EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS
The Utah Symphony provides a variety of opportunities and events to help adults in our community learn more about classical music.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Classes
For ages 50 or better. Require an Osher membership and class registration.
Utah Symphony Finishing Touches Preview: Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto
September 22, 2023 | 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Abravanel Hall First Tier Room 123 W South Temple, Salt Lake City
Osher members can enjoy a half-hour lecture by oboist Luca de la Florin who will discuss various elements on the repertoire the Utah Symphony will be performing that week. After the lecture enjoy complimentary brunch bites provided by generous symphony sponsors and donors in the lobby. Be sure to purchase your tickets for the Finishing Touches rehearsal which starts after brunch at 10 AM. This is a great opportunity to hear the orchestra rehearse the music just discussed in the morning lecture.
Famously written the night before its premiere performance, Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovanni foreshadows the fate that awaits an unrepentant villain. This epic warning is contrasted with two works that herald a banner of freedom: Beethoven’s grand “Emperor” Piano Concerto and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5. Each composer directly defies the sorrows of the wars that were raging as they composed these works, instead, celebrating the heroics of their countrymen and expressing pride in their homelands.
Utah Symphony Finishing Touches Preview: Schumann’s “Rhenish” Symphony
December 08, 2023 | 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Abravanel Hall First Tier Room 123 W South Temple, Salt Lake City
Osher members can enjoy a half-hour lecture by oboist Luca de la Florin who will discuss various elements on the repertoire the Utah Symphony will be performing that week. After the lecture enjoy complimentary brunch bites provided by generous symphony sponsors and donors in the lobby. Be sure to purchase your tickets for the Finishing Touches rehearsal which starts after brunch at 10 AM. This is a great opportunity to hear the orchestra rehearse the music just discussed in the morning lecture.
Enjoy Creative Partner David Robertson’s picturesque journey to the Rhine River, Finland, and New England. Originally titled “Morning on the Rhine,” Schumann shares his musical vista of the great river in his Third Symphony. Listen closely and you will hear the flowing water! Sibelius captures the brisk atmosphere of his native Finland in his tone poem En Saga. Ives’ Three Places in New England paints a quaint soundscape of Connecticut and Massachusetts with hints of American folk tunes and marching bands.
Masterworks Series Pre-Concert Chat
Your ticket to any Masterworks Series performance includes a free pre-concert chat about the evening’s program with guest artists and symphony musicians, held 45 minutes prior to the performance start time in the First Tier Room at Maurice Abravanel Hall.
Online Learning Materials
Visit the “Explore” section of our website for information about artists, composers, compositions, and music.
Finishing Touches Open Rehearsals
These open rehearsals offer a behind-the-scenes look at our orchestra during four Masterworks rehearsals. Seating is general admission and includes light refreshments in the lobby prior to the rehearsal. Please note that these events are working rehearsals, and programming is chosen from the coming weekend’s selections at the discretion of the conductor.
Free Events
Learn more about music and interact with other music lovers at our free events.