Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s Vivace group, a funkified bunch of 20,30,40 somethings – single/partnered/married – who just happen to get their groove on to classical music and opera, was awarded a Best of Utah Award by City Weekly! Basically this means that as we all already knew, Vivace is the coolest thing ever since sliced bread. Specifically, Vivace was awarded with “Best Classical Night on a PBR budget.” If you’re acronym challenged like myself, let me elaborate. No, it’s not a typo for PB&J, but it means essentially the same thing. PBR is Pabst Blue Ribbon beer that apparently tastes really good but has a low impact on the budget. Sounds just like Vivace: intoxicating, leads to a great time, sounds great (i.e. tastes good), and is CHEAP.Check out the story at: http://www.slweekly.com/

How will Vivace celebrate the illustrious award? By doing what we do best – partying it up big time at our next event: Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Click here for info on the next event: www.usuo.org/vivace

Hello! My name is Tad Calcara, principal clarinet of the Utah Symphony. This week I will be hosting the Utah Symphony’s program of classic Big Band Swing music. Swing music was the popular music of the 1930s and 1940s. It is an energetic Jazz-based dance music that became hugely popular in the mid 1930s during Roosevelt’s New Deal. It also served as a soundtrack during WWII. One would hear swing music everywhere at the time - on the radio, in the movies, at the store, at school, etc….

The leaders of the Big Bands were quite literally household names at the time: Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw. These musicians were as famous as Elvis was in the 1950s or the Beatles in the 1960s. They were also amazing instrumentalist on each of their instruments. Arguments would occur when discussing who played clarinet better - Artie Shaw or Benny Goodman; or who was a hotter trumpet man: Harry James or Louis Armstrong?

An interesting phenomenon about this style of music is its appeal to other generations. The reason for this is quite simple - it has an irresistible lively youthfulness that is quite exciting - even if you were born 20, 40, or 50 years after the Swing Era! This is teenager music from the 1930s.

It is one thing to hear this music from recordings - but to really get the full experience you must hear it LIVE! There is nothing quite like seeing and hearing a Big Band in person. My band, the New Deal Swing, will be enhanced and enlarged by the full Utah Symphony. In addition we have spent countless hours researching archives and digging through music to locate the original arrangements played by the famous bands 70 years ago. Every piece on the concert is taken from the original manuscripts - no re-creations here!

Our program will also feature Jazz vocalist Melissa Pace Tanner as well as the Salt Lake Jitterbug Club. It is important to note that Swing music was first and foremost - dance music - and the Salt Lake Jitterbug Club has all of the moves down! Check out their period costumes also; everything from two tone shoes to zoot suits! In addition one should not forget that Swing Music was also a vocal music that featured many great singers. In fact many famous vocalist began their careers with the Big Bands; Doris Day (Les Brown), Peggy Lee (Benny Goodman), Ella Fitzgearld (Chick Webb), Billie Holiday (Artie Shaw), Tony Bennett and a skinny kid from Jersey - Frank Sinatra - sang with both Harry James and Tommy Dorsey.

In addition many Utah Symphony musicians will featured as soloists; principal trombone Larry “Slide” Zalkind will dazzle you with Tommy Dorsey’s Trombonology; Tony DiLorenzo will play some “smokin’” trumpet solos; and retired Utah Symphony principal bassoon Doug “Cap’n” Craig will return to Abravenel Hall on alto sax!

So Swing into Spring with the New Deal Swing Band and the Utah Symphony this Friday or Saturday at Abravanel Hall.

Tad Calcara & New Deal Swing
Utah Symphony Pops
May 2 & 3 (Fri & Sat) @ 8:00 PM
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Today’s gossip rags highlight celebrity romances of “Bennifer” or “Brangelina,” but if you were alive during the mid to late 1800s, Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann (”Jolara,” perhaps?) might have graced the cover of the National Enquirer.

