Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2015: Karén Hakobyan, Micky and The Motorcars lead opening day headliners

The Utah Arts Festival’s opening day headliners set the tone and crank the momentum for what will be a comprehensive tour of many musical styles and influences for the next four days. These include Karén Hakobyan, a laureate of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, and Micky and The Motorcars, one of the most respected Texas bands … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2015: ‘Juno,’ ‘Andante,’ ‘Hang On,’ ‘And Then There’s That’ highlight music, dance commissions

A blizzard and musical inspirations from two great composers and the unique therapeutic sounds of the handpan inspire this year’s newest Utah Arts Festival commissions for music and dance. The chamber music commission is sponsored by The Mandel Foundation. Robert Honstein, Juno, June 27, 4 p.m., City Library Auditorium Robert Honstein, 35, is in the … Read more

Utah Blues Festival is great music for a good cause

Carrie Scott Courtesy of Utah Blues Society

It’s summertime! Time for outdoor music concerts, food trucks and fun. Grab your lawn chairs and your dancing partner and head down to the 1st annual Utah Blues Festival on June 13, from 1-10 p.m. at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. This musical festival is designed to both support local musicians and a local cause: … Read more

Making the most of their differences: Arcane’s trio of musicians in Spy Hop’s newest band

Whatever their differences in family, religion, school interests, or even musical tastes, three Utah teens have come together in an extraordinarily rewarding and productive way in Spy Hop Productions’ musicology program. The only students who have completed one of Spy Hop’s rigorous year-long programs in music and media arts, the three teens who comprise the … Read more

The Last Southern Gentlemen and all that jazz

The Last Southern Gentlemen: Courtesy of Delfalone

Soothing…the first word that comes to mind when describing the sights and sounds of The Last Southern Gentlemen, who performed at the Capitol Theatre on Monday, April 13. When those four men took their positions on stage, I had a feeling I was in for a musical treat. With their southern swagger and Delfeayo Marsalis’ … Read more

Spring perfect time for uplifting Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Salt Lake Electric Ensemble collaboration

The artistic promise of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s upcoming concert evokes every imaginable aspect of spring. There is the uplifting, rejuvenating force of Netta Yerushalmy’s new choreographed composition that vividly uses the extensive movement vocabulary of dance along with costume changes and fast-shifting designs of stage lighting to deconstruct metaphorically traditional narratives. It is the dancers’ … Read more

ASTA music educators conference: Teachers are flipping the classroom in bold ways

For math, science economics and more recently art history, the Khan Academy changed the rules by flipping the classroom and offering hundreds of videos online to students in more than 40 languages. Something similar and just as exciting is happening in music education, an area that has been especially vulnerable to budget cutting by school … Read more

A timeless tale: Fiddler on the Roof

Since the musical first graced the Broadway stage in 1964, “Fiddler on the Roof” has proven to be a classic with a timeless message. For the past thirty years, the story of Tevye, the humble dairyman and father of five daughters has resonated with audiences as each generation struggles with keeping traditions in an ever-changing … Read more

Matt Starling’s new recording of Riley minimalist classic ‘Dorian Reeds’

In the best tradition of minimalist music, austerity and sincerity – sometimes built on nothing more than a handful of pitches and rhythmic values – lead to surprising phenomena of musical experiences that often become ambient, transcendental or even psychedelic. Fifty years ago, composer Terry Riley saw his works – including ‘In C’ and ‘Dorian … Read more

JazzSLC: three shows left in the season

jazz slc logo

JazzSLC is a non-profit concert series that is produced and funded by the GAM Foundation. The GAM Foundation was founded by Gordon Hanks and Michael MacKay in 1994 in an effort to increase awareness and garner appreciation for our jazz community. Since its inception, the GAM Foundation has produced more than 200 concerts and featured … Read more