The League of American Orchestras National Convention is taking place in Salt Lake City June 11-13, 2025. This prestigious event will be hosted by our very own Utah Symphony /Utah Opera.
The League of American Orchestras was founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962. The league includes nearly 25,000 musicians, conductors, orchestra staff, board members, volunteers and business partners that work within their membership of 1,600 world-renowned orchestras, community groups, summer festivals, student and youth ensembles, conservatories, and libraries, businesses serving orchestras, and individuals who love symphonic music.
Accordingly, it is a tremendous honor for Utah Symphony/Utah Opera and our Capital City to host this significant annual event. This honor is well deserved and should remind all of us of the absolute treasure that is Utah Symphony/Utah Opera.
This is one of only 17 full-time orchestras in the country and one of six opera companies with full costume and set building capacities. Additionally, Utah Symphony/Utah Opera presents the Deer Valley Music Festival every summer and provides statewide education programs for about 130,000 students annually.
Unlike many of their peers situated primarily on both coasts, Utah Symphony/Utah Opera is geographically more isolated and consequently serves the entire Intermountain West as a cultural hub.
The organization connects Utah communities through great live music and is the flagship arts organization of the Intermountain West. Their 87 full-time symphony musicians and five opera Resident Artists perform for more than 450,000 citizens in Utah and the Intermountain region each year, presenting more than 175 symphonic and chamber music performances; week-long runs of four fully produced operas; and music education programs for students and adult learners.
The organization’s statewide service includes tours featuring outdoor performances against the backdrop of Utah’s natural beauty as well as education offerings, most recently, the six-stop Music Elevated Tour in August 2023.
Utah Symphony/Utah Opera’s primary performance venue, Maurice Abravanel Hall, is situated at one of the most important intersections in our capital city and will be the cultural core of a revitalized downtown district, serving both residents of Utah as well as many newcomers and visitors to the state as the beloved iconic architectural feature of the city and home to the Utah Symphony.
All Utahns are indeed fortunate to have access to such a premier arts organization within relatively easy reach for many of us. The artistry, passion, and sheer joy evident in every performance is breathtaking and should be experienced by everyone.
Vincent A. (Van) Novack
Park City