25 November 2011

Take a Ride on the "North Pole Express"

Heber Valley Railroad's
"North Pole Express"


Heber Valley Railroad’s “North Pole Express” has added a new element to their already magical journey and will feature live performances from local talented choirs aboard the train that Utah families will treasure and never forget this holiday season.

Heber Valley Railroad has joined creative forces with high school choirs in Utah, Salt Lake, and Wasatch Counties to bring some of the best entertainment yet. Choirs will rotate through the train performing classic holiday songs and leading passengers in festive sing-a-longs while Cocoa Chefs serve hot cocoa and cookies to passengers. Upon arrival at the North Pole, Santa Clause will board the train and each passenger will receive a special gift from Santa. Children are encouraged to wear pajamas aboard the train.

Tickets are now on sale for this popular holiday train, which is a long-standing tradition for thousands of Utah families. First class service is available most weekends during the North Pole Express schedule. Due to the high demand for tickets, the Heber Valley Railroad is offering four matinee excursions on Dec. 10, 17, 22, 23 and 24, 2011.

The North Pole Express will depart every Monday through Saturday through December 24, 2011.

Nightly Excursions
     • Depart 5 p.m.; return 6:30 p.m.
     • Depart 7:30 p.m.; return 9 p.m.

Matinee Excursions (December 10, 17, 22, 23, 24 only)
     • Depart 2 p.m.; return 3:30 p.m.

Schedule and Fares
Coach: November 25 - December 23 (excluding Sundays)
     • $32 adult, $29 senior (ages 60 and above), $21 child (ages 3-12)

First Class: November 25, 26; December 2-17 (Fridays and Saturdays) and 19-23
     • $47 adult, $44 senior (ages 60 and above), $36 child (ages 3-12)

Matinee: December 10, 17, 22, 23, 24
     • $29 adult, $26 senior (ages 60 and above), $18 child (ages 3-12)

Tickets can be purchased by calling SmithsTix at 800-888-TIXX, by calling the railroad at 435-654-5601, online at www.HeberValleyRailroad.org, or at the Heber Valley Depot, 450 South 600 West, Heber City. For more information and directions, contact the Heber Valley Railroad at 435-654-5601 or visit www.HeberValleyRailroad.org.


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Annual “Messiah” Sing-In

Utah Symphony and Utah Symphony Chorus
Present
"Messiah" Sing-In


The Utah Symphony and Utah Symphony Chorus invite Utah audiences to participate in the annual “Messiah” Sing-In, conducted by Utah Symphony Chorus Master Susanne Sheston.

Vocalists John Buffett (baritone), Andrew Penning (tenor), Sishel Claverie (mezzo-soprano) and Jennie Litster (soprano) will join a harmonious 3,000 voice choir, made up of the Utah Symphony Chorus and Abravanel Hall audience members, for Handel’s famous oratorio Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27 at 7 p.m. in Abravanel Hall.

This will be the organization’s 34th presentation of the sing-in featuring the “Messiah,” a passionate oratorio narrative following the life of Jesus Christ, starting with God’s promises of the coming Messiah as spoken by the prophets and ending with Christ’s glorification in heaven. It is an inspirational masterpiece that has been performed all over the world for more than 250 years and is recognized today as one of the most famous choral works ever written.

Tickets for the evening performances range from $15 to $32 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office or by visiting www.usuo.org.

Abravanel Hall
123 West South Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah

Artist Bios:

Susanne Sheston, Conductor

Susanne Sheston directs both the Utah Symphony Chorus and the Utah Opera Chorus. In addition, Susanne recently completed her fourth season as Chorus Master of the internationally acclaimed Santa Fe Opera, where she prepares a professional chorus for four or five fully-staged productions each summer. As a choral conductor, she has collaborated with many leading operatic and symphonic conductors, including David Robertson of the St. Louis Symphony, Edo de Waart of the Milwaukee Symphony and Hong Kong Philharmonic, Patrick Summers of Houston Grand Opera, Frédéric Chaslin of The Santa Fe Opera, and Leonard Slatkin of the Detroit Symphony, among others. In addition to her choral collaborations, Susanne particularly enjoys conducting Utah Symphony | Utah Opera’s “Night at the Opera”, an annual concert for children with autism and their families, and working with the Utah Opera resident artists. For Utah Opera, Sheston recently conducted “Suor Angelica”/”Gianni Schicch “ and “Don Pasquale” at the Capitol Theatre. Prior to joining Utah Symphony and Utah Opera, Dr. Sheston was the chorus master at Des Moines Metro Opera and was a member of the music faculty at Simpson College in Iowa. Trained as a pianist, Sheston studied with Robert Larsen, Howard Lubin, and Joanne Baker.

