5 Things you didn’t know about USUO Education
by Michelle Tseung
“Therefore it is plain that music has the power of producing a certain effect on the moral character of the soul, and if it has the power to do this, it is clear that the young must be directed to music and must be educated in it”. – Aristotle, Politics
Forty-two years ago Glade Peterson, founder of the Utah Opera, began the Opera in Schools program. Singers from the company performed in 61 public schools throughout the state of Utah. By the 1980s, the program had reached 30,000 Utah students. Opera in Schools is still a part of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera today and has more than doubled its reach.
Separately, the Utah Symphony’s music education program became one of the most extensive arts education programs in the region during Maurice Abravanel’s tenure as music director from 1947-1979.
In 2002, the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera merged to become the largest joint organization of its size in the country, becoming the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera that audiences know and love today. Currently, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s Education Program is one of the largest in the nation and reaches on average more than 140,000 students each year. The program offers a variety of services including, though not limited to concerts in schools, after school programs, and opportunities to meet and interact with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s professional musicians.
Here are 5 things you didn’t know about the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Education Program:
1
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s Education Program offers over 32 services, such as concerts for 5th graders at Abravanel Hall and backstage tours at the Utah Opera Production Studios. Visit this page to learn more.
2
In 2018-2019, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera worked with a combined total of 508 schools, bringing the power of live music to young audiences. You can learn more about the impact of opera in education in this video.
3
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera recognizes the value of Utah’s teachers, who take on the important responsibility of educating the minds of our future. To learn more about Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s educational workshops and trainings, click here.
4
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s annual Access to Music Concert is a free event for children with special needs and their families, because the experience of live music should be accessible to all audiences. To register today, visit this link.
5
During the 2018-2019 school year, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera spent 872 hours teaching music education programs. One of those programs is the Utah Symphony’s Salute to Youth, an opportunity for Utah’s most talented young musicians to perform at Abravanel Hall with the Utah Symphony. Read more about what this program means to these students here.
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s mission statement states it best, “Connect the Community Through Great Live Music. Perform-Engage-Inspire.” To learn more about the services that Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Education offers, visit us here.
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera (USUO), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is Utah’s premier provider of classical and operatic music. When you contribute to USUO, you not only make a commitment to support excellence in live music on our home stages, but also throughout Utah through our extensive education and community engagement programs.
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