Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Tickets on Sale Now

Tickets for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s highly-anticipated 2023-24 season went on sale with best-available main-floor seats for most performances available at just $25 for a limited time. With more than 40 unique performances, this upcoming season is sure to inspire and delight the entire community. Music lovers are encouraged to secure tickets to their favorite performances during August for the best prices available, while supplies lasts.

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s 2023-24 season will deliver powerful musical narratives, as each program brings its own aspect of storytelling to the stage. “Every work we present has a story to share, and we continually strive to connect our audiences to these powerful musical narratives,” says President & CEO Steve Brosvik. “We look forward to sharing with Utahns all that the upcoming season expresses when we welcome audiences to our home venues at Maurice Abravanel Hall and the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theater—and at performances throughout the state.” 

Utah Symphony Season Highlights

An undeniable highlight of the season and confirmation of the symphony’s promise to bring the world’s best artists to Utah, reigning violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman joins the orchestra for a special celebratory evening to showcase a new suite of film music composed or arranged by John Williams from movies including Schindler’s List, Far and Away, and Sabrina. Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded to classical musicians—and he is treasured by audiences worldwide who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for music-making. Tickets to this special celebratory performance are nearly sold out!

While the symphony’s music director search continues, David Robertson begins his three-year term as inaugural Creative Partner—and in the 2023-24 season, he has crafted three distinct and imaginative concert experiences that will excite existing audiences and attract newcomers, each complemented by related education activities. Robertson’s first program will deepen audiences’ understanding of Beethoven’s Ninth, exploring the highs and lows of humanity by pairing the masterpiece (with its famous “Ode to Joy” proclaiming the dream of universal brotherhood) with the semi-staged final act of Berg’s opera, Wozzeck, based on the true and brutal story of a tragic contemporary of Beethoven. In his second program, Robertson explores the concept of place expressed through music, with works that paint images of America, Finland, and Germany, including Schumann’s “Rhenish” Symphony. 

For his final week in May 2024, Robertson has developed a festival bringing the eight extraordinary acoustic and electric guitarists of the collective Another Night on Earth to the community. With the Guitar Celebrations festival, the ensemble members—including Robertson—will engage with audiences and students in genre-bending performances and education programs in a variety of venues and settings across the Salt Lake Valley. The capstone to the week-long festival is a Masterworks performance at Abravanel Hall with a wide range of music for acoustic and electric guitar with orchestra, from Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez (history’s most famous guitar concerto); to arrangements of music by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Frank Zappa; to new guitar concertos by Another Night on Earth members Steven Mackey and James Moore. This innovative program highlights the versatility of the guitar while pushing the boundaries of classical programming and welcoming together audiences who enjoy popular music of many genres. 

Also designed to bring new audiences to the concert hall—and to bring new perspectives to current audiences—the Utah Symphony introduces Masterworks Magnified, successor to the Unwound series, which was offered in years prior to the pandemic. For three Masterworks performances, audiences will enjoy added elements such as video projections and special lighting in the concert hall, conversations with the performers, and lobby activities on theme with the concert, allowing different and deeper experiences of classical repertoire. (The designated Masterworks Magnified programs will be announced later this spring.) 

The Utah Symphony season’s narrative begins with Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony, inspired by the spiritual storytelling of Native American and African American music, in a program with Utah native Aubree Oliverson as soloist in Barber’s Violin Concerto. The storytelling motif continues with lush symphonic favorites including Copland’s vision of the American dream in Appalachian Spring; the fabled tales of the One Thousand and One Nights translated musically in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade (as well as Ravel’s song cycle of the same name, with Utah Opera favorite Wendy Bryn Harmer); selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, which acts as a masterclass for storytelling through music; tone poems by Strauss and Sibelius; and theatrical and opera overtures by Mozart, Beethoven, and others. This utterly expressive repertoire is brought to life masterfully by the orchestra’s 87 extraordinary artists. 

Renowned guest soloists will grace the stage for the Masterworks Series with their own personal narratives and musicality shared through works written specifically for them. For a third straight season, Sir Stephen Hough returns to the Utah Symphony, this time with the world premiere of his own Piano Concerto (The World of Yesterday), co-commissioned by the Utah Symphony and inspired by the decadence of pre-war Vienna. Danny Elfman’s colorful and lively Percussion Concerto was written for—and is performed by—dynamic percussionist Colin Currie, and trail-blazing pianist Awadagin Pratt brings a delightful mix of old and new to the stage with a Bach Keyboard Concerto and Rounds by Jessie Montgomery, who wrote the work specifically for him. Émergences-Résurgences by Swiss composer Michael Jarrell was co-commissioned by the Utah Symphony and written for the world’s most renowned violist, Tabea Zimmermann, who will give its U.S. premiere. Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers will share Arturo Márquez’s dance-inspired Fandango, composed for her, in a spirited season finale.  

Co-commissioned by the Utah Symphony, Quinn Mason composed a new Trombone Concerto—bringing out the instrument’s singing quality—for the orchestra’s Principal Trombone Mark Davidson, who gives its world premiere. Continuing her annual appearance as soloist, Concertmaster Madeline Adkins performs the dream-like Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1, led by returning conductor Jun Märkl.  

