hough opens the 2020-21 season with Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” on September 18 and 19, and Piano Concerto No. 4 on September 25 and 26, both led by Music Director Thierry Fischer; British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor performs Beethoven’s third piano concerto on October 23 and 24 in his Utah Symphony debut with guest conductor Jun Märkl at the podium; Argentine pianist and 2006 Gilmore Artist Ingrid Fliter performs Piano Concerto No. 1 with Rune Bergmann leading the orchestra on December 3 and 4; and Swiss pianist Louis Schwizgebel performs Beethoven’s second piano concerto on December 11 and 12 with guest conductor David Afkham. Additional works by the composer will be featured during 2020-21, including Symphony No. 9 “Choral” led by Shiyeon Sung with Utah Symphony Chorus and University of Utah Choirs on November 13 and 14; “Fidelio” Overture from the composer’s only opera on December 3 and 4; and his orchestral tribute, “Coriolan” Overture, on December 11 and 12. Fifteen first-ever performances Fifteen “first-ever” Utah Symphony performances of classical and contemporary pieces, will include five premieres and works by five living composers. Music Director Thierry Fischer leads the Utah Symphony in seven never-before-heard Abravanel Hall performances of R. Strauss’ “The Woman without a Shadow” Symphonic Fantasy in the first Masterworks of the season on September 18 and 19; Prokofiev’s “Cinderella” Suite and Schoenberg’s groundbreaking 1st Chamber Symphony on September 24 and 25; Stravinsky’s “Agon” Ballet on February 5 and 6; continuation of his Haydn Symphony cycle with the 11th symphony; and Mozart’s “The Magic Flute Fantasy” with flutist Emmanuel Pahud on February 19 and 20; and closes the season with Schoenberg’s rarely-performed Chamber Symphony No. 2 on May 28 and 29. Korean guest conductor Shiyeon Sung also conducts Mozart’s “Misericordias Domini” with the Utah Symphony Chorus joining the orchestra for the first time on the Abravanel Hall stage on November 13 and 14. New works by living composers begin with Latin Grammy Award-nominated U.S. composer Arlene Sierra’s mysterious and evocative orchestral showpiece “Aquilo” in its U.S. premiere on November 13 and 14; “Nature Symphony,” the composer’s second U.S. premiere on January 29 and 30; and concludes with “Bird Symphony,” which has its world premiere by Utah Symphony on April 23 and 24. On November 20 and 21, the orchestra presents the U.S. premiere of Swiss-born Michael Jarrell’s Utah Symphony commission “Emergences-Résurgences” with viola soloist Tabea Zimmermann, to whom he dedicated the piece in 2016. Jarrell previously wrote “Emergences (Nachlese VI)” for the orchestra in 2012 as a co-commission with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg and the Orchestre National de Lyon. The orchestra performs “Clepsidra” by Mexican composer Mario Lavista, under the baton of Maestro Fischer on February 26 and 27; Chinese-American composer Zhou Tian’s “Trace” on April 9 and 10, which tells of the composer’s own disappearing homeland and the ways industrialization has obscured the past; and “Saccades” by French composer Philippe Manoury for Emmanuel Pahud in its U.S. premiere on May 21 and 22. Guest soloists sharing the stage Eleven internationally renowned guest soloists share the Abravanel Hall stage during the 2020-21 season, including five piano and four strings soloists, and the return of two virtuosos of the classical guitar and flute. British piano sensation Stephen Hough opens the 2020-21 season in two consecutive Masterworks programs performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” on September 18 and 19, and Piano Concerto No. 4 on September 25 and 26; British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, winner of Gramophone’s Young Artist of the Year and Instrumental Awards, performs Beethoven’s third piano concerto on October 23 and 24 in his Utah Symphony debut; Argentine pianist and 2006 Gilmore Artist Ingrid Fliter performs Piano Concerto No. 1 on December 3 and 4; Swiss pianist Louis Schwizgebel, a BBC New Generation Artist and Leeds International Piano Competition finalist, returns to perform Beethoven’s second piano concerto on December 11 and 12; two-time Gramophone Award-winning Scottish pianist Steven Osborne, also 2013 Winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist of the Year, makes his orchestra debut with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12 on March 26 and 27. Other guest string soloists featured on Masterworks concerts include German violist Tabea