Utah Symphony Concludes First Season of Masterworks Magnified with Masquerade-Themed Evening

Utah Symphony’s October Masterworks Magnified concert, featuring Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2, welcomed 500 new audience members into Maurice Abravanel Hall for the Halloween season. Patrons heard eerie sound effects demonstrated by percussionists, grabbed graveyard photos, had their fortunes read, and learned insights about the music with commentary from the stage.  

Following this successful first concert experience, approximately 300 new audience members were then treated to an evening highlighting classic literature and the beloved music it inspired during the second installation of Masterworks Magnified in February. Featuring Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1—with Concertmaster Madeline Adkins performing as the violin soloist—the evening’s repertoire (which was paired with projections of literary quotes and images above the stage) took audiences on a journey through the drama of Strauss’s Macbeth, across a stunning Bohemian countryside, and along for the misadventures of the original prankster from German tales, Till Eulenspiegel.   

Not only did this weekend highlight the incredible talent of Utah’s local symphony musicians, but it also shared the lobby space with local booksellers and a storyteller from Timpanogos Storytelling Institute. With the help of King’s English, (a local bookseller) authors from Utah were able to showcase their novels and build relationships with audience members.  

The final performance of the 2023-24 season’s innovative 50CC1323Masterworks Magnified programs is Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, on April 26 and 27. Patrons will also be invited to step into the world of lovers and enemies as the lobby of Abravanel Hall is transformed into a masquerade, inspired by the fateful story of Romeo and Juliet. Whether a Montague or a Capulet, audiences are encouraged to dress to the nines and disguise their identity with a mask—something they’ll be able to create before the concert. Similarly, audience members are invited to capture memories from the evening with Romeo and Juliet-inspired photos which include both “balcony” and “tombs” backdrops. To cap off the evening, alcoholic beverages charmingly dubbed “potions” will be available for purchase before the concert and during intermission

Exploring physicality and emotional resonance, this concert also epitomizes the fusion of music and movement. With the help of the IMAG video-enhanced performance, audiences will be able to see the physical demands of Ravel's Piano Concerto through up-close views of piano soloist Ingrid Fliter and orchestra musicians, projected on a giant screen. In addition, a post-concert Q&A session with composer Polina Nazaykinskaya—whose work Winter Bells represents the arduous journey of a traveler fighting their way through a deadly blizzard—promises an enlightening conclusion to this extraordinary evening. 
Audiences can look forward to forging a new and profound connection with symphonic music through Masterworks Magnified concerts. Symphony newcomers and longtime fans alike will see the orchestra through a new lens and be transported into a world where music transcends boundaries for a total, immersive experience.  
 
For more information, please visit utahsymphony.org/magnified.   

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