Haunted Orchestra: Fire and Ice @ U of U Philharmonia (SLC: Oct 29 - 30)

The Utah Philharmonia Presents “Haunted Orchestra: Fire and Ice”
The acclaimed University of Utah Philharmonia is gearing up for one of the School of Music’s most popular events of the year by doing much more than just practicing their repertoire. The normally refined and uniformly dressed orchestra is preparing to transform into a ghoulish group of creatures and characters for the much-anticipated Halloween concert themed “Haunted Orchestra: Fire and Ice.”
With a program of recognizable and impressive works accompanied by dancers from the U of U Ballet Department and singers from the U of U Lyric Opera Ensemble, this concert is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for music enthusiasts and trick-or-treaters alike. The Philharmonia will present a Friday evening show on Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Libby Gardner Concert Hall and a matinee show on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. in Libby, which leaves plenty of time for kids’ parties and trick-or-treating in the afternoon and evening.
After the success of last year’s kids costume parade throughout the concert hall accompanied by the orchestra, the tradition will continue for both performances. Little monsters, princesses and costumed kids are welcomed to show off their costumes by joining the parade.
This spooky and stunning concert will include De Falla’s “Ritual Fire Dance,” Prokofiev’s “Battle on the Ice” from “Alexander Nevsky,” Boccherini’s “La Casa del Diavolo,” Wendell’s “Ride of the Headless Horseman,” Sondheim’s “Ballad of Sweeney Todd” and more. The 95-member haunted orchestra will be conducted by the always-impressively-costumed Dr. Robert Baldwin, whose costume is kept top secret until the show, and graduate student conductors who will also be dressed in their Halloween best.
“This is such a popular concert each year because it breaks down the barriers of what a concert is expected to be,” says Baldwin, who directs the Philharmonia and currently serves as interim director of the School of Music. “People can come as they are, children are welcomed, and we all let our hair down – maybe literally in this case!”
Tickets to this event can be purchased by going to kingsburyhall.org > or by calling 801-581-7100. Tickets are $7 general admission and $3 for students of any age. Learn more about the Utah Philharmonia at http://music.utah.edu/ensembles/orchestra .