Utah Opera Expands Youth Programs and Family Access

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera (USUO) announced today it would begin selling a $30 Family Pass and launch a new Kid's Club as it expands its efforts to increase the accessibility and affordability of Utah Symphony and Utah Opera performances for youth in the community.

Select performances, beginning with the January 2018 performances of Utah Symphony's "Rachmaninoff & Stravinsky" and Utah Opera's "Moby-Dick," will be designated as Family Nights where the deeply discounted Family Pass will be available. The Family Pass enables a family of four (maximum two adults) to attend the performance for $30. Up to six additional youth tickets to be added onto the pass for an additional $5 each. Youth tickets can be used by K-12 children ages 5 through 18.

The Family Pass is on sale starting January 2, 2018 by visiting the ticket office at Abravanel Hall or calling (801) 533-6683. More information on Family Nights is available at utahsymphony.org/familynights or utahopera.org/familynights.

The Kids Club, to be launched in 2018, will treat kids interested in music with special social events, learning materials and activities-such as an annual "Ice Cream with Musicians" party and birthday greetings-all designed to further engage and inspire them with the world of classical music and opera. All youth, ages 5 through 12, interested in learning about music are invited to join the free program.

Membership Benefits include:

· Kid's Club Passport and Membership Card

· Invitation to the annual "Ice Cream with the Musicians" event

· A free ticket in exchange for showing a report card with a B or higher in an art or music class

· Birthday card

In addition to the membership benefits, a Kids Club table will be in the lobby at Family Night performances with educational information about the orchestra, opera, and classical music for youth and their families. More information on the Kid's Club is available at usuo.org/kidsclub.

USUO's Family Nights and Kids Club expand the efforts currently in place to engage youth in the community with classical music and opera. The High School Club program, which offers students who form symphony or opera clubs at their schools a deep discount on tickets, Student Tickets program, which offers $15 tickets for most performances to students of any age, Utah Symphony Youth Guild, which offers volunteer service and education opportunities for young musicians, and USUO's extensive education programs in the schools will continue alongside these new programs to round out USUO's efforts to inspire youth with great live music.

About Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera connects Utah communities through great live music, serving as the premier local provider of orchestral and operatic art forms. The Utah Symphony, which performs at Salt Lake City's Abravanel Hall and is led by Music Director Thierry Fischer, is one of the most engaged orchestras in the nation. In addition to numerous regional and domestic tours, including most recently the Mighty 5® tour of Southern Utah's National Parks, it has embarked on seven international tours and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2016 coinciding with the orchestra's 75th anniversary celebrations. Since 1978, Utah Opera has provided Utah's citizens with distinguished productions at the historic Capitol Theatre that showcase emerging and established artists, celebrate traditional works, and champion the American operatic tradition. USUO reaches 450,000 residents in Utah and the Intermountain region through its performances and educational outreach programs serving more than 155,000 students annually. The organization employs 57 staff and 85 full-time musicians and presents four full operas and more than 175 symphony performances in each season throughout Utah and an annual summer festival - the Deer Valley® Music Festival - in Park City, Utah. For more information, visit www.usuo.org.