SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (April 3, 2017) – The Utah Symphony announced today that guest conductor Andrew Litton will replace Thierry Fischer for rehearsals & concerts this weekend.

Mr. Litton will conduct the Utah Symphony and guest violinist Fumiaki Miura in Elgar’s Violin Concerto. Also on the repertoire is Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance March No 1,” a tune that is virtually synonymous with school graduation ceremonies and Pierre Boulez’s arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s “Frontispice.” The famed Ravel orchestration of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” will feature a rare opportunity to hear the original tenor tuba owned by Ravel himself played during the “Bydlo” movement. Tickets start at $21 ($15 for students), and can be purchased at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 533-6683.

Due to illness, Music Director Thierry Fischer has regretfully withdrawn from performances Thursday, April 6 in Ogden, and both Abravanel Hall evening concerts on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8.

Maestro Fischer will resume the podium for rehearsals and concerts the following weekend with piano great Yefim Bronfman playing Beethoven Piano Concertos 3 and 4 on Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15.

Andrew Litton, music director of the New York City Ballet, made his Utah Symphony conducting debut November 6 and 7, 1987 and returned to lead four other Masterworks programs, most recently Verdi’s “Requiem” on April 9 and 10, 2010. He is Artistic Director of Minnesota Orchestra’s Sommerfest, Principal Guest Conductor of the Colorado Symphony, Conductor Laureate of Britain’s Bournemouth Symphony and Music Director Laureate of Norway’s Bergen Philharmonic, where he recently concluded a 12-year tenure as Music Director. Mr. Litton led the Dallas Symphony as Music Director from 1994 to 2006.

Fumiaki Miura is not only the youngest-ever winner of the Joseph Joachim Hannover International Violin Competition (2009), but also the one with the most prizes. This will be Fumiaki Miura’s third appearance with the Utah Symphony. He made his U.S. debut with the orchestra in November 2012. Now at 23, Fumiaki has performed with several of the world’s leading orchestras including NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Wiener KammerOrchester, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and Hong Kong Sinfonietta.

RELATED EVENTS
A pre-concert lecture, free to all ticket holders, will take place at all Masterworks Series performances in Abravanel Hall’s First Tier Room 45 minutes prior to the performance.

PROGRAM
The Utah Symphony presents
“Pictures at an Exhibition”
April 7 & 8 | 7:30 PM
Abravanel Hall, 123 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah

Andrew Litton, Conductor
Fumiaki Miura, violin

Elgar                                                     Military March No. 1 from “Pomp and Circumstance”
Elgar                                                     Violin Concerto
Ravel/Boulez                                        “Frontispice”
Mussorgsky/Ravel                                “Pictures at an Exhibition”

NOTE: Conductor changed due to Music Director Thierry Fischer’s illness.

SPONSORS:
Symphony Season Sponsor: George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation
Concert Sponsor: BMW of Murray | BMW of Pleasant Grove
Conductor Sponsor-Thierry Fischer: George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation
Guest Artist Sponsor- Fumiaki Miura, violin: Lawrence T. and Janet Dee Foundation

Tickets, priced from $21-$82, are available for purchase through utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 533-6683. Student and under 30 tickets are available for $15. Tickets increase $5 on the day of the performance.

About the Utah Symphony
Founded in 1940, the Utah Symphony performs more than 175 concerts each season and offers all Utahns easy access to world-class live musical performances of the world’s greatest music in the state’s top venues. Since being named the orchestra’s seventh music director in 2009, Thierry Fischer has attracted leading musicians and top soloists, refreshed programming, drawn increased audiences, and galvanized community support. In addition to numerous regional and domestic tours, including the Mighty 5® Tour of Utah’s National Parks, the Utah Symphony has embarked on seven international tours and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2016 coinciding with the orchestra’s 75th anniversary celebrations. The Utah Symphony has released more than 100 recordings, including, most recently, two albums for Reference Recordings: Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and Dawn to Dust, which features three Utah Symphony-commissioned works by Nico Muhly, Andrew Norman, and Augusta Read Thomas. With its many subscription, education, and outreach concerts and tours, the Utah Symphony is one of the most engaged orchestras in the nation. For more information visitwww.utahsymphony.org.

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Season Sponsor for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.