Clara, a respected pianist during the Romantic era, was the wife of composer Robert Schumann. When her husband attempted suicide and later died, it was Robert’s good friend Johannes Brahms who provided comfort and support to Clara and her family.

A close relationship between Brahms and Clara developed and became the source of speculation and gossip. But, to the deep dismay of Brahms, the relationship never advanced past that phrase that smitten men dread hearing - “just friends.”

It was at this time that Brahms composed his first piano concerto. This concerto, which Horacio Gutiérrez will perform with the Utah Symphony this weekend, reflects this stormy period in Brahms’s life.

Brahms Piano Concerto
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Horacio Gutiérrez, piano
Music Exposed: Thursday, April 17 @ 7:00 PM - More Details
Classical: Fri & Sat, April 18 & 19 @ 8:00 PM - More Details

Happy Spring!

My earliest memory of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto is from when I was four or five in San Diego. My parents are not musicians, but my mother especially loved classical music and they had a small but respectable collection of LPs. One of these was a two-record set of Heifetz playing the Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Brahms Violin Concertos. I used to know each LP by its record cover design and color, so this was the purple one with a color portrait of Heifetz looking elegant but stern. The cover is now quite beat up from all of the handling (and perhaps also from my cat who willfully mistook my record shelf for a scratching post), but the records inside are still scratch free. Even as a little kid, I knew that this music was wonderful, and treated the LPs with utmost care.

My other source of music was running to the house next door. Both musicians in the San Diego Symphony (they still are), Mr. Sasaki was the percussionist in the orchestra, and his garage was filled with all of his fascinating instruments. I was especially mesmerized by his amazing virtuosity at the xylophone. Mrs. Sasaki was a violinist in the orchestra, and I loved the few times she let me sit nearby while she practiced. These moments have left a deep impression on me.

Now, as a violinist in the Utah Symphony, I have the privilege of participating directly in the music making. Listening is wonderful, but being there inside the orchestra and contributing my best to the whole, is an incomparable feeling. Whenever I visit other orchestras, my fingers start to twitch and I just want to join right in. I become impatient to get back to the Utah Symphony where my chair awaits and we’re all ready to take the next musical adventure.

I hope you join us this month for more great musical moments. Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, Brahms Piano Concerto, Carmina Burana…. These are all monumental works not to be missed!

Yuki McQueen

Utah Symphony Violinist

I went to the Opera preview this past week, and it was so much fun! They gave us a tour of the facilities and had old costumes out as well as costume and set designs for us to see as we walked around. It was really exciting to see it all up close! The food was great, but the highlight of the evening was the performances. The Opera apprentices performed selections from next years season and I lost myself as I listened to them! They have picked some brilliant shows, and as I am a new Opera lover it only seems to get more and more exciting as I am introduced to this new world. Next year is going to be one hit after another.

If you’re interested in season tickets for the 2008-2009 Utah Opera season, they’re on sale now and start at just $42: utahopera.org/subscriptions.

You can see pictures of the Opera Preview on Facebook here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=15801&page=1&id=6381784924

If you’re a regular Utah Symphony concert goer who found yourself at Video Games Live this weekend, you were probably wondering what happened to Abravanel Hall and the Utah Symphony. It was a concert like none I’ve ever seen before, and everyone who I’ve spoken with loved it.

Park City Television did a great spot on the show that you can watch on YouTube: PCTV - Video Games Live, Salt Lake City. Also, you can view a photo album of the concert on the Video Games Live website: VideoGamesLive.com.

This concert attracted a younger crowd than we usually get, so I was expecting quite a few blogs to mention it. I wasn’t disappointed. Here are some of the best reviews I found.

The Life of CPM

I went to see the Utah Symphony perform Video Games Live last night at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. Does that sound like an incredibly nerdy thing to do? Yes, yes it does. But it was awesome, and would have been appreciated by any music lover, even without knowing the video games from which the music came.

Marrott Family and More

All in all it was quite a show and definitely something I would see again.

