Conducting Icons with Utah Connections (for Iron County Today)

By Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President 

       Abravanel and Alsop are internationally recognized orchestral conductors who shared Utah connections.  Marin Alsop recently received a “Golden Baton” at Abravanel Hall  in Salt Lake City from the League of American Orchestras for her dynamic leadership at the Baltimore Symphony, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other orchestras.
     Her father Keith Lamar Alsop was born in Murray, Utah and was hired by Utah Symphony Director Maurice Abravanel to play violin and bass clarinet at age 17. “Maurice also gave my dad the courage to pursue his musical dreams, and decades later, Maurice became my mentor, alongside Bernstein at Tanglewood,” Alsop said. “One couldn’t hope for a greater role model than Maurice, a profound musician and compassionate human being.”
     She was one of the first women to lead a major American orchestra. She sees the current upheaval in the music industry as an opportunity to embrace new audiences, explore a wider repertoire, and enhance cultural relevance. “We’re not just presenting concerts — we’re building community, sparking empathy and reminding people of their shared humanity," the conductor said.

     Abravanel worked to create musical excellence in Utah. “The boy who was teased by Swiss children because of his Turkish/Greek origins, the student who was supposed to study medicine but was drawn to music instead, the musician who came to America to conduct the Metropolitan Opera orchestra but ended up on Broadway ... found it in a place where he shared neither ethnic origin nor religion with most of the citizens, but where he found a common passion for music, for arts, for excellence,” reported the Deseret News. He led the Utah Symphony from 1947 to 1979 and transformed it into a leading national orchestra.

     The recordings made under his leadership included the first stereo recordings of the Mahler 7th and 8th Symphonies.  The many fine recordings of the Utah Symphony under his direction helped the orchestra gain an international reputation for excellence.

     New digital options have helped spark an increased interest in music exploration. For example, our local Orchestra of Southern Utah has over 300 videos on YouTube. Viewers from all over the world can access this collection which has helped promote contemporary composers like Marshall McDonald and Steven Sharp Nelson.  
     We also hope the videos propel music lovers from their screens to the Heritage Theater for live performances. Season tickets are now available at myosu.org.  Information on the upcoming composer contest is also on the website under Competitions.  Entries are due November 1.  
     Having a composition performed live is a huge milestone for a composer. Even with sophisticated music equipment it is a totally different experience to have a live performance rather than just hearing the electronic version.  Part of meeting the challenge of the present musical moment is giving composers this opportunity. 
     Cedar City offers many opportunities to enjoy live music and we appreciate those who make this possible.