“Jesse Rosen, president of the League of American Orchestras, visited Salt Lake City in May to comment on the state of the orchestra industry and Utah Symphony’s place in it,” writes Erica Palmer in Saturday’s (5/31) Deseret News (Utah). “ ‘Music Director Thierry Fischer has done a lot to strengthen the orchestra and take it to even higher levels of performance,’ Rosen said.… Next month, Patricia Richards, who has served on the Utah Symphony’s board of directors for many years, will begin serving as the League’s new chairwoman.… According to Richards, Salt Lake City is one of 17 cities in the U.S. that is home to a full-time, 52-week orchestra. Rosen … said it takes a lot for a community to have a full-time orchestra. ‘I think increasingly the orchestra itself has to be present and really connected to the community,’ he said…. Rosen … mentioned the symphony’s ‘Mighty 5’ tour planned for August as an example of its involvement in the community. For the tour, the orchestra will travel to southern Utah and perform at five national parks in one week…. Richards said …the symphony board is excited about the idea. ‘I sometimes think of the beautiful geology of these national parks as music made solid.’ ”
Posted June 2, 2014