Other familiar faces on the podium include David Danzmayr, who leads the orchestra in two programs (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Danny Elfman’s Percussion Concerto), Ludovic Morlot (Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony), Rune Bergmann (Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 and Liszt’s Totentanz with Joyce Yang), Markus Poschner (Brahms Symphony No. 2), and former Associate Conductor Conner Gray Covington (Strauss’ Don Juan). Audiences can look forward to the exciting Utah Symphony debuts of Sir Donald Runnicles (Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 5), Lidiya Yankovskaya (Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2), Anna Rakitina (Dvořák’s Violin Concerto with International Violin Competition of Indianapolis winner Sirena Huang), Eduardo Stausser (Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto with Marie-Ange Nguci), and more. Teddy Abrams, who has previously led Utah Symphony pops programs, makes his Masterworks debut with a program including the overture to his own rap-opera about American boxing legend Muhammad Ali.  

The Utah Symphony continues to represent the breadth of our world and Utah’s communities in its programming. Thirteen Masterworks concerts feature women, either as guest artists or composers, and nearly half of the Masterworks programs represent people of color—including composers Quinn Mason, Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon, and Arturo Márquez. In September, the symphony continues its annual celebration of Hispanic culture with an evening of food, artisan crafts, and music by Latin American composers at Celebración Sinfónica. 

In addition to the balance of new, innovative, and long-beloved repertoire, the Pops Series (formally the Entertainment Series), Films in Concert Series, Family Series, and Special Events are also expected to draw new audiences to the symphony. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award, Pops Series headliner Audra McDonald will dazzle audiences with her singular talent; Byron Stripling will channel the great Louis Armstrong with an electrifying tribute to the jazz great; and Direct from Sweden: The Music of ABBA will deliver the biggest hits from the iconic band. Five popular movies will play on the big screen as the orchestra plays every note live—including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (concluding the eight-part series), Black Panther, Casablanca, How to Train Your Dragon, and Frozen (presented just before Christmas). 

The Utah Symphony has a long history of bringing its community together through music at the holidays and will share in seasonal celebrations with the Messiah Sing-In tradition with Utah Opera, inviting the audience to sing along with Handel’s beloved oratorio; a highly-anticipated return appearance by the adored Irish group Celtic Woman following last year’s sell-out performance; the new Holiday Pops Extravaganza! highlighting festive tunes in a dazzling spectacle of music and visuals; and Family Series mainstay Here Comes Santa Claus!, which will delight audiences of all ages with holiday favorites, a magical story played out by actors, and an appearance by the jolly man himself!  

Following Here Comes Santa Claus!, the Family Series—which cultivates concert experiences perfect for the youngest music lovers—continues with the classic Peter and the Wolf, a charming story that vividly illustrates the adventures of Peter and his animal friends with different instruments representing each character. An Outer-Space Adventure! will enchant children with space-themed music accompanied by video and imagery of the solar system, created in collaboration with The Clark Planetarium. 

Utah Opera Season Highlights

navigating young romance and the harsh realities of life, in one of the most popular works in all of opera—Puccini’s La bohème. Audiences will swoon as they watch sweet Mimì fall in love with her darling Rodolfo, and will feel the heart-wrenching tragedy when Mimì falls desperately ill and Rodolfo, in his impoverished circumstances, cannot provide for her. (La bohème’s heartbreaking plot and complex yet immediately relatable characters inspired the 1996 hit musical Rent.) Garnett Bruce, one of Utah Opera’s favorite stage directors, returns for this stunning production and will expertly capture the essence of Paris, its artisans, and the timeless story.

This romantic tragedy is followed in January 2024 with Rachel Portman and Nicholas Wright’s The Little Prince, which has been “one of the most requested return titles, hands down” at Utah Opera, according to Utah Opera Artistic Director Christopher McBeth, since its vibrant first run with the company in 2019. Director Tara Faircloth returns to this heartwarming production, bringing her inspired and engaging vision, and Utah Symphony Associate Conductor Benjamin Manis guides the orchestra, conducting the dazzling score by Rachel Portman (well-known for her film scores for Chocolat, The Cider House Rules, and Emma). This family-friendly program will also see a return collaboration with the gifted young singers of The Madeleine Choir School. An undeniable audience favorite that’s perfect for introducing the whole family to opera, The Little Prince reminds us of the simple charm of childhood wonder and what it means to love.

March 2024 brings another familiar performance to the stage with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. A sequel to the outlandish comedy The Barber of Seville (which Utah Opera performed in 2021), the story takes place over just one day—Figaro’s wedding day. The curtain rises to find the boisterous barber (Figaro) ready to be married to his sweetheart (Susanna)—but a scheming Count is trying to break up the nuptials. The original story was highly politicized, written by Frenchman Pierre Beaumarchais as criticism of the aristocratic authorities. Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte took the piece, toned down the political commentary, and created a comic opera about love and forgiveness that has become a staple of the repertoire.

While La bohème and The Marriage of Figaro both present stories of romance with lovers working together to secure their happy ending, Utah Opera’s debut performance of Massenet’s Thaïs, which will conclude the season in May 2024, brings a darker turn and pivots from love to lust. “This piece is considered one of the jewels of the French repertoire,” says McBeth. “It boasts of luxury, of big and of bold, and of exquisite music.” Thaïs also explores weighty themes such as the unique human capacity for change based on an individual’s internal, and external, moral compass. Set in 4th-century Egypt, Athanaël, a devoted monk, resolves to convert the courtesan Thaïs—but only after she follows him into a monastic life does Athanaël recognize that he loves her desperately.

Newcomers and seasoned symphony and opera patrons will find much to love and musical storytelling to connect with in the new season, beginning this September. With early-bird prices,* tickets for the highest-demand performances are expected to sell out quickly; it is vital to act now to secure the best-available main-floor seating while supplies last.

*Some exclusions apply.

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