04 Nov 2020

Top five things that make our audiences happy about our return to the main stage

By Collette Cook

Our concerts may look a little bit different than they did before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but we are so grateful to be able to bring live music to you, with extra safety precautions and reimagined programming. From what we’ve heard from our patrons who have attended, they are happy about our return to the main stage as well! We want to share with you the top five things that our patrons have shared with us since our return to Abravanel Hall in September.

1. Music heals

“I live across the street. I needed this outing in a very desperate way. Thank you; it was truly a beautiful experience.”

“I’ve been very frustrated by much of Utah’s response to this pandemic but you made me feel grateful to be present and you made me feel that you cared about my well-being. It is deeply heartening.”

2. Unusual repertoire

“Bravo, Bravo. The pandemic has a silver lining; we are hearing repertoire we would never get to hear in a regular season. This week’s concert was refreshing.”

“The concert was fantastic. This is one good thing about the pandemic. We hear numbers that would not be programmed under usual conditions.”

3. Live arts are incomparable

“To hear live music again was a thrill and we loved being back in Abravanel Hall with most of the symphony members. Thank you.”

“For all us starved Arts fans this was a keeper! I look forward to the next performance even if still socially distanced. It brightened our lives immensely! This was an inspired performance – thanks for making us happy!”

“I attended my first concert in 8 months. The beauty of the music and the joy of being in this gorgeous venue brought tears to my eyes!”

4. Safety prioritized

“I enjoyed the concert and was delighted to see how the performance accommodated the effects of Covid.”

“I was so impressed at the effort you have gone to in order to make it safe. It is a huge sacrifice on your end to have so many empty seats… I can go to the Utah Symphony again. “

“I was very impressed at all the precautions you have taken to create a safe environment and, of course, I was thrilled to be experiencing live music again at Abravanel Hall. I was afraid that that would never happen again. Hurray for you and creating cultural nourishment again. This is so hugely important that this part of human life isn’t eliminated due to what is happening with Covid.”

5. Unique concert experience

“As much as the current pandemic-induced conditions are not desired, I still have to say that I LOVE the unique concert experience right now! The concerts feel more intimate and personalized — like it’s just for me and a few others.”

“The video portion of the concert was touching, seeing musicians individually, some in their homes or in scenic spots unique to this area, it just all gave me a feeling of gratitude for each of them and for Thierry Fisher.”

“The program was perfect–beautiful and inspiring. I loved the strings only. So interesting to see & hear each section so well.”