Zimmermann, in her Masterworks Series debut on November 20 and 21, performing Romantic melodies in Berlioz’ “Harold in Italy” as well as the U.S. premiere of Michael Jarrell’s art-inspired concerto “Emergences-Résurgences,” a Utah Symphony commission dedicated to her in 2016; the return of Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman on January 8 and 9 to perform Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 on his incredible 1690 “ex-Leopold Auer” Stradivarius; the Utah Symphony debut of Korean violinist Inmo Yang on February 5 and 6 playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto; and Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich, who has performed with Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the Moscow Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestras, playing the virtuosic Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto on April 23 and 24. Two additional international guest artists make their return to the Abravanel Hall stage: Spanish classical guitar sensation and audience favorite Pablo Villegas joins the orchestra on January 29 and 30 to perform Rodrigo’s “Fantasía para un gentilhombre,“ a work written for one of his idols, the legendary Andrés Segovia; flute virtuoso and Artist in Association Emmanuel Pahud returns to Utah for two dates, on February 21 and 22 to perform Nielsen’s playful concerto and a fantasy on themes from Mozart’s most magical opera, “The Magic Flute,” and again on May 21 and 22 to play the U.S. premiere of Philippe Manoury’s “Sacaddes.” Two Utah Symphony principal players are featured soloists on Masterworks programs: Concertmaster Madeline Adkins performs Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy” on April 9 and 10 with guest conductor Domingo Hindoyan; on April 30 and May 1, Ms. Adkins joins Principal Second Violin Claude Halter to play J.S. Bach’s only concerto for violin duo, a work that dazzles with unique textures and a mesmerizing interplay between the soloists under the baton of Maestro Fischer. Vocalists and Choral Performances The combined forces of the Utah Symphony Chorus and choirs from the University of Utah prepared by Utah Symphony Chorus Director Barlow Bradford are prominently featured on November 13 and 14 performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral”, and a pair of Mozart’s most important liturgical works, “Ave verum corpus” and offertory “Misericordias domini,” featuring melodies that foreshadow Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” theme, alongside vocalists MET soprano and Utah native Celena Shafer, mezzo-soprano and Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Utah Kirstin Chávez, and the Utah Symphony debuts of tenor Arnold Livingston Geis and bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams. On February 26 and 27, Utah Symphony Chorus joins the orchestra for Fauré’s gorgeous and moving “Requiem,” and are later joined by University of Utah Choirs for Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” for a rarely heard chorus component. Guest Conductors Guest conductors during the Utah Symphony’s 2020-21 season include the return of Jun Märkl (who will also be making his Utah Opera conducting debut with “The Flying Dutchman” in the opening season October opera) on October 23 and 24 to lead the concerts featuring pianist Benjamin Grosvenor; and the Masterworks debut of Chief Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra David Danzmayr, on January 8 and 9 in a Brahms and Prokofiev program featuring violinist Vadim Gluzman. Six guest conductors make their Utah Symphony debut during the 2020-21 season. They include South Korean conductor Shiyeon Sung, the first woman to win top prize in the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in 2006, and second prize winner in Bamberg’s Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in 2007on November 13 and 14 conducting Mozart’s liturgical works, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral” and Arlene Sierra’s “Equilo” U.S. premiere; Norwegian conductor Rune Bergmann, Music Director of Canada’s Calgary Philharmonic, and Artistic Director & Chief Conductor of Poland’s Szczecin Philharmonic, on December 4 and 5 leading the orchestra in two Beethoven works with pianist Ingrid Fliter and Nielsen’s “The Inextinguishable”; Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquestra y Coro Nacional de España, German David Afkham, on December 11 and 12 with pianist Louis Schwizgebel on a program featuring Beethoven and Shostakovich; Conductor Emeritus of the Seattle Symphony Ludovic Morlot, under