UTAH SYMPHONY PERFORMS DOUBLE BEETHOVEN AND STRAVINSKY (SLC: Sept 23 - 24)

Media Contact: Hilarie Ashton, Public Relations Manager hashton@usuo.org, (801)869-9027 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 13, 2011 UTAH SYMPHONY PERFORMS DOUBLE BEETHOVEN AND STRAVINSKY SALT LAKE CITY – A grand iconic concerto performed by one of the great pianists of his generation, Beethoven’s “Emperor” will mark the finale of a Utah Symphony program featuring works by two of history’s most innovative composers. Utah favorite Garrick Ohlsson will join the Utah Symphony and Music Director Thierry Fischer for Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”) on Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall and Thursday, September 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Browning Fine Arts Center in Ogden, Utah. Fischer and the orchestra will preface Ohlsson’s performance with Igor Stravinsky’s Suite No. 1 and Suite No. 2 as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, a continuation of their season-long countdown of all nine Beethoven symphonies. Stravinsky completed his two colorful Suites for small orchestra in the midst and wake of the renowned premiere of “The Rite of Spring,” which was recently performed by Fischer and the Utah Symphony in May of 2011. Since his appointment as Music Director of the Utah Symphony, Fischer has frequently programmed works by Stravinsky, known today as one of the most influential classical music composers since Beethoven. Beethoven, known as a crucial figure in the transition between Classical and Romantic eras in Western music history, is also thought to have saved his best concerto for last. It is seen by many scholars as one of his most progressive works. The concerto’s moniker of “Emperor” was not applied by Beethoven, but hints to its powerful, heroic themes. Beethoven’s cheerfully subtle Symphony No. 8, another one of his final compositions, may appear to some concertgoers to be looking nostalgically back on the Classical era as opposed to the “Emperor” Concerto’s innovative forward-thinking. Single tickets for the performances range from $17 to $51 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office (123 W. South Temple) or by visiting www.utahsymphony.org. Students can purchase discounted tickets with a student ID. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance. Maestro Fischer and Toby Tolokan, Utah Symphony Vice President of Artistic Planning, will present a free pre-concert lecture each night, 45 minutes prior to the start of the performance in the First Tier Room of Abravanel Hall. Press photos available by logging in at http://www.utahsymphony.org/about/press-and-reviews/itemlist/category/35-media-kit. (Username: usuoimages, Password: media). About Garrick Ohlsson, Piano Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. Although he has long been regarded as one of the world’s leading exponents of the music of Frédéric Chopin, Ohlsson commands an enormous repertoire, which ranges over the entire piano literature. A student of the late Claudio Arrau, Ohlsson has come to be noted for his masterly performances of the works of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, as well as the Romantic repertoire. His concerto repertoire alone is unusually wide and eclectic – ranging from Haydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century – and to date he has at his command some 80 concertos. Previously, Ohlsson appeared in North America with the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and the National Symphony Orchestra, among others. He performed Prokofiev’s Fifth Piano Concerto with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, followed by a west coast tour including Seattle and Los Angeles’ Disney Hall. With pianist Yoko Nozaki, Ohlsson reprised their performances with Mark Morris Dance Group in the critically acclaimed “Mozart Dances”. With contralto Ewa Podles, he embarked on a tour of North America, followed by the release of their live-recorded recital from London’s Wigmore Hall, a project he will revisit with her in the same hall in December 2009. Ohlsson has also appeared with the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Houston, San Francisco, and Toronto, among others. Special projects included performances in Berkeley and Los Angeles with Mark Morris Dance Group and pianist Yoko Nozaki in “Mozart Dances”; performances with the Russian National Orchestra and Vladimir Jurowski in California and at New York’s Lincoln Center; and a Florida tour with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Additionally, he performed with the Warsaw Philharmonic, RTVE Madrid, the MDR Leipzig Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy. A prolific recording artist, Ohlsson can be heard on the Arabesque, RCA Victor Red Seal, Angel, Bridge, BMG, Delos, Hänssler, Nonesuch, Telarc, and Virgin Classics labels. A native of White Plains, N.Y., Ohlsson began his piano studies at the age of 8. He attended the Westchester Conservatory of Music and at 13 entered The Juilliard School in New York City. His musical development has been influenced in completely different ways by a succession of distinguished teachers, most notably Claudio Arrau, Olga Barabini, Tom Lishman, Sascha Gorodnitzki, Rosina Lhévinne and Irma Wolpe. Although he won First Prizes at the 1966 Busoni Competition in Italy and 1968 Montréal Piano Competition, it was his 1970 triumph at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, where he won the Gold Medal that brought him worldwide recognition as one of the finest pianists of his generation. Since then he has made nearly a dozen tours of Poland, where he retains immense personal popularity. Ohlsson was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize in 1994 and received the 1998 University Musical Society Distinguished Artist Award in Ann Arbor, Mich. In February 2008, he won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra) for his Beethoven Sonatas, Vol. 3 (Bridge Records, Inc.). He makes his home in San Francisco. About Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is dedicated to providing Utah residents and visitors with great performances that engage, educate and enrich lives. The Utah Symphony, which performs at Abravanel Hall, and Utah Opera, which performs at the Capitol Theatre, reach 450,000 citizens in Utah and the Intermountain region, with educational outreach programs serving more than 175,000 students annually. The organization employs 60 staff and 83 full-time musicians, presenting four full opera productions and more than 70 symphony performances in each regular season as well as a summer season at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. For more information please visit www.usuo.org. Program Igor STRAVINSKY Suite No. 1 Andante Napolitana Española Balalaika Igor STRAVINSKY Suite No. 2 Marche Valse Polka Galop Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 8 in F Major, op. 93 Allegro vivace con brio Allegretto scherzando Tempo di menuetto Allegro vivace INTERMISSION Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, op. 73 “Emperor” Allegro Adagio un poco mosso Rondo: Allegro Garrick Ohlsson, Piano About UBS, Utah Symphony Season Sponsor UBS is proud to continue as the Season Sponsor of the Utah Symphony through the 2011-2012 season. The firm has partnered with the symphony since 2004. Headquartered in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland, UBS is a global firm providing services to private, corporate and institutional clients. Its strategy is to focus on international wealth management and the Swiss banking business alongside its global expertise in investment banking and asset management. In Switzerland, UBS is the market leader in retail and commercial banking. UBS is a significant supporter of orchestral music globally. In addition to its season sponsorship of the Utah Symphony, the firm currently sponsors several outstanding symphony orchestras such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra. These partnerships reflect UBS's dedication to supporting the communities where it operates, as well as a philosophy of working collaboratively with its clients to deliver the customized solutions that help them pursue their goals. ### Hilarie Ashton Public Relations Manager 801.869.9027 office 801.335.9387 cell