Mighty 5® Tour
The Utah Symphony’s “Mighty 5 Tour” of five National Parks concluded Saturday night in the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater in Zion National Park. Music Director Thierry Fischer reflects on a Whirlwind week.

I will probably never conduct Dvorak’s New World Symphony again without remembering the majestic red rocks rising out of the middle of Bryce Canyon, where we played Friday night.

Performing in these surroundings introduces a heightened level of awareness that one does not have in a regular concert hall. It is almost as if the passage of time is suspended-our experience is marked by the sound of our breath and the voices of nature.

We performed our final concert Saturday night under a mantel of brilliant stars and against the backdrop of the soaring red sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park.

The astounding setting helped focus and inspire us. We all seemed to be performing effortlessly; a sense of spatial freedom landed us in unexpected worlds we couldn’t have even imagined before.

We all knew that the Mighty 5 Tour was an ambitious project that stepped far outside of our comfort zone. But it has shown all of us that it is worth setting the bar exceedingly high, aiming for seemingly “impossible” projects, rather than staying confined within our routine settings. I feel that the entire organization-staff, musicians, patrons, supporters–have been instilled with a creative energy that will propel us toward the future, especially toward our 75th anniversary season in 2015-16.

After such an intense and immensely satisfying week, I am left feeling elated by the breathtaking beauty of southern Utah, and by the incredibly supportive and enthusiastic communities we have had the pleasure of playing for.
The wonders of Utah’s national parks have left within me a sense of peaceful solitude that I will treasure for many years to come.

August 19, 2014

Thierry Fischer, Music Director, Utah Symphony
MusicalAmerica.com