whose baton that orchestra completed 19 recordings, leading the Utah Symphony and fan-favorite classical guitarist Pablo Villegas on January 29 and 30 featuring the U.S. premiere of Arlene Sierra’s “Nature Symphony,” Rodrigo’s “Fantasía para un gentilhombre,” and Schumann’s “Spring” symphony; an all-Mozart and Mahler program with Marc Albrecht, ‘Conductor of the Year’ at the International Opera Awards 2019, on March 26 and 27; and Venezuelan-Swiss Principal Guest Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Domingo Hindoyan on April 9 and 10 with Concertmaster Madeline Adkins performing Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy” on a program also featuring Zhou Tian’s “Trace” and Stravinsky” “Pétrouchka.” “Live with the Utah Symphony” Concerts During the 2020-21 season, the orchestra will feature a wide gamut of Broadway, family, film and special performances under the banner “Live with the Utah Symphony.” These 13 programs include favorites such as the 2nd annual ¡Celebración Sinfónica! honoring Hispanic Heritage month with guest conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto on September 14; REVOLUTION: The Music of The Beatles with rare footage seen on the big screen on November 6 and 7; Cirque de la Symphonie with live feats of acrobatic athleticism soaring above the orchestra performance on December 18 and 19; Video Games Live! with music from iconic video games on January 2; a Rodgers and Hammerstein celebration on February 12 and 13; Pixar in Concert featuring favorite music from Pixar movie classics on April 13 and 17; and the return of Portland’s favorite “little orchestra” with big sounds of vintage pop, jazz, classical and global styles, Pink Martini, on April 16 and 17. Some annual classics return: The 61st anniversary Salute to Youth on November 25, 2020; Handel’s “Messiah” Sing-in holiday favorite tradition on November 28 and 29; “Here Comes Santa Claus!” concert on December 19; “Peter and the Wolf on March 17, and the All Star Evening on May 25 featuring prodigious youth musicians playing alongside Utah Symphony. The 2020-21 Films in Concert Series features the Utah Symphony performing the scores live to picture for “Back to the Future” on October 29 and 30; Disney Pixar’s “Beauty and the Beast” on December 23 and 24; the seventh installment of the Harry Potter™ Film Concert Series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ Part 1” on March 5 and 6; and “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” the third installment of the “Star Wars” film series, on June 25 and 26. 2020-21 MASTERWORKS SERIES GUEST ARTISTS CONDUCTORS Jun Märkl Shiyeon Sung (*Utah Symphony debut) Rune Bergmann (*Utah Symphony debut) David Afkham (*Utah Symphony debut) David Danzmayr (*Utah Symphony Masterworks debut) Ludovic Morlot (*Utah Symphony debut) Marc Albrecht (*Utah Symphony debut) Domingo Hindoyan (*Utah Symphony debut) PIANISTS Stephen Hough Benjamin Grosvenor (*Utah Symphony debut) Ingrid Fliter Louis Schwizgebel Steven Osborne STRING SOLOISTS Tabea Zimmermann, viola (*Masterworks Series debut) Vadim Gluzman, violin Inmo Yang, violin (*Utah Symphony debut) Daniel Lozakovich, violin (*Utah Symphony debut) Claude Halter, violin (Utah Symphony Principal Second) Madeline Adkins, violin (Utah Symphony Concertmaster) ADDITIONAL SOLOISTS Pablo Villegas, classical guitar Emmanuel Pahud, flute VOCAL SOLOISTS Celena Shafer, soprano Kirstin Chávez, mezzo-soprano Arnold Livingston Geis, tenor (*Utah Symphony debut) Andrew Foster-Williams, bass-baritone (*Utah Symphony debut) UTAH SYMPHONY CHORUS UNIVERSITY OF UTAH CHAMBER CHOIR AND A CAPPELLA CHOIR Tickets and Subscriptions Subscription renewals and purchases are available online at www.utahsymphony.org starting February 4, 2020. Current season subscribers have until March 31, 2020 to renew their subscriptions or request seat changes for the 2020-21 season before seats are released to new subscribers and subscribers requesting seat changes. Subscriptions may also be renewed or purchased by calling (801) 533-6683 or by visiting the Abravanel Hall Ticket Office (123 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah). To request a printed 2020-21 Utah Symphony season schedule, please call Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Patron Services at (801) 533-6683, email [email protected], or write to ATTN: USUO Patron Services, 123 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. Single tickets for select concerts in the 2020-21 Utah Symphony season will be available starting June 9, 2020. To view a full season schedule, visit utahsymphony.org.