Utah Symphony to Kick Off MIGHTY 5 Tour on 8/11

The countdown is on, as Utah Symphony finalizes preparations to hit the road August 11-17 on an ambitious week-long journey to connect the communities of southern Utah with great live music.

Dubbed the Mighty 5 Tour, four free concerts featuring the full orchestra will take place in outdoor venues throughout the communities of southern Utah against the natural backdrop of arches, spires and canyons that define Utah's five national parks, known collectively as "The Mighty 5."

The long-anticipated tour has generated much excitement since it was announced in the spring. Free tickets became available for distribution on July 1 at participating Zions Bank locations, the national parks vistor centers, other southern Utah businesses, and online - and some concerts "sold out" in less than a day. Many Zions Bank branches in southern Utah reported people camping out outside their locations and lineups wrapping around their building exteriors in anticipation of the free tickets being released. More than 6,000 tickets have been distributed to date. Additional stand-by tickets may be available starting at 7:30 PM on the evening of each concert - ticket holders are recommended to be in their seats by this time, at which point those waiting without tickets will be permitted to enter pending additional space at the venues.

Those who are unable to attend the concerts in-person can still follow along online. The entire Mighty 5 Tour repertoire has been posted, along with a curated Spotify playlist created by Utah Symphony Principal Librarian Clovis Lark. The "Journal" portion of the Mighty 5 Tour website (utahsymphony.org/mighty5) will serve as the most up-to-date source of information, featuring photo galleries, behind-the-scenes videos, and blog entries from various voices on the tour, including musicians, volunteers, and fans.

Presented by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, The Mighty 5 Tour represents a collaboration between two of Utah's great treasures: the state's leading arts organization, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, and the unparalleled natural beauty of Utah's red rock country preserved within the five national parks. The tour is also made possible with major support from the Utah State Legislature and the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, in addition to funding from O.C. Tanner, Zions Bank, Questar, and Chevron.

At each concert, Music Director Thierry Fischer will lead the Utah Symphony and guest vocalist Celena Shafer, a Utah native, in symphonic works that complement the beauty of the surrounding southern Utah landscape. Rounding out the Mighty 5 Tour are educational outreach activities in the national parks' visitors centers, intimate chamber concerts and outdoor excursions with musicians, all designed to unite the communities with music in celebration of Utah Symphony's upcoming 75th anniversary.

The Utah Symphony's Mighty 5 Tour will begin on Monday, August 11, in Teasdale, Utah, on the outskirts of Capitol Reef National Park with a chamber music concert by guest chamber ensemble Aspen Winds, the tour's guest chamber ensemble, in the bucolic orchard amphitheater at Fruita Campgrounds. At dusk the following evening on Tuesday, August 12 Teasdale Community Park will provide an enviable setting for the first of four large-scale, outdoor concerts, which all commence at 8 PM and are played against the backdrop of Utah's national parks.

The free chamber events continue on Wednesday, August 13, with two performances by Utah Symphony ensembles, both at 7:30 PM: Associate Concertmaster Kathryn Eberle will lead a string quartet in Dvo?ák's "American String Quartet" at the Visitor Center of Arches National Park while a brass ensemble let by Principal Trumpet Travis Peterson will echo off the cliffs in a picturesque event at Dead Horse Point State Park overlooking Canyonlands National Park.

Then on Thursday, August 14, Utah Symphony will travel to the verdant banks of the Green River at Red Cliffs Lodge in Moab for the second full orchestra concert set against the backdrop of Arches National Park and the setting sun.

The next night, Friday, August 15, at a dramatic rim-side location at Ruby's Inn overlooking Bryce Canyon National Park, is one of the largest venues that will host at least 2,000 patrons for a full orchestra concert under the stars. Closing night of the Mighty 5 Tour on Saturday, August 16, takes Utah Symphony to Springdale's O.C. Tanner Amphitheater, as the sun casts fiery shadows onto the towering cliffs of Zion National Park and the twinkling stars emerge overhead

Throughout each day, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera's education department will set up camp at the Visitor Center at each park and host interactive activities revolving around birdsongs of native species found in the national parks. They will be joined by guest chamber ensemble by Aspen Winds, who will imitate nature sounds on their instruments and also perform 15 and 30-minute concerts.

Free tickets for all performances have been distributed and venues are currently at capacity. Additional stand by tickets, if still available, will be distributed at the gate on the evening of the performance starting at 7:30 PM. Call 801.533.6683 or visit utahsymphony.org/mighty5 for more information. No tickets are required to attend chamber performances at Fruita Campground, Arches National Park Visitor Center, or Dead Horse Point State Park.