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Jennie Litster, Soprano

She has been charming audiences with her “coquettish sparkle and suppleness” in the San Francisco Bay Area for years. Recently seen with Livermore Valley Opera and Opera San Jose, Litster has also traveled eastward to sing with the Ash Lawn Festival Opera in Charlottesville, Virginia and returned to join The Virginia Consort as the soprano soloist in “Carmina Burana.” Other recent accolades include being named a Utah District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2011 and competing regionally in Denver, Colorado. This summer she performed with Utah Festival Opera. As Utah Opera’s Soprano Resident Artist, she will sing Gianetta in Donizetti's “L'Elisir d'Amore” in 2012.

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Sishel Claverie, Mezzo-Soprano

She was born in Mexico City and is an Alumna of S.I.V.A.M., Mexico’s most prestigious Young Artist Program. Sishel holds a Master's degree in music from Rice University. Her operatic roles include Komponist in “Ariadne auf Naxos,” the title role in “Chérubin,” Dorabella in “Così fan Tutte,” and Meg in “Little Women,” among others. Claverie has been a Studio Artist at Wolf Trap, and at Renata Scotto Opera Studio in Rome, Italy. She was also a member of Houston Grand Opera’s outreach program, Opera to Go! Her future engagements include the role of Secretary (cover) in Menotti's “The Consul” at Opera New Jersey.

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Andrew Penning, Tenor

A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, he holds the degrees of M.M in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati: College-Conservatory of Music, and a B.M in Vocal Performance from Lawrence University. Joining Utah Opera this fall as a Resident Artist, he will sing the role of Borsa in “Rigoletto” and cover the role of Nemorino in “The Elixir of Love.” Penning spent the summer of 2011 as a Fellow at Tanglewood Music Festival singing, among other assignments, the Second Tenor in Stravinsky’s “Renard.” Recently he has performed the roles of the Male Chorus in Benjamin Britten’s “The Rape of Lucretia,” The Chevalier in Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmelites,” and Monsieur Lacouf in “Les Mamelles de Tiresias.” Penning has also been an active concert soloist in a variety of works including: Monteverdi’s “Vespers,” Handel’s “Messiah” Saint-Saëns’ “Christmas Oratorio,” J.S Bach’s “Magnificat,” J.S Bach’s “Cantata 12,” Haydn’s “Grosse Orgelmesse” in E Flat, and Bruckner’s “Te Deum.”

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John Buffett, Baritone

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, he is known for his concert, recital and opera work in various styles from Monteverdi to Puccini. Some of his favorite roles include Schaunard in “La Bohème,” Golaud in “Pelléas et Méllisande” and Figaro in “Le nozze di Figaro.” He has performed with the opera companies of Utah, Sarasota, Memphis, Rochester and the Boston Early Music Festival, and on the concert stage with the Syracuse Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, and Apollo’s Fire. Buffett has won various competitions, including the Kneisel Lieder Competition and Eastman’s Concerto Competition. He has been a young artist with the Opera companies of Sarasota and Memphis and is currently a Resident Artist with Utah Opera.


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UMFA Special Exhibition: Xaviera Simmons

UMFA Special Exhibition
salt 4:
Xaviera Simmons




salt 4: Xaviera Simmons ~ Collective and Personal Histories

Xaviera Simmons, Maps, 2010, 
detail, color photograph.
salt 4: Xaviera Simmons is the fourth in the Museum's series of exhibitions featuring innovative art from around the world. Through photography, installation, and performance, New York-based artist Xaviera Simmons constructs multivalent narratives of collective and personal histories. Her work often references traditions of American landscape painting, exploring depictions of the individual in nature. salt 4: Xaviera Simmons features a series of photographs, as well as a sculptural installation made of hand-lettered, locally found wooden scraps affixed directly to the gallery wall. This tangled matrix of text gleaned from notes, news articles, folklore, and literature forms its own kind of lyrical landscape, one imbued with historical and personal memory. Exhibition runs through February 26, 2012.

Utah Museum of Fine Arts
University of Utah Campus
Marcia & John Price Museum Building
410 Campus Center Dr.
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

Museum Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 8 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm
Closed Mondays and holidays


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