The Church’s News

Some of the music to the video games is incredible. During intermission I overheard an older couple - yes, there were actually the stereotypical “upper crust” season ticket holders there - commenting that she had no idea that video games had such beautiful music. I must admit, I was really amazed and impressed at the music.

Thanks for everyone who came out and supported the Symphony this weekend. I had lots of fun myself.

If you enjoyed VGL, there are three concerts we have coming up that you would probably like also. I can’t promise the lights, smoke, and costumes, but all of them will still be a lot of fun.

Music Exposed: Horacio Gutiérrez

You probably noticed that VGL had a lot more interaction from the stage than our “regular” concerts do. If you liked the interaction, then come and check out Music Exposed. During these Thursday concerts, the conductor and musicians give insight about the music being performed and interact with the audience from the stage. Also, the concerts begin earlier and are a bit shorter.

The last Music Exposed concert for the season, featuring pianist Horacio Gutiérrez and conductor Keith Lockhart, is coming up this month. The orchestra will be performing Brahms famous, and challenging, Piano Concerto No. 1.

Carmina Burana

The second concert is one I’ve been looking forward to all season. There’s a reason that the music from Carmina Burana is used in so many movies, TV shows, sporting events, and even video games. The music is powerful, suspenseful, and emotional. It isn’t often that you can hear these pieces performed in person. Like VGL, it will be an unforgettable concert.

Check out this video of O Fortuna (with scenes from the Halo) on YouTube if you don’t know the music off the top of your head: Halo “O Fortuna” Tribute.

Tad Calcara & New Deal Swing

Finally, the third concert you might enjoy is our next Pops concert - Tad Calcara & New Deal Swing. Tad is the Principal Clarinetist for the Utah Symphony and one of the most fun musicians to watch during the performances. New Deal Swing is comprised of some of Utah’s finest jazz musicians. Together they will perform an evening of charts from the golden age.

I hope to see everyone at the symphony again soon!

Vivace Turns Three With

A Little More Cowbell

It’s been a wild ride, and it’s gone by way too fast, but USUO’s Vivace turned three over the weekend! If you haven’t heard about Vivace yet, it’s a funkified bunch of 20, 30, 40 somethings - single/partnered/married - who just happen to get their groove on to classical music and opera. Vivace is the largest group of it’s kind West of the Mississippi, with 1,061 members as of this post. We attend 6 or so performances a year, sit together, get a sweet discount, receive a funkified version of the program notes, and then we follow up the evening with a fabulous after-party. Next year we’ll have an event every single month so no worries you Vivace addicts! Relief is on the way. Vivace is open to the funkified of all ages. It’s free to join, just send an email to vivace@utahsymphonyopera.org. Check us out at www.utahsymphonyopera.org/vivace as well as on Myspace and Facebook. Gotta throw in the self-plug! J

We celebrated this anniversary the way Vivace does best - a big party mixed in with some fierce music. We attended the March 22^nd performance of the Utah Symphony that featured percussionist Colin Currie and guest conductor JoAnn Falletta. They were both excellent partiers. Colin Currie was actually the guest artist at Vivace’s second event on August 5, 2005 so it was like coming full circle to have him at our 3^rd b-day bash. Both guest artists fit right in with the Vivace crowd.

The music, of course, was the star of the night. That and the free champagne. e heard George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody that he later called a “youthful indiscretion.” I’m sure if a Romanian Rhapsody was your “youthful indiscretion” you’d probably have a few more brain cells right? Next we had the pleasure of hearing Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto which included among a myriad of fabulous instruments, the magnificent cowbell. Percussionists are all about showing off their toys and doing pretty much everything that can possibly be done to inanimate objects, so this concerto rocked. What better way to celebrate Vivace’s bday than with a little banging around?

The performance part of the evening rapped with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. Vivace members were totally impressed that Ms. Falletta conducted that gargantuan of a piece from memory. As always the Orchestra sounded fantastic. And fierce.
We wrapped up the night by throwing the most marvelous after-party in the universe in the 1^st Tier Room of Abravanel Hall. We enjoyed delicious food from Cuisine Unlimited and champagne donated by Vivace members David and SandyLee Griswold. We talked, mingled, and partied till I kicked everyone out when the bar closed.

What’s up next for Vivace, you may ask? Well aside from world domination, we’re attending opening night of Mozart’s Don Giovanni aka “The Original Playa” on May 10, 2008. We’re going to combine the Vivace after-party with the cast opening night party so it will be one event NOT to miss. Tickets are $30, $15 for students and include the after-party. Call 801.533.NOTE (6683) and mention you’re a Vivace member or visit www.arttix.org find the performance, and enter promo code Vivace.

by Crystal Young-Otterstrom, Audience Development Manager

I was able to find two great reviews from bloggers who attended Utah Opera’s Cinderella. Both of them loved it as much as I did (I actually went twice!).

The Kelly Fambam 

We went to the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera’s production of “Cinderella” at the Capital Theatre in SLC last night. Whoa. Klint and I had such a great time! The talented musicians and vocalists were amazing! I had perma-goosebumps the whole time. The vocalists have so much control and power, it’s boggling! As we left Klint said, “I’ll never knock opera again…”

Klint, that’s exactly how I felt after my first Opera. The talent it takes to sing opera is amazing.

Almost Halfway There

Friday evening, Wes and I were treated with his dad’s 3rd row tickets to see the Utah Opera at the Capitol Theater. We saw Cinderella by Rossini and it was delightful. I haven’t been to an opera for a long time but I loved it. My first experience with opera at the Capitol Theater was when I was a child - my parents took me to see Madame Butterfly. They related the story to me in the car on the way about the tragic love story between an American Lieutenant and a beautiful Japanese Geisha. I hate to admit I was a little disappointed when the lovely Madame Butterfly was portrayed by a very large, very overpowering, middle-aged African-American woman (no offense intended - I was just a little girl expecting a young asian beauty). I really loved the music, though. Anyway, thanks to Dave and Connie for a marvelous experience.

I’m happy to hear you enjoyed Cinderella. Both of you mentioned Madame Butterfly, which Utah Opera will be producing next year.  There are four great operas next season, and I’m sure you won’t want to miss any of them. Season subscriptions for our upcoming season are currently on sale for as little as $42. Visit utahopera.org/subscriptions to download a season brochure.

Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony is a member of one of the “basic food groups” for classical concert audiences. I have been asked on many occasions how I deal with the “endless” repetition of popular orchestral works. My mentor, Julius Baker, told me that if I “did things right” that I would always continue to improve. Every time the Utah Symphony repeats a popular work like Tchaikovsky’s 4th, I revert back to that statement. Over the years, I have been able to keep popular works fresh by comparing my current performance with my previous one.

Erich Graf

Principal Flutist

Born in Boulder, Colorado, May 21, 1962; now living in Eugene, Oregon

David Crumb has no need to invoke his famous father to command respect and recognition, for he is a composer of the front rank with a raft of prestigious commissions, performances and awards to his credit. David’s musical education took place at the Eastman School of Music (B.M. in composition, 1985), and at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (M.A. in composition, 1991; Ph.D. in 1992). He spent the year 1989-90 at the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem, Israel, where he studied composition and conducting. Crumb is an accomplished cellist as well, having studied with members of both the Philadelphia Orchestra and Boston Symphony. In 1997 he joined the music faculty at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he is still a member of the composition department. The following year he won a Guggenheim Fellowship.

September Elegy was Crumb’s intensely emotional response to 9/11 and is dedicated to the victims of that attack. “It reflects the underlying feelings of sadness and uncertainty that I experienced following that tragic event,” writes the composer. “I tend to experience the conceptualization and ultimate realization of my music as a nonlinear and rather mysterious process.”

David Crumb will join the Utah Symphony at Ancient Voices of Children on March